ABSTRACT
From a prospective study of 47 epileptic patients (26 men and 21 women) 25 with a left and 22 with a right temporal epileptic focus, the authors show that depression measured by the HARD score, is more severe in males, with a left epileptic focus. These results and the vulnerability to depression of left temporal lobe epileptic patients are analyzed.
Subject(s)
Depression/etiology , Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/complications , Adult , Brain/physiopathology , Depression/physiopathology , Electroencephalography , Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/physiopathology , Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe/psychology , Female , Functional Laterality , Humans , Male , Prospective Studies , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
The importance of the symptoms linked to a frontal disorder in the intellectual and behavioral sequelas of severe cranial trauma, is now measured carefully because these troubles are one of the most important obstacle to the social and professional come-back. The handicap linked to a disorder of the frontal lobe is not well known in all its neurological, mental and sociological dimensions because the diagnosis is not easy. To help to this diagnosis, the study of cerebral blood flow with SPECT is usefull in medical practice. We present here 4 clinical cases of post-trauma frontal syndrome not easy to measure. With a measure of cerebral blood flow with SPECT, it was observed a decrease of frontal blood flow, that allowed to link the neuropsychological symptom to a frontal lobe disorder. It seems that in these conditions the post-trauma frontal syndrome is not so uncommon.
Subject(s)
Brain Injuries/diagnostic imaging , Brain Ischemia/diagnostic imaging , Expert Testimony/legislation & jurisprudence , Frontal Lobe/blood supply , Neurocognitive Disorders/diagnostic imaging , Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon , Adult , Amnesia/diagnostic imaging , Amnesia/psychology , Brain Damage, Chronic/diagnostic imaging , Brain Damage, Chronic/psychology , Brain Injuries/psychology , Brain Ischemia/psychology , Child, Preschool , Frontal Lobe/injuries , Head Injuries, Closed/diagnostic imaging , Head Injuries, Closed/psychology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neurocognitive Disorders/psychology , Neurologic Examination , Neuropsychological Tests , Organotechnetium Compounds , Oximes , Technetium Tc 99m ExametazimeABSTRACT
In a prospective study of 50 epileptic patients (20 with a left hemisphere epileptic focus, 20 with a right one and 10 with a cryptogenic generalized epilepsy), the authors show that depression as appreciated by the H.A.R.D. score, is more frequent and severe in partial epilepsy in males, and when the epileptic focus is localized on left hemisphere. This association is related to the duration of epilepsy, the number of seizures, but not to age or medication status. Vulnerability of left hemisphere to depression is analysed, and neuro-chemical mechanisms are discussed.
Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder/etiology , Epilepsies, Partial/psychology , Functional Laterality/physiology , Adult , Epilepsies, Partial/physiopathology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective StudiesABSTRACT
The authors report the observation of REM-sleep behavior disorder in a patient also suffering from an olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy. They discuss the place of this sleep disorder among the parasomnias, its pathophysiological basis and its features similar to those of the somnambulism. Only a polysomnography study can help to make the diagnosis.
