Brain electrical activity (quantitative EEG and bit-mapping neurocognitive CNV components), psychometrics and clinical findings in presenile subjects with initial mild cognitive decline or probable Alzheimer-type dementia.

Clinical, neuropsychological and neuropsychophysiological data (Q-EEG, ERPs and CNV/RT activity) were obtained from 24 patients who had more or less severe presenile primary cognitive decline without depression, and compared with similar data from 10 age-matched healthy volunteers (mean age, 59.4 years). All of the patients (15 M and 9 F; mean age 59.6 years) were selected according to the DSM III-R, ICD-10 and NINCDS-ADRDA criteria and underwent CT and MRI scanning, in addition to a standard clinical examination, a battery of psychometric tests, spectral EEG, and bit-mapped CNV complex and RT to S2 analyses. Twelve of the 24 patients presented an initial presenile idiopathic cognitive decline (PICD) but did not wholly fulfil the clinical and neuropsychological criteria for primary dementia or for a diagnosis of probable AD; the remaining 12 patients showed characteristic clinical signs and symptoms of a very probable early stage of presenile Alzheimer-type dementia (PAD). ANOVA, correlational and discriminant analyses of the neuropsychological test scores, and the neurophysiological and RT to S2 data revealed 22 highest-ranked between-group discriminant factors (all with a significance level of p < 0.01). The conclusive discriminant analysis retained 13 of these factors as final canonical functions, and these showed a 97% grouping accuracy (33 of the 34 subjects examined); the same percentage of correct classifications was also achieved using only the 15 best indicators in the group of CNV/RT findings. Using both of these sets of highest-ranked discriminators, all of the normal subjects and all of the PAD patients were correctly classified; only 1 PICD patient was misclassified as normal when the first group of 13 factors was used, and another PICD patient was misclassified as PAD using the second group of 15 factors. Our findings suggest that, providing they are correctly performed and interpreted, these non-invasive techniques may be an important tool for identifying incipient stages of presenile Alzheimer-type dementia.

Cognitive potentials: ipsilateral corticocortical interconnections in prefrontal human cortex ablations.

The research deals with the possible role of the essentially monosynaptic bidirectional corticocortical connections between occipito-temporo-parietal association cortical areas and frontal areas in the genesis of some contingent negative variation (CNV) components, especially on the supramodal dorsolateral prefrontal regions. With standard and topographic mapping methods of analysis, the multicomponent CNV complex formation was examined in 7 patients with extensive frontal cortex ablations exactly identified through CT/MRI examinations, and in 10 normal subjects. On the scalp over the ablated frontocortical areas, no consistent post-warning auditory N100 a-b-c, P200, P300, early and late CNV components were recordable. The hypothesis is proposed that the bidirectional ipsilateral long-distance pathways which interconnect uni-polymodal occipito-temporo-parietal cortical areas to prefrontal ones, in particular the arcuate-superior longitudinal and superior/inferior occipito-frontal fasciculi, play an important role in the genesis of several CNV complex components, especially the multicomponent post-S1 auditory N100. The posteroanterior sequential latency differences of these neurocognitive components, roughly measured along the scalp or on MRI imagings, is probably accounted for by the transcortical ipsilateral conduction time of about 1 cm/ms (10 m/s).

Format, organization, and processing of registration dossiers in the European Economic Community (EEC).

The free circulation of drugs among the European Economic Community (EEC) member states ensues from the principles stated by the Treaty of Rome. This is possible thanks to a series of legal and technical directives stating the criteria with which the national authorities--who are sovereign in this matter--must comply. These directives are briefly explained. In particular, the procedure by which the initial authorization, granted by one member state, can be extended to at least five others is presented. The content and order of the registration dossier is presented in detail.

[Identification of 46 yeasts from a clinical source: morphological criteria, biochemical and immunological tests]. / Identificazione di 46 lieviti di provenienza clinica: criteri morfologici, tests biochimici e immunologici.

From clinical specimens (urine, pharyngeal and vaginal exudates, sputum and skin) 46 yeasts have been identified. The cultures have been divided into 3 groups, according to their morphological characters: unicellular, yeasts having hyphae, pseudohyphae, blastospores and yeasts producing also arthrospores. Tests for fermentation and assimilation of carbohydrates have been employed for S.cerevisiae, T.cutaneum and T.glabrata. By the agglutination tests with monospecific antisera, 40 strains of Candida spp. and T.glabrata are identified; this method was able to differentiate 2 C.stellatoidea from C.albicans group B and 4 C.tropicalis from C.albicans group A. The immunologic method proved highly valuable and practical.