ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Over the last decade there has been growing evidence that neuropsychological deficits, principally in the executive functions, may be involved in the pathogenesis of Chiari Type I disease. The aim of this study is to compare changes in cognitive function in patients with Chiari Type I and healthy subjects. METHOD: The neuropsychological profile of these patients was compared with healthy controls. Three neuropsychological tests were administered to both Chiari Type I patients and healthy controls to assess the frontal executive functions of vigilance or selective attention, mental flexibility, planning and concept formation. RESULTS: The results suggest that Chiari Type I patients are affected in the processes of inhibition and self-control as well as in attention capacity and maintaining a course of thought and action. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence of possible deficits or anomalies in the cognitive executive functions of patients with Chiari Type I.
Subject(s)
Arnold-Chiari Malformation/complications , Arnold-Chiari Malformation/psychology , Cognition , Executive Function , Mental Disorders/etiology , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neuropsychological TestsABSTRACT
Symptoms from synovial cysts are produced by neural compression in the spinal canal or the foramen. Few cases of extraforaminal synovial cyst have been published in the literature. This is a case report of a 65-year-old female who presented with a three-month history of sciatic pain and no relief with conservative treatment. MRI showed a left-sided extraforaminal synovial cyst at L5-S1 with compression of the L5 nerve root at the lateral portion of the foramen. Minimally invasive surgery for resection was performed using an extraforaminal tubular microscopic endoscopy-assisted approach. The patient improved clinically and remained symptom-free for the entire follow-up of 30 months.
