[Presentation of a case of suspected herpes encephalitis with unusual clinial aspects]. / Presentazione di un caso di sospetta encefalite erpetica con aspetti clinici eccezionali.

The authors describe, in a patient suffering from IDDM, a case of suspected EHS the beginning of which was concealed by serious ketoacidosis. The clinical suspicion, strengthened by the tests TC and RMN, was not confirmed by CSF analysis. In spite of the severity of the documented lesion and neurological findings at the onset and the outcome has turned out favourably.

Migraine treatment with nicardipine.

A novel calcium entry blocker, nicardipine, has been tested using a dosage of 20 mg twice a day against placebo on 30 patients suffering from migraine without aura, according to a double-blind, cross-over design; overall duration of the study was four months (two with nicardipine and two with placebo). Migraine parameters such as monthly frequency, mean intensity and mean duration of attacks were monitored. Two indexes were also calculated: index A (monthly frequency x mean intensity) and index B (monthly frequency x mean intensity x mean duration). All the parameters considered and the two indexes showed a marked and significant improvement after nicardipine treatment in comparison to both placebo and pre-study scores. Detailed analysis of the cross-over results showed that improvement obtained with nicardipine lasted some time after the drug was discontinued. Nicardipine did not alter the blood and attention tests performed and caused few side effects.

Early scalp responses evoked by stimulation of the mental nerve in humans.

In 20 subjects, we stimulated the mental nerve through needle electrodes inserted into the homonymous foramen; recording electrodes were placed on the scalp and along the jaw. Within the 1st 5 msec after the stimulus we recorded 4 constant waves, thought to reflect the afferent activity from the mandibular nerve up to the trigeminal nuclei. These waves have similar characteristics and the same high degree of reliability as those obtained after stimulation of the infraorbital and supraorbital nerves; therefore, they should be a useful complement for a complete exploration of trigeminal nerve function.

Comparison of TENS treatments in hemiplegic shoulder pain.

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of high-intensity versus low-intensity transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and versus placebo for treatment of hemiplegic shoulder pain. Three groups of 20 patients each (A, B, C) were studied. In group A high-intensity TENS was delivered at 3 times the sensory threshold with frequency of 100 Hz; in group B low-intensity TENS was delivered at the sensory threshold with frequency of 100 Hz. Group C received placebo stimulation. The treatment protocol consisted of 12 sessions (4 weeks). Before treatment, at the end of it and one month after, passive range of motion (PROM) for flexion, extension, abduction and external rotation were evaluated. Statistically significant improvements of PROMs were recorded for group A, but not for groups B or C.