[Hypoperfusion of the brain in cardiac rhythm disorders]. / Hypoperfuze mozku pri poruchách srdecního rytmu.

In 134 patients (age 41-74 years) with symptoms of a transient ischaemic attack the authors made an ultrasonic dopplerometric examination of the main arteries of the head and a rheoencephalographic examination using the method of polygraphic recording with an ECG tracing II. st. 1. as well as in extreme position of the head and neck. In the investigated group in seven subjects a severe disorder of the cardiac rhythm was recorded with more than one third of ectopic ventricular contractions. The authors elaborated criteria for the objective expression of the impact of haemodynamic changes on the cerebral circulation. When doing so, they took into account the number of inadequate ventricular contractions with a pulse deficit in the periphery, the frequency of inadequate contractions and their haemodynamic effect the consequence of which was reduction of the pulse volume and slowing down of the blood flow. According to these criteria dysrhythmia was the cause of cerebral ischaemia in 4.5% of all subjects included in the authors' group. In the group of patients with a severe disorder of the cardiac rhythm dysrhythmia was the cause of a transient ischaemic attack in 86% of the patients. Trespassing of the ischaemic threshold is promoted also by a poorer blood supply in extreme positions of the head and neck which may occur in everyday life or during sleep.

[Central pontine myelinolysis]. / Centrální pontinní myelinolýza.

The authors describe a case of central pontine myelinolysis in a 43-year-old female alcoholic, confirmed by post-mortem examination, as for technical reasons in lifetime neither CT nor MR examinations could be made. Despite the relatively scarce incidence of the disease, as mentioned in the literature, this possibility must be taken into consideration in particular in young alcoholics.

[Visual evoked potentials in chronic alcoholics]. / Vysetrení zrakových evokovaných potenciálu u chronických alkoholiku.

In 25 chronic alcoholics (24 men, 1 women, mean age 45 years, mean period of abuse 26 years) the authors examined visual evoked potentials to stimulation by checkerboard pattern reversal. The results were compared with findings in a control group of 46 healthy subjects. An abnormal finding as regards the VEP was recorded in 28% of the alcoholics. The differences comprised a prolongation of the latency and poorer reproducibility and differentiation ability of the evoked complex which frequently had an atypical shape. On the other hand, the mean amplitude of VEP in the two groups did not differ significantly. There was no difference as regards mean age and mean period of abuse between alcoholics with a normal and abnormal VEP finding. All alcoholics who after successful treatment abstained for at least three months had a normal VEP finding. This may suggest a relative reversibility of VEP changes in chronic alcoholics, assuming treatment and abstinence. The authors did not prove any effect of Antabuse on VEP.

Presence of polioviruses and other enteral viruses in sewage: a survey in the Czech Socialistic Republic 1969-1976.

Monitoring polioviruses in sewage is a permanent task within the poliomyelitis vaccination control programme in Czechoslovakia. The results of sewage examination in certain localities of the CSR in the years 1969 to 1976 are reported. During the study years, nearly 3600 samples of sewage were examined. The yield was about 9 percent of samples positive for polioviruses and 22 per cent of samples positive for other viruses. The virus positivity rate was roughly the same in samples from municipal sewers and samples from children's facilities. The majority of polioviruses were detected within 3 to 4 months after mass vaccination campaigns, which in Czechoslovakia are carried out in spring. In some years types 2 and 3 polioviruses tended to occur in later months after vaccination as well. Antigenic characterization of the polioviruses isolated in Prague showed that polioviruses possessing an rct+ marker and antigenically related but not identical with the original vaccine strains were sometimes present late during the intervals between vaccination campaigns. It may be assumed that vaccine strains which have been in circulation for sufficiently long time are subject to a gradual change or that vaccine-like strains have been imported.