bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interhemispheric Transfer in Down’s Syndrome
Authors: Braun C. M. J. , Riopel L.
Published: March 2014

Callosal agenesics and callosotomized epileptics manifest markedly increasing simple visual reaction time (SVRT) from conditions of ipsilateral to contralateral stimulus-response relation (SRR). In the contralateral SRR, a response is presumed possible because of presence of other commissures (anterior, intercollicular). The SRR effect is prolonged presumably because the remaining commissures are less efficient than the corpus callosum in relaying necessary visual or motor information. Consequently, the SRR effect is believed to correspond to callosal relay time (CRT) in the normal subject. However, both callosal agenesics and callosotomy patients manifest general slowing of SVRT in addition to a prolonged SRR effect. These patients have massive extra-callosal damage which could plausibly cause both the SVRT and the CUD prolongation. If such were the case, the CRT inference would be in jeopardy. A test of the CRT inference is therefore required where patients with massive diffuse extra-callosal brain damage and normal callosi would show marked general SVRT prolongation and a normal SRR effect. Four trisomy-21 (T21) males were compared to age and sex-matched normal controls. General SVRT was highly significantly prolonged in T21, but the CUD was nearly identical in both groups.
Possession States: Approaches to Clinical Evaluation and Classification
Authors: McCormick S. , Goff D. C.
Published: March 2014

The fields of anthropology and sociology have produced a large quantity of literature on possession states, physicians however rarely report on such phenomena. As a result clinical description of possession states has suffered, even though these states may be more common and less deviant than supposed. Both ICD-10 and DSM-IV may include specific criteria for possession disorders. The authors briefly review Western notions about possession and kindred states and present guidelines for evaluation and classification.
Lithium Intoxication Presenting as a Mixed Misidentification Syndrome
Authors: Potts S. G.
Published: March 2014

A case is reported of lithium intoxication presenting with a mixed misidentification syndrome including features of Capgras syndrome. CT scanning showed cerebral atrophy, greater on the right, consistent with earlier evidence, suggesting that misidentification syndromes are more common with right hemisphere lesions.
Cognitive Retardation in a Patient with Preservation of Psychomotor Speed
Authors: Willison J. R. , Warrington E. K.
Published: March 2014

We describe a patient (R.S.) who after a bout of probable TB exhibited an unusual pattern of response retardation, although given time he was able to score at a satisfactory level. He was strikingly slow to initiate speaking and to carry out higher level cognitive tasks, at a time when he could complete a variety of psychomotor activities at normal speed. He showed many similarities with patients previously described as having subcortical dementia. The selective preservation of psychomotor responding in the context of his gross bradyphrenia, however, was unexpected.
Irrelevant, Incidental and Core Features in the Retrograde Amnesia Associated with Korsakoff’s Psychosis: A Review
Authors: Meudell P. R.
Published: March 2014

A brief review of the literature on retrograde amnesia in Korsakoff's syndrome is presented. Various explanations of the phenomenon are discussed including the notions that it results from the effects of “state-dependency”, that it occurs as a result of a progressive learning problem and that it arises through a failure in contextual processing. None of these hypotheses can satisfactorily account for the length and temporal gradient of alcoholic amnesics retrograde amnesia. Although some evidence points towards the hypothesis that anterograde and retrograde amnesia might result from separate and independent impairments, this view is presently unproven and leaves open what causes the form and duration of Korsakoffs retrograde amnesia.
Empirical Research on Déjà Vu Experiences: A Review
Authors: Sno H. N. , Schalken H. F. A. , de Jonghe F.
Published: March 2014

A déjà vu experience is a dissociative phenomenon, which can be characterized as a subjectively inappropriate impression of familiarity of the present with an undefined past. This paper reviews empirical studies on déjà vu experiences and summarizes the most salient findings. Overall, the findings appear to be inconsistent and inconclusive. The authors conclude that the available empirical research is of limited significance due to various methodological and conceptual issues. In order to evaluate the clinical psychiatric relevance of déjà vu experiences, further research which also addresses its qualitative features is warranted.
Dementia of Frontal Lobe Type and Amyotrophy
Authors: Ferrer I.
Published: March 2014

Dementia of frontal lobe type may precede motor signs in a number of adult patients with amyotrophy. Neuropathological studies have shown neuron loss, spongiosis and gliosis mainly in layers II and III of the frontal and temporal lobes, together with myelin pallor of the subcortical white matter. Golgi studies revealed loss of dendritic spines on the apical dendrite of layer III pyramidal neurons, decreased numbers of dendrites, amputation and tortuosities of dendrites, and distal and proximal dendritic swellings and enlargements. Calbindin D-28K immunocytochemistry revealed a marked decrease in the number of cortical immunoreactive neurons and loss of immunoreactivity in dendrites of the remaining cells. These features indicate that pyramidal and non-pyramidal neurons in layers II and III are severely damaged, and suggest that cortical processing is seriously impaired in patients with frontal lobe type dementia.
The Clinical Features of 67 Patients with Clinically Definite Steele-Richardson-Olszewski Syndrome
Authors: de Bruin V. M. S. , Lees A. J.
Published: March 2014

The clinical features of 67 patients with probable Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome have been analysed. Bradykinesia was present in 92.5% of cases at the time of initial assessment and the two commonest presenting complaints were walking difficulties and stiffness. Only 11 patients had a supranuclear gaze palsy when first seen. Forty-nine patients developed cognitive impairment in the course of their illness based on neuropsychological testing. In addition to the classical clinical findings occasional other findings included focal dystonia, tonic inhibition of levator palpebrae and blepharospasm, respiratory disturbances and impaired hearing. Only nine cases responded at all to levodopa therapy.
A Patient with Difficulty of Object Recognition: Semantic Amnesia for Manipulable Objects
Authors: Yamadori A. , Yoneda Y. , Yamashita H. , Sugiura K.
Published: March 2014

We studied a patient who had recognition difficulty for manipulable objects. MRI showed a lesion in the left occipito-parietotemporal area. Differential diagnosis of agnosia, aphasia and apraxia is discussed. We believe this “object meaning amnesia” constitutes a distinct subtype of semantic amnesia.
Aborting Seizures by Painful Stimulation
Authors: Carasso R. L. , Mostofsky D. I. , Yehuda S.
Published: March 2014

It has been well established that serious consequences may result from allowing seizures to continue. The opportunities for early interruption of seizures by medication is often restricted to medical personnel, leaving non-trained bystanders unable to intervene. We were able to interrupt seizures (including status epilepticus) by application of painful dorsiflexion. The mode of action that enables pain to elevate the seizure threshold remains to be elucidated, although the phenomenon is consistent with earlier laboratory studies in experimental epilepsy. The technique may be recommended as an effective and easily learned procedure that may have wide applicability.
Thought and Language
Authors: Laplane D.
Published: March 2014

From aphasics' self records, common experience, changes in signification of sentences according to a verbal or non-verbal context, animals and non speaking children performances, it seems possible to get some evidence that thought is distinct from language even though there is a permanent interaction between both in normal adult human beings. Some considerations on formalisation of language suggests that the more formalised it is, the less information it contains. If it is true, it is not reasonable to hope that a formalised language like that used by computers may be a model for thought. Finally, the lack of status of thought, as far as it is a subjective experience and the impossibility of giving it a definition as far as it exceeds language, make it clear that in spite of progress in scientific psychology, thought, per se, is not an object for science.
Use of Introspection in Scientific Psychological Research
Authors: Laplane D.
Published: March 2014

The use of introspection is unavoidable even in psychological research on animals. Difficulties may arise from the absence of reliable introspective data; it is suggested that this could be the case for the so-called “reward system”. In other circumstances confusion comes from using introspection without being aware of it: speaking and thinking have for many years been considered as the same operation, but the reason for this belief is not clearly documented and it may be suspected of being only introspection. Amongst other evidence, a careful and conscious use of introspection demonstrated by auto-analyses of former aphasic patients strongly suggests that language and thought are quite distinct entities.
Absence of Neurobehavioral Disturbance in a Focal Lesion of the Left Paracentral Lobule
Authors: Imamura T. , Tsuburaya K.
Published: March 2014

The case of a right-handed woman with an infarcation confined to the left paracentral lobule and sparing the supplementary motor area (SMA) is reported. She presented with a right leg monoplegia and displayed no mutism. The absence of any associated neurobehavioral disturbances (mutism, forced grasping, reduced spontaneous arm activity or aphasia raises the possibility that the left SMA has discrete neurobehavioral functions.
Crossed Aphasia in a Dextral without “Minor” Hemisphere Signs
Authors: Marshall J. C. , Halligan P. W.
Published: March 2014

A case of severe aphasia after right hemisphere stroke, confirmed by CT, in an unambiguously dextral patient is reported. The patient showed no limb apraxia, and performed well on a test of “closure” (Mooney faces). Extensive testing revealed no signs of visuo-spatial neglect. We conclude that “pure” crossed aphasia can occur in the absence of symptoms normally associated with right hemisphere lesions.
Partnership and Depression in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Seiler S. , Perleth B. , Gasser T. , Ulm G. , Oertel W. H. , Ellgring H.
Published: March 2014

In this study, the influence of partnership on depression and coping with Parkinson's disease has been investigated. Twenty-three single female patients, 46 married patients (23 female, 23 male) with unimpaired partnership and 42 patients (21 female, 21 male) whose partnership had worsened since the onset of disease, were compared with regard to depression and self reported extent of psychosocial distress. Single female patients tended to have higher depression scores than patients in a stable partnership, especially in items concerning personal worthlessness and senselessness of life. Patients differed in the extent of distress concerning social behavior, psychological problems/anxiety and efficiency. Within the group of single female patients two subgroups emerged: (1) patients with low extent of distress in all aspects; (2) patients who were highly distressed by psychological problems and physical disability but weakly distressed from social interaction. Male and female patients living in a stable partnership reported only a generally low to moderate extent of distress. More than half of the male and female patients who reported an impairment of their relationship also had scores of moderate to severe depression. These patients also had the highest extent of distress in each of the aspects assessed. The results are discussed with regard to possible interactive effects of the disease, quality of the partnership and availability of coping strategies.
Ideational and Ideomotor Apraxia: A Qualitative Analysis
Authors: Mozaz M. J.
Published: March 2014

This paper reviews research into both ideational and ideomotor apraxia focusing on the qualitative aspects of limb apraxia. The criteria based on a distinction between different type of movements which have been used to distinguish between ideational (IA) and ideomotor apraxia (IMA) are reviewed together with an evaluation of the most frequent methods of testing and their effects on patients responses. Finally a list of the types of response reported in the literature is presented and their relationship with IA and IMA is proposed.
Recognition Memory in Psychotic Patients
Authors: Ellis H. , De Pauw K. , Christodoulou G. N. , Luaute J.-P. , Bidault E. , Szulecka K.
Published: March 2014

Preliminary data are reported from experiments in which Warrington's (1984) Recognition Memory Tests were given to patients with misidentification delusions including the Capgras type and to psychotic patients. The results showed a profound impairment on face recognition for most groups, especially those with the Capgras delusion. It was rare to find a patent whose score on the word test was anything but normal.
Single-Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (SPECT) in Neuropsychiatry: A Review
Authors: Puri B. K. , Lewis S. W.
Published: March 2014

Cranial single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT or SPET) can now give regional cerebral blood flow images with a resolution approaching that of positron emission tomography (PET). In this paper, the use of high resolution SPECT neuroimaging in neuropsychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, multi-infarct dementia, Pick's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, Korsakoff's psychosis, Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, schizophrenia, mood disorders, obsessive–compulsive disorder, HIV infection and AIDS is reviewed. Finally, further potential research and clinical uses, based on ligand studies, are outlined.
Two Forms of Palilalia: A Clinicoanatomical Study
Authors: Ikeda M. , Tanabe H.
Published: March 2014

The clinical and neuroradiological findings of three patients with marked palilalia due to different neurological disorders are reported. These cases and others in the literature suggest the possibility of different variations. “Spasmodic, heterophonic palilalia” is typically observed in Parkinson's syndrome and pseudobulbar palsy: the content of palilalia is characteristically changed by interruption. “Atonic, homophonic, autoecholalic palilalia” is mainly seen in Pick's disease, and is not affected by external interruption.
The Role of the Caudate in Nonmotor Behaviors in Huntington’s Disease
Authors: Jacobs D. H. , Huber S. J.
Published: March 2014

Neuropsychologic data suggest an important role for the caudate nucleus (CN) in behavioral impairments in Huntington's disease (HD). These include abnormalities in executive function, egocentric visuospatial representations, communication, and retrieval of declarative memories, changes in personality, and psychiatric disturbances. Animal paradigms of CN lesions support a role for the CN in some of these behaviors. Current theories of basal ganglia function add explanatory value to the role of the CN in these behaviors. A disconnection of the caudate from limbic structures, including the amygdala may account for many nonmotor behaviors observed in HD.
Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome—A Case Report from Guyana in South America
Authors: Eapen V. , Robertson M. M.
Published: March 2014

A case of the Gilles de la Tourette syndrome from Guyana in South America is presented. The patient had a positive family history as well as coprolalia, echolalia, and attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. The family history and cross-cultural similarity emphasise the biological factors in the aetiology of the syndrome.
A Case of Epilepsy and Psychosis in the Seventeenth Century
Authors: Ovsiew F.
Published: March 2014

A seventeenth-century painter left an account of his seizures, trances and visions; in 1923 Freud commented on this “demonological neurosis” without discussing the seizures. Attention is drawn to the concurrence of epilepsy and psychosis in this early autobiographical source.
Basal Ganglia Mineralization in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Comparative Study of Clinical, Neuroradiological and Neuropathological Findings
Authors: Förstl H. , Burns A. , Cairns N. , Luthert P. , Levy R.
Published: March 2014

Fifty patients from a longitudinal study on 178 cases of Alzheimer's disease were examined at postmortem. The clinical features, CT-scans and neuropathological findings of five patients, with verified Alzheimer's disease, who had bilateral basal ganglia mineralization (BGM; 2 male, 3 female; age 78–91 years) were compared with the data of five age- and sex-matched Alzheimer patients without BGM and of five control subjects. Persecutory and other delusions (4 patients), persistent depression (2), parkinsonism (4), myoclonus (1) and epileptic seizures (1) were observed more frequently in the patients with BGM than was expected. The BGM-group had significantly lower counts of large neurons in the pallidum internum than the demented patients without BGM or the control group. We did not find other differences between the dementia groups regarding the CT-scans, or plaque, tangle and neuron counts in neocortex and brainstem. We suggest that the combined effects of Alzheimer pathology and BGM might lead to an increased manifestation of psychotic and motor disturbances.
Relapsing Depression in Paramedian Thalamic Infarctions
Authors: Baumgartner R. W. , Landis T. , Regard M.
Published: March 2014

Depression has recently been associated with lesions in the CNS, particularly with large infarctions in the cerebral hemispheres. We report a patient in whom two episodes of acute depression were related to relapsing paramedian thalamic infarctions, which were accompanied by additional transient mild neuropsychological deficits, hypersomnia and a discrete sensory disturbance of the left face. Thalamic infarctions have been shown to mimic a variety of higher functional deficits, such as aphasias, apraxias and attentional disorders, traditionally associated with hemispheric strokes. We conjecture that the paramedian thalamic infarctions observed in our patient have in a similar manner been responsible for the transient depression.
Hallucinations and parkinsonian Motor Fluctuations
Authors: Fernandez W. , Stern G. , Lees A. J.
Published: March 2014

Thirty patients with Parkinson's disease experiencing hallucinations during long-term treatment were compared with 20 parkinsonian patients without hallucinations. No differences were found in the duration of disease, L-dopa treatment or disease severity between the two groups. The hallucinators however, were significantly older and more cognitively impaired. Visual hallucinations occurring only during “off periods of immobility” were relatively common and improved concurrently with parkinsonian disabilities after L-dopa. Although visual hallucinations were commonest auditory hallucinations occurred in one third of the hallucinators.
People Recognition: A Historical/Anthropological Perspective
Authors: Ardila A.
Published: March 2014

Using current neurological and neuropsychological literature, and the analysis of different cultural and historical conditions, people recognition is analyzed. Different “subsystems” or “modules” could be involved in individuals' recognition: living versus non-living, own species versus other species, familiar versus non-familiar, males versus females, and individual identification versus emotional identification. Not only visual, but also auditory and even olfactory information may be involved in people recognition. Visual information involved in people recognition is proposed to include not only the perception of faces, but also the perception of whole body and gait, clothes, emotional expressions, and individual marks.
Progressive Decline of Semantic Memory with Preservation of Number Processing and Calculation
Authors: Diesfeldt H. F. A.
Published: March 2014

A 75-year-old man with seven years of formal education displayed a syndrome of progressive and severe lexical impairments to word comprehension and production (semantic dementia). While he lost the ability to recognize written arithmetical signs, he could still retrieve the arithmetical facts for addition and subtraction of all number combinations of 1 to 9 and 11 to 19, though his mastery of multiplication tables (2 to 9) was unreliable. Calculation procedures were intact. Over the course of 18 months the components of the calculation system dissolved selectively: arithmetical procedures and number reading were spared, despite increasing damage to the arithmetic fact store. He retained the ability to read the time on analogue clocks. Selective preservation of components of the calculation system in the context of severe language deficits and dementia, supports the independent status of numerical abilities. The dissociation between intact arithmetical procedures and impaired table fact retrieval was paralleled by a dissociation between preserved procedures of phonology and syntax of language and impaired retrieval of content words, suggesting that the core deficit was a degradation of the central semantic store of learned knowledge of both words and arithmetic table facts.
Implicit Memory in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Latchford G. , Morley S. , Peace K. , Boyd J.
Published: March 2014

A number of neuropsychological studies have revealed that memory problems are relatively common in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). It may be useful to compare MS with conditions such as Huntington's disease (HD), which have been referred to as subcortical dementia. A characteristic of these conditions may be an impairment in implicit (unconscious) memory, but not in explicit (conscious) memory. The present study examined the functioning of explicit and implicit memory in MS. Results showed that implicit memory was not significantly impaired in the MS subjects, and that they were impaired on recall but not recognition. A correlation was found between implicit memory performance and disability status in MS patients. Findings also suggest the possibility of long-term priming of implicit memory in the control subjects. The implications of these results are discussed.
Completion Phenomenon in Transcortical Sensory Aphasia
Authors: Nakagawa Y. , Tanabe H. , Ikeda M. , Kazui H. , Ito K. , Inoue N. , Hatakenaka Y. , Sawada T. , Ikeda H. , Shiraishi J.
Published: March 2014

We investigated completion phenomenon for proverbs in cases demonstrating transcortical sensory aphasia due to a variety of diseases. Lack of this completion was exclusively observed in patients with focal atrophy. These patients showed a selective and consistent impairment in word comprehension without phonemic cue effects in naming. The completion phenomenon was present in patients demonstrating transcortical sensory aphasia due to other cerebral diseases. In these patients, comprehension deficits were not selective for words, or words not comprehended were inconsistent and some phonemic cue effects were observed. In a previous study, we reported that completion phenomena for multiplication tables, serial numbers and names of days were frequently noted in patients with focal atrophy. Together with the present findings, these results suggest that lack of proverb completion may be attributed to a selective, systematic and complete loss of the meaning representations for language units such as words and proverbs. In addition, pathological processes of focal atrophy with temporal predominance might selectively affect the semantic memory for language as a unit.
Covert Face Recognition without Prosopagnosia
Authors: Ellis H. D. , Young A. W. , Koenken G.
Published: March 2014

An experiment is reported where subjects were presented with familiar or unfamiliar faces for supraliminal durations or for durations individually assessed as being below the threshold for recognition. Their electrodermal responses to each stimulus were measured and the results showed higher peak amplitude skin conductance responses for familiar than for unfamiliar faces, regardless of whether they had been displayed supraliminally or subliminally. A parallel is drawn between elevated skin conductance responses to subliminal stimuli and findings of covert recognition of familiar faces in prosopagnosic patients, some of whom show increased electrodermal activity (EDA) to previously familiar faces. The supraliminal presentation data also served to replicate similar work by Tranel et al (1985). The results are considered alongside other data indicating the relation between non-conscious, “automatic” aspects of normal visual information processing and abilities which can be found to be preserved without awareness after brain injury.
Cortical Activation during a Cognitive Challenge in Patients with Chronic Temporal Lobe Epilepsy—A Dynamic SPECT Study
Authors: Kirkpatrick P. J. , Morris R. , Syed G. M. S. , Polkey C. E.
Published: March 2014

In a pilot group of six patients suffering from chronic temporal lobe epilepsy, single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) has been used to image the changes in relative cerebral blood flow between rest (static scan) and conditions of cognitive activation (activated scan). The cognitive challenge used during activation comprised a test of word memory, and the performance was expressed as a word memory score (WMS) for each individual. An activation index (AI) was calculated from the mean normalized density counts in specific regions of interest (ROIs), and values obtained were analysed for correlation with the WMS. The mean AI was increased significantly in the right lateral temporal cortex, the right and left inferior frontal regions, the left temporal pole, and the right medial temporal cortex. A positive correlation with the WMS was found in the medial temporal cortices, and this relationship was significant for the right medial temporal ROI.
Voice Recognition Impairment in a Blind Capgras Patient
Authors: Reid I. , Young A. W. , Hellawell D. J.
Published: March 2014

We report a case of a blind woman, M.N., who experienced the Capgras delusion. She thought that her pet cat had been replaced by a replica which was “ill-intentioned” towards her. M.N.'s case shows that the basis of the Capgras delusion cannot lie exclusively in damage to the visual system. However, testing of M.N.'s auditory recognition abilities revealed a deficit in the recognition of familiar voices. This impairment is consistent with the view that the Capgras delusion may arise in connection with damage to recognition mechanisms, and parallels findings of face processing impairments in sighted Capgras patients.
Unilateral Neglect: The Fate of the Extinguished Visual Stimuli
Authors: D’Erme P. , Robertson I. , Bartolomeo P. , Daniele A.
Published: March 2014

Recent neuropsychological literature has provided evidence for the phenomenon of perception without awareness, also referred to as covert (or implicit) knowledge or tacit awareness. Yet little is known to date about the fate of extinguished stimuli in patients with unilateral spatial neglect. Six right brain-damaged patients with USN and one control subject were presented with single lateralized visual stimuli and with pairs of same or different visual stimuli (one right, one left). A same/different judgement and a multiple choice recognition task were performed on overtly unidentified left-sided stimuli, to unveil possible phenomena of covert knowledge. Some evidence of covert knowledge was observed, and its relation to stimulus characteristics and task demands is discussed.
Anatomic and Physiological Bases of Social Blushing: Speculations from Neurology and Psychology
Authors: Cutlip II W. D. , Leary M. R.
Published: March 2014

Although a common and occasionally troubling reaction, social blushing has received little systematic attention from either medical or behavioral researchers. This article reviews what is known of the physiological and psychological processes that mediate social blushing, and speculates regarding the role of central mechanisms in the phenomenon. Blushing is characterized by the unusual combination of cutaneous vasodilatation of the face, neck, and ears, accompanied by activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Psychologically, blushing appears to occur when people receive undesired social attention from others and may be analogous to the appeasement displays observed in non-human primates. Although poorly understood, the central mechanisms that mediate blushing obviously involve both involuntary autonomic effector systems and higher areas that involve self-reflective thought. Questions for future research are suggested.
Prevalence of Psychosomatic and Other Medical Illnesses in Anorexic and Bulimic Patients
Authors: Ghadirian A.-M. , Engelsmann F. , Leichner P. , Marshall M.
Published: March 2014

The occurrence of psychosomatic disorders (PSD) in patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa has rarely been investigated. We examined the prevalence of four psychosomatic disorders [peptic ulcer (PU), bronchial asthma (BA), neurodermatitis (ND), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA)] in patients consecutively admitted to an eating disorders (ED) program. Responses to a validated questionnaire and clinical file information were obtained from 152 patients, 60% of whom were bulimic and 40% were anorexic. The average age of the patients was 27.5 years and all but two patients were female. There was a higher life-time prevalence of the psychosomatic disorders among anorexics compared with bulimic patients, except for RA. PU and BA were reported by 10% of anorexics compared with 7.6% and 8.7%, respectively, by bulimic patients. RA was rare in both anorexic (1.6%) and bulimic patients (5.4%). The young age of the patients under study was to be considered limiting the life-time prevalence. The study contains epidemiological data on the prevalence of other medical illnesses in ED patients as well as the prevalence of PSD and eating disorders in their families.
Confabulations Related to Tacit Awareness in Visual Neglect
Authors: Manning L. , Kartsounis L. D.
Published: March 2014

The case of a man with left-sided visuospatial neglect is reported. His performance on a test for neglect, the “burning house test”, is analysed and compared with that of other patients referred to in the literature. We suggest that the confabulations neglect patients may produce when confronted with this test reflect the degree of preconscious awareness for left-sided features.
Event-Related Potentials in Parkinson’s Disease: A Review
Authors: Růžička E. , El Massioui F.
Published: March 2014

This article reviews the findings of event-related potentials (ERP) in Parkinson's disease (PD) published during the last 10 years. Basic principles and methods of ERP are briefly presented with particular regard to the auditory “odd-ball” paradigm almost uniquely employed for the ERP assessment in PD to date. The results of respective studies are overviewed and discussed with respect to three main axes: (1) The slowing down of cognitive processing in PD is reflected by the delays of N2 and P3 components of ERP which are more important in demented than in non-demented patients. The Nl component is delayed in demented patients with PD as well as in other dementias of presumed subcortical origin. (2) Various neuropsychological deficits observed in PD correlate with the delays of ERP evoking the implication of common subcortico-cortical cerebral mechanisms. (3) The variations of ERP under dopaminergic manipulation suggest conflicting effects of levodopa treatment on cognition, at least in certain categories of PD patients. These findings are discussed in the light of current knowledge on neurotransmitter brain systems and some hypothetic explanations are proposed. Finally, an attempt is made to outline further perspectives of clinical and research utilization of ERP in Parkinson's disease.
Aggressive Behaviour in Huntington’s Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Nursing Home Population
Authors: Shiwach R. S. , Patel V.
Published: March 2014

We describe a cross-sectional study of aggressive behaviour in a sample of patients suffering from Huntington's disease in a residential nursing home. Data were obtained using the RAGE, a behaviourally oriented rating scale for measuring aggressive behaviour in cognitively impaired patients. Nursing staff rated 27 patients after a 3 day observation period. A third of the sample were rated to be at least mildly aggressive; the frequencies of some specific types of aggressive behaviour were high. In contrast, the frequency of injuries sustained and the use of restraints and medication for aggressive behaviour were low. Aggressive behaviour was found to be significantly related to the degree of functional impairment. These data are compared with those reported in a study using the RAGE to assess aggressive behaviour in a sample of elderly patients with dementia.
Dyspraxia and Agnosia in Schizophrenia
Authors: Liddle P. F. , Haque S. , Morris D. L. , Barnes T. R. E.
Published: March 2014

A battery of tests for dyspraxia and agnosia was administered to 51 chronic schizophrenic patients to test the hypothesis that these cortical neurological signs are associated with psychomotor poverty syndrome (poverty of speech, flat affect, decreased spontaneous movement), disorganization syndrome (various disorders of the form of thought, inappropriate affect), abnormal involuntary movements, cognitive impairment, and duration of illness. The findings supported all elements of the hypothesis, and in particular, demonstrated a strong correlation of cortical signs with psychomotor poverty and with cognitive impairment.
The Psychomotor Disorders: Disorders of the Supervisory Mental Processes
Authors: Liddle P. F.
Published: March 2014

Clinical evidence suggests that three major patterns of disturbance of the supervisory mental processes that regulate self-generated mental activity can occur, either alone or together, in a variety of neurological and psychiatric conditions. Psychomotor poverty involves a diminished ability to initiate activity. Psychomotor disorganization reflects impaired ability to select between activities. Reality distortion, which is manifest as delusions and hallucinations, appears to reflect an abnormality of internal monitoring of mental activity. Each of these three syndromes is associated with a specific pattern of disordered function in multimodal association cortex and related subcortical nuclei. The evidence suggests that the neurotransmitter dopamine plays a major role in modulating the supervisory mental processes, though serotonin and noradrenaline are also implicated. While a particular neurotransmitter might have conflicting influences on different syndromes, the differential involvement of different anatomic sites and different neuroreceptor types offers the possibility of successful treatment even when different syndromes co-exist.
Anxiety and Depression in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Starkstein S. E. , Robinson R. G. , Leiguarda R. , Preziosi T. J.
Published: March 2014

We examined a consecutive series of 40 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) for the presence of anxiety. We found that 40 % met DSM-III criteria for generalized anxiety disorders, and half of them also met criteria for either major depression or minor depression. While depression was associated with long duration of illness and more severe cognitive and physical impairments, anxiety was not associated with greater impairment. We conclude that anxiety, with or without depression, constitutes a frequent psychiatric problem among patients with PD.
Memory Functioning in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Authors: Abbruzzese M. , Bellodi L. , Ferri S. , Scarone S.
Published: March 2014

A number of studies have reported neuropsychological deficits in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). These have mainly implicated frontal or temporal dysfunction. In this study, we compared the performances of OCD patients and normal subjects using a factorial interpretation of the Wechsler Memory Scale. Our results do not demonstrate significant memory impairment in OCD patients but point to the possibility of frontal lobe dysfunction as a factor in the pathophysiology of OCD.
On the Origins of Calculation Abilities
Authors: Ardila A.
Published: March 2014

A historical review of calculation abilities is presented. Counting, starting with finger sequencing, has been observed in different ancient and contemporary cultures, whereas number representation and arithmetic abilities are found only during the last 5000–6000 years. The rationale for selecting a base of ten in most numerical systems and the clinical association between acalculia and finger agnosia are analyzed. Finger agnosia (as a restricted form of autotopagnosia), right–left discrimination disturbances, semantic aphasia, and acalculia are proposed to comprise a single neuropsychological syndrome associated with left angular gyrus damage. A classification of calculation disturbances resulting from brain damage is presented. It is emphasized that using historical/anthropological analysis, it becomes evident that acalculia, finger agnosia, and disorders in right–left discrimination (as in general, in the use of spatial concepts) must constitute a single clinical syndrome, resulting from the disruption of some common brain activity and the impairment of common cognitive mechanisms.
Left Imaginal Neglect in Heminattention: Experimental Study with the O’Clock Test
Authors: Grossi D. , Angelini R. , Pecchinenda A. , Pizzamiglio L.
Published: March 2014

Both sensory and imaginal defects have been reported in unilateral neglect, but their assessment based on the description of famous squares can be difficult in a clinical setting. The O'clock Test is an alternative tool for revealing imaginal defects. Our aim was to demonstrate imaginal neglect in patients with left heminattention. Ten patients were studied and a mild unilateral defect in imaginal processes was found with an increase in the defect when the patients were fatigued.
Paradoxical Akathisia Caused by Clonazepam, Clorazepate and Lorazepam in Patients with Traumatic Encephalopathy and Seizure Disorders: A Subtype of Benzodiazepine-Induced Disinhibition?
Authors: Joseph A. B. , Wroblewski B. A.
Published: March 2014

Akathisia is frequently reported to be caused by neuroleptic drugs and sometimes by certain other agents such as fluoxetine. Benzodiazepines are a common treatment. The principal mechanism of akathisia is thought to be neurochemical, probably dopaminergic with serotonin also playing an important role. It is not usually thought to be related to benzodiazepine-caused disinhibition. Four episodes of atypical or paradoxical benzodiazepine-induced akathisia in three patients are reported and analyzed. All four episodes of akathisia were atypical because they were caused by clonazepam, clorazepate, or lorazepam. In one patient neither thiothixene nor lorazepam caused akathisia, but clonazepam and clorazepate did. In another patient both lorazepam and fluoxetine caused akathisia. It is also noted that all three patients had a history of traumatic brain injury and seizure disorder. The data support the hypothesis that atypical benzodiazepine-induced akathisia exists. Its mechanism may be different from neuroleptic-induced akathisia, but may still involve serotonergic systems or the forced normalization phenomenon. The similarity of these cases to reports of benzodiazepine-induced disinhibition raises the possibility that in some patients they may be the same entity.
Dementia Reversible by Plasmapheresis in Multiple Myeloma
Authors: Guldenschuh I. , Schiess R. , Jacky E. , Burger J. , Landis T.
Published: March 2014

Although hyperviscosity syndrome may lead to cerebral hypoxia and produce some degree of dementia, this condition is rarely recognized. We report a patient in whom moderate dementia was the only manifestation of a hyperviscosity syndrome due to an IgG-κ myeloma. Dementia dramatically improved following plasmapheresis.
A Case of Corticobasal Degeneration Studied with Positron Emission Tomography
Authors: Nagasawa H. , Imamura T. , Nomura H. , Itoh M. , Ido T.
Published: March 2014

We measured cerebral blood flow, oxygen metabolism, glucose utilization, and dopamine metabolism in the brain of a patient with corticobasal degeneration using positron emission tomography (PET). The clinical picture is distinctive, comprising features referable to both cortical and basal ganglionic dysfunction. Brain imagings of glucose and dopamine metabolism can demonstrate greater abnormalities in the cerebral cortex and in the striatum contralateral to the more affected side than those of blood flow and oxygen metabolism. This unique combination study measuring both cerebral glucose utilization and dopamine metabolism in the nigrostriatal system can provide efficient information about the dysfunctions which are correlated with individual clinical symptoms, and this study is essential to diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration.
The Possible Contribution of the Amygdala to Memory
Authors: Babinsky R. , Calabrese P. , Durwen H. F. , Markowitsch H. J. , Brechtelsbauer D. , Heuser L. , Gehlen W.
Published: March 2014

The processing of episodic memories is believed to depend on the proper functioning of so-called bottleneck structures through which information apparently must pass in order to be stored long term. These regions are seen in the basal forebrain, the medial diencephalon, and the medial temporal lobe. We here report a case with circumscribed bilateral temporal lobe damage, principally involving the amygdaloid area. Neuropsychological investigation demonstrated preserved intelligence, intact general memory and several other undisturbed cognitive functions, but a specific, affect-related, memory disorder. We conclude from these findings that the role of the amygdala is to process mnemonic events in a way that a specific emotional significance can be found and reactivated. Therefore it is suggested that the amygdala is likely to be a bottleneck structure for affect-related long-term memory functions.
Space Deficits in Parkinson’s Disease Patients: Quantitative or Qualitative Differences from Normal Controls?
Authors: Natsopoulos D. , Bostantzopoulou M.-S. , Katsarou Z. , Grouios G. , Mentenopoulos G.
Published: March 2014

Twenty-seven patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and the same number of normal controls (NCs) were studied on a test battery including five conceptual categories of spatial ability. The two groups of subjects were matched for age, sex, years of education, socioeconomic status and non-verbal (Raven Standard Progressive Matrices) intelligence. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed that the PD patients performed less efficiently on almost all the tasks. A logistic regression analysis (LRA) classified 81.48% of the subjects into the PD group and 92.59% into NC group, indicating that left-right and back-front Euclidean orientation, three dimensional mental rotation and visuospatial immediate recognition memory of mirror image patterns discriminate well between the two groups. Application of a structural model (confirmatory factor analysis) demonstrated that both PD patients and the NC group stemmed from a homogeneous population, suggesting that the differences found between the two groups are of a quantitative rather than of a qualitative nature.
Neuropsychology of Illiteracy
Authors: Rosselli M.
Published: March 2014

It is proposed that analysis of illiteracy can not only discern the influence of schooling background on neuropsychological test performance, but also contributes to obtaining a better understanding about the cerebral organization of cognitive activity. Brain organization of cognition, and cognitive sequelae of brain pathology in illiterates are reviewed. It is concluded that: (1) cognitive abilities, as measured by standard neuropsychological tests, are significantly influenced by schooling background; and (2) educational and cultural variables may affect the degree (albeit, not the direction) of hemispheric dominance for language, and other cognitive abilities. A more bilateral representation of cognitive abilities in illiterates is hypothesized.
Seizures Induced by Music
Authors: Ogunyemi A. O. , Breen H.
Published: March 2014

Musicogenic epilepsy is a rare disorder. Much remains to be learned about the electroclinical features. This report describes a patient who has been followed at our institution for 17 years, and was investigated with long-term telemetered simultaneous video-EEG recordings. She began to have seizures at the age of 10 years. She experienced complex partial seizures, often preceded by elementary auditory hallucination and complex auditory illusion. The seizures occurred in relation to singing, listening to music or thinking about music. She also had occasional generalized tonic clonic seizures during sleep. There was no significant antecedent history. The family history was negative for epilepsy. The physical examination was unremarkable. CT and MRI scans of the brain were normal. During long-term simultaneous video-EEG recordings, clinical and electrographic seizure activities were recorded in association with singing and listening to music. Mathematical calculation, copying or viewing geometric patterns and playing the game of chess failed to evoke seizures.
Behavioral Disorders in Association with Posterior Callosal and Frontal Cerebral Infarction
Authors: Lejeune J. P. , Caparros-Lefebvre D.
Published: March 2014

Behavioral disorders were a prominent clinical feature after the surgical treatment of an anterior communicating artery aneurysm rupture in a 44-year-old man. Callosal apraxia was associated with an alien hand. The latter remained 1 year after surgery while diagonistic apraxia disappeared after 3 months. Other callosal signs included left agraphia, tactile anomia and auditory suppression. MRI revealed posterior callosal infarction and a right frontal infarct. The association of diagonistic apraxia and alien hand is rarely reported.
Neurobehavioural Changes in a Patient with Bilateral Lesions of the Globus Pallidus
Authors: Haaxma R. , Robbins T. W. , James M. , Brouwer W. H. , Colebatch J. G. , Marsden C. D.
Published: March 2014

This study has characterized the long-term neurobehavioural changes in a woman who, following the intake of an unidentified substance, sustained subtotal bilateral lesions of the globus pallidus and small lesions at selective sites adjacent to it. Associated with these lesions was a significantly reduced blood flow in multiple frontal cortical regions, most prominently in area 10, the anterior cingulate and the supplementary motor cortex. Her cognitive deficits were generally consistent with those found in patients with frontal lobe dysfunction but some deficits, i.e. in visual memory and learning, were more compatible with temporal lobe dysfunction. Incapacitating personality or obsessive compulsive changes as reported by others with similar lesions were absent and she could live independently. The cognitive changes are consistent with the view that the globus pallidus has important functions in mediating how internal representations of stimulus input are converted into various forms of action, for example, in planning solutions to problems and in working memory.