bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Motor Activity and Sleep in Patients with Complex Partial Seizures on Levetiracetam Treatment and a Group of Healthy Subjects
Authors: Yilmaz Hikmet 
Published: January 2014

Purpose: Levetiracetam‐treated patients commonly report daytime drowsiness, fatique, asthenia and decreasing of motor activity. However the origin of these reported side effects are still debated, we aimed to clarify effect of levetiracetam on sleep. Therefore this prospective study was conducted to evaluate the effects of levetiracetam on motor activity, amount and continuity of sleep and napping.Methods: Various tests were performed on twenty two patients treated with levetiracetam (10 monotherapy, 12 add‐on therapy) at least three days before the initiation of treatment, and consecutively for five to eight days at the third week of treatment. These tests included sleep logs, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Modified Maintenance of Wakefulness Test and actimetric measurements. In order to evaluate the sleep behavior of these patients the following sleep parameters were estimated: bedtime, wake‐up time, sleep‐onset time, sleep‐offset time, sleep latency, total sleep time, wake time after sleep onset, fragmentation index, total activity score, nap episodes, total nap duration and sleep efficiency. Twenty members of staff from our hospital (Doctor, nurse, secretary, civil servant etc.) were evaluated as control subjects in the study.Results: After three‐week treatment with levetiracetam (in particular with add‐on therapy), Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores, napping episodes and total nap durations increased and sleep latencies decreased. While durations of Modified Maintenance of Wakefulness Test and total activity scores decreased. However the total sleep time and the sleep efficiency did not show any difference from the pre‐treatment values.Conclusions: Our results suggest that levetiracetam leads to drowsiness by decreasing the daily motor activity and increasing the naps; however this agent does not have any major effects on total sleep time and sleep efficiency during night. Actimetric analyses give information about continuity of sleep and sleep/wake states however does not give satisfactory information about
architecture of sleep. In order to determine the effects of levetiracetam on the sleep architecture we need similiar protocol studies by full night polysomnography.
Parietal Dysgraphia: Characterization of Abnormal Writing Stroke Sequences, Character Formation and Character Recall
Authors: Sakurai Yasuhisa , Onuma Yoshinobu , Nakazawa Gaku , Ugawa Yoshikazu , Momose Toshimitsu , Tsuji Shoji , Mannen Toru 
Published: January 2014

Objective: To characterize various dysgraphic symptoms in parietal agraphia.Method: We examined the writing impairments of four dysgraphia patients from parietal lobe lesions using a special writing test with 100 character kanji (Japanese morphograms) and their kana (Japanese phonetic writing) transcriptions, and related the test performance to a lesion site.Results: Patients 1 and 2 had postcentral gyrus lesions and showed character distortion and tactile agnosia, with patient 1 also having limb apraxia. Patients 3 and 4 had superior parietal lobule lesions and features characteristic of apraxic agraphia (grapheme deformity and a writing stroke sequence disorder) and character imagery deficits (impaired character recall). Agraphia with impaired character recall and abnormal grapheme formation were more pronounced in patient 4, in whom the lesion extended to the inferior parietal, superior occipital and precuneus gyri.Conclusion: The present findings and a review of the literature suggest that: (i) a postcentral gyrus lesion can yield graphemic distortion (somesthetic dysgraphia), (ii) abnormal grapheme formation and impaired character recall are associated with lesions surrounding the intraparietal sulcus, the symptom being more severe with the involvement of the inferior parietal, superior occipital and precuneus gyri, (iii) disordered writing stroke sequences are caused by a damaged anterior intraparietal area.
Neuropsychological Rehabilitation in Mild and Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease Patients
Authors: Ávila Renata , Carvalho Isabel A. M. , Bottino Cássio M.C. , Miotto Eliane C. 
Published: January 2014

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of a neuropsychological rehabilitation (NR) program on patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).Methods: The sample was composed of 16 elderly outpatients who participated in an open trial with rivastigmine (6 to 12 mg/day) for 4 months and were randomized to 3 different groups: 1. group NR (N = 5), 2. individualized NR (N = 6) and 3. NR at home under supervision of a relative or caregiver (N = 5). All 3 groups fulfilled the same NR protocol consisting of a once a week session. Just before and after the 22 week period of rehabilitation, all patients were evaluated using psychiatric and functional scales, and neuropsychological tests by interviewers that did not participate in the cognitive training.Results: The intervention did not produce any statistically significant change, but small gains were observed on some cognition tests, activities of daily living (ADL), and psychiatric symptoms in groups 1 and 2.Conclusion: Group NR is recommended for reducing psychiatric symptoms, and individualized NR for improving ADL. NR at home either has no associated benefits, or the training sessions were not appropriately conducted by the caregiver. However, additional research with larger samples is necessary to confirm these observations.
Neuropsychological Findings of Extrapontine Myelinolysis without Central Pontine Myelinolysis
Authors: Seok Jung Im , Lee Dong Kuck , Kang Min Gu , Park Jae Han 
Published: January 2014

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) and extrapontine myelinolysis (EPM) are well recognized syndromes related to the rapid correction of hyponatremia, which are reported to show brain stem signs and various movement disorders. Cognitive dysfunction and neuropsychological findings, however, have seldom been reported. Cognitive manifestations in osmotic myelinolysis may have been underestimated due to the prominent brain stem symptoms and movement disorders. We report a case of EPM without CPM and describe the neuropsychological findings of EPM. The absence of CPM in this case made it possible to test neuropsychological function in the acute stage.Neuropsychological testing showed severe impairment of attention, verbal and visual memory, visuospatial function, and
frontal/executive function. Language and language‐related functions were normal except naming.
Undifferentiation of Somatic Responses to Emotions in a Case of Functional Amnesia
Authors: Tramoni E. , Khalfa S. , Felician O. , Fonseca A. Trebuchon-Da , Poncet M. , Ceccaldi M. 
Published: January 2014

The term functional amnesia (FA) has been proposed for cases of memory impairment presenting with severe retrograde amnesia in the absence of cerebral injury or history of psychiatric disturbance. Emotional flattening has often been reported alongside FA, however the mechanism of such a modification is unknown. This study aimed to explore the emotional processing in a rare case of a patient with FA complaining of severe emotional flattening.We presented ecological dynamic video stimuli conveying strong peaceful and fearful emotions to the patient and 13 controls. We
then explored their emotional responses considering both conscious emotional judgements and automatic psychophysiological
responses (skin conductance) and facial muscular activity (corrugator supercilii). Both patient P.P. and controls perfectly
recognized the emotions conveyed by the films. However, P.P. failed to showan increased skin conductance and corrugator activity
as found in controls during fearful film extracts compared with peaceful extracts. Taken together, these finding demonstrate the
presence of an emotional deficit, characterized by a failure to generate appropriate somatic responses to positive and negative
stimuli. Although this altered somatic processing did not interfere with PP’s explicit recognition of emotion, it modified his
emotional experience, thereby constituting a possible explanation for his emotional flattening. This study therefore suggests that
FA is not limited to a mnemonic impairment, but is a more complex disorder, involving also the processing of emotionally loaded
experiences.
Evaluation of the Performance of Three Different Methods Used in the Identification of Rigid Body Properties
Authors: Almeida R.A.B. , Urgueira A.P.V. , Maia N.M.M. 
Published: January 2014

The identification of the rigid body properties of a structure is an important matter in various structural dynamic applications, namely in structural modification (coupling/uncoupling), optimization and vibration control. In most situations, the experimental route is the only via to obtain the desired dynamic properties. This goal is achieved by an inverse process which starts from the measurement of Frequency Response Functions (FRFs) and ends on matrices describing the mass distribution of a rigid body.The objective of the present article is the evaluation and comparison of the performance of three different kinds of identification methods that share a common characteristic – they all use FRFs as inputs to the inverse process. One of them, the Inertia Restraint Method (IRM) makes use of the accelerance FRF (information condensed at zero frequency), while the other two methods make use of receptance FRFs as inputs, although in different manners; in one of them the properties are evaluated directly from the measurement data – Direct Physical Parameter Identification Method (DPPIM) – whereas the other type requires a modal identification procedure as an intermediate step – Modal Method (MM). An actual experimental structure forms the case study to illustrate the performance of the three different techniques.
Agraphia for Kanji Resulting From a Left Posterior Middle Temporal Gyrus Lesion
Authors: Sakurai Yasuhisa , Mimura Imari , Mannen Toru 
Published: January 2014

Objective: To clarify whether agraphia or alexia occurs in lesions of the left posterior middle temporal gyrus.Methods: We assessed the reading and writing abilities of two patients with this lesion using kanji (Japanese morphograms) and
kana (Japanese syllabograms).Results: Patient 1 first presented with pure alexia more impaired for kana after an infarction in the left middle and inferior occipital
gyri and right basal occipital cortex, and after a second infarction in the left posterior middle temporal gyrus adjoining the first
lesion he showed alexia with agraphia for kanji and worsened alexia for kana; kanji alexia recovered over the following six to 10
months. Patient 2 presented with alexia with agraphia for kanji following a hemorrhage in the left posterior middle and inferior
temporal gyri, which resolved to agraphia for kanji at two months after onset. Kana nonword reading was also slightly impaired,
but became normal by six months post‐onset. In both patients, kanji agraphia was mostly due to impaired character recall.Conclusion: The present patients demonstrate that damage to the left posterior middle temporal gyrus alone can cause agraphia
for kanji. If the adjacent mid fusiform/inferior temporal gyri (Area 37) are spared, the kanji alexia is transient.
Effect of Distorted Visual Feedback on the Sense of Agency
Authors: Farrer C. , Bouchereau M. , Jeannerod M. , Franck N. 
Published: January 2014

It has been hypothesized that an internal model is involved in controlling and recognizing one’s own actions (action attribution). This results from a comparison process between the predicted sensory feedback of the action and its real sensory consequences. The aim of the present study is to distinguish the respective importance of two action parameters (time and direction) on such an attribution judgment.We used a device that allows introduction of discordance between the movements actually performed and the sensory feedback
displayed on a computer screen. Participants were asked to judge whether they were viewing (1) their own movements, (2) their
own movements modified (spatially or temporally displaced), or (3) those of another agent (i.e, the experimenter). In fact, in all
conditions they were only shown their own movements either unaltered or modified by varying amounts in space or time.Movements were only attributed to another agent when therewas a high spatial discordance between participants’ hand movements
and sensory feedback. This study is the first to show that the direction of movements is a cardinal feature in action attribution,
whereas temporal properties of movements play a less important role.
Effects on Cognition of Stereotactic Lesional Surgery For the Treatment of Tremor in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Jahanshahi Marjan , Pieter Socorro , Alusi Sundus H. , Jones Catherine R. G. , Glickman Scott , Stein John , Aziz Tipu , Bain Peter G. 
Published: January 2014

Objective:To assess the effect of stereotactic lesional surgery for treatment of tremor in multiple sclerosis on cognition.Methods:Eleven patients (3 males, 8 females) with multiple sclerosis participated in the study. Six subjects comprised the surgical group and five the matched control group. All patients were assessed at baseline and three months using a neuropsychological test battery that included measures of intellectual ability, memory, language, perception and executive function.Results:There were no significant differences between the surgical and control groups and no change from pre to post testing except for a decline in scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), WAIS-R Digit Span and Verbal Fluency in the surgical group.Conclusions:The results indicate that stereotactic lesional surgery does not result in major cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis. However, the decline in MMSE scores, digit span and verbal fluency require further investigation in a larger sample.
Visual Scanning and Reading Ability in Normal and Dyslexic Children
Authors: Ferretti G. , Mazzotti S. , Brizzolara D. 
Published: January 2014

Very few studies have investigated the development of visual search of aligned stimuli in relation to normal reading acquisition and in developmental dyslexia.In this study we used a new computerised experimental task which requires a visuo‐motor response (RT) to a target appearing unpredictably in one out of seven different spatial positions on a horizontally aligned array of 18 geometrical figures.The aims of the study were to investigate: (1) the visual scanning development in normal children from pre‐school to school age; (2) whether visual scanning performance in kindergarten children could predict reading acquisition; (3) the visual scanning abilities in a group of developmental dyslexic children.The main results were: (1) a significant decrement of RTs with age and a progressive increase of the left‐to‐right gradient with
reading experience; (2) visual scanning abilities in kindergarten proved to be a good predictor of reading acquisition; (3) dyslexics were slow scanners and did not present the left‐to‐right strategy typical of normal readers.The results support the hypothesis of a relationship between visual scanning and reading abilities.
Etiology of Frontal Network Syndromes in Isolated Subtentorial Stroke
Authors: Hoffmann Michael , Cases Lourdes Benes 
Published: January 2014

Background:The neurobiology of the frontal network syndrome (FNS) that may occur with isolated subtentorial stroke is unknown.Aim:Evaluate for frontal network syndromes in young people post subtentorial stroke who have recovered neurologically and compare to a stroke lesion group least likely to manifest frontal network syndromes.Methods:Young people (18–49 years) with isolated cerebellar or brainstem subtentorial stroke (ST) that had recovered to independency (Rankin score ࣘ 2) with minimal or no residual neurological deficit (NIHSS ࣘ 4) with neurological recovery enabling resumption of former employment. Comparison was made to age and education matched young people with posterior circulation territory parieto occipital lobe infarcts (PO). Depression, anxiety, systemic disease, autoimmune disease, neurodegenerative disease and substance abuse were specific exclusions. A battery of frontal tests surveying the principal frontal network syndromes (apathy, disinhibition, executive dysfunction, emotional intelligence quotient) was used. Neurological deficit and long tract signs were measured by the NIH stroke score (NIHSS).Results:From the cognitive stroke registry of young stroke patients (n= 511), analysis for isolated subtentorial infarction yielded cerebellar infarcts (n= 43, 8.4%) and brainstem infarcts (n= 36, 7.0%). After exclusions, 16 patients (cerebellum,n= 10, pons,n= 6) were compared to 10 PO infarct patients controlled for mean age, gender and NIH stroke scores. Overall 11/16 (69%) patients in the ST and 5/10 (50%) in the PO group manifested one or more of the principal FNS syndromes. Mean T scores for apathy, disinhibition, executive function and emotional intelligence standard scores were significantly more impaired in the ST group, but not for WCST error percentage scores.Conclusions:The mismatch of scant neurological deficit manifested by low NIHSS but with FNS in the majority of isolated ST stroke and more so than with PO stroke, gives support for a state dependent or neurotransmitter perturbation. The clinical impact is that such syndromes may be amenable to neuropharmacological intervention.
Structural Parameter Identification of Fixed End Beams by Inverse Method Using Measured Natural Frequencies
Authors: Türker T. , Bayraktar A. 
Published: January 2014

Structural parameter identification based on the measured dynamic responses has become very popular recently. This paper presents structural parameter identification of fixed end beams by inverse method using measured natural frequencies. An added mass is used as a modification tool. The measurements of the flexural vibrations of a fixed end beam with and without added mass are performed by using experimental modal testing. The solution of free bending transverse vibration of the beam is obtained by solving the differential equation motion of Bernoulli‐Euler beam. By introducing the natural frequencies from experimental measurements into the solution of differential equation, the structural parameters of the fixed end beam are calculated.It is seen from the results that the values of the mass distribution and elasticity modulus identified using the first natural frequency of the beam nearly close to the real values. Besides, the theoretical frequencies obtained using the identified structural parameters also close to the measured frequencies.
Prefrontal and Temporo‐Parietal Involvement in Taking Others’ Perspective: TMS Evidence
Authors: Costa Alberto , Torriero Sara , Oliveri Massimiliano , Caltagirone Carlo 
Published: January 2014

Introduction: Understanding the mental states of others entails a number of cognitive processes known as Theory of Mind (ToM). Behavioural and functional neuroimaging evidence suggests that prefrontal and temporo‐parietal cortices are involved in these abilities. The present study was aimed at investigating the role of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and temporo‐parietal junction in ToM by using a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) paradigm.Material and Methods: Eleven healthy subjects participated in the study. The experimental ToM procedure was constituted by false belief and faux‐pas written stories. Subjects were evaluated in baseline condition (Sham) and after 1Hz rTMS over the left/right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and temporo‐parietal junction. A score for accuracy and response times were recorded.Results: As regards false beliefs, rTMS over right prefrontal and temporo‐parietal areas significantly interfered with response times (p < 0.05). The application of rTMS over right/left prefrontal and right temporo‐parietal cortices also significantly worsened accuracy in the ability to take the others’ perspective in faux‐pas tasks as compared to Sham (p ࣘ 0.05 in all cases).Conclusions: The results of the present study are consistent with previous findings supporting the hypothesis that prefrontal and temporo‐parietal regions are part of a neural network specifically underpinning the ability to attribute mental states to others.
Tactile Sensory Dysfunction in Children with ADHD
Authors: Ghanizadeh Ahmad 
Published: January 2014

Objectives:While a group of children with ADHD may have normal behavioral responses to sensory stimuli, another group may be hyperreactive. The aim of this survey was studying association of tactile sensory responsivity with co-morbidity of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms, subtypes of ADHD, and gender in children with ADHD.Methods:The subjects were 81 children with ADHD from a child psychiatry clinic. The diagnoses were made according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Tactile dysfunction Checklist was used to assess the three types of tactile sensory dysfunction including Hypersensitivity, hyposensitivity, and poor tactile perception and discrimination (PTPD).Results:Their mean age was 8.4 (SD = 1.9) years. None of the gender, number of symptoms of ODD co-morbidity, and ADHD subtypes was as a predictor of scores of Hyposensitivity and PTPD subscales. Tactile defensiveness was not different between genders and different subtypes of ADHD.Conclusions:Number of ODD symptoms in children with ADHD is a predictor in association with hypersensitivity score of tactile sensory function. Girls are no more than the boys impaired in Hypersensitivity aspect. Different subtypes of ADHD are not distinct disorders regarding to tactile sensory function.
Subspace‐Based Identification of Nonlinear Structures
Authors: Marchesiello S. , Garibaldi L. 
Published: January 2014

Conventional linear estimators give results contaminated in presence of nonlinearities and the extraction of underlying linear system properties is thus difficult. To overcome this problem, the implementation of a recently developed method, called Nonlinear Subspace Identification (NSI), is considered in this paper, by using the perspective of nonlinearities as unmeasured internal feedback forces. Although its formulation is very simple, particular care has to be taken to reduce the ill‐conditioning of the problem, in order to find numerically stable solutions. To this purpose, the robustness and the high numerical performances of the subspace algorithms are successfully exploited, as shown by the implementation of the proposed method on simulated multi‐degree‐of‐freedom systems with typical nonlinear characteristics as well as on an experimental case. These examples demonstrate that the application of subspace algorithms to nonlinear system identification gives better conditioning and computational efficiency with respect to the most recent nonlinear techniques. Moreover, the capability of the NSI method of simultaneously dealing with several nonlinear terms, with a light computational effort, may be also exploited in those situations where no a priori knowledge of the location and the type of nonlinearities is given, being this method well capable of detecting the contribution of the dominant nonlinearities.On the basis of the results discussed in this paper, and compared with those of other well‐assessed nonlinear techniques, the proposed method appears having the chances to become a robust procedure to be widely exploited in many industrial fields, being its capability of separating linear and nonlinear contribution terms widely requested in mechanical and civil engineering field.