Visual evoked potentials in alcoholics

Visual evoked potentials were obtained in nineteen patients during the early phase of alcohol intoxication. Out of the thirty-eight responses recorded in the nineteen patients, 13% were found to be abnormal (5 responses). Repeated testing was done in all patients with abnormal responses at three to four week intervals following treatment with vitamins and balanced diets. In three patients the major positive peaks returned to normal after treatment.

Neurotoxicity of radiation sensitizers in the mouse

The neurotoxicity of a homologous series of 1-substituted, 2-nitroimidazole compounds, synthesized in this laboratory, has been studied in mice. This involves measurement of the enzyme beta-glucuronidase in the distal sciatic, tibial and common peroneal nerves. The amount of compound required to give a known neurotoxic response, in terms of elevated beta-glucuronidase (arbitrarily set at 60% increase) has been determined. A correlation between increased number of methylene groups (N) in the side chain and neurotoxicity has been shown. A correlation between increased neurotoxicity and effective octanol; water coefficient, at pH 7.4, was also established. A more soluble version of the n = 4 member of the homologous series, that is the compound RSU 1047 (NSC 328897), and misonidazole also fit this correlation of partition coefficient and dose.

Treatment of sleepwalking: a controlled study

A single-blind, rater-blind, modified crossover design was used to evaluate a simple, practical method of clinical treatment of sleepwalking. Subjects who had severe somnambulism, but were otherwise free of psychiatric illness, responded well to six brief sessions of specialized hypnotherapy. Follow-up at one year has revealed lasting improvement of both subjective and objective symptoms. A brief review of the subject of sleepwalking, as well as detailed information concerning histories of sleep symptoms and emotional problems in these and other sleepwalkers, is presented.

Structure-activity relationships in the development of hypoxic cell radiosensitizers. III. Effects of basic substituents in nitroimidazole sidechains

The effects of substituting 2-nitroimidazoles with groups carrying basic functions were studied. Prototropic, redox, lipophilicity and protein-binding properties were compared with the efficiency in radiosensitizing hypoxic Chinese hamster V79-379A cells in vitro and the cytotoxicities of the compounds after chronic aerobic exposure. Seventeen compounds were (2-nitro-1-imidazolyl)alkylamines in which the effects of changes in the terminating base and of alkyl chain length were investigated. About an order of magnitude increase in sensitization efficiency could be observed in some compounds without any increase in the aerobic cytotoxicity compared to simple, uncharged 2-nitroimidazoles such as misonidazole. The behaviour of five hydrazones was similar to that of uncharged analogues. The methiodide quaternary salts of two of the (2-nitro-1-imidazolyl)alkylamines showed that quaternization considerably reduced sensitization efficiency. (Nitro-1-imidazolyl)alkylamines appear worthy of further investigation as hypoxic cell radiosensitizers in vivo.

F-wave conduction velocity in alcoholic polyneuropathy

We used the F-wave conduction velocities to estimate the motor nerve conduction along the proximal segment (spinal cord to knee) of the axon of tibial and common peroneal nerves in ten patients with alcoholic polyneuropathy and compared these to the motor nerve conduction velocities in ten normal subjects. All the studies so obtained showed a normal conduction in the proximal segments even though in three patients the distal nerve conduction values (knee to ankle) revealed moderate to severe neuropathy. These data support the hypothesis that in alcoholic polyneuropathy, motor conduction in proximal segments is not involved even though distal nerves show moderate to severe neuropathy.

Bilateral epileptiform discharges in multiple sclerosis

A case of multiple sclerosis is presented here with bilateral epileptiform discharges which were associated with acute demyelination. The abnormality changed to slow wave activity with the passage of time and as the acute phase of demyelination was over.

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials in transtentorial herniation

Brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAER's) were recorded in patients exhibiting brainstem compression from supratentorial lesions. BAER's were altered in the early stages of herniation. In two cases the latencies returned to normal on treatment with steroids.

Leukomalacia with ruptured saccular aneurysm

A 42-year-old woman with a ruptured saccular aneurysm of the internal carotid artery developed large areas of cerebral leukomalacia, resulting in hemiparesis and an obtunded mental state. A significant factor in the development of the white matter lesions was episodic hypotension, leading to reduced cerebral blood flow in a patient whose cerebral circulation was already compromised by vasospasm secondary to the subarachnoid hemorrhage. This case illustrates yet another clinical situation associated with the development of white matter necrosis.

An epidemiological study of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in Lagos

In Lagos 12 755 schoolchildren aged between six and 12 years were screened for evidence of rheumatic heart disease and showed a prevalence rate of 0.03%. Group C (27.7%) and group G (47.3%) predominated in the throat and in cases of pharyngitis, while group A predominated on the skin. Two hundred and sixty-six cases of pharyngitis were recorded, 70 (26.4%) were positive for beta-haemolytic streptococci. Half of the cases of streptococci while 28.2% and 21.1% were caused by groups C and G respectively. A diversity of serotypes of group A streptococci, which included types 49 and 55, and C and G streptococci were isolated from impetiginous skin lesions. The main point of interest is the association of group C and G streptococci with sore throat and skin infections. The pathogenicity of C and G in such circumstances merits further investigation. The present study also showed that prophylactic benzathine penicillin (Penadur) given to patients with rheumatic heart disease or rheumatic fever had been effective with no recurrent attack of acute rheumatic fever.

Obscure stenosing aortitis and arteritis associated with perivascular lymphadenitis--combined angiographic and lymphographic evaluation

A series of eleven cases of an obscure occlusive type of aortitis and arteritis is reported. These are characterised by chronic nonspecific perivascular lymphadenitis and fibrosis, constricting the lumen of the vessels. Subsequent spread of the inflammatory process produces irreversible changes in the vessel wall. Timely excision of the nodes, release of fibrous strands and decompression of the vessels may result in a permanent cure; The inflammatory process is nonspecific in nature. The etiology is obscure and is subject to speculation. Tuberculous inflammation of the lymph nodes appears to be unlikely while filarial lymphadenitis is probable. The disease is not a primary panarteritis as observed in Takayusu's disease or allergic vasculitis. Males are predominantly affected and present invariably with clinical signs and symptoms of peripheral vascular obliterative disease of the lower extremities.