Efficacy of levetiracetam in hemifacial spasm: a case report.

OBJECTIVE: Safety and efficacy of levetiracetam in a man with hemifacial spasm (HFS). METHODS AND RESULTS: The present work reports the case of a 54-year-old man with a 5-year history of left-sided HFS who, after treatment with levetiracetam (dosage, 500 mg bid), showed a marked improvement in condition. After 7 months of therapy with levetiracetam, the patient remains symptom free with no adverse drug reactions. CONCLUSIONS: Levetiracetam proved its effectiveness and safety in the treatment of a case of HFS.Nevertheless, there is a need for further controlled studies with larger samples

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia as onset of multiple sclerosis.

Glossopharyngeal neuralgia is a painful condition, affecting the ninth cranial nerve, rarely described in the course of multiple sclerosis. Here we describe a case of multiple sclerosis presenting with glossopharyngeal neuralgia. We suggest the presence of demyelinating areas at the nerve root entry zone as principal trigger mechanism

Leptin as a metabolic link to multiple sclerosis.

Clinical and experimental data, together with epidemiological studies, have suggested that the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) might involve factors that link the immune system with metabolic status. Moreover, recent research has shown that leptin, the adipocyte-derived hormone that controls food intake and metabolism, can promote experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of MS. In patients with MS, the association of leptin with disease activity has been dissected at the molecular level, providing new mechanistic explanations for the role of this hormone in MS. Here, we review the intricate relationship between leptin and other metabolic modulators within a framework that incorporates the latest advances linking the CNS, immune tolerance and metabolic status. We also consider the translational implications of these new findings for improved management of MS

The thymus and myasthenia gravis: immunological and neurophysiological aspects.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder, in which end-plate membrane damage is induced by antibodies directed toward various epitopes of the main immunogenic region of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). This article reviews the mechanisms responsible for the development of MG. Recent investigations into the roles of the thymus, antibodies against AChR, cytokines, and neuromuscular transmission have given new insight into the pathogenesis of MG. These new advances have led to a better understanding of the immune mechanisms in MG and have opened new therapeutic horizons

The thymus and myasthenia gravis: immunological and neurophysiological aspects.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder, in which end-plate membrane damage is induced by antibodies directed toward various epitopes of the main immunogenic region of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). This article reviews the mechanisms responsible for the development of MG. Recent investigations into the roles of the thymus, antibodies against AChR, cytokines, and neuromuscular transmission have given new insight into the pathogenesis of MG. These new advances have led to a better understanding of the immune mechanisms in MG and have opened new therapeutic horizons

Cerebrospinal fluid T cell receptor gamma/delta+ lymphocyte subsets in patient with AIDS-dementia complex.

A subset of peripheral T cells, whose physiological function is little known, expresses a distinct CD3-associated receptor composed of gamma and delta chains. We used two monoclonal antibodies to characterize the TcR gamma/delta lymphocytes (TcR delta 1+) and their fraction (TcS delta 1+) in peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients affected by AIDS dementia complex (ADC). Thirty patients with ADC and a control group of twenty individuals with other non-inflammatory neurological diseases (OND) were recruited. Our results demonstrate that the TcR gamma/delta cells were also present in cerebrospinal fluid of ADC patients, but we did not find any statistical difference between the two groups