Electromyographic activity of sternocleidomastoid and masticatory muscles in patients with vestibular lesions

This study evaluated the electromyographic characteristics of masticatory and neck muscles in subjects with vestibular lesions. Surface electromyography of the masseter, temporalis and sternocleidomastoid muscles was performed in 19 patients with Ménière's disease, 12 patients with an acute peripheral vestibular lesion, and 19 control subjects matched for sex and age. During maximum voluntary clenching, patients with peripheral vestibular lesions had the highest co-contraction of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (analysis of covariance, p=0.02), the control subjects had the smallest values, and the patients with Ménière's disease had intermediate values. The control subjects had larger standardized muscle activities than the other patient groups (p=0.001). In conclusion, during maximum voluntary tooth clenching, patients with vestibular alterations have both more active neck muscles, and less active masticatory muscles than normal controls. Results underline the importance of a more inclusive craniocervical assessment of patients with vestibular lesions

First pass perfusion MRI identifies microvascular anatomical damage in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Introduction Sudden death (SD) and progressive left ventricular (LV) impairment are serious possible consequences occurring in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Interstitial fibrosis and scarring are associated with progressive LV dysfunction and with markers of SD, and are usually associated with small-vessel disease and a reduction of the number of vessels related to interstitial fibrosis and scarring

Neural tube defect in a 4000-year-old Egyptian infant mummy: A case of meningocele from the museum of anthropology and ethnography of Turin (Italy)

This paper reports a paleopathological study of a severe neural tube defect in an ancient mummy, more specifically, a meningocele in an Egyptian infant from the XI dynasty (2100-1955B.C.). This is one of the most ancient cases of meningocele in mummified human remains described in paleopathological literature. Prehistoric and early historic examples of severe congenital defects of the vertebral column and neural tube are rare, because of the precarious preservation conditions of ancient human remains. Further, since the majority are only the skeletal remains, paleopathological and paleoepidemiological analysis based on the observation of bones is even more difficult. Hence, it is not easy to investigate this disease in the past in all its complexities and true diffusion. The case presented here is peculiar, since it concerns a mummy with almost all soft tissues preserved, thus allowing us to describe the defect in an infant. Only targeted, minimally invasive examinations were performed. An anthropological investigation with helical CT scan and histological analysis was used to diagnose the defect and identify post-mortem transformation processes. The analyses confirmed the diagnosis of meningocele in an approximately six-month-old infant

Prevalence of Silent Cerebral Ischemia in Paroxysmal and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation and Correlation With Cognitive Function

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of silent cerebral ischemia (SCI) and cognitive performance in patients with paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) and controls in sinus rhythm.BackgroundLarge registries have reported a similar risk for symptomatic stroke in both paroxysmal and persistent AF. The relationship among paroxysmal and persistent AF, SCI, and cognitive impairment has remained uncharted.MethodsTwo hundred seventy subjects were enrolled: 180 patients with AF (50% paroxysmal and 50% persistent) and 90 controls. All subjects underwent clinical assessment, neurological examination, cerebral magnetic resonance, and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status.ResultsAt least 1 area of SCI was present in 80 patients (89%) with paroxysmal AF, 83 (92%) with persistent AF (paroxysmal vs. persistent, p = 0.59), and 41 (46%) controls (paroxysmal vs. controls and persistent vs. controls, p < 0.01). The number of areas of SCI per subject was higher in patients with persistent AF than in those with paroxysmal AF (41.1 ± 28.0 vs. 33.2 ± 22.8, p = 0.04), with controls reporting lower figures (12.0 ± 26.7, p < 0.01 for both). Cognitive performance was significantly worse in patients with persistent and paroxysmal AF than in controls (Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status scores 82.9 ± 11.5, 86.2 ± 13.8, and 92.4 ± 15.4 points, respectively, p < 0.01).ConclusionsPatients with paroxysmal and persistent AF had a higher prevalence and number of areas of SCI per patient than controls and worse cognitive performance than subjects in sinus rhythm