A corpus-based analysis of the pragmatic marker you get me

status: publishe

Deep Brain Stimulation of the Pallidum is Effective and Might Stabilize Striatal D2 Receptor Binding in Myoclonus–Dystonia

Purpose: To assess clinical efficacy of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the pallidum in Myoclonus–Dystonia (M–D) patients, and to compare pre- and post-operative striatal dopamine D2 receptor availability. Methods: Clinical parameters were scored using validated rating scales for myoclonus and dystonia. Dopamine D2 receptor binding of three patients was studied before surgery and approximately 2 years post-operatively using 123-I-iodobenzamide Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography. Two patients who did not undergo surgery served as controls. Results: Clinically, the three M–D patients improved 83, 17, and 100%, respectively on the myoclonus rating scale and 78, 23, and 65% on the dystonia rating scale after DBS. Dopamine D2 receptor binding did not change after surgery. In the two control subjects, binding has lowered further. Conclusion: These findings confirm that DBS of the pallidum has beneficial effects on motor symptoms in M–D and suggest this procedure might stabilize dopamine D2 receptor binding

The influence of home language and school language on the academic language proficiency of first-year students in higher education: an explorative study

Een colloquium over universitair taalvaardigheidsonderwijs Universiteit Leiden, 2 december 2016, the complete issue can be found at http://hdl.handle.net/1887/57204Wetensch. publicatieFaculteit der Geesteswetenschappe

Long-term experience with intraoperative microrecording during DBS neurosurgery in STN and GPi

Intraoperative microelectrode recording (MER) for targeting during deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedures has been evaluated over a period of 4 years, in 57 consecutive patients with Parkinson's disease, who received DBS in the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS), and 28 consecutive patients with either dystonia (23) or Parkinson's disease (five), in whom the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi-DBS) was targeted. The procedure for DBS was a one-stage bilateral stereotactic approach using a combined electrode for both MER and macrostimulation. Up to five micro/macro-electrodes were used in an array with a central, lateral, medial, anterior, and posterior position. Final target location was based on intraoperative test stimulation. For the STN, the central trajectory was chosen for implantation in 50% of the cases and for the globus pallidus internus (GPi) in 57% of the cases. Furthermore, in 64% of the cases, the channel selected for the permanent electrode corresponded with the trajectory having the longest segment of STN MER activity. For the GPi, this was the case in 61%. The mean and standard deviation of the deepest contact point with respect to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based target for the STN was 2.1 +/- 1.5 mm and for the GPi was -0.5 +/- 1.2 mm. MER facilitates the selection of the final electrode location in STN-DBS and GPi-DBS, and based on the observed MER activity, a pre-selection could be made as to which channel would be the best candidate for macro-test stimulation and at which depth should be stimulated. The choice of the final location is based on intraoperative test stimulation, and it is demonstrated that regularly it is not the central channel that is chosen for implantation. On average, the target as defined by MER activity intensity was in accordance with the MRI-based targets both for the STN and GPi. However, the position of the best MER activity did not necessarily correlate with the locus that produced the most beneficial clinical response on macroelectrode testing intraoperativel

AIDS in the Netherlands, clinical and microbiological data in 36 cases

Contains fulltext : 4450.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access

Cerebellar Atrophy in Cortical Myoclonic Tremor and Not in Hereditary Essential Tremor-a Voxel-Based Morphometry Study

Essential tremor (ET) presumably has a cerebellar origin. Imaging studies showed various cerebellar and also cortical structural changes. A number of pathology studies indicated cerebellar Purkinje cell pathology. ET is a heterogeneous disorder, possibly indicating different underlying disease mechanisms. Familial cortical myoclonic tremor with epilepsy (FCMTE), with evident Purkinje cell degeneration, can be an ET mimic. Here, we investigate whole brain and, more specifically, cerebellar morphological changes in hereditary ET, FCMTE, and healthy controls. Anatomical magnetic resonance images were preprocessed using voxel-based morphometry. Study 1 included voxel-wise comparisons of 36 familial, propranolol-sensitive ET patients, with subgroup analysis on age at onset and head tremor, and 30 healthy controls. Study 2 included voxel-wise comparisons in another nine ET patients, eight FCMTE patients, and nine healthy controls. Study 3 compared total cerebellar volume between 45 ET patients, 8 FCTME patients, and 39 controls. In our large sample of selected hereditary ET patients and ET subgroups, no local atrophy was observed compared to healthy controls or FCMTE. In ET patients with head tremor, a volume increase in cortical motor regions was observed. In FCMTE, a decrease in total cerebellar volume and in local cerebellar gray matter was observed compared to healthy controls and ET patients. The current study did not find local atrophy, specifically not in the cerebellum in hereditary ET, contrary to FCMTE. Volume increase of cortical motor areas in ET patients with head tremor might suggest cortical plasticity changes due to continuous involuntary head movements.</p

A Large Outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease at a Flower Show, the Netherlands, 1999

In 1999, an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease affected many visitors to a flower show in the Netherlands. To identify the source of the outbreak, we performed an environmental investigation, as well as a case-control study among visitors and a serologic cohort study among exhibitors to measure exposure to possible sources. Of 77,061 visitors, 188 became ill (133 confirmed and 55 probable cases), for an attack rate of 0.23% for visitors and 0.61% for exhibitors. Two whirlpool spas in halls 3 and 4 of the exhibition and a sprinkler in hall 8 were culture positive for Legionella pneumophila. One of three genotypes found in both whirlpool spas was identical to the isolates from 28 of 29 culture-positive patients. Persons who paused at the whirlpool spa in hall 3 were at increased risk for becoming ill. This study illustrates that whirlpool spas may be an important health hazard if disinfection fails