Clinical and electroencephalographic features of patients with polymicrogyria

Orientador: Marilisa Mantovani GuerreiroDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias MedicasResumo: Polimicrogiria é uma malformação da organização cortical que se caracteriza por múltiplos pequenos giros separados por espessos e rasos sulcos. O objetivo do presente estudo foi descrever as manifestações clínicas e eletroencefalográficas de pacientes com polimicrogiria, que têm epilepsia e/ou distúrbio específico de linguagem e dos familares dos pacientes com distúrbio específico de linguagem, correlacionando-os com a neuroimagem. Os pacientes foram submetidos a exame clínico e neurológico, com particular atenção aos sinais pseudobulbares, e realizaram eletroencefalograma de rotina com até 4 horas de duração. Quando possível, foram submetidos a vídeo-monitorização. Os dados de neuroimagem foram classificados em: polimicrogiria perisylviana (subdividida em holosylviana, parietal posterior bilateral, generalizada), polimicrogiria hemisférica e polimicrogiria frontal. Os achados eletroencefalográficos foram categorizados em: normal; anormal com atividade epileptiforme; anormal com atividade não epileptiforme; anormal com atividade epileptiforme e não epileptiforme; anormal com estado de mal elétrico (EME); anormal com atividade epileptiforme contínua e quanto à presença ou não de ativação da atividade epileptiforme pelo sono. Foram estudados 40 pacientes: 16 pacientes com polimicrogiria holosylviana, 14 com polimicrogiria parietal posterior, quatro com polimicrogiria generalizada, três com polimicrogiria hemisférica e três com polimicrogiria frontal. Observou-se nos pacientes com polimicrogiria holosylviana: sinais pseudobulbares em 11, hemiparesia em seis sendo um paciente com dupla hemiparesia. Três possuíam deficiência mental e cinco tinham epilepsia. O eletroencefalograma estava alterado em oito pacientes e atividade epileptiforme foi registrada em seis, sendo que em dois foi registrada atividade epileptiforme contínua focal. Entre os pacientes com polimicrogiria parietal posterior bilateral, cinco apresentavam sinais pseudobulbares e um possuía hemiparesia. Nenhum tinha alteração cognitiva ou epilepsia. Apenas um paciente apresentou ao eletroencefalograma atividade epileptiforme focal. Todos os pacientes com polimicrogiria generalizada tinham sinal pseudobulbar, deficiência mental e epilepsia. O quadro motor estava presente em três pacientes e apenas um deles não apresentava atividade epileptiforme no eletroencefalograma. Entre os pacientes com polimicrogiria hemisférica, todos apresentavam sinal pseudobulbar e hemiparesia, dois pacientes tinham deficiência mental e epilepsia, e um paciente atraso do desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor. Nos registros eletroencefalográficos, dois pacientes apresentaram EME focal. Os pacientes com polimicrogiria frontal não possuíam sinal pseudobulbar e em um único paciente foi detectada hemiparesia. Epilepsia estava presente em dois pacientes. No registro eletroencefalográfico, dois exames apresentaram anormalidades não-epileptiformes. Com os dados acima descritos foi possível observar que: os sinais pseudobulbares foram mais freqüentes em pacientes com idade menor ou igual a 15 anos; atividade epileptiforme e lentificação da atividade de base teve associação com epilepsia e alteração cognitiva e o distúrbio específico de linguagem apresentou uma relação inversa com estes achados eletroencefalográficos; a maioria dos nossos pacientes apresentou exame eletroencefalográfico normal; na polimicrogiria holosylviana, as atividades epileptiformes predominaram na região fronto-temporal e as atividades não epileptiformes predominaram na região fronto-centro-temporal; EME ocorreu em polimicrogiria hemisférica e atividade epileptiforme contínua focal ocorreu em polimicrogiria holosylviana bilateral assimétrica com provável displasia cortical associada; a ativação da atividade epileptiforme pelo sono foi um achado freqüente em nossa casuística; existe correlação direta entre as manifestações clínicas e anormalidades eletroencefalográficas e extensão do córtex polimicrogíricoAbstract: Polymicrogyria is a malformation of cortical organization that is characterized by multiple and small gyri. The aim of this study was do describe clinical and eletrographic features of patients with polymicrogyria, whom have epilepsia and/or developmental language disorder, and to correlate these data with neuroimaging findings. Our patients underwent clinical and neurological examination, and a routine electroencephalogram. Whenever possible, video-electroencephalographic monitoring was performed. Neuroimaging data were classified as: perisylvian polymicrogyria (subdivided as holosylvian, posterior parietal and generalized), hemispheric polymicrogyria and frontal polymicrogyria. Electrographic findings were classified as: normal; abnormal with epileptiform activity; abnormal with non-epileptiform activity; abnormal with epileptiform and non-epileptiform activities; abnormal with electrographic status (ES); abnormal with continuous epileptiform activity; sleep activation. We studied 40 patients: 16 with holosylvian polymicrogyria; 14 with posterior parietal polymicrogyria; four with generalized polymicrogyria; three with hemispheric polymicrogyria; and three with frontal polymicrogyria. Patients with holosylvian polymicrogyria showed: pseudobulbar signs in 11; hemiparesis in six one of them with double hemiparesis. Three had mental retardation and five had epilepsy. The elecgroencephalogram was abnormal in eight patients and epileptiform activity was registered in six, two of them with focal. Patients with posterior parietal polymicrogyria showed: five with pseudobulbar sign and one with hemiparesis. Cognitive delay and epilepsy was not found in this group. Only one patient had electroencephalogram with focal epileptiform discharges. Patients with generalized polymicrogyria had pseudobulbar sign, epilepsy and mental retardation. Motor deficit was found in three patients. Electroencephalogram findings showed epileptiform activity in three. Patients with hemispheric polymicrogyria had pseudobulbar sign and hemiparesis. Two of them had mental retardation and epilepsy. One had neurodevelopmental delay. Electrographic examinations showed focal ES in two patients. Patients with frontal polymicrogyria had no pseudobulbar sign and one of them had hemiparesis. Two patients had epilepsy. Electroencephalogram findings showed non-epileptiform activities in two patients. Our data demonstrated that: pseudobulbar sign are more frequent among patients under 15 years old; epilepsy and cognitive delay are both correlated with epileptiform activity and slowness of the background activity and developmental language disorder had a inverse correlation with this finds; in holosylvian polymicrogyria, epileptiform activities predominated in fronto-temporal regions and non-epileptiform activities predominated in centro-temporal regions; ES occurred in hemispheric polymicrogyria and focal continuous epileptiform activities in asymmetric bilateral holosylvian polymicrogyria with associated cortical dysplasia; sleep activation was a frequent finding; the severity of clinical and electrographic features correlated with the extent of cortical lesionMestradoNeurologiaMestre em Ciências Médica

Characterization of language and reading skills in familial polymicrogyria

Polymicrogyria (PMG) is a malformation of cortical development characterized by an excessive number of small gyri and abnormal cortical lamination, giving the cortical surface an irregular and gross appearance. The severity of clinical manifestations correlates with the extent of cortical involvement. The objective of the present study was to describe three families with linguistic features of developmental language disorder and reading impairment, and to establish a neuroanatomic correlation through neuroimaging. Subjects have been submitted to a comprehensive protocol including psychological assessment, language evaluation, neurological examination, and neuroimaging investigation. In our families, children usually had the diagnosis of developmental language disorder while adults had the diagnosis of reading impairment. MRI showed perisylvian polymicrogyria in several subjects of each family. Our data support the idea that there is a co-occurrence of developmental language disorder and reading impairment and both conditions may be associated with polymicrogyria30425426

Neotropical freshwater fisheries : A dataset of occurrence and abundance of freshwater fishes in the Neotropics

The Neotropical region hosts 4225 freshwater fish species, ranking first among the world's most diverse regions for freshwater fishes. Our NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set is the first to produce a large-scale Neotropical freshwater fish inventory, covering the entire Neotropical region from Mexico and the Caribbean in the north to the southern limits in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. We compiled 185,787 distribution records, with unique georeferenced coordinates, for the 4225 species, represented by occurrence and abundance data. The number of species for the most numerous orders are as follows: Characiformes (1289), Siluriformes (1384), Cichliformes (354), Cyprinodontiformes (245), and Gymnotiformes (135). The most recorded species was the characid Astyanax fasciatus (4696 records). We registered 116,802 distribution records for native species, compared to 1802 distribution records for nonnative species. The main aim of the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set was to make these occurrence and abundance data accessible for international researchers to develop ecological and macroecological studies, from local to regional scales, with focal fish species, families, or orders. We anticipate that the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set will be valuable for studies on a wide range of ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, fishery pressure, the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, and the impacts of species invasion and climate change. There are no copyright restrictions on the data, and please cite this data paper when using the data in publications

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved