Is Criminal Sentencing Influenced by Type of Disorder?

Differences in sentencing due to disorder and gender were examined. Four scenarios were randomly presented for each disorder type. Participants indicated the sentence length for each scenario and whether they would parole the individual. Men with personality disorders received longer sentences while women with psychotic or neurological disorders received longer sentences. Perpetrators with personality disorders were less likely to be paroled than those with a psychotic or neurological disorder. Parole decisions about psychotic women were made faster than any other condition

Diagnosis and treatment of paraneoplastic neurological disorders

In about two thirds of cases, patients with paraneoplastic neurological disorders present to the neurologist without a known tumor. Due to the ongoing immune response, this tumor tends to stay biologically relatively benign, and therefore difficult to diagnose. In patients with a known tumor, the neurological symptoms often precede a tumor recurrence. In both scenarios, anti-neuronal antibodies are an invaluable diagnostic help to the clinician, and may be supplemented by other diagnostic tests such as MRI, CSF, and electrophysiology. Tumor therapy remains the mainstay of therapeutic options, although early immune therapy must be started in parallel. It is hoped that the recent fundamental advances in understanding the autoimmune pathology of these disorders, especially the role of cytotoxic T cells, will eventually lead to more effective treatment options

Feline vestibular disorders. Part II: diagnostic approach and differential diagnosis.

Results of a neurological examination usually permit localisation of a vestibular disorder to either the central or peripheral parts of the vestibular system. Many different disorders located in the same part of the vestibular system will produce similar clinical signs. Therefore, additional diagnostic tests beyond a neurological examination are required in order to make an accurate diagnosis. The objectives of this review are to outline a diagnostic approach for disorders affecting the feline vestibular system, and to summarise the clinically important features of frequently diagnosed diseases affecting the vestibular system of cats

Clinical correlates and prognostic impact of neurologic disorders in Takotsubo syndrome

Cardiac alterations are frequently observed after acute neurological disorders. Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) represents an acute heart failure syndrome and is increasingly recognized as part of the spectrum of cardiac complications observed after neurological disorders. A systematic investigation of TTS patients with neurological disorders has not been conducted yet. The aim of the study was to expand insights regarding neurological disease entities triggering TTS and to investigate the clinical profile and outcomes of TTS patients after primary neurological disorders. The International Takotsubo Registry is an observational multicenter collaborative effort of 45 centers in 14 countries (ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT01947621). All patients in the registry fulfilled International Takotsubo Diagnostic Criteria. For the present study, patients were included if complete information on acute neurological disorders were available. 2402 patients in whom complete information on acute neurological status were available were analyzed. In 161 patients (6.7%) an acute neurological disorder was identified as the preceding triggering factor. The most common neurological disorders were seizures, intracranial hemorrhage, and ischemic stroke. Time from neurological symptoms to TTS diagnosis was <= 2 days in 87.3% of cases. TTS patients with neurological disorders were younger, had a lower female predominance, fewer cardiac symptoms, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, and higher levels of cardiac biomarkers. TTS patients with neurological disorders had a 3.2-fold increased odds of in-hospital mortality compared to TTS patients without neurological disorders. In this large-scale study, 1 out of 15 TTS patients had an acute neurological condition as the underlying triggering factor. Our data emphasize that a wide spectrum of neurological diseases ranging from benign to life-threatening encompass TTS. The high rates of adverse events highlight the need for clinical awareness

Modulation of adult-born neurons in the inflamed hippocampus.

Throughout life new neurons are continuously added to the hippocampal circuitry involved with spatial learning and memory. These new cells originate from neural precursors in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus, migrate into the granule cell layer, and integrate into neural networks encoding spatial and contextual information. This process can be influenced by several environmental and endogenous factors and is modified in different animal models of neurological disorders. Neuroinflammation, as defined by the presence of activated microglia, is a common key factor to the progression of neurological disorders. Analysis of the literature shows that microglial activation impacts not only the production, but also the migration and the recruitment of new neurons. The impact of microglia on adult-born neurons appears much more multifaceted than ever envisioned before, combining both supportive and detrimental effects that are dependent upon the activation phenotype and the factors being released. The development of strategies aimed to change microglia toward states that promote functional neurogenesis could therefore offer novel therapeutic opportunities against neurological disorders associated with cognitive deficits and neuroinflammation. The present review summarizes the current knowledge on how production, distribution, and recruitment of new neurons into behaviorally relevant neural networks are modified in the inflamed hippocampus

Out-patient neurological disorders in Tanzania: Experience from a private institution in Dar es Salaam

Background and introduction: Low and middle-income countries (LMIC) have a considerable burden of neurological disorders. Available profile of neurological disorders in our environment is biased towards neurological admissions. There is a paucity of data on out-patient neurological conditions in sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: To determine the frequency and demographic data of neurological illnesses being managed at the adult out-patient neurology clinic of the Aga Khan Hospital, Dar es Salaam (AKHD). Materials and methods: The electronic medical records of all cases with neurological diseases who presented to the adult neurology clinic of the AKHD between January 2018, and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Neurological disorders are categorized according to the international classification of diseases version-11(ICD-11). Results: Of the 1186 patients seen in a period of 2 years, there were 597 (50.4%) females and 588(49.6%) males, with median age (IQR) of 38 (30.0–52.0) and 42 (33.0–54.5) years respectively (p = 0.001). Headache disorders (27.0%); disorders of the nerve root, plexus or peripheral nerves (23.4%); epilepsy (9.3%), cerebrovascular disorders (8.9%); movement disorders (3.6%) and disorders of cognition (3.5%) were the primary neurological conditions encountered. Musculoskeletal disorders (7.5%) and mental/behavioral disorders (5.4%) were other conditions seen in the clinic. Conclusion: The pattern of neurological disorders in this cohort mirrors that of high-income countries. However, the manpower to tackle these conditions pales in comparison. Increasing the neurology workforce and paying extra attention to non-communicable disorders in SSA is advocated

Brain Power

In 2007, UNLV began building its neuroscience program. Today, those efforts have paid off in the form of research that brings us closer to addressing neurological disorders and diseases

A study of neurological disorders in pregnancy and puerperium

Background: Neurological diseases contribute to 20% of maternal deaths. The objective of this study was to find the prevalence of primary and secondary neurological disorders in pregnant and postpartum patients, to study their clinical features, feto-maternal outcome and diagnosis using radiological imaging.Methods: This is a prospective cross-sectional study done over a period of 1 year. Pregnant and postpartum women with neurological disorders except eclampsia were enrolled. A total of 100 cases were analysed out of which 92 underwent radiological imaging to confirm diagnosis. Primary outcome in the form of prevalence of neurological disorders and secondary outcome in the form of maternal and foetal outcome was assessed.Results: The prevalence of neurological disorders in pregnancy is 1150/100000 deliveries. 75 cases were classified as primary neurological disorders (prevalence of 862/100000) which included epilepsy, cerebrovascular accidents, CNS infections, neoplasm, neuropathies and miscellaneous. 25 cases were secondary neurological disorders (prevalence of 287/100000) which included hepatic and septic encephalopathy. Among primary disorders the prevalence of cerebrovascular accidents was found to be highest (33.3%) followed by epilepsy (32%) while that among secondary neurological disorder was of Hepatic encephalopathy (92%). Majority (68%) had recovery while 15%of women had residual deficit. There were 17 (17%) cases of maternal mortality.Conclusions: Neurological disorders were significantly associated with poor feto- maternal outcome. Radiological imaging in the form of MRI is an excellent diagnostic tool for confirming diagnosis of neurological disorders

Value and efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation in the rehabilitation of neurocognitive disorders: A critical review since 2000.

open3siNon-invasive brain stimulation techniques, including transcranial direct current stimulation (t-DCS) have been used in the rehabilitation of cognitive function in a spectrum of neurological disorders. The present review outlines methodological communalities and differences of t-DCS procedures in neurocognitive rehabilitation. We consider the efficacy of tDCS for the management of specific cognitive deficits in four main neurological disorders by providing a critical analysis of recent studies that have used t-DCS to improve cognition in patients with Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Hemi-spatial Neglect and Aphasia. The evidence from this innovative approach to cognitive rehabilitation suggests that tDCS can influence cognition. However, the results show a high variability between studies both on the methodological approach adopted and the cognitive functions aspects. The review also focuses both on methodological issues such as technical aspects of the stimulation ( electrodes position and dimension; current intensity; duration of protocol) and on the inclusion of appropriate assessment tools for cognition. A further aspect considered is the best timing to administer tDCS: before, during after cognitive rehabilitation. We conclude that more studies with shared methodology are needed to have a better understanding of the efficacy of tDCS as a new tool for rehabilitation of cognitive disorders in a range of neurological disordersopenCappon, D; Jahanshahi, M; Bisiacchi, PCappon, Davide; Jahanshahi, M; Bisiacchi, Patrizi

Novel homozygous GBA2 mutation in a patient with complicated spastic paraplegia

Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are a heterogeneous group of neurological disorders characterized primarily by a pyramidal syndrome with lower limb spasticity, which can manifest as pure HSP or associated with a number of neurological or non-neurological signs (i.e., complicated HSPs). The clinical variability of HSPs is associated with a wide genetic heterogeneity, with more than eighty causative genes known. Recently, next generation sequencing (NGS) has allowed increasing genetic definition in such a heterogeneous group of disorders. We report on a 56- year-old man affected by sporadic complicated HSP consisting of a pyramidal syndrome, cerebellar ataxia, congenital cataract, pes cavus, axonal sensory-motor peripheral neuropathy and cognitive decline. Brain MRI showed cerebellar atrophy and thin corpus callosum. By NGS we found a novel homozygous biallelic c.452-1G > C mutation in the b-glucosidase 2 gene (GBA2), known to be causative for autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia type 46 (SPG46). The rarity of this inherited form besides reporting on a novel mutation, expands the genetic and clinical spectrum of SPG46 related HSP