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 18,428 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A five-year-old male was admitted to the hospital with generalized seizures. Enlarged lymph nodes raised the suspicion of cat-scratch disease. The diagnosis was confirmed by a positive history of a cat bite, typical histopathologic findings in the biopsy of the lymph nodes, and a positive skin test. Brain CT scan and LP were repeatedly normal. The clinical course was remarkable for recurrent episodes of status epilepticus refractory to usual anticonvulsant therapy and prolonged encephalopathy consisting of mental confusion, hemiparesis, tremor, chorea, and vomiting. All neurologic symptoms gradually resolved within nine months, without sequelae. Cat-scratch encephalopathy should be suspected in a child presenting with status epilepticus and enlarged lymph nodes. Aggressive and prolonged anticonvulsant therapy is strongly recommended.
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PMID:Cat-scratch encephalopathy presenting as status epilepticus and lymphadenitis. 232 Apr 87

The activity patterns in self- and cross-reinnervated flexor digitorum longus (FDL) and soleus (SOL) muscles were examined during natural movements in awake, unrestrained cats in which electromyographic (EMG) electrodes, tendon-force gauges, and muscle-length gauges had been chronically implanted under anesthesia and aseptic conditions. Kinesiological data were recorded between 13 and 22 mo after nerve surgery. Self-reinnervated FDL and SOL muscles (i.e., FDL----FDL and SOL----SOL, respectively) exhibited locomotor activity patterns that were the same as observed in normal, unoperated FDL and SOL muscles (26). FDL----FDL muscles exhibited primarily brief bursts of activity in early swing, just after the toes had left the ground, whereas SOL----SOL muscles showed bursts of activity just before and during stance. In contrast, the cross-reinnervated muscles (both SOL----FDL and FDL----SOL) that had little or no unwanted self-reinnervation showed the patterns of activity that are associated with the innervating foreign motoneurons. That is, cross-reinnervated SOL----FDL muscles were intensely active in quadrupedal standing and, during the stance phase of stepping, producing large force transients while actively lengthening. Conversely, cross-reinnervated FDL----SOL muscles were active mainly in short bursts at the onset of the swing phase of stepping, just after the foot had left the ground. There was considerable modulation of EMG and peak force output in FDL----SOL muscles with changing speed of locomotion, whereas little modulation was evident in SOL----FDL muscles. The activity patterns in self- and cross-reinnervated FDL and SOL muscles were also recorded during scratch and paw-shaking reflexes. As in locomotion, the observed patterns were in all cases consistent with those expected for the innervating motor pool rather than the innervated muscle. Muscles that had been dually reinnervated by both the original and foreign motor pools displayed activity patterns that were a mixture of the FDL and SOL activity patterns described above. The present results demonstrate that motoneuron activation patterns remain qualitatively unaltered when their motor axons reinnervate foreign muscles. In addition, the observations permit some quantitative estimates of the degree to which cross-reinnervated muscles are subjected to patterns of motoneuron activity and to conditions of mechanical loading that are markedly different from those in the self-reinnervated or normal conditions.
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PMID:Kinesiological studies of self- and cross-reinnervated FDL and soleus muscles in freely moving cats. 299 50

Neuromuscular patterns of scratching and the paw-shake response were studied in normal kittens from birth to postnatal day 60. Onset of both behaviors coincided with the development of secure weight-bearing posture and occurred on postnatal day 21 for scratching and postnatal day 26 for paw shaking. At onset, cycle periods for scratching (5-6 Hz) and paw shaking (8-10 Hz) were similar to that for adult cats, and EMG patterns were adult-like. The scratch cycle consisted of reciprocal flexor and extensor bursts of equal duration, while the shake cycle consisted of coactive knee extensor and ankle flexor bursts alternately active with ankle extensor bursts. The lack of scratching and paw shaking during the first 3 postnatal weeks and the adult-like EMG patterns at onset are consistent with the hypothesis that pattern-generating circuits within lumbosacral segments are available early in development but inhibited by the rostral neuraxis until postural control is sufficient to accommodate the response. To eliminate rostral inputs, including descending input critical for postural control, kittens were spinalized at the T12 level, and onset of paw shaking was accelerated. In kittens spinalized at birth, paw-shake onset occurred on postnatal day 14, while in kittens spinalized on postnatal day 14, onset occurred 48 h after spinalization. In all spinal kittens, however, knee extensor activity was disrupted and not normal by postnatal day 60. Mature neuromuscular patterns for scratching and paw shaking are available at onset of the behavior during normal development. Spinalization hastens the onset of paw shaking but the normal neuromuscular synergy is disrupted as well as the temporal structure of the multi-cycle response. Disruptions following spinalization may be due to altered development of spinal pattern generators or aberrant feedback from atypical hindlimb motions due to a retardation of hindlimb growth and an alteration of muscle contractile properties in spinal kittens.
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PMID:Neuromuscular patterns of stereotypic hindlimb behaviors in the first two postnatal months. III. Scratching and the paw-shake response in kittens. 334 32

Scratching behavior is used to assess itch sensation in animals, but few studies have addressed the relative scratch-inducing capacity of different algesic and pruritic chemicals. Furthermore, central neural mechanisms underlying itch are not well understood. We used electrophysiological and behavioral methods to investigate the ability of several irritant chemicals to excite neurons in the superficial dorsal horn, as well as to elicit scratching, in rats. In anesthetized rats, single neurons in the superficial lumbar dorsal horn, identified by their responsiveness to intracutaneous (ic) histamine, were classified as wide dynamic range (WDR) or nociceptive-specific (NS). Serotonin (5-HT) given ic to the paw excited most (88%) WDR and NS neurons over a prolonged time course (often up to 40 min). 5-HT-evoked responses exhibited significant tachyphylaxis. Most neurons also gave shorter-duration responses to ic capsaicin (92%) and mustard oil (71%). In separate behavioral experiments, significant dose-related hind limb scratching directed at the ic injection site in the back of the neck was elicited by 5-HT over a time course similar to that of evoked neuronal firing. A second 5-HT injection made 40 min later at the same site elicited significantly less scratching. Formalin also elicited scratching that was not dose-related and less than that evoked by 5-HT. 5-HT and Formalin also evoked head or whole-body shakes that were significantly correlated with scratching. Neither histamine, capsaicin, nor vehicle controls elicited significant scratching or shaking. In rats, 5-HT appears to be more pruritogenic than histamine as assessed by scratching and shaking behavior, and excites superficial dorsal horn neurons over a behaviorally relevant time course. However, because most neurons additionally responded to pain-producing stimuli, they are not itch-specific. They might nonetheless contribute to neural pathways that distinguish between pain and itch based on some neural mechanism such as frequency coding.
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PMID:Responses of superficial dorsal horn neurons to intradermal serotonin and other irritants: comparison with scratching behavior. 1187 2

This training exercise helps health workers to understand what it might feel like to be at risk for HIV infections and/or to be infected with the virus. Participants stand in a circle with their eyes closed, and the facilitator walks around them and taps one of them on the shoulder. This person is, thus, anonymously designated as being HIV-positive. All the participants then mill around and decide whether to shake hands with each other or not. Shaking hands is symbolic of having unprotected intercourse. Depending on the size of the group, they can shake hands with 3 or 4 people. If the person whose hand they shake scratches their palm, then they were exposed to HIV, and they must then scratch the palm of any other hands they shake. With the "HIV exposed" people sitting in an inner circle and the "HIV unexposed" in an outer circle, discussion can then center on how it feels to be exposed and what factors would influence the decision to have counseling and/or testing. Then the inner circle people are instructed to have the test and are randomly assigned cards which read "negative" or "positive." Those with negative cards move to the outer circle and the discussion centers on how they feel and how those with positive cards feel and how this would change their behavior. At the end, all participants must be reminded that this was simply a training exercise.
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PMID:Understanding HIV. Training exercise for health workers. 1228 24

The Australian Family Planning Association developed a practice exercise to help health workers understand HIV risks. The exercise has 10-25 participants and lasts about 1.5 hours. Participants sit in a circle. Each participant receives a card marked either HIV positive or HIV negative. No participant has to inform others of his/her HIV status. The facilitator encourages participants to say what they think and feel. Participants are reminded that exposure to HIV does not always mean that they will become infected with HIV, but that there is a strong chance that exposure will lead to HIV infection. The facilitator asks all participants to close their eyes and he/she will go around the circle and touch someone on the shoulder, indicating that that person is now HIV infected. After asking participants to open their eyes, the facilitator asks whether they can tell who is HIV infected. He/she asks how they felt when he/she was moving around the circle. Participants can move around the circle and talk among themselves and, if they want, they can shake the hands of 3-4 persons. HIV-infected persons must scratch the palm of all participants shaking their hand. The latter must scratch the palm of each hand thereafter. Any participant whose palm was not scratched sits in a circle outside of the inner circle of those infected with HIV. The facilitator asks if anyone does not want to shake hands. Participants discuss whether or not they were infected and why or why not. They later discuss whether or not it is important to undergo pre-test counseling and to have an HIV test. Persons in the inner circle discuss how they feel while they were waiting for HIV test results. They discuss what they need to do to reduce their HIV risk and how they are going to do it. HIV-positive persons in the inner circle are also asked how they feel. After the exercise, the participants may be emotional. It is important to remind them that it is only an exercise. They should say what they think of the exercise. The facilitator should ask them where they can go to get HIV information.
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PMID:[Understanding HIV. Training: practice exercises for health workers]. 1229 26

On March 11, 2011 at 14:46 (Friday), a massive magnitude-9.0 earthquake attacked large areas of northeastern Japan, including Sendai City. The huge earthquake generated catastrophic tsunamis, leading to unprecedented disasters in the seacoast areas of the Tohoku region (about 20,000 dead and missing persons). Upon this earthquake, in Tohoku University Medical Library, a 3-storey earthquake-resistant building, most of books fell down from bookshelves on the second and third floors, but the bookshelves remained steady because of the effective fixation. Many piles of fallen books blocked up the walkways and the narrow passages between the bookshelves; namely, books are easily transformed to dangerous weapons in a shaking building. Fortunately, all library staffs and users evacuated outside the building without even a scratch. Importantly, we were able to open the first floor of the Medical Library on March 14 (Monday), because the first floor has been used for the Learning Commons, with open space for group meetings. We thus provided students, medical staffs, and faculty members with the comfortable place during the early stage of the disasters. In fact, medical staffs and faculty members worked hard over weekend to deal with many patients and clear the post-quake confusions. Moreover, electricity, gas, or water supply was not yet restored in most areas of Sendai City. In the earthquake-prone zones, the Medical Library should function as a facility that not only enhances information gathering but also provides the place like an oasis of relaxation for students and medical staffs upon great earthquakes.
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PMID:Messages from a medical library in the earthquake-prone zone. 2190 53