Background/ObjectivesTransient global amnesia (TGA), a term coined by Charles Miller Fisher and Adams in 1958, is characterised by the acute onset of anterograde (and variably retrograde) amnesia ...with preservation of other cognitive domains, lasting a mean duration of 6 hours and up to 24 hours. Repetitive questioning almost always occurs. MRI may reveal punctate diffusion restricting lesions either unilaterally or bilaterally in the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) portion of the hippocampus.However here the authors report 4 cases in which ‘typical’ imaging features of TGA appeared in patients with transient amnestic episodes due to focal seizures.ResultsA review of the literature reveals only one case of focal seizures with typical imaging features of TGA. However, a recent multicentre review reported 43 patients with ‘atypical TGA’ (which included non-amnestic and asymptomatic presentations) associated with typical punctate diffusion restriction lesions in the hippocampus. In addition, transient diffusion restriction may occur after focal seizures, and although this is mostly seen after status epilepticus or a series of seizures, it was seen in 3% of patients after a single focal seizure who underwent MRI scanning within the first 24 hours after seizure onset.ConclusionsThe appearance of a punctate diffusion restricting focus in the hippocampus is not specific for TGA and especially when there are atypical features, such as short duration or recurrence, a focal impaired awareness seizure should be considered.
BackgroundAcute central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is a rare neuro-ophthalmic emergency with poor visual outcomes. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of strong evidence-based guidelines for acute ...CRAO management, although current treatment paradigms include intravenous thrombolysis and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. We report the first case of acute bilateral CRAO managed by thrombolysis after dabigatran reversal, followed by hyperbaric oxygen.Case DescriptionA 68-year-old man presented to hospital 1.5-hours after the acute onset of painless rapidly sequential bilateral visual loss. His other significant medical issues included hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation on dabigatran. On initial assessment, the patient had no perception of light bilaterally, and a pale retina with attenuated retinal vessels and cherry red spots bilaterally, without other focal neurological signs. Urgent CT stroke series and blood tests were normal. The patient was diagnosed with bilateral CRAO. Given the severity of his total vision loss, he was treated emergently. This consisted of thrombolysis with IV alteplase at 4-hours from symptom onset after reversal of dabigatran with idarucizumab, followed by anterior chamber paracentesis, and three sessions of hyperbaric oxygen treatment starting within the first 18 hours. The patient had some functional improvement in vision, to counting fingers bilaterally at 3 months. Extensive investigations revealed multiple tiny embolic infarcts on MRI brain, no features of systemic inflammatory conditions or pro-thrombotic factors.ConclusionEmergent treatment for acute bilateral CRAOs, including intravenous thrombolysis, anterior chamber paracentesis and hyperbaric oxygen, may improve vision. There is a need for high-quality clinical trials in this field.
Runtime Analysis of GPU-Based Stereo Matching Zentner, Christian; Liu, Yan
International journal of advanced computer science & applications,
01/2015, Letnik:
6, Številka:
11
Journal Article
Odprti dostop
This paper elaborates on the possibility to leverage the highly parallel nature of GPUs to implement more efficient stereo matching algorithms. Different algorithms have been implemented and compared ...on the CPU and the GPU in order to show the speedup gained by moving the computation to the graphics card. The results were evaluated for accuracy using the test available on the Middlebury website for stereo vision. An assessment of the runtime performance was done by a script which examined the runtime behaviour of the individual steps of the stereo matching algorithm.
Companies, that aim to expand their customer base, will find it important to advertisenew products at exhibitions. However, the huge, international exhibitions that arecommon nowadays, are a hassle ...for visitors, vendors and organisers likewise. Due tothe size, a lot of information needs to be published for the visitors, so that they canfind their way across the exhibition area, locate the stands they are interested in andexchange their business information. In a digital age, where almost every personowns at least one mobile device, all this information is still distributed as printedhandouts and business cards, which wastes a lot of paper and produces unnecessarytrash.This thesis report describes the development of a mobile application, that replacesthe handouts in a digital, non-polluting way, and also succeeds the usefulness of itspaper counterpart. This application allows its users to browse through generalexhibition information and categorised lists of all the stands on the area. The use ofiBeacons enables location-based features that help to locate the user, as well as standsof interest, and can provide an overview of the current surroundings at any time.Additionally, navigational features assist the visitors in finding their way to stands theywant to visit.By using an application like this, a lot of work and money can be saved for organisingsuch an event. The design and priting of exhibition information, including the list ofall companies and their stands, and the obligatory exhibition map, would not benecessary any more. Also, the mobile application offers some features to the visitorsthat allows them to save time, which also increases the throughput of the exhibition.
Myoclonus dystonia syndrome is often misdiagnosed in young children and appropriate treatment is delayed, which has a negative impact on motor development, participation, and emotional well-being. In ...severely affected patients, deep brain stimulation of the globus pallidus internus has been used successfully to treat both dystonia and myoclonus. Here, the authors present a case of early successful treatment of myoclonus dystonia syndrome by pallidal deep brain stimulation in a patient at the age of 17 years leading to 83% reduction in dystonia score and 89% reduction in myoclonus. The patient gained significant improvement in motor function as well as increased participation and reduced stigma.
ObjectivesAssess the efficacy and tolerability of brivaracetam (BRI) in adult patients with epilepsy in a real-world setting.MethodsThis multi-centre retrospective observational cohort study examined ...all adult patients commenced on BRI at 11 Australian epilepsy centres between May 2008 and November 2020. Primary outcomes were seizure response (≥ 50% reduction in frequency) and seizure freedom 12 months post BRI commencement. We compared incident (since last study time point) and continuous (since BRI commencement) outcome definitions, using three approaches to missing data (complete case analysis, CCA; last observation carried forward, LOCF; intention to treat, ITT). In addition, we examined individualised assessment waiting periods calculated using baseline seizure frequency.ResultsBaseline and follow-up data was available for 229 patients. Mean age was 41.5 years (IQR 30, 50). Most had focal epilepsy (188/229, 82.1%). Median number of previous ASMs was 4 (IQR 2, 7), and concomitant ASMs 2 (IQR 2, 3). Twelve-month incident responder rate was 47.1% (95% CI 34.8, 59.6) using CCA, 39.7% (95% CI 33.4, 46.4) using LOCF, and 15.7% (95% CI 11.3, 21.1) using ITT. Twelve-month incident seizure freedom was 23.5% (95% CI 14.1, 35.4) using CCA, 24.5% (95% CI 19.0, 30.5) using LOCF, and 7.9% (95% CI 4.7, 12.1) using ITT. Outcomes were similar using continuous outcome definitions, and in the sub-group of patients who had completed individualised assessment waiting periods.ConclusionsMeaningful real-world responder and seizure freedom rates are still observed in this highly refractory population. Early BRI response appears to be maintained with minimal later relapse.
Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis is characteristic but not pathognomonic for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) and may mimic local tumors. In this retrospective study based ...on a cohort of 175 NMOSD patients we identified seven patients who initially presented with a longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesion and underwent spinal cord biopsy due to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-suspected malignancies. Remarkably, routine neuropathology was inconclusive and did not guide the diagnostic process to anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-seropositive NMOSD. Serious postoperative complications occurred in 5/7 patients and persisted during follow-up in 2/7 patients (29%). Considering these sequelae, AQP4-antibody testing should be mandatory in patients with inconclusive longitudinally extensive spinal cord lesions prior to biopsy.
Background: The diagnostic and pathophysiological relevance of antibodies to aquaporin-4 (AQP4-Ab) in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) has been intensively studied. ...However, little is known so far about the clinical impact of AQP4-Ab seropositivity. Objective: To analyse systematically the clinical and paraclinical features associated with NMO spectrum disorders in Caucasians in a stratified fashion according to the patients' AQP4-Ab serostatus. Methods: Retrospective study of 175 Caucasian patients (AQP4-Ab positive in 78.3%). Results: Seropositive patients were found to be predominantly female (p < 0.0003), to more often have signs of co-existing autoimmunity (p < 0.00001), and to experience more severe clinical attacks. A visual acuity of <= 0.1 during acute optic neuritis (ON) attacks was more frequent among seropositives (p < 0.002). Similarly, motor symptoms were more common in seropositive patients, the median Medical Research Council scale (MRC) grade worse, and MRC grades <= 2 more frequent, in particular if patients met the 2006 revised criteria (p < 0.005, p < 0.006 and p < 0.01, respectively), the total spinal cord lesion load was higher (p < 0.006), and lesions >= 6 vertebral segments as well as entire spinal cord involvement more frequent (p < 0.003 and p < 0.043). By contrast, bilateral ON at onset was more common in seronegatives (p < 0.007), as was simultaneous ON and myelitis (p < 0.001); accordingly, the time to diagnosis of NMO was shorter in the seronegative group (p < 0.029). The course of disease was more often monophasic in seronegatives (p < 0.008). Seropositives and seronegatives did not differ significantly with regard to age at onset, time to relapse, annualized relapse rates, outcome from relapse (complete, partial, no recovery), annualized EDSS increase, mortality rate, supratentorial brain lesions, brainstem lesions, history of carcinoma, frequency of preceding infections, oligoclonal bands, or CSF pleocytosis. Both the time to relapse and the time to diagnosis was longer if the disease started with ON (p < 0.002 and p < 0.013). Motor symptoms or tetraparesis at first myelitis and > 1 myelitis attacks in the first year were identified as possible predictors of a worse outcome.
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