Post-stroke language disorders are frequent and include aphasia, alexia, agraphia and acalculia. There are different definitions of aphasias, but the most widely accepted neurologic and/or ...neuropsychological definition is that aphasia is a loss or impairment of verbal communication, which occurs as a consequence of brain dysfunction. It manifests as impairment of almost all verbal abilities, e.g., abnormal verbal expression, difficulties in understanding spoken or written language, repetition, naming, reading and writing. During the history, many classifications of aphasia syndromes were established. For practical use, classification of aphasias according to fluency, comprehension and abilities of naming it seems to be most suitable (nonfluent aphasias: Broca's, transcortical motor, global and mixed transcortical aphasia; fluent aphasias: anomic, conduction, Wernicke's, transcortical sensory, subcortical aphasia). Aphasia is a common consequence of left hemispheric lesion and most common neuropsychological consequence of stroke, with a prevalence of one-third of all stroke patients in acute phase, although there are reports on even higher figures. Many speech impairments have a tendency of spontaneous recovery. Spontaneous recovery is most remarkable in the first three months after stroke onset. Recovery of aphasias caused by ischemic stroke occurs earlier and it is most intensive in the first two weeks. In aphasias caused by hemorrhagic stroke, spontaneous recovery is slower and occurs from the fourth to the eighth week after stroke. The course and outcome of aphasia depend greatly on the type of aphasia. Regardless of the fact that a significant number of aphasias spontaneously improve, it is necessary to start treatment as soon as possible. The writing and reading disorders in stroke patients (alexias and agraphias) are more frequent than verified on routine examination, not only in less developed but also in large neurologic departments. Alexia is an acquired type of sensory aphasia where damage to the brain causes the patient to lose the ability to read. It is also called word blindness, text blindness or visual aphasia. Alexia refers to an acquired inability to read due to brain damage and must be distinguished from dyslexia, a developmental abnormality in which the individual is unable to learn to read, and from illiteracy, which reflects a poor educational background. Most aphasics are also alexic, but alexia may occur in the absence of aphasia and may occasionally be the sole disability resulting from specific brain lesions. There are different classifications of alexias. Traditionally, alexias are divided into three categories: pure alexia with agraphia, pure alexia without agraphia, and alexia associated with aphasia ('aphasic alexia'). Agraphia is defined as disruption of previously intact writing skills by brain damage. Writing involves several elements: language processing, spelling, visual perception, visuospatial orientation for graphic symbols, motor planning, and motor control of writing. A disturbance of any of these processes can impair writing. Agraphia may occur by itself or in association with aphasias, alexia, agnosia and apraxia. Agraphia can also result from 'peripheral' involvement of the motor act of writing. Like alexia, agraphia must be distinguished from illiteracy, where writing skills were never developed. Acalculia is a clinical syndrome of acquired deficits in mathematical calculation, either mentally or with paper and pencil. These language disturbances can be classified differently, but there are three principal types of acalculia: acalculia associated with language disturbances, including number paraphasia, number agraphia, or number alexia; acalculia secondary to visuospatial dysfunction with malalignment of numbers and columns, and primary anarithmetria entailing disruption of the computation process.
The aim of the study was to determine the incidence and types of speech disorders in patients with acute stroke. The study was performed in 936 acute stroke patients admitted to University Department ...of Neurology, Tuzla University Clinical Center, in the period from January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2008. Out of 936 study patients, speech disorders were verified on admission in 771 (82.37%) patients. Dysarthria was present in 540 (57.69%) and aphasia in 231 (24.67%) patients. In the group with speech disturbances, dysarthria was present in 70.04% and aphasia in 29.96% of patients. During hospital stay, lethal outcome was recorded in 51 patients, significantly higher in the group with speech disorders (P = 0.004). At discharge from the hospital, speech disorders persisted in 671 (75.81%), dysarthria in 468 (69.75%), and different types of aphasia in 203 (30.25%) of 885 surviving patients. Among patients with aphasia at both admission and discharge, global aphasia was most common, followed by motor aphasia (Broca's aphasia) and nominal aphasia. Although the rate of patients with speech disorders was lower at discharge, the difference was not statistically significant. On admission, 82.37% of patients were considered to have a speech-language disorder, dysarthria being most common. Concerning the type of aphasia, global aphasia was most frequent. Study results suggested the importance and need of speech-language therapy in the early rehabilitation of post-stroke patients; it should be initiated during their hospital stay and continued at long-term.
The aim of the study was to determine duration of delirium in patients with acute stroke according to sex, age, type and localization of lesion. We assessed delirium prospectively in a sample of 233 ...consecutive patients with an acute (< or =4 days) stroke using the Delirium Rating Scale (DRS-R-98) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV). The average duration of delirium was 4 days in patients with ischemic stroke and 3 days in patients with hemorrhagic stroke. There was no statistically significant difference in delirium duration between these two patient groups. A longer duration of delirium was recorded in women and in patients older than 65. The period of delirium was longer in patients with right hemispheric lesions. Patients did not differ according to delirium duration, sex, age, type and localization of stroke. In two thirds of patients, the symptoms of delirium completely disappeared on medicamentous treatment, while in the remaining one third of patients certain symptoms of delirium persisted at discharge (p=0.003). Mortality rate was significantly higher in patients with delirium in the acute phase of stroke than in those without delirium (p=0.009). In conclusion, delirium is a temporary manifestation in two thirds of patients in the acute phase of stroke. Patient sex and age, and type and stroke localization have no influence on delirium duration.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is primarily a disease of the respiratory system but severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may cause several immune-related complications ...including different neurological disorders, such as myelopathy with paraparesis.In this atypical case a female patient with progressive spastic paraparesis after COVID-19 infection, brisk reflexes and positive Babinski sign, reduced vibratory sensation to the thoracic level, elevated immunoglobulin levels (IgG) in cerebrospinal fluid, but negative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spine, is presented. A 57-year-old woman with spastic paraparesis and inability to walk was admitted to our neurological department. About four months before hospitalization, she started feeling numbness and tingling in the feet and lumbar spine area. Gradually, numbness and tingling ascended to the thoracic spine level Th7/8, and she developed weakness mostly in her legs. In the neurological exam she had spastic paraparesis. MRI of the brain, cervical and thoracic spine did not reveal any signal abnormality. Serological testing for SARS-CoV-2 was performed and results were highly positive IgG and IgM+IgA levels. The lumbar puncture finding confirmed the suspicion of immune-related complications after SARS-CoV-2 infection (intrathecal IgG synthesis). This case draws attention to spastic paraparesis or progressive MRI-negative myelitis after SARS-CoV-2 infection, which obviously has immune-mediated pathogenesis that happen in response to the virus or its antibodies. Similarities in spastic paraparesis after human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV-1) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) and SARS-CoV-2 infections were observed. The patient had a good response to corticosteroid therapy and had good recovery.
The aim of the study was to analyze the usefulness and side effects of treatment with interferon beta 1B (Betaferon) in patients with the relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The ...study included 32 RRMS patients that had completed two-year therapy with interferon beta 1B or were still receiving this therapy. Every six months, patients were clinically evaluated and scored by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Two-year therapy was completed by 11 (34.3%) of 32 RRMS patients. Relapse was verified in 4 (36.36%) patients. The mean EDSS score was 2.45 +/- 1.03 at the beginning of therapy and 2.54 +/- 0.98 after two-year therapy; the difference was not statistically significant. In 2 (6.25%) patients on therapy for 18 months there was no relapse, and the mean EDSS was 1.75 +/- 0.35 (both at therapy introduction and at 18 months). Five (15.62%) patients were on therapy for one year. The mean EDSS was 1.6 +/- 1.08 at the beginning of therapy and 1.5 +/- 0.70 at one year. One patient experienced relapse. Two patients were on therapy for six months. They had no relapses with the same EDSS at six months as at therapy introduction (2.0). At the beginning of 2008, another 12 patients started therapy with interferon beta 1B. In conclusion, our experience with two-year interferon beta-1B therapy for RRMS is favorable, with a relatively low rate of relapses (36.36%) and without significant worsening on EDSS. The medication side effects were mild and transient.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder causing not only motor dysfunction but also cognitive, psychiatric, autonomic and sensory disturbances. Depression is the most common ...psychiatric disturbance identified in patients with PD and has been shown to be more common in PD than in other chronic and disabling disorders, occurring in approximately 40% of PD patients. However, the prevalence and clinical features associated with depression in PD remain controversial. Dementia is increasingly recognized as a symptom associated with idiopathic PD, and is found in up to 40% of all patients suffering from that condition. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of depressive and dementia symptoms in PD patients. The study included 35 consecutive patients with PD, 13 (37.4%) male and 22 (62.6%) female (mean age 62.9 ± 11.0, range 36-85 years), mean duration of disease 4.7 ± 2.9 (range 1-10) years, hospitalized during one year at Clinical Department of Neurology, Tuzla University Clinical Center, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used for assessment of cognitive deterioration and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for depression. Computerized tomography was performed in all patients. According to BDI scale, depressive symptoms were present in all 35 PD patients: minimal in 4 (11.4%), low in 7 (20%), moderate in 8 (22.8%), severe in 9 (25.4%) and extreme in 7 (20%) patients. On MMSE scale, 9 (25.4%) patients were free from cognitive deterioration and 26 (74.6%) patients had moderate to severe deterioration, but 21 (60%) patients (7 (33.33%) male and 14 (66.66%) female) had symptoms of dementia (MMSE score ≤ 23). Using MMSE scale, 8 (22.8%) patients were free from dementia and 27 (77.2%) patients had some cognitive deterioration. Very mild symptoms of dementia were found in 6 (25.9%) and overt features of dementia in 21 (74.1%) PD patients. So, out of 35 PD study patients, 21 (60%) (7 (33.3%) male and 14 (66.7%) female) had symptoms of dementia (MMSE score ≤ 23). In conclusion, depressive and dementia symptoms are common in PD patients.
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