Objective: To describe the prevalence and characteristics of epilepsy in patients with cerebral palsy in a tertiary center. Methods: a total of 100 consecutive patients with cerebral palsy were retrospectively studied. Criteria for inclusion were follow-up period for at least 2 years. Types and incidence of epilepsy were correlated with the different forms of cerebral palsy. Other factors associated with epilepsy such as age of first seizure, neonatal seizures and family history of epilepsy were also analysed. Results: follow-up ranged between 24 and 151 months (mean 57 months). The overall prevalence of epilepsy was 62%. Incidence of epilepsy was predominant in patients with hemiplegic and tetraplegic palsies: 70.6% and 66.1%, respectively. First seizure occurred during the first year of life in 74.2% of patients with epilepsy. Generalized and partial were the predominant types of epilepsy (61.3% and 27.4%, respectively). Thirty-three (53.2%) of 62 patients were seizure free for at least 1 year. Neonatal seizures and family history of epilepsy were associated with a higher incidence of epilepsy. Conclusions: epilepsy in cerebral palsy can be predicted if seizures occur in the first year of life, in neonatal period and if there is family history of epilepsy. KEY WORDS: epilepsy, cerebral palsy, neonatal seizures. Epilepsia em crianças com paralisia cerebral RESUMO-Objetivo: descrever sobre a prevalência e características da epilepsia em crianças com paralisia cerebral atendidas num serviço terciário. Método: um total de 100 pacientes com paralisia cerebral foi estudado retrospectivamente, tendo como critérios de inclusão o seguimento regular por pelo menos 2 anos. Os tipos e a incidência de epilepsia foram correlacionados com as diferentes formas de paralisia cerebral. Outros fatores associados com a ocorrência de epilepsia como idade da primeira crise, crises neonatais e história familiar de epilepsia também foram analisados. Resultados: o tempo de seguimento variou de 24 a 151 meses (média 57 meses). A prevalência total de epilepsia foi 62%. Os pacientes com as formas hemiplégicas e tetraplégicas de paralisia cerebral tiveram a maior incidência de epilepsia: 70,6% e 66,1%, respectivamente. A primeira crise ocorreu durante o primeiro ano de vida em 74,2% dos pacientes com epilepsia. As epilepsias do tipo generalizada e parcial foram as predominantes (61,3% e 27,4%, respectivamente). Trinta e três (53,2%) de 62 pacientes permaneciam há pelo menos um ano livres das crises. Crises neonatais e história familiar de epilepsia estiveram associadas com maior incidência de epilepsia. Conclusões: epilepsia na paralisia cerebral pode ser prevista se ocorrerem crises no primeiro ano de vida e no período neonatal, e se existe história familiar de epilepsia. Dr. Isak Bruck-CENEP – Rua Floriano Essenfelder 81-80060-270 Curitiba PR-Brasil. Fax: (41) 264 9101 / 362 9380 Cerebral palsy (CP) is a chronic disorder of movement and posture. It is the result of a non-progressive damage of the immature nervous system caused by several...

Algometry of pressure is a technique that measures the physiology of the nociceptive system. Acting directly on the responsive peripheral nociceptors to pressure stimuli, this technique allows the study on nociceptive integrity in normal subjects or having different algic syndromes. Utilizing 29 asymptomatic volunteers, the threshold of the painful perception was studied, measuring them in a direct way over the emergence of the supra-orbital, infra-orbital and mental nerves. The following algometric average were recorded: right mental nerve 46.2 Kg/cm2 and left 48.6 Kg/cm2; right supra-orbital nerve 47.7 Kg/cm2 and left 45.2 Kg/cm2; right infra-orbital nerve 53.9 Kg/cm2 and left 55.4 Kg/cm2. After reviewing the principles of the algometry utilization, we have validated this protocol, showing the average values obtained by measuring the trigeminal system, afterwards comparing them with an inervated region by cervical branches (major occipital nerve) and the temporal muscle.

-The tactile analogue scale (TAS) was elaborated to be used in blind subjects or those who can not use the vision during their crises. The objective of this study was to characterize, from TAS, the architecture of migraine attacks in subjects with visual disability. .or that, 11 migrainous with visual disturb (MVD) subjects were studied and 22 migrainous subjects with no visual disability as a control group. All patients fulfilled the criteria for migraine and the patients of the group studied showed visual acuteness less than 20/200. To evaluate the results, the patients of the group MVD were subdivide within two groups, according to their visual acuteness: subgroup A subjects with subnormal vision and subgroup B amaurotic ones. In subgroup A measurement 46 attacks with average of the migraine attacks of the 56.50 mm, in the subgroup B 45 attacks with average of the 59.58mm and in the control group 92 attacks with average of the 49.88mm. When subgroup B and control group were compared there was a significant statistic difference (p=0.022). Through these outcomes we can observe that the migrainous subjects with no visual afference show a higher pain intensity during the migraine crises comparing to those subjects with no visual handicap. The study suggests that, as in other forms of sensibility, the total visual loss can also interfere in the nociceptive control of the pain during the migraine attacks.KEY WORDS: analogue scale, intensity, migraine, pain, visual acuteness.Comportamento das crises de migrânea em pacientes com deficiência visual, utilizando a escala analógica táctil para a dor RESUMO -A escala analógica táctil para dor (TAS) foi elaborada para ser utilizada em cegos ou em indivíduos que não podem utilizar a visão durante suas crises. O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar, a partir da TAS, a arquitetura das crises de migrânea em indivíduos portadores de deficiência visual. .oram estudados 11 pacientes com deficiência visual e migranosos (DVM) e, como controle, 22 pacientes migranosos sem deficiência visual. Todos os pacientes preenchiam os critérios para migrânea e os pacientes do grupo DVM apresentavam acuidade visual menor que 20/200. Para avaliação dos resultados, os pacientes do grupo DVM foram separados em dois subgrupos: subgrupo A, pacientes com visão subnormal e o subgrupo B, pacientes amauróticos. No subgrupo A avaliamos 46 ataques com intensidade média das crises de cefaléia de 56,50 mm; no subgrupo B foram avaliados 45 ataques com média de 59,58 mm; no grupo controle 93 ataques com média de 49,88 mm segundo a TAS. Quando comparados o subgrupo B e o grupo controle, ocorreu diferença estatísticamente significativa (p=0,022). Através destes resultados, podemos observar que os pacientes migranosos sem aferências visuais apresentam maior intensidade de dor durante as crises de migrânea em relação a pacientes sem deficiência visual. O estudo sugere que, como em outras formas de sensibilidade, a perda visual total pode interferir nos controles nociceptivos da dor. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: dor...

Maps have become a key tool to guide priorities for biodiversity conservation, the maintenance of ecosystem services, but much less so for critical action against further service loss in critical areas. Biological invasions are important disruptors of ecosystem services given that they directly or indirectly affect human well being, as they are an important cause of biodiversity loss worldwide and interfere with the provision of many ecosystem services. Here, we propose a general model to identify regions where the probability of plant invasion is higher and can cause and/ or aggravate negative effects upon ecosystems. We then apply the general model to Mexico. Our model of probability of invasion considers 4 main variables: propagule availability, vegetation type, anthropic disturbance and native plant species richness. We calculated an invasion risk index combining all factors. We produced 5 maps, one for each variable and another constructed with our model of combined risk, for a grid of 0.5º × 0.5º grid across the whole country. We validated our model with State level data on exotic plants per State and obtained a significant correlation (r= 0.73, p< 0.001) between our invasion risk index derived from the model and the observed density of exotic species. Areas with greater susceptibility to invasion are closer to large human settlements and to areas of intensive agriculture. Very high risk corridors and islands were detected in our maps, as well very high risk areas in high diversity regions such as Chiapas and the Puebla-Veracruz border where we suggest attention should be focused. Our model although simple, provides a useful tool for policy design to detect areas within a specific region or country where biotic invasions are likely to have a large effect. Locating these areas is important in order to maximize return on monetary and human resources and to minimize damaging effects of plant invasions.

The process of age estimation on fishes is a key element over fisheries assessment and routines which aids harvest strategy planning, monitoring and conservation management of commercial resources (Campana & Thorrold, 2001;Pino et al., 2004). This straightforward process may allow users to calibrate stock growth models considering different sampling procedures (Steward et al., 2009). Currently, there are several methods to estimate the age of fish, mainly based on the interpretation of discontinuity patterns of hard structures, such as spines, otoliths, scales and fin rays (Lepak et al., 2012). The lecture of seasonal rings in otoliths is one of the most widely used methods to estimate the age in bony fish yet requires specialized training to obtain comparable and repeatable results. All available methods entail empirical adjustments according to the otolith morphology and suspected maximum age of the species (Morales-Nin, 1992). The lecture of rings on otoliths is a time-consuming and laboratory-intensive method despite its widespread use (Fletcher, 1991;. However, there is room for improvement and optimization in terms of the overall cost and time involved, especially when the otolith weight is considered as a useful proxy for age estimation. Over the last two decades, the use of otolith weight has been used alternatively and supplementary to traditional age estimation (Boehlert, 1985;Morat et al., 2008;Nazir & Khan, 2019), mainly, based over the premise that long-lived and slow-growing fish tend to have relatively larger and heavier otoliths compared with those otoliths from fast-growing and short-lived fish (Radtke et al., 1985). Several authors have shown that there is a predictable relationship between the age and otolith weight (Britton &