335p

Abstract

Senior author-presenter: Stella M. Papa. Coauthors: Pierre J. Blanchet, Italo Linfante, and Thomas N. ChaseObjectiue. To evaluate the effect of NMDA receptor antagonists on dyskinesias complicating the response to long-term levodopa therapy.Background. Dopaminergic mechanisms are influenced by the extensive glutamatergic innervation of the basal ganglia; blockade of NMDA receptors may thus affect both the antiparkinsonian effects and the dyskinetic complications of levodopa.Methods. Six monkeys (Macaca mulatta and fascicularis) vere given MPTP intravenously until stable parkinsonism was attained. Animals were then treated with oral levodopa daily until dyskinesias appeared. LY235959, a competitive NMDA antagonist, was administered subcutaneously in 0.5, 1-, 3-, and 5-mg/kg doses, each three times, in combination with the minimal subcutaneous dose of levodopahenserazide that induced moderate dyskinesias. Vehicle combined with levodopa served as the control. Animals were scored every 20 minutes by direct examination and subsequent videotape analysis by a blinded examiner.Results. LY235959 (3 mg/kg) abolished oral dyskinesias and diminished by 70% choreic and dystonic limb dyskinesias 0, < 0.01) induced by levodopa. The quality of "on" states was unchanged compared with levodopa plus vehicle. Lower doses of LY235959 failed to significantly affect levodopa-induced dyskinesias; the highest dose (5 mg/kg) increased dystonic movements.Conclusions. Blockade of NMDA receptors may improve motor responses to levodopa during long-term therapy, ameliorating dyskinetic complications while maintaining the beneficial effects on parkinsonian symptoms. CorrectionsIn the 47th Annual Meeting Program of the American Academy of Neurology (Neurology 1995;45[suppl 41), abstract number 1011P was mistakenly withdrawn. It is printed below. In abstract number 335P, an error appeared in the title. The abstract, with the corrected title, is reprinted below. The editors apologize for the errors. I P Anti-Ri Paraneoplastic Syndrome in Association With Primary Lung Carcinoma C.P. Gennaula and B.H. Eidelman, Pittsburgh, PAObjectiue. To describe the first case of paraneoplastic antiRi antibody syndrome in association with a primary lung tumor.Background. Anti-Ri is an anti-neuronal nuclear antibody associated with a paraneoplastic syndrome usually including opsoclonus and ataxia. It has most often been described in association with breast and gynecological malignancies.Methods. A previously healthy 65-year-old woman presented with a 4-month history of progressive gait ataxia, opsoclonus, and startle myoclonus. Initial brain imaging, cerebrospinal fluid studies, and systemic malignancy screen were negative. Paraneoplastic antibody studies yielded a 1:7,680 anti-Ri antibody titer. Serial screens for systemic malignancy were performed.Results. Nine months after the onset of symptoms, a chest CT showed a small right hilar mass. Open biopsy revealed a non-small-cell lung carcinoma. Chemotherapy was initiated and the patient's neurological symptoms imp...

Exploring bradyphrenia in Huntington’s disease using the computerized test of information processing (CTiP)

“…The cognitive battery included the MoCA (score range 0–30) [19] , Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT; score range 0–110) [20] and Stroop Word Reading test (SWR; quantified as the number of color names read in 45 s). Functional ability and motor dysfunction were evaluated using the UHDRS [21] TFC (score range 0–13), and Total Motor Score (TMS, score range 1–124) assessments, respectively. A composite UHDRS (cUHDRS) score, based on the SWR, SDMT, TFC and TMS, was also calculated for each visit as an additional measure of disease burden [22] .…”

Large-scale screening of clinical assessments to distinguish between states in the Integrated HD Progression Model (IHDPM)

“…To date, the endpoints in almost all HD clinical trials have been the various components of the Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS ® ′99) (Kieburtz et al, 1996), a clinical scale that consists of multiple assessments from four domains: motor function, cognitive function, behavior, and functional capacity. Commonly used clinical assessment items from the UHDRS ® ′99 include the Total Motor score (TMS), Total Functional Capacity (TFC) score, and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT).…”