Yasaman Saeedi; Maziar Emamikhah; Ali Shoeibi; Mohammad Rohani
Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 10 May 2021
Seyed Amir Hassan Habibi; Luigi Romito; Oldooz Aloosh; Mohammad Rohani; Fatemeh Moghadas; Mansour Parvaresh; Gholamali Shahidi; Mehdi Moghaddasi; Ehsan Ziayi; Maziar Emamikhah
Abstract
Background: Nowadays, many neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), are treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS). Life-threatening consequences can occur from DBS hardware failure or sudden implantable pulse generator (IPG) battery depletion. This issue may potentially worsen ...
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Background: Nowadays, many neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), are treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS). Life-threatening consequences can occur from DBS hardware failure or sudden implantable pulse generator (IPG) battery depletion. This issue may potentially worsen in concomitance with medical or infectious conditions, requiring stronger emergency management. Methods: We present here a 58 year-old PD patient with DBS, whose IPG replacement surgery was complicated by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and we report management of this patient along with recommendations for patients with similar situation. Results: As the newly-emerged coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is now announced to be pandemic, new protocols and specific measures for each individual group of patients with chronic diseases seem obligatory. Regarding our recent experience with a patient suffering from PD, on DBS treatment, who needed hospitalization, we felt useful to share our experience as a recommended protocol for similar patients in the time of current pandemic. Conclusion: Close monitoring of laboratory and clinical signs should be warranted in patients with PD awaiting IPG replacement in order to be prepared in these novel conditions that may precipitate an akinetic crisis/dystonic storm and to prevent life-threatening complications during the current pandemic.
Fatemeh Omrani; Shahla Ansari-Damavandi; Babak Zamani; Zahra Omrani; Nahid Mohammadzade; Sadra Rohani; Mohammad Rohani
Volume 17, Issue 3 , Summer 2018, , Pages 145-148
Abstract
Background: Glucocerebrosidase (GBA) mutation is the most common genetic risk factor in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Transcranial sonography (TCS) shows increased substantia nigra (SN) echogenicity in both idiopathic and genetic forms of PD. The goal of this study was to compare maximal area of SN hyperechogenicity ...
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Background: Glucocerebrosidase (GBA) mutation is the most common genetic risk factor in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Transcranial sonography (TCS) shows increased substantia nigra (SN) echogenicity in both idiopathic and genetic forms of PD. The goal of this study was to compare maximal area of SN hyperechogenicity (aSNmax) and diameter of third ventricle (DTV) between GBA mutation carriers and healthy controls.
Methods: Twenty-six carriers of GBA mutation and twenty-six healthy controls underwent TCS. The aSNmax and the DTV were measured. Mini-mental status examination (MMSE) and demographic data of the subjects were recorded, too.
Results: Mean aSNmax in GBA mutation carriers was significantly higher (0.31 ± 0.06 cm2) than controls (0.16 ± 0.04 cm2). Moreover, DTV was significantly higher in GBA mutation carriers group (3.98 ± 0.90 vs 3.29 ± 0.56 cm).
Conclusion: Increased SN echogenicity and increased third ventricle diameter in GBA mutation carriers may be caused by alterations in iron metabolism with reference to their genetic status.
Gholam Ali Shahidi; Mohammad Roohani; Mansour Parvaresh; Bahram Haghi-Ashtiani; Maryam Saeeedi; Romina Rashedi; Zeynab Noori-Motlagh
Volume 16, Issue 3 , Summer 2017, , Pages 107-111
Abstract
Background: The objective of our study was to assess Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score in Parkinson disease (PD) patients who underwent subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) 6 years after their surgery and to compare their UPDRS score 6 years after DBS with their score ...
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Background: The objective of our study was to assess Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score in Parkinson disease (PD) patients who underwent subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) 6 years after their surgery and to compare their UPDRS score 6 years after DBS with their score before surgery and 6 months after their operation.Methods: In this cross sectional study which was carried out at Neurology Department of Rasool-e-Akram Hospital, Tehran, Iran, affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences between 2008 and 2014, 37 patients with advanced PD were enrolled using non-randomized sampling method. All of the patients underwent STN DBS surgery and one patient died before being discharged, therefore; we started our study with 36 patients. The UPDRS III total score at preoperative state, 6-month follow-up and 6-year follow-up state were compared using repeated-measure analysis of variance.Results: Thirty-seven patients (26 men and 10 women) with mean age of 50 ± 3 ranging from 32 to 72 years underwent STN DBS surgery. All patients were suffering from advanced PD with mean period of 11.3 ± 1.9 years. All patients except one were followed up for six months. And 14 patients (8 men and 6 women) were included in a six-year follow-up. The UPDRS score measurements before surgery, at 6-month follow-up and 6-year follow-up were 18.22 ± 2.88, 12.80 ± 3.14, 25.0 ± 11.8, respectively. Significant increase in UPDRS score was observed between the preoperative and six-year follow-up period (P < 0.001).Conclusion: In conclusion, this study suggests that total UPDRS score will increase at 5 years following STN DBS and also showed that resting tremor, one of UPDRS sub-scores, will improve over time and the benefit of DBS will be persistent even after 6 years.
Mohammad Rohani; Shahnaz Miri; Alireza Rezai-Ashtiani
Volume 15, Issue 3 , Summer 2016
Masoud Mehrpour; Zahra Mirzaasgari; Mohammad Rohani; Mahdi Safdarian
Volume 15, Issue 2 , Spring 2016, , Pages 70-74
Abstract
Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common peripheral entrapment neuropathy in patients with hypothyroid. The diagnosis of CTS is usually clinical and confirmed by electrodiagnostic (EDX) procedures. This study aimed to describe the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution ultrasonography (US) ...
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Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common peripheral entrapment neuropathy in patients with hypothyroid. The diagnosis of CTS is usually clinical and confirmed by electrodiagnostic (EDX) procedures. This study aimed to describe the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution ultrasonography (US) as an alternative method to nerve conduction study (NCS) for the diagnosis of subclinical CTS in patients with hypothyroidism.Methods: Between April 2013 and November 2014, from the patients with the diagnosis of hypothyroidism referring to the institute of endocrinology and metabolism of Firoozgar Hospital, Tehran, Iran, those who met our inclusion criteria entered this cross-sectional study. The patients divided into two groups of subclinical CTS with the age- and gender-matched control group. US measurements of the median nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) in the CT inlet were compared with the NCS results as the gold standard diagnostic test.Results: A total number of 152 wrists of 76 hypothyroid patients were examined in this study. The mean of median nerve CSA at the tunnel inlet was 9.96 ± 2.20 mm2 for the CTS group and 7.08 ± 1.38 mm2 for the control group (P < 0.05). 31 wrists (20.4%) were diagnosed as CTS using NCS while US diagnosed 19 wrists (12.5%) as CTS. Using receiver-operating-characteristics analysis, the sensitivity and specificity of US at the diagnosis of CTS were 45.0 and 95.8%, respectively, with a median nerve CSA cutoff point of 9.8 mm2. Positive and negative predictive values of US were 87.2 and 85.5%, respectively, with a test accuracy of 85.5%.Conclusion: According to our findings, US has an acceptable diagnostic value to confirm CTS in hypothyroid patients. However, it may not replace NCS due to low sensitivity.
Mansour Parvaresh-Rizi; Alireza Tabibkhoei; Gholamali Shahidi; Janardan Vaidyanathan; Amirreza Tabibkhoei; Mohammad Rohani
Volume 15, Issue 1 , Winter 2016, , Pages 34-45
Abstract
Background: Subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation is the reatment of choice for carefully chosen patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and refractory motor fluctuations. We evaluated the value of intraoperative electrophysiology during STN deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedures in refining ...
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Background: Subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation is the reatment of choice for carefully chosen patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and refractory motor fluctuations. We evaluated the value of intraoperative electrophysiology during STN deep brain stimulation (DBS) procedures in refining the anatomically-defined target.Methods: We determined the spatial distance between the anatomical and physiological targets along x, y and z axes in 50 patients with PD who underwent bilateral subthalamic nucleus DBS surgery.Results: The mean spatial distance between anatomical and functional targets was 1.84 ± 0.88 mm and the least distances in different methods were 0.66 mm [standard error (SE): 0.07], 1.07 mm (SE: 0.08) and 1.01 mm (SE: 0.08) on x, y and z axes, respectively, for the combined method.Conclusion: The most physiologically-accurate anatomical targeting was achieved via a combination of multiple independent methods. There was a statistically significant difference between the anatomical and functional targets in all methods (even the combined) on the y coordinate, emphasizing the need for intra- operative electrophysiological monitoring to refine the anatomico-radiologically-defined target.
Yalda Nilipour; Maryam Ghiasi; Mohammad Rohani; Fatemeh Omrani
Volume 14, Issue 3 , Summer 2015, , Pages 171-173
Massoud Mahmoudian; Mohammad Rezvani; Mohammad Rohani; Foozya Benaissa; Mehdi Jalili; Shadi Ghourchian
Volume 14, Issue 1 , Winter 2015, , Pages 12-16
Abstract
Background: Massive ischemic stroke causes significant mortality and morbidity in stroke patients. The main treatments for massive ischemic stroke are recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA), craniotomy, and endovascular interventions. Due to destructive effects of bradykinin on the ...
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Background: Massive ischemic stroke causes significant mortality and morbidity in stroke patients. The main treatments for massive ischemic stroke are recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA), craniotomy, and endovascular interventions. Due to destructive effects of bradykinin on the nervous system in ischemic stroke, it seems reasonable that using Noscapine as a Bradykinin antagonist may improve patients’ outcome after ischemic stroke. The effect of Noscapine on massive ischemic stroke was shown by the previous pilot study by our group. This pseudo-randomized clinical trial study was designed to assess the result of the pilot study.Methods: Patients who had clinical symptoms or computed tomography scan indicative of massive stroke (in full middle cerebral artery territory) were entered to the study. The cases received the drugs according to their turns in emergency ward (pseudo-randomized). The patient group received Noscapine, and the control group received common supportive treatments. The patients and data analyzer were blinded about the data. At the mend of the study, to adjust confounding variables we used logistic regression.Results: After 1-month follow-up, 16 patients in the control group and 11 patients in the case group expired (P = 0.193). Analyzing the data extracted from Rankin scale and Barthel index check lists, revealed no significant differences in the two groups.Conclusion: Despite the absence of significant statistical results in our study, the reduction rate of 16% for mortality rate in Noscapine recipients is clinically remarkable and motivates future studies with larger sample sizes.
Shahnaz Miri; Mohammad Rohani; Mansoureh Vahdat; Maryam Kashanian; Elaheh Sariri; Babak Zamani; Gholam Ali Shahidi
Volume 13, Issue 4 , Autumn 2014, , Pages 241-244
Abstract
Background: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is the most common movement disorder in pregnancy, which can be idiopathic or secondary. There are limited comparative data regarding these two forms of RLS. The aim of this study was to compare clinical features of idiopathic and secondary ...
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Background: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is the most common movement disorder in pregnancy, which can be idiopathic or secondary. There are limited comparative data regarding these two forms of RLS. The aim of this study was to compare clinical features of idiopathic and secondary RLS in pregnant women.Methods: Over a period of 3 months, 443 women who admitted for delivery in two clinical centers were screened for RLS using four diagnostic criteria of the international RLS study group. A total of 79 subjects diagnosed with RLS were consecutively enrolled in the present study. All of them were interviewed for medical history and complaints during pregnancy and responded to self-administer international RLS rating scale.Results: Ten subjects (12.9%) out of 79 pregnant women with RLS had idiopathic form, and their mean age was significantly higher than patients with secondary RLS (30.6 ± 7.3 years vs. 26.4 ± 4.6 years, P = 0.0260). Compared with women with secondary RLS, sleep duration in pregnancy was significantly decreased in idiopathic RLS group (P = 0.0460), whereas RLS severity score was similar in both groups. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of other sleep complaints, the positive family history of RLS, parity, duration of pregnancy, or frequency of cesarean section (P > 0.0500).Conclusion: Idiopathic and secondary RLS have relatively similar courses and features during pregnancy. However, the idiopathic form may have more negative impact on sleep in pregnancy. Careful screening and effective treatment of idiopathic RLS before pregnancy is recommended to limit these disturbances.
Seyed-Ali Javad Mousavi; Babak Zamani; Shahab Shahabi Shahmiri; Mohammad Rohani; Gholam Ali Shahidi; Elyas Mostafapour; Helia Hemasian; Hanieh Raji
Volume 13, Issue 3 , Summer 2014, , Pages 131-137
Abstract
Background: The rapidity of progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to death or respiratory failure impacts patients, clinicians, and clinical investigators. The aim of this study is to evaluate of the pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in patients with ALS and the association between these PFTs ...
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Background: The rapidity of progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to death or respiratory failure impacts patients, clinicians, and clinical investigators. The aim of this study is to evaluate of the pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in patients with ALS and the association between these PFTs and survival Methods: A total of 36 ALS patients who PFTs, including vital capacity (VC), maximum mid-expiratory flow rate (MMEFR), forced vital capacity (FVC), and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), were available from the time of diagnosis were included in this study. Nonpulmonary characteristics assessed at the time of PFTs. Data were analyzed using chi-square, Student’s independent t-test, Kaplan-Meier, correlation, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results: The mean age of subjects was 55.36 (SD = 12.24) year, and the male to female ratio was 2.6. Twenty-Cve (69.4%) were died in 5 years period of our study. The mean and median survival time (In months) was calculated as 42.51 (95% co Cdence interval [CI] 33.64- 51.39) and 38 (95% CI 27.23-48.77) months, respectively. The rate of ALS survival was 74% at 1st year, 41% at 3rd year and 10% at 5th year of starting symptoms. The results of Kaplan-Meier test showed survival was significantly longer in the group with PFTs closer to normal. In addition, ROC analysis showed that FVC < 50% could potentially be a predictor of death in ALS patients (P = 0.003, area under curve = 0.649). Conclusion: We found single measures of upright FVC, FEV1 to be significantly associated with survival, even after controlling for relevant non-pulmonary patient characteristics. Our study demonstrated that upright FVC, FEV1, VC, and MMEFR are useful non-invasive measures in the prediction of survival in ALS.
Mitra Ansari Dezfouli; Elham Jaberi; Afagh Alavi; Mohammad Rezvani; Gholamali Shahidi; Elahe Elahi; Mohammad Rohani
Volume 11, Issue 4 , Autumn 2012, , Pages 155-158
Abstract
Background: Pantothenate kinase associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) is the most prevalent type of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) disorders characterized by extrapyramidal signs, and 'eye-of-the-tiger' on T2 brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characterized by hypointensity in ...
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Background: Pantothenate kinase associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) is the most prevalent type of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) disorders characterized by extrapyramidal signs, and 'eye-of-the-tiger' on T2 brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characterized by hypointensity in globus pallidus and a hyperintensity in its core. All PKAN patients have homozygous or compound heterozygous mutation in PANK2 gene.Methods:Three sibling patients were diagnosed based on clinical presentations especially extrapyramidal signs and brain MRI. The exons and flanking intronic sequences of PANK2 were sequenced from DNA of leukocytes of the affected individuals.Results:All patients were homozygous for c.C1069T, p.R357W in PANK2 gene. This mutation is well conserved in the homologous protein of distally related spices.Conclusion:In the current study we identified three siblings affected with PKAN, all of them have mutations in PANK2 gene. In MRI of all patients with PANK2 mutation eye-of-the-tiger sign was apparent.
