RESUMO

AIM: To know the differences in the patterns of functional connectivity, the topological characteristics of the network and the relationship between these latter and the interictal epileptiform anomalies in children with primary and secondary autism spectrum disorder (ASD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted with 27 children aged between 3 and 13 years diagnosed with ASD. Subjects were submitted to an electroencephalogram in a functional state of spontaneous sleep. Functional connectivity and the properties of the network were analysed using data obtained from the electroencephalogram during the N2 stage of non-REM sleep. The frequency of discharge of the interictal epileptiform activity (FDIEA) was determined and was correlated with the topological properties of the network. RESULTS: Synchronisation was diminished in patients with secondary ASD for the alpha frequency and increased for the theta and delta frequency compared with patients with primary ASD. Local alpha efficiency was higher in patients who presented interictal epileptiform activity. Additionally, in patients with secondary ASD there was a statistically significant positive and negative correlation between FDIEA and the topological properties of the network. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with secondary ASD display patterns of functional connectivity that are weaker for the alpha frequency and stronger for theta and delta than patients with primary ASD. In patients with secondary ASD, the interictal epileptiform activity is related to local and global connectivity of the network for the alpha and beta bands during non-REM sleep.

TITLE: Conectividad funcional derivada del electroencefalograma durante el sueño no REM en los trastornos del espectro autista.Objetivo. Conocer las diferencias en los patrones de conectividad funcional, las caracteristicas topologicas de la red y la relacion de estas con las anomalias epileptiformes interictales en niños con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) primario y secundario. Pacientes y metodos. Se realizo un estudio retrospectivo con 27 niños de 3-13 años diagnosticados con TEA, a los que se les realizo un electroencefalograma en estado funcional de sueño espontaneo. Se analizo la conectividad funcional y las propiedades de la red a partir de los datos obtenidos del electroencefalograma durante la etapa N2 del sueño no REM. Se determino la frecuencia de descarga de la actividad epileptiforme interictal (FDAEI) y se correlaciono con las propiedades topologicas de la red. Resultados. Los pacientes con TEA secundario tenian una disminucion de la sincronizacion para la frecuencia alfa y un incremento para la frecuencia theta y delta en comparacion con los pacientes con TEA primario. La eficiencia local alfa fue mayor en los pacientes que presentaban actividad epileptiforme interictal. Ademas, en los pacientes con TEA secundario, existia una correlacion positiva y negativa estadisticamente significativa entre la FDAEI y las propiedades topologicas de red. Conclusiones. Los pacientes con TEA secundario muestran patrones de conectividad funcional mas debiles para la frecuencia alfa y mas fuerte para la theta y delta que los pacientes con TEA primario. En pacientes con TEA secundario, la actividad epileptiforme interictal se relaciona con la conectividad local y global de la red para las bandas de frecuencia alfa y beta durante el sueño no REM.

Assuntos

RESUMO

INTRODUCTION: Normal aging is characterised by alterations affecting the cognitive functions. In 1958 Kral coined the term 'benign senescent forgetfulness' to designate a memory disorder that is different from those that occur during normal aging. In 1986, a group of researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health and other centres proposed a novel neuropsychological entity called age-related memory disorder. The determination of the prevalence, progression and risk factors of this condition currently represents an important challenge for the scientific community. AIMS: To establish the rate of prevalence and to identify some of the risk factors involved in age-related memory disorders. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The universe consisted of all the patients over 50 years of age from a health district (234 individuals); the diagnostic criteria were applied to the whole sample. In addition to the patients, a control group was also chosen in order to be able to establish a correlation with selected risk factors. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence rate was found to be 39.7%, of which 38.7% were males and 40.4% were females. It was also observed that the impairment was greater as the patient's age and the length of the disease history increased. As far as risk factors are concerned, it was observed that smoking and psychosocial characteristics constitute predisposing factors, while this was not the case for arterial hypertension, a history of dementia and the satisfaction of basic needs.

Assuntos

RESUMO

INTRODUCTION: In his description of the disease in his original work, James Parkinson claimed that the 'senses remained intact', but later reports began to identify cognitive impairment that ranged from dementia to barely identifiable subclinical deteriorations. Research carried out in recent decades has revealed that cognitive disorders form part of the clinical symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) and point to the frontal lobes as being the most affected areas; a great deal of controversy, however, still surrounds their definition, epidemiology and pathology. AIM: To determine and classify the frontal deficits associated to this disease and to relate this cognitive performance with certain characteristics of the disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The sample utilised in the study was made up of 222 subjects divided into two groups according to their diagnosis: 111 subjects with idiopathic PD and 111 control subjects. The neuropsychological examination was performed using the Frontal Assessment Battery, the copy of the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure and the digit test for determining frontal functioning. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We prove the existence of a frontal dysfunction that is characterised by impaired working memory, with visuospatial and executive dysfunction, which suggests greater involvement of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and cingulate. According to our findings, because working memory and visuospatial functioning are correlated to the motor status and the time elapsed since the onset of the disease, they could share the same underlying neuroanatomical foundations--the nigrostriatal denervation. This is not the case of executive function, which was not found to be related to the characteristics of the disease under study.

Assuntos