A 33-year-old man developed a progressive myelopathy after a characteristic skin lesion of herpes zoster involving the right C3 and C4 dermatomes. The lesions were recognizable in the T2-weighted image of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as increased signal intensities throughout the long segments of the spinal cord with maximal in the cervical portion, which was compatible with the pathological findings reported in autopsy studies.

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We describe six men with a slowly progressive myelopathy characterized by asymmetric, incomplete spinal cord syndrome manifested with a thoracic sensory level, mild spastic paraparesis, and urinary incontinence. The spinal cord lesions were evident by MRI in four of them. Coxiella burnetii infection was confirmed in the blood of all patients by immunofluorescence microscopic assay (IFA) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In two patients, we detected C burnetii by TEM and IFA using CSF from the patients inoculated onto fresh peripheral blood lymphocyte. Four patients, treated with appropriate antibiotics, responded either with partial resolution of symptoms or arrest of further neurologic progression. In three, the MRI lesions decreased in size.

Compound nerve action potential (CNAP) of the mixed peripheral nerve is composed of A alpha beta, A delta, and C potentials. All components of CNAPs in the sciatic nerve were recorded by stimulating the tibial nerve of both control and lead-poisoned rats. Marked decrease of nerve conduction velocity and prolonged duration were found in A alpha beta and A delta fibers especially in large myelinated A alpha beta fibers. The amplitude decreased in A alpha beta potential, but the area did not change. In C potential produced by activation of unmyelinated fibers, nerve conduction velocity slightly decreased, but the amplitude and area did not significantly change. Pathologic correlates revealed prominent segmental demyelination with significant decrease of large myelinated fiber densities. Minimal axonal degeneration of unmyelinated fibers was present. We can conclude that electrophysiologic changes in the lead-poisoned rats correlate with pathologic changes in them.

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to demonstrate by functional MRI (fMRI) the location of the primary motor cortex in patients with schizencephaly Materials and Methods : fMRI was performed in four patients with schizencephaly who complained of seizures; three were right handed and one was ambidextrous. Associated lesions were agenesis of the corpus callosum in one patient and absence of the septum pellucidum in another. fMRI employed the single sliced FLASH BOLD technique using a 1. 5-T MR imager with a standard head coil, and was obtained in the axial plane. Thirty consecutive images were obtained on finger movements of each hand were obtained ; the motor task consisted ofrepetitive finger to thumb opposition. Percentage change in primary motor cortex signal intensity was calculated, and ipsilateral activation index was compared between the affected and unaffected hemispheres.Results : Percentage change in signal intensity increase in the activated area of the unaffected hemisphere ranged from 4.8 % :t 0.9 % to 9.2 :t 1.2 % (mean : 5.6 % :t 1. 5 %) of the baseline value. The ipsilateral activation index of the affected hemisphere was 0 -0.38 and that of the unaffected hemisphere was 15 .4 ∞ ; in patients with schizencephaly significantly different{p < 0.01).Conclusion : Our results suggest that increased activation in the unaffected hemisphere reflect functional reorganization ofthe primary motor cortex. Index words: Magnetic resonance(MR), technologyBrain, abnormalitiesFunctional MRI (fMRI) can demonstrate reorganization of the functioning primary motor cortex area(l) The location of the functioning cortex may be altered by plasticity of the brain, the process by which neurons in normal regions of the brain take over functions in regions in which damage or disease has been caused by acquired brain lesions such as infarction or brain tumor(l -5). Even in congenital brain lesions, this process occurs. The purpose ofthis study was to report this process, as seen on fMRI, in schizen Materials and MethodsfMRI of the primary motor cortex was performed in four schizencephalic patients who complained of seizure(male : female = 3: 1, mean age: 23 , 5years). Associated lesions were agenesis of the corpus callosum in one patient and absence of the septum pellucidum in another; three were right handed and one was ambidextrous, MR imaging was performed on a 1, 5-T Magnetom Vision system(Siemens AG, Erlangen, Germany), using a standard head coil. Tl weighted anatomical images were obtained in the tilted axial plane through the primary motor cortex. Using a single sliced FLASH (fast low-angle shot) BOLD (blood oxygen level dependent) technique, fMRI was performed , For each image, m …