The possible use of precision tinted lenses to improve social cognition in children with autism spectrum disorders

A masked randomised control design compared the effectiveness of precision ophthalmic tints in improving the recognition of emotion in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Fourteen children aged 10-14 with ASD and 14 control children matched on verbal and non-verbal IQ, wore spectacles with coloured lenses to complete two tasks that involved the observation of coloured video sequences in which social interactions were depicted. On one occasion (randomly first or second) the coloured lenses provided light of a colour that the child had one month previously selected as optimal for the clarity of text. On the other occasion the lenses differed in CIE UCS chromaticity by 0.077. Performance in the ASD group was superior in both social interaction tasks with the lenses that provided the optimal colour of light.

Neuralgia due to iliohypogastric nerve injury after inguinal hernioplasty: a case report

BACKGROUND

Neuralgia due to iliohypogastric nerve entrapment from sutures and mesh after inguinal hernioplasty is a rare entity in clinic. Its' awareness and management remain a clinical challenge.

CASE PRESENTATION

We report a case of 54-year-old male who presented with post-operative pain after 1 month and sensory disturbances of the right lower limb. He underwent partial neurectomy and during the surgery it was found that there was injury to iliohypogastric nerve due to entrapment from sutures and mesh.

CONCLUSION

We hope to strengthen awareness about the importance of the identification of iliohypogastric nerve during inguinal hernioplasty.

The role of visual stimuli on standing posture in children with bilateral cerebral palsy

Background

In children with bilateral cerebral palsy (CP) maintaining a standing position can be difficult. The fundamental motor task of standing independently is achieved by an interaction between the visual, somatosensory, and vestibular systems. In CP, the motor disorders are commonly accompanied by sensory and perceptual disturbances. Our aims were to examine the influence of visual stimuli on standing posture in relation to standing ability.

Methods

Three dimensional motion analysis with surface electromyography was recorded to describe body position, body movement, and muscle activity during three standing tasks: in a self-selected position, while blindfolded, and during an attention-demanding task. Participants were twenty-seven typically-developing (TD) children and 36 children with bilateral CP, of which 17 required support for standing (CP-SwS) and 19 stood without support (CP-SwoS).

Results

All children with CP stood with a more flexed body position than the TD children, even more pronounced in the children in CP-SwS. While blindfolded, the CP-SwS group further flexed their hips and knees, and increased muscle activity in knee extensors. In contrast, the children in CP-SwoS maintained the same body position but increased calf muscle activity. During the attention-demanding task, the children in CP-SwoS stood with more still head and knee positions and with less muscle activity.

Conclusions

Visual input was important for children with CP to maintain a standing position. Without visual input the children who required support dropped into a further crouched position. The somatosensory and vestibular systems alone could not provide enough information about the body position in space without visual cues as a reference frame. In the children who stood without support, an intensified visual stimulus enhanced the ability to maintain a quiet standing position. It may be that impairments in the sensory systems are major contributors to the difficulties to stand erect in children with CP.

Clinical consequences of centipede bite: Is it neurotoxic?

The primary purpose of this article was to review the current literature regarding the clinical consequences of centipede envenomation in humans, in order to determine whether the bite of these arthropods is neurotoxic to humans or not. A thorough search of the literature regarding the clinical consequences of centipede bites in humans was applied, with great respect to neurological symptoms potentially caused by such bites. Centipede bite commonly causes only local reactions, which usually resolve within a few days without sequelae. The patients in the majority of centipede envenomations describe a painful but benign syndrome. However, mild constitutional symptoms are relatively frequent. Remarkably, centipedes can rarely cause severe systematic reactions such as anaphylaxis or even hypotension and myocardial ischemia. Factors such as patient age, comorbidity, anatomic site of envenomation, and size/species of centipede should be considered when evaluating a centipede envenomation victim. According to the current literature, the centipede bite does not seem to be neurotoxic to humans. However, it commonly causes symptoms mediated by the nervous system. These include local and generalized symptoms, with the first dominated by sensory disturbances and the second by non-specific symptoms such as headache, anxiety and presyncope. Based on our results, the answer to our study’s question is negative. The centipede bite is not neurotoxic to humans. However, it commonly causes symptoms mediated by the nervous system, which include primarily local pain and sensory disturbances, as well as generalized non-specific symptoms such as headache, anxiety and vagotonia.

Clinical and neurophysiological evaluation of persistent sensory disturbances in breast cancer women after mastectomy with or without radiotherapy

PURPOSE

Breast cancer surgery or radiotherapy (RT) are potential causes of persistent pain syndrome. It remains to be clarified whether numbness or pain reported by patients after mastectomy and RT are conditioned by changes in nerve transmission. The aim of this study was to examine the potential relationship between subjective sensory complications and neurophysiological examinations in breast cancer survivors with post-mastectomy pain syndrome.

METHODS

Sixty breast cancer survivors (30 patients only after mastectomy - group A; and 30 after mastectomy with RT - group B) complaining of pain and sensory disturbances in the brachial plexus area and 20 healthy women (group C) were studied with regard to sensory perception and pain intensity using the Visual Analogue Scale and electroneurography (ENG).

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant decrease in the amplitudes in SCV recordings following stimulation of the ulnar (p = 0.04) and lateral cutaneous antebrachii nerves (p = 0.02) in group B in comparison to group C. Additionally, a significant decrease in the amplitude and conduction velocity parameters was detected in the sensory fibers of the median and medial cutaneous antebrachii nerves in group A (p = 0.00 and p = 0.02, respectively) in comparison to group C.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this pilot study suggest persistent post-mastectomy pain syndrome sometimes appears as a result of nerve injury in course of breast cancer surgery and RT. Therefore studies in nerve conduction may be added to the comprehensive patient assessment used in planning breast cancer patients' rehabilitation after oncological treatment has finished.