Mental rotation of body parts determines activation of cortical and subcortical systems involved in motor planning and execution, such as motor and premotor areas and basal ganglia. These structures are severely impaired in several movement disorders, including dystonia. Writer's cramp is the most common form of focal hand dystonia. This study investigates whether patients affected by writer's ...

Active myofascial trigger points are one of the major peripheral pain generators for regional and generalized musculoskeletal pain conditions. Myofascial trigger points are also the targets for acupuncture and/or dry needling therapies. Recent evidence in the understanding of the pathophysiology of myofascial trigger points supports The Integrated Hypothesis for the trigger point formation; how...

Auto-immunity is believed to contribute to inflammation in atherosclerosis. The antimicrobial peptide LL-37, a fragment of the cathelicidin protein precursor hCAP18, was previously identified as an autoantigen in psoriasis. Given the reported link between psoriasis and coronary artery disease, the biological relevance of the autoantigen to atherosclerosis was tested in vitro using a truncated (...

MYOPATHIES Clinical Features Myopathies are diseases that primarily affect the muscles and are usually characterized clinically by weakness, fatigue, or stiffness (myotonia). They are usually characterized by symmetrical proximal muscle weakness and wasting, normal sensation, and normal stretch reflexes. More than one-half of muscle bulk must be lost before functional weakness can be demonstrat...

SYNOPSIS Thirty-nine patients with the idiopathic blepharospasm-oromandibular dystonia syndrome are described. All presented in adult life, usually in the sixth decade; women were more commonly affected than men. Thirteen had blepharospasm alone, nine had oromandibular dystonia alone, and 17 had both. Torticollis or dystonic writer's cramp preceded the syndrome in two patients. Eight other pati...

Consider the ordinary situations where we perceptually interact with our immediate environment. We identify and recognize objects and their sensible features by perceiving them. Our immediate focus and interest are normally the objects of our perception , understood in the broadest possible way (states, events, processes, conditions or their sensible features, etc.). We see the apple on the tab...