BACKGROUND: Soft neurological signs (SNS) are subtle, nonspecific neurological abnormalities that are present in first episode psychosis (FEP) patients. SNS are associated with clinical variables such as poor long term psychosocial functioning, executive functioning, and positive and negative symptomology. However, few studies have evaluated treatment responsiveness with respect to SNS. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether SNS show: 1.) baseline and longitudinal differences between both diagnostic groups (schizophrenia (FEP-SZ), non-schizophrenia FEP-NSZ, and healthy controls (HC)) and treatment outcome (week 26 and year 1); 2.) relationships to clinical measures; 3.) predictive characteristics of treatment response. METHODS: SNS scores (Neurological Evaluation Scale) were obtained for 312 FEP (236 FEP-SZ and 76 FEP-NSZ subjects and 169 HC subjects and for subjects classified as treatment responsive and non-responsive at week 26 (N=105, N=105) and year 1 (N=101, N=97), respectively. Diagnostic group and treatment responsiveness group comparisons were assessed with ANCOVA and logistic regression models and both were co-varied for age, sex, race, and handedness. Baseline and longitudinal SNS relationships to clinical variables were determined using Spearman correlations and repeated measures correlations, and both were corrected by False Discovery Rate. Linear mixed effects model was utilized to analyze the data longitudinally. RESULTS: Baseline cognitive perceptual SNS measures had the greatest effect size differences, were predictive of group membership, and differentiated the two proband groups with FEP-SZ having worse SNS scores. Baseline cognitive perceptual SNS did not significantly predict treatment response at week 26 or year 1, but changes in cognitive perceptual at week 26 was predictive of treatment responsiveness at week 26 and year 1. Longitudinally, SNS scores drop in both FEP groups and treatment groups. The FEP-SZ group showed greater longitudinal within subject correlations than FEP-NSZ. SNS scores were only differentiated between year 1 outcome groups at week 8. There were greater longitudinal within subject correlations for the responsive group. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that there are baseline group differences and that changes in cognitive perceptual SNS scores at week 26 are predictive of treatment responsiveness at week 26 and year 1. / 2019-07-03T00:00:00Z

no / There are a wide variety of ways to objectively detect neurological signs, but these either require special hard-ware (such as wearable technology) or patient behaviour change (such as engagement with smartphone tasks) [2]. Neither constraint applies to the technology of computer vision, which is the processing of single or multiple camera images by computer to automatically derive useful information. The only equipment involved is ubiquitous: camera and computer.We report a computer vision-enhanced video sequence from a 68-year-old man, diagnosed with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease 2 years previously.

Submitted by Rosivalda Pereira (mrs.pereira@ufma.br) on 2017-07-19T19:19:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MylenaTorres.pdf: 2864310 bytes, checksum: a7111bcb49d38339665fb9a2f9ef7055 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-19T19:19:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MylenaTorres.pdf: 2864310 bytes, checksum: a7111bcb49d38339665fb9a2f9ef7055 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-27 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Maranhão (FAPEMA) / Canine distemper and ehrlichiosis are two diseases affecting dogs, which have neurological symptomatology. The former is a contagious viral disease, with a high incidence and mortality that affects dogs and other canids; the latter is a bacterial disease highly frequent. The treatment of neurological diseases is based on drug administration, which may act both on etiologic agent as reducing the progression of the disease; or on supportive therapy, in cases of canine distemper. Looking for an alternative treatment for diseases with neurological conditions, low-cost, easy to administrate and with satisfactory effects in the remission of clinical signs, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Morinda citrifolia (noni) in the treatment of dogs with neurological symptoms caused by canine distemper virus and Ehrlichia canis. To evaluate the effect of M. citrifolia vegetable drug in animals with ehrlichiosis, ten animals were used, divided into two groups, one treated with the standard drug, doxycycline (10 mg/kg, BID, orally) and complex B vitamins (0.2 mg/kg, BID, orally), and the other treated with the experimental protocol (500 mg of M. citrifolia vegetable drug, SID, orally). Thirty days post-treatment, blood collection was made to evaluate hematological parameters. Although noni has led to the improvement of these parameters, especially platelets, animals did not show clinical cure, which demonstrated its inefficacy in the treatment of ehrlichiosis. To evaluate the effect of the vegetable drug in animals with canine distemper, fifteen animals were used, divided into two groups, one treated with the conventional drugs and the other with the experimental protocol. After thirty days, was observed that the animals treated with noni showed remission of clinical signs, demonstrating its efficacy against distemper neurological signs. As the last step of this work, were assessed the lesions in the central nervous system of dogs in an advanced stage of distemper, which were euthanized. Several brain areas of seven dogs were collected (cerebellum, rostral colliculus, caudal colliculus, obex, cerebellar peduncle and telencephalon), to perform histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. In histopathological analysis was observed that the cerebellar peduncle was the most affected area and that inflammation and demyelination were the major findings. Immunohistochemistry confirmed histopathological results, with markings in all areas of the brain and, contrary to the literature; neurons were the cells that presented more viral particles. / A cinomose e erliquiose são duas doenças que acometem cães e que possuem sintomatologia neurológica. A primeira é uma doença viral contagiosa, de alta incidência e mortalidade, que acomete cães domésticos e várias espécies de carnívoros; já a segunda é de origem bacteriana, que apresenta alta frequência em cães. O tratamento de doenças neurológicas é baseado na administração de fármacos, que podem atuar tanto no agente etiológico como na diminuição da progressão da doença; ou na terapia de suporte, no caso da cinomose. Visando tratamentos alternativos para as doenças com quadros neurológicos, que sejam de baixo custo, fácil administração e com efeitos satisfatórios na remissão dos sinais clínicos, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo avaliar a eficácia de Morinda citrifolia (noni) no tratamento de cãescom sintomatologia neurológica causada pelo vírus da cinomose e pela Ehrlichia canis. Para avaliação do efeito da droga vegetal de M. citrifolia em cães com erliquiose, foram utilizados 10 cães, divididos em dois grupos, um tratado com a droga padrão doxiciclina (10 mg/kg, BID/PO) e complexo de vitaminas B (0,2 mg/kg, BID/PO), e outro tratado com o protocolo experimental (500 mg da droga vegetal de M. citrifolia, SID/PO). Após trinta dias, foi realizada coleta de sangue para avaliação dos parâmetros hematológicos. Foi observado que, embora o noni tenha levado à melhora dos parâmetros hematimétricos, principalmente das plaquetas, os animais não apresentaram cura clínica da doença, o que demonstrou a sua ineficácia no tratamento da erliquiose. Para a avaliação da droga vegetal de M. citrifolia em animais com cinomose, foram utilizados 15 animais, divididos em dois grupos, um tratado com as medicações convencionais e outro com o protocolo experimental. Após trinta dias, foi observado que os animais tratados com noni apresentaram remissão dos sinais clínicos, demonstrando sua eficácia no combate aos sinais neurológicos da cinomose. Como última etapa deste trabalho, buscou-se avaliar as lesões no sistema nervoso de cães com estado avançado de cinomose, que foram submetidos à eutanásia. Foram coletadas várias áreas do encéfalo de 7 cães (cerebelo, colículo rostral, colículo caudal, obex, pedúnculo cerebelar e telencéfalo) para análises histopatológicas e imunohistoquímicas. Após avaliação histopatológica, foi observado que a área mais afetada foi o pedúnculo cerebelar, e os principais achados foram processo inflamatório e desmielinização. A imunohistoquímica confirmou os resultados histopatológicos, com marcações em todas as áreas do encéfalo e, contrariando a literatura os neurônios foram as células que apresentaram mais marcações virais.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This thesis involves the study of compressive and infectious neurological diseases in dogs, including the evaluation of functional recovery with intervertebral disc disease (IVD) thoracolumbar paraplegics and without deep pain perception (DPP) underwent surgical treatment, dogs with neurological signs associated to distemper (NSAD) and neoplasms of the central nervous system (CNS). Retrospective studies were conducted by reviewing the records of Veterinary neurology department (Veterinarian Hospital), of Federal University of Santa Maria. 208 cases were analyzed between March 2003 and June 2014. The satisfactory functional recovery of paraplegic dogs without DPP was observed in 73.3% (11/15) of the dogs. Recovery time after surgery occurred in one day [9% (01)], between 15 and 30 days [63.7% (07)] and over than 30 days [27.3% (03)]. 134 dogs with NSSD were studied, 39 definitive diagnosis (Group A) and 95 presumptive diagnosis (Group B). Adults were affected in 60.4%, followed by 31.3% of young and 8.2% old dogs. Neurological signs were varied according to the site of lesions in the CNS. According to the owners, the vaccine was applied only by veterinarians in 68% of dogs and clinical examination was performed in 56%, increasing the risk of vaccine failure. The CNS neoplasms occurred mainly in Boxers (35%), and the predominantly affected age-group was 5-year-old or older (92.3%). The course of clinical signs was higher for spinal cord (7-420 days) than for intracranial neoplasms (7-115 days). The most frequently neurological signs observed in dogs with brain and spinal cord neoplasms were, respectively, changes in the conscience level (58%) and hyperesthesia (57%) in neoplasms of the spinal cord. The cortico-thalamic region and T3-L3 spinal cord segment were the most frequently anatomical sites involved (58% and 43% respectively). Meningioma was the most frequently primary neoplasms affecting the brain and the spinal cord of dogs, consisting respectively of 40% and 75% of the cases. / Esta tese envolveu o estudo de doenças neurológicas compressivas e infecciosa em cães, incluindo a avaliação da recuperação funcional com doença do disco intervertebral (DDIV) toracolombar, paraplégicos e sem percepção à dor profunda (PDP) submetidos ao tratamento cirúrgico, cães com sinais neurológicos associados à cinomose (SNAC) e com neoplasmas do sistema nervoso central. Os estudos retrospectivos foram realizados por meio de revisão dos registros neurológicos de cães atendidos pelo Setor de Neurologia Veterinária, do Hospital Veterinário Universitário (HVU) da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. Foram analisados 208 casos, entre março de 2003 e junho de 2014. De acordo com nossos resultados, a recuperação funcional de cães paraplégicos sem PDP em decorrência da DDIV toracolombar ocorreu em 73.3% (11/15). O tempo de recuperação funcional após a cirurgia foi de um dia [9% (01)], entre 15 e 30 dias [63.7% (07)] e maior do que 30 dias [27.3% (03)]. Foram incluídos 134 cães com SNAC, sendo 39 com diagnóstico definitivo (Grupo A) e 95 com diagnóstico presuntivo (Grupo B). Os cães adultos foram acometidos em 60.4% das vezes, seguido de 31.3% dos filhotes e 8.2% dos idosos. Os SNAC variaram de acordo com a fase de infecção e distribuição das lesões no sistema nervoso central (SNC). Os resultados normais do líquido cerebroespinhal e hemograma não excluíram o diagnóstico definitivo. A vacina foi aplicada por médicos veterinários em 68% dos cães e a avaliação clínica prévia à vacinação foi realizada em 56% dos pacientes. Os neoplasmas do SNC foram observados principalmente em cães Boxer (35%), com idade entre cinco e 10 anos (92.3%). A evolução dos sinais clínicos foi maior para medula espinhal (ME) (7-420 dias) do que para os intracranianos (7- 115 dias). O sinal neurológico predominante foi a alteração do nível de consciência (58%) em cães com neoplasma encefálico e a hiperestesia espinhal (57%) naqueles com neoplasmas da ME. As regiões tálamo-cortical e segmento medular entre T3-L3 foram as mais acometidas por neoplasias do SNC (58% e 43% respectivamente). O meningioma foi o neoplasma primário mais frequente no encéfalo (40%) e na ME (75%) dos cães avaliados.