Neurosurgical attempts to correct parkinsonism use strategies aimed either at alleviating the underlying dopamine deficiency or at correcting abnormal compensatory effects in neural circuits within the basal ganglia. During the review period, clinical trials of four different neurosurgical approaches were reported. These approaches are intracerebral transplantation of fetal dopamine neurons, intra

The expression of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) was investigated in the embryonic donor tissue and surrounding host brain before and after intracerebral transplantation in a rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD). Ventral mesencephalic tissue from E13-E15 rat embryos was dissociated and implanted into adult rats with unilateral lesions of the mesostriatal dopamine system. Immunohistochemica

Intracerebral transplantation of immature neural tissue is a promising therapeutical approach that has the potential of restoring damaged neuronal circuitries and reversing functional deficits. The development of the technique as a human application has progressed the furthest in Parkinson's disease (PD), with the demonstration of significant longlasting functional improvements, in combination wit

BACKGROUND: Intracerebral transplantation of fetal dopaminergic neurons is a promising new approach for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Patients with parkinsonism induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) have a relatively stable lesion limited to the nigrostriatal system, rendering them ideal candidates for transplantation. Improvement of motor function after neural gra

Two patients with Parkinson's disease who underwent implantation of fetal mesencephalic tissue into the putamen were serially studied using positron emission tomography and [18F]6-L-fluorodopa ([18F]dopa). The uptake of [18F]dopa is related to the functional integrity of the presynaptic dopaminergic system. Preoperative studies revealed a marked decrease in putamen [18F]dopa uptake, with lesser in

Ventral mesencephalic tissue from aborted human fetuses (age, 6-7 weeks' postconception) was implanted unilaterally into the putamen using stereotaxic surgery in 2 immunosuppressed patients (Patients 3 and 4 in our series) with advanced idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Tissue from 4 fetuses was grafted to each patient. Compared with our previous 2 patients, the following changes in the grafting pro

BACKGROUND: Niemann-Pick disease type C (NP-C) is a rare neurovisceral disease characterised by progressive neurological degeneration, where the rate of neurological disease progression varies depending on age at neurological onset. We report longitudinal data on functional disease progression and safety observations in patients in the international NPC Registry who received continuous treatment w

BACKGROUND: Previous studies indicate increased prevalences of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and completed suicide in Huntington's disease (HD) compared with the general population. This study investigates correlates and predictors of suicidal ideation in HD.METHODS: The study cohort consisted of 2106 HD mutation carriers, all participating in the REGISTRY study of the European Huntington's

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has been proven to be an effective treatment for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), it may be difficult for general neurologists to identify appropriate candidates for this procedure. We developed an electronic decision tool that can assist neurologists in deciding which PD patients should be referred for DBS considerati

The core feature of vascular ageing is the age-associated stiffening of the large, elastic arteries, or arteriosclerosis. This results in a diminished volume-buffering function and is therefore central for the increase in systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure seen with advancing age. Since there are considerable individual differences regarding the rate of vascular ageing, the aim was to desc

Neural transplantation can restore striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission in animal models of Parkinson's disease. It has now been shown that mesencephalic dopamine neurons, obtained from human fetuses of 8 to 9 weeks gestational age, can survive in the human brain and produce marked and sustained symptomatic relief in a patient severely affected with idiopathic Parkinson's disease. The grafts, w

By using stereotaxic surgical techniques, ventral mesencephalic tissues from aborted human fetuses of 8 to 10 weeks' gestational age were implanted unilaterally into the striata in two patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. The patients were treated with a cyclosporine, azathioprine, and steroid regimen to minimize the risk for graft rejection. They were examined for 6 months preoperatively a

The survival of grafts of dissociated allogeneic fetal neural dopamine (DA) rich tissue in the striatum has been studied after transplantation between inbred strains of mice differing at defined immunogenetical loci between donor and recipient. Six to 7 weeks and 15 weeks after grafting, surviving grafted DA neurons were found in the brains of all the recipients, albeit with a large variation in n

Fetal mesencephalic mouse tissue, rich in dopamine neurons, was xenografted as a dissociated cell suspension into the striatum of rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine induced lesions of the mesostriatal pathway. The rats were either assigned to a 10-day, 21-day or 42-day Cyclosporin A (CyA) immunosuppression scheme, or given no immunosuppression. The functional effects of the grafts were followe