Universidade De Coimbra Research Articles

Técnicas Transobturadoras na Incontinência Urinária de Esforço Feminina

Stress urinary incontinence affects about 20-40% of women. Treatment with transobturator mid-urethral slings is consensually accepted nowadays. The goal of this study was to evaluate the success rate and most frequent complications of surgical treatment with transobturator mid-urethral slings in stress urinary incontinence. This study evaluated 363 patients who underwent correction of stress urinary incontinence with a transobturator tape in Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra between January 1st 2008 and July 1st 2010. The mean age of patients was 56 [28-86]. In 13.5% of women, the correction of stress urinary incontinence was associated with other vaginal surgery. The majority of these women (95.3%) had urethral hypermobility. Only 0.8% of women suffered of perioperative complications, 5.2% of immediate postoperative complications and 15.7% of late postoperative complications. The global success rate was 93.7%. The success rate in patients with fixed urethra was lower (77.8%) comparing with the results of those with urethral hypermobility, being successful in 94.5% (p = 0.02). The success rate was similar in patients with or without vaginal surgeries. Treatment with transobturator mid-urethral slings has high success rates and it became the first treatment chosen to stress urinary incontinence, even if they were treated with the technique outside-in (TOT®) or inside-out (TVT-O®). Both techniques were conceived to avoid passing through the retropubic space, decreasing the complicate matters number. The cure rates for the transobturator surgical approach range between 80 and 95%. The cure rate increases when the mechanism responsible for the urinary incontinence is urethral hypermobility, although it is not modified when are performed other vaginal surgeries concomitantly.

How to communicate on pests and invasive alien plants? Conclusions of the EPPO/CoE/IUCN‐ ISSG/DGAV/UC/ESAC Workshop

How to communicate on pests and invasive alien plants? Conclusions of the EPPO/CoE/IUCN‐ ISSG/DGAV/UC/ESAC Workshop

Urinary metabolomic changes as a predictive biomarker of asthma exacerbation

Urinary metabolomic changes as a predictive biomarker of asthma exacerbation

Função Gonadal na Síndrome de Turner

Turner syndrome is characterized by the absence, total or partial, of one X chromosome in females, being one of the most frequent chromosomal abnormalities. Diagnosis is made by karyotype. Turner syndrome manifestations include primary hypogonadism, before or after puberty (gonadal dysgenesis). The degree and extent of gonadal disfunction are variable. We intended to assess clinical, karyotype, gonadal function and pelvic ultrasound characteristics in women with Turner syndrome. Retrospective study of patients with Turner syndrome followed in Endocrinology and Human Reproduction Departments of Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra - Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, E.P.E. We evaluated the entire sample and considered group 1 (with spontaneous puberty and menarche) and group 2 (without spontaneous puberty). Parameters assessed: age at initial study, puberty (Tanner stages), karyotype, FSH, pelvic ultrasound (initial and after puberty), diagnostic laparoscopy and pubertal induction. Statistical Program: SPSS (20.0). Global sample: 79 patients, 14.7 ± 6.6 years. No pubertal signs in 57.1%; 67.1% with primary amenorrhea and 6.6% with secondary amenorrhea. Karyotype: X monosomy-37.2%, mosaicism-37.2%, X structural changes-25.6%. Median FSH of 59.5 mIU/ mL. Initial ultrasound: normal uterus 34.2%, atrophic uterus 65.8%; normal ovaries 21.6%, atrophic ovaries 78.4%, ovarian follicles in 5.1%. Post-puberty ultrasound: normal uterus 67.9%, atrophic uterus 32.1%; normal ovaries 36.4%, atrophic ovaries 63.6%. Laparoscopy was performed in 16 (20.3%) patients, confirming the sonographic findings. Only two women with induced puberty became pregnant: one spontaneously, interrupted; another by donated oocytes, normal outcome. Group 1 (with spontaneous puberty and menarche): 20 (25.3%) patients, 16.1 ± 8.9 years. Tanner at baseline: M1-22.2%, M2-33.3%, M3-16.7%, M4-16.7%, M5-11.1%. Karyotype: mosaicism-65%, X structural changes-20%, X monosomy-15%. Median FSH of 7 mUI/mL. Initial ultrasound: normal uterus-72.2%, atrophic uterus 27.8%; normal ovaries 63.2%, atrophic ovaries 36.8%. Post-puberty ultrasound: normal uterus 100%; normal ovaries 72.7%, atrophic ovaries 27.3%. Group 2 (without spontaneous puberty): 59 (74.7%) patients, 14.0 ± 5.5 years. Tanner at baseline: M1-69.2%, M2-13.5%, M3-5.8%, M4-3.8%, M5-7.7%. Karyotype: X monosomy-43.9%, X structural changes-28.1% mosaicism-28.1%. Median FSH of 74 mUI/mL. Initial ultrasound: normal uterus 20.4%, atrophic uterus 79.6%; normal ovaries 7.4%, atrophic ovaries 92.6%. Post-puberty ultrasound: normal uterus 60.0%, atrophic uterus 40.0%; normal ovaries 27.3%, atrophic ovaries 72.7%. Pubertal induction at 16.1 ± 4.1 years, with bone age of 12.7 ± 1.6 years. Groups 1 and 2 differ significantly in karyotype (p = 0.010), median FSH (p < 0.001), and uterine and ovarian dimensions (p < 0.001). Most patients had gonadal dysfunction and needed pubertal induction. Spontaneous puberty with menarche occurred in 25.3% of patients (predominantly mosaics). 43.9% of patients with pubertal induction had X monosomy. These patients fertility is compromised and, in some cases, we should refer to assisted reproductive specialist for pregnancy or fertility preservation.

North and South Hemispheric Solar Activity for Cycles 21 – 23: Asymmetry and Conditional Volatility of Plage Region Areas

We study the dynamic evolution of the time series describing the plage regions areas observed daily at the Observatório Astronómico da Universidade de Coimbra, in each one of the solar hemispheres during solar cycles 21 – 23. The classical ARMA model has proven to be insufficient to describe the time variations seen in the data because of the strong conditional variability. We found that the data are well fitted by ARMA mixed with power-δ TGARCH error models. The power index δ is non-integer; this property has recently been introduced in the literature on time-series analyses and indicates the presence of strong volatility and long memory in the data series. We also detected dynamic asymmetry in the plage region areas observed in the two hemispheres when two different temporal models were obtained to fit them. The finding of a dynamic asymmetry is also supported by the dynamic evolution of the daily difference (north–south) time series, which is significantly different from white noise. This statistical modeling of time series, taking into account new and different characteristics of the solar activity, will be very useful in subsequent forecast developments.

AB0048 CD8+ T cells in rheumatoid arthritis - differences between remission and active disease

BackgroundFor the past years there has been a clear increase in the interest for T cells in autoimmune diseases (1), where it was found that CD8 T cells can have...

O ensino da medicina na Universidade de Coimbra no século XVI

The article addresses the teaching of medicine at the Universidade de Coimbra in the sixteenth century, framing it within the Portuguese and European context and highlighting the contributions of the institution's key professors - Enrique de Cuellar, Tomás Veiga, Alfonso de Guevara, and João Bravo Chamisso - along with their main works. Following a historical overview, the study analyzes the reforms of Dom Manuel I and Dom João III, the role of anatomy in the renewal of medical studies, the relation with the Discoveries, the obstacles raised by the Inquisition, medical practice at hospitals, and, lastly, the decline of medical teaching. Although they did not teach at Coimbra, reference is made to the two greatest names in sixteenth-century Portuguese medicine: Amato Lusitano and Garcia da Orta.

Increase of Reactive Oxygen Species in Natural Killer cells from Pulmonary Tuberculosis patients

Event Abstract Back to Event Increase of Reactive Oxygen Species in Natural Killer cells from Pulmonary Tuberculosis patients Diogo Silva1, Mónica Abreu1, Patricia Couceiro2, Margarida F. Teixeira1, Inês Ladeira3, Filipa Viveiros3, Raquel Duarte3, Helena Sá1 and Paulo Rodrigues-Santos1* 1 Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, Instituto de Imunologia, Portugal 2 Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, Laboratory of Immunology and Oncology, Portugal 3 Centro Diagnóstico Pneumológico of Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal Tuberculosis (TB) remains today a threat for public health and one third of the world population is infected. Although the role of Natural Killer (NK) cells in vivo was never fully understood, their capacity to lyse not only infected macrophages, but also directly M. tuberculosis demonstrates their possible role in the immune response in addition to their regulatory function over other immune cells and their presence inside granulomas. However their number is decreased and with impaired function in TB patients Reactive oxygen spices (ROS) produced by tissue-specific cells especially alveolar macrophages can be responsible for their suppressive state as happens in other diseases. In this work we intended to demonstrate the increase of ROS in NK cells of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. We analyzed by flow cytometry the levels of oxidative stress in cells from peripheral blood of 14 TB patients with main focus in NK cells. In our work we demonstrated that not only phagocytic cells with active NADPH oxidase have an increase of ROS, but also NK cells and NKT cells. We did not find any significant statistical difference in CD8+ T cells comparing with healthy controls. Beyond expected decrease of total NK cell number and especially CD56dim CD16+ subset, we found that almost CD56dim are CD16- corresponding these cells to an increase of oxidative stress. We also demonstrated that contrary to granulocytes and monocytes, in multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB patients the levels of oxidative stress in NK cells are equally higher to persistent TB without (MDR-TB). Keywords: Tuberculosis, Pulmonary, Natural Killer cells, Reactive Oxygen Species, NADPH Oxidase, innate immunity Conference: 15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Milan, Italy, 22 Aug - 27 Aug, 2013. Presentation Type: Abstract Topic: Innate immunity Citation: Silva D, Abreu M, Couceiro P, Teixeira MF, Ladeira I, Viveiros F, Duarte R, Sá H and Rodrigues-Santos P (2013). Increase of Reactive Oxygen Species in Natural Killer cells from Pulmonary Tuberculosis patients. Front. Immunol. Conference Abstract: 15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI). doi: 10.3389/conf.fimmu.2013.02.00533 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 11 Jun 2013; Published Online: 22 Aug 2013. * Correspondence: Dr. Paulo Rodrigues-Santos, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, Instituto de Imunologia, Coimbra, 3004-504, Portugal, paulo.santos@fmed.uc.pt Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Diogo Silva Mónica Abreu Patricia Couceiro Margarida F Teixeira Inês Ladeira Filipa Viveiros Raquel Duarte Helena Sá Paulo Rodrigues-Santos Google Diogo Silva Mónica Abreu Patricia Couceiro Margarida F Teixeira Inês Ladeira Filipa Viveiros Raquel Duarte Helena Sá Paulo Rodrigues-Santos Google Scholar Diogo Silva Mónica Abreu Patricia Couceiro Margarida F Teixeira Inês Ladeira Filipa Viveiros Raquel Duarte Helena Sá Paulo Rodrigues-Santos PubMed Diogo Silva Mónica Abreu Patricia Couceiro Margarida F Teixeira Inês Ladeira Filipa Viveiros Raquel Duarte Helena Sá Paulo Rodrigues-Santos Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Undisclosed methyldibromo glutaronitrile causing allergic contact dermatitis in a NSAID cream

Contact DermatitisVolume 67, Issue 3 p. 173-174 Undisclosed methyldibromo glutaronitrile causing allergic contact dermatitis in a NSAID cream Cristina Amaro, Corresponding Author Cristina Amaro Department of Dermatology, Hospital de Curry Cabral, 1069-166 Lisbon, PortugalCristina Amaro, Department of Dermatology, Hospital de Curry Cabral, Rua da Beneficência, no. 8, 1069-166 Lisbon, Portugal. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorMariana Cravo, Mariana Cravo Department of Dermatology, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorCândida Fernandes, Cândida Fernandes Department of Dermatology, Hospital de Curry Cabral, 1069-166 Lisbon, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorRaquel Santos, Raquel Santos Department of Dermatology, Hospital de Curry Cabral, 1069-166 Lisbon, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorMargarida Gonçalo, Margarida Gonçalo Department of Dermatology, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, PortugalSearch for more papers by this author Cristina Amaro, Corresponding Author Cristina Amaro Department of Dermatology, Hospital de Curry Cabral, 1069-166 Lisbon, PortugalCristina Amaro, Department of Dermatology, Hospital de Curry Cabral, Rua da Beneficência, no. 8, 1069-166 Lisbon, Portugal. E-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorMariana Cravo, Mariana Cravo Department of Dermatology, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorCândida Fernandes, Cândida Fernandes Department of Dermatology, Hospital de Curry Cabral, 1069-166 Lisbon, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorRaquel Santos, Raquel Santos Department of Dermatology, Hospital de Curry Cabral, 1069-166 Lisbon, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorMargarida Gonçalo, Margarida Gonçalo Department of Dermatology, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, PortugalSearch for more papers by this author First published: 17 August 2012 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0536.2012.02091.xCitations: 5 Conflicts of interest: The authors have declared no conflicts. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume67, Issue3September 2012Pages 173-174 RelatedInformation

Fibrilhação auricular de causa não valvular: perspetiva do neurologista

In the last years the incidence of thromboembolic stroke has increased. Better control of other cardiovascular risk factors and the ageing of the population with the consequent augmentation of the prevalence of non valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) justify that increase. Although anticoagulation therapy has remarkable efficacy, from the perspective of the neurologist it seems to be underestimated. To support that perspective we present the casuistic of admissions in the Neurology Department of Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra (HUC) during the first trimester of 2011 and the follow up from one to two years of all the patients that were admitted in the Stroke Unit of the HUC during 2010. We conclude that the introduction in the clinical practice of the new oral anticoagulants will allow a simplification of the proceedings in the patients with NVAF promoting, in the majority of the cases, a more marked reduction of thromboembolic events and also a reduction of their most feared complication, intracranial bleeding.

Planeamento da gravidez na adaptação à transição para a maternidade de grávidas infectadas pelo VIH

PREGNANCY PLANNING AND ADAPTATION TO MOTHERHOOD AMONG HIV-POSITIVE PREGNANT WOMEN Objectives: To analyse the influence of the planning of pregnancy on the adaptation to motherhood among HIV-infected wo- men compared to healthy pregnant women. Design: Observational study with assessments performed during the second trimester of pregnancy and 2 to 4 days postpar- tum. Population: Ninety-eight women including 47 HIV-positive pregnant women and 51 healthy pregnant women Setting: Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra: Area de Gestao Integrada de Saude Materno-Fetal -Psychological Intervention Unit of of the Doctor Daniel de Matos Maternity Hospital and the Doctor Alfredo da Costa Maternity Hospital (Lisbon). Methods: The adaptation to motherhood was assessed by the administration of three self-report questionnaires designed to assess psychopathological symptoms (Brief Symptom Inventory), emotional reactivity (Emotional Assessment Scale), and qua- lity of life (WHOQOL-Bref). The association between the planning of pregnancy and adaptation to motherhood was analysed comparing HIV-positive pregnant women and healthy pregnant women. Inferential statistics were used with a significance le- vel of 0.05. Results: The results support our hypothesis that unplanned pregnancies are associated with worse adaptation in the transition to motherhood. This is greater among HIV-infected women. In the postpartum period, unplanned pregnancies were significan- tly associated with higher psychopathology, higher negative emotional reactivity, and poorer quality of life. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance the planning of pregnancy in the adjustment to pregnancy and the pos- tpartum period. These findings also stress the importance of the discussion of childbearing plans with HIV-infected women be- fore pregnancy.

Intracardiac aorto-right atrial tunnel

Rita Pancas*, Goncalo F. Coutinho and Manuel J. Antunes Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal * Corresponding author. Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Centro de Cirurgia Cardiotoracica, Praceta Professor Mota Pinto, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal. Tel: +351-961-458337; fax: +351-239-829674; e-mail: rita_agante@hotmail.com (R. Pancas). Received 13 September 2011; received in revised form 11 January 2012; accepted 12 January 2012

Abstracts of the 17th International Symposium on Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence ‐ (ISBC 2012)

WARNING : The light-emitting molecular structures responsible for the chemiluminescence and fluorescence phenomena are not necessarily the same!

Primary Bilateral Thalamic Astrocytoma Presenting With Head Tremor, Ataxia, and Dementia

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article LETTERFull AccessPrimary Bilateral Thalamic Astrocytoma Presenting With Head Tremor, Ataxia, and DementiaÁlvaro Machado M.D.,Manuel Ribeiro M.D.,Margarida Rodrigues M.D.Carla Ferreira M.D.,Rui Almeida M.D.,Isabel Santana M.D., Ph.D.,Lígia Castro M.D.Stirling Carpenter M.D.,Álvaro Machado M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Manuel Ribeiro M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Margarida Rodrigues M.D.Search for more papers by this authorCarla Ferreira M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Rui Almeida M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Isabel Santana M.D., Ph.D.Search for more papers by this author,Lígia Castro M.D.Search for more papers by this authorStirling Carpenter M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Published Online:1 Jul 2010https://doi.org/10.1176/jnp.2010.22.3.352.e7AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail To the Editor: Primary bilateral thalamic gliomas are exceedingly rare and usually present with behavioral and cognitive abnormalities, sparing motor and sensory functions. 1 Brain imaging reveals bilateral homogeneous enlargement of thalamic nuclei, which appear hyperintense on T2-weighted imaging. 1Case ReportA 42-year-old woman was seen for 6-month progressive behavioral disturbances. At that time she started being unusually aggressive and impatient, complaining of headaches, aching pain in the right leg, and head tremor. The behavioral changes worsened slowly, and she grew incapable of doing things she previously did, such as cooking, cleaning the house, administering medicine to her mother, and caring for her 13-year-old daughter. Relatives reported that she walked with poor balance. When seen, she thought she was in 1970 and in another hospital and that the reason for the consultation was a bloody nipple discharge. Ocular movements were uncoordinated, and she had a rhythmic nodding head tremor, choreoathetoid movement of the right hand, and bilateral cerebellar signs. Muscle strength and sensory functions, as well as visual fields, were normal. Neuropsychological assessment showed moderate to severe impairment of executive function, language, semantic and episodic memory, and visuospatial abilities. Noticeable was a severe involvement of temporoparietal cortical functions, with Gerstmann and Balint syndromes. Patient brain MRI ( Figure 1 , panels A and B) disclosed a bithalamic diffuse homogeneous lesion, hyperintense on T2 and iso-intense on T1-weighted images, without restricted diffusivity or gadolinium uptake. EEG showed an 8-Hz background activity. Electromyography characterized the head tremor as rhythmic at 3 Hz. A stereotaxic biopsy was performed, with removal of tissue from the right thalamus. FIGURE 1. Patient Brain MRIA. PD-weighted axial image shows a hyperintense infiltrative lesion involving both thalami, including the pulvinar; B. DWI reveals slight high signal in the enlarged bilateral thalami (without restricted diffusion)Histological examination showed astrocytosis with minor nuclear anaplasia and inconspicuous cytoplasm. A few normal large thalamic neurons were found. Spongiform changes were absent, as were mitotic figures. Numerous GFAP-positive processes were present. The diagnosis was of astrocytoma, grade 2 (WHO). On an oncology consultation, only palliative care was proposed. The patient died 3 months later.Discussion As a complex integrating system, the thalami play a central role in nervous system function. Pain and dysesthesia can reflect ventral posterior nuclei involvement, since they receive temperature and pain afferents from the contralateral hemibody. 2 A variety of movement disorders have been related to lesions affecting the ventral inferior or ventral intermediate nuclei, as well as the centromedianum and pulvinar, presumably because of their interconnections with the basal ganglia. 3 Cerebellar symptoms can result from dysfunction of the ventral anterior, ventral lateral, intralaminar, or reticular nuclei, which are functionally linked to the cerebellum. 4 The thalami also participate in cortical functioning, by three major networks: temporoparietoccipital, connected with the pulvinar; prefrontal, mainly related with the dorsomedial nuclei; and limbic, which receives efferents from the anterior thalamic nuclei. 4 Additionally, intralaminar nuclei have a central role in arousal and, with the dorsomedial nuclei, in attention. 5 We believe these known functions can explain all of our patient’s symptoms, even the most atypical and, to our knowledge, not previously described, as the head tremor, the ataxia, and the combined Gerstmann and Balint syndromes. Neurology Department, Hospital de São Marcos, Braga, PortugalNeuroradiology Department, Hospital de São MarcosNeurology Department, Hospital de São MarcosNeurosurgery Department, Hospital de São MarcosNeurology Department, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, PortugalPathology Department, Hospital de São João, Porto, Portugal

Primary Bilateral Thalamic Astrocytoma Presenting With Head Tremor, Ataxia, and Dementia

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article LETTERFull AccessPrimary Bilateral Thalamic Astrocytoma Presenting With Head Tremor, Ataxia, and DementiaÁlvaro Machado M.D.,Manuel Ribeiro M.D.,Margarida Rodrigues M.D.Carla Ferreira M.D.,Rui Almeida M.D.,Isabel Santana M.D., Ph.D.,Lígia Castro M.D.Stirling Carpenter M.D.,Álvaro Machado M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Manuel Ribeiro M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Margarida Rodrigues M.D.Search for more papers by this authorCarla Ferreira M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Rui Almeida M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Isabel Santana M.D., Ph.D.Search for more papers by this author,Lígia Castro M.D.Search for more papers by this authorStirling Carpenter M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Published Online:1 Jul 2010https://doi.org/10.1176/jnp.2010.22.3.352.e7AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail To the Editor: Primary bilateral thalamic gliomas are exceedingly rare and usually present with behavioral and cognitive abnormalities, sparing motor and sensory functions. 1 Brain imaging reveals bilateral homogeneous enlargement of thalamic nuclei, which appear hyperintense on T2-weighted imaging. 1Case ReportA 42-year-old woman was seen for 6-month progressive behavioral disturbances. At that time she started being unusually aggressive and impatient, complaining of headaches, aching pain in the right leg, and head tremor. The behavioral changes worsened slowly, and she grew incapable of doing things she previously did, such as cooking, cleaning the house, administering medicine to her mother, and caring for her 13-year-old daughter. Relatives reported that she walked with poor balance. When seen, she thought she was in 1970 and in another hospital and that the reason for the consultation was a bloody nipple discharge. Ocular movements were uncoordinated, and she had a rhythmic nodding head tremor, choreoathetoid movement of the right hand, and bilateral cerebellar signs. Muscle strength and sensory functions, as well as visual fields, were normal. Neuropsychological assessment showed moderate to severe impairment of executive function, language, semantic and episodic memory, and visuospatial abilities. Noticeable was a severe involvement of temporoparietal cortical functions, with Gerstmann and Balint syndromes. Patient brain MRI ( Figure 1 , panels A and B) disclosed a bithalamic diffuse homogeneous lesion, hyperintense on T2 and iso-intense on T1-weighted images, without restricted diffusivity or gadolinium uptake. EEG showed an 8-Hz background activity. Electromyography characterized the head tremor as rhythmic at 3 Hz. A stereotaxic biopsy was performed, with removal of tissue from the right thalamus. FIGURE 1. Patient Brain MRIA. PD-weighted axial image shows a hyperintense infiltrative lesion involving both thalami, including the pulvinar; B. DWI reveals slight high signal in the enlarged bilateral thalami (without restricted diffusion)Histological examination showed astrocytosis with minor nuclear anaplasia and inconspicuous cytoplasm. A few normal large thalamic neurons were found. Spongiform changes were absent, as were mitotic figures. Numerous GFAP-positive processes were present. The diagnosis was of astrocytoma, grade 2 (WHO). On an oncology consultation, only palliative care was proposed. The patient died 3 months later.Discussion As a complex integrating system, the thalami play a central role in nervous system function. Pain and dysesthesia can reflect ventral posterior nuclei involvement, since they receive temperature and pain afferents from the contralateral hemibody. 2 A variety of movement disorders have been related to lesions affecting the ventral inferior or ventral intermediate nuclei, as well as the centromedianum and pulvinar, presumably because of their interconnections with the basal ganglia. 3 Cerebellar symptoms can result from dysfunction of the ventral anterior, ventral lateral, intralaminar, or reticular nuclei, which are functionally linked to the cerebellum. 4 The thalami also participate in cortical functioning, by three major networks: temporoparietoccipital, connected with the pulvinar; prefrontal, mainly related with the dorsomedial nuclei; and limbic, which receives efferents from the anterior thalamic nuclei. 4 Additionally, intralaminar nuclei have a central role in arousal and, with the dorsomedial nuclei, in attention. 5 We believe these known functions can explain all of our patient’s symptoms, even the most atypical and, to our knowledge, not previously described, as the head tremor, the ataxia, and the combined Gerstmann and Balint syndromes. Neurology Department, Hospital de São Marcos, Braga, PortugalNeuroradiology Department, Hospital de São MarcosNeurology Department, Hospital de São MarcosNeurosurgery Department, Hospital de São MarcosNeurology Department, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, PortugalPathology Department, Hospital de São João, Porto, Portugal

The Portuguese Who Could No Longer Speak French: Primary Progressive Aphasia in a Bilingual Man

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article LETTERFull AccessThe Portuguese Who Could No Longer Speak French: Primary Progressive Aphasia in a Bilingual ManÁlvaro Machado M.D.Margarida Rodrigues M.D.,Sónia Simões M.D.,Isabel Santana M.D., Ph.D.,João Soares-Fernandes M.D.,Álvaro Machado M.D.Search for more papers by this authorMargarida Rodrigues M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Sónia Simões M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Isabel Santana M.D., Ph.D.Search for more papers by this author,João Soares-Fernandes M.D.Search for more papers by this author,Published Online:1 Jan 2010https://doi.org/10.1176/jnp.2010.22.1.123.e31AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail To the Editor: Primary progressive aphasia is characterized by progressive language dissolution, with remarkable sparing of other cognitive domains for at least 2 years. 1 We report a Portuguese-French fluent speaker with primary progressive aphasia, in whom disintegration of his second language (French) preceded that of his native one (Portuguese). Case ReportA 56-year-old man was seen for speech difficulties. He had no past medical history or known familial disease. He studied Portuguese for 4 years and then went to live in France, where he learned French for 3 years. Afterward, he started working as a locksmith. At age 21 he spent 2 years in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, where he spoke French, and then came back to France until turning 42. He then returned to Portugal. Since early adolescence he was fluent, speaking, reading, and writing in both languages. In the last 12 years he spoke French mainly when visiting his family. Three years ago he started having difficulty naming objects, first with those rarely used, then with more commonly used ones. This was neglected by his family, who even joked saying, “It is Alzheimer calling!” The first and real cause for concern was 1 year ago; when visited by his French brother-in-law, the patient could not exchange a single word of French. This was so overwhelming as to take him by surprise. Since then he has had more and more difficulty speaking Portuguese, with word-finding pauses interrupting his speech and an increasing use of “it” and “that.” Upon examination he had laborious, effortful, nonfluent, and agrammatic speech, with severe anomia and some repetition and complex-command comprehension difficulties. He read better than he wrote, which he did with some paragraph errors and absent connection particles. He could not name, understand, or write any words in French. When asked to read some common words as “ chien ” or “ maison ,” he read them with a Portuguese accent and without any notion of their meaning. The remaining neurological examination was normal or near-normal considering his age and education level, including his Mini-Mental State Examination score (25/30). A brain MRI showed left-sided temporal cortical atrophy ( Figure 1 , panel A). A PET scan revealed cortical hypometabolism in the temporal lobe, anterior cyngula, and dorsolateral frontal cortex ( Figure 1 , panel B). FIGURE 1. Patient ImagingA: Left parasagittal T1 weighted image shows disproportionate temporal lobe atrophy.B: FDG-PET image reveals decreased metabolism in left temporal lobe.Discussion Our patient has all clinical, neuropsychological, and imaging features of a nonfluent variant of primary progressive aphasia. 2 The occurrence of primary progressive aphasia in bilinguals can give further insight into the neural network subserving language acquisition and dissolution. 3 It is interesting to note that, in this formerly proficient bilingual, language loss was so overwhelmingly greater in his second and recently less used idiom. In the previously reported bilingual primary progressive aphasia patient, 3 both languages were lost in parallel, with a slight tendency for better preservation of English, which was her second but more recently used language. At least in proficient bilinguals, we believe that the main point on language dissolution in primary progressive aphasia is not the acquisition order but how recently it was used. The best way to confirm this would be to systematically characterize primary progressive aphasia patients on secondary language usage, attained proficiency, and disintegration sequence. Department of Neurology, Hospital São Marcos, Braga, PortugalDepartment of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital São MarcosNeurology Department, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, PortugalNeuroradiology Departments, Hospital São Marcos

Correcção Estética do Malposicionamento Dentário em Dentistaria Operatória

ObjectiveThe development of composites, with better mechanical and aesthetic properties, enabled their application in new clinical situations, not previously considered. The correction of dental mal alignment currently obtained through orthodontic movements may now have a faster and aesthetic alternative based on simple restorative procedures. This work intends to show how to aesthetically correct dental mal-alignment through direct restorations with composites. Materials and methodsThe authors present a review of the scientific literature, available on Medline, with the keywords: “instant orthodontics”, “aesthetic dentistry” and “restorative dentistry”. Complemented by a clinical case developed by the same authors in the “Departamento de Estomatologia, Medicina Dentária e Cirurgia Maxilo-Facial da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra”. ConclusionsThe use of restorative procedures in the aesthetic correction of dental mal-alignment is presented as a viable alternative. The success depends on a careful approach to the case and the use of appropriated materials and techniques.

AMPA and ampakines as proneurogenic modulators of progenitors derived from subventricular zone

Event Abstract Back to Event AMPA and ampakines as proneurogenic modulators of progenitors derived from subventricular zone Clarissa De-Sampaio-Schitine1* 1 Universidade de Coimbra, Centro de Neurociencias e Biologia Celular, Portugal Neurogenesis in the brain of adult mammals occurs throughout life, and has been demonstrated at two locations under normal conditions: the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus.AMPAkines are a group of chemical compounds that modulate the properties of ionotropic AMPA subtype of glutamate receptors, potentiating excitatory signals and enhancing cognitive properties. AMPAkine effects are presumably mediated through increase in synaptic efficiency of excited neuronal circuits. However, a positive effect on neurogenesis cannot be ruled out. Here, we propose to disclose the pro-neurogenic effects of an excitatory stimulation, through AMPA treatment, and AMPAkines in SVZ cell cultures derived from neonatal mice.SVZ cells were incubated in the presence of AMPA (1 to 50μM) and AMPAkine CX546 (5 to 150μM). Both treatments triggered a concentration-dependent increase in proliferation, evaluated in 48h treated cultures through the BrdU incorporation assay. AMPA and AMPAkines stimulated neuronal differentiation as the numbers of NeuN mature neurons increased in 7 days treated cultures. Moreover AMPA and AMPAkine treatments increased the numbers of functional neurons, evaluated by single cell calcium imaging. Immunoassays for the phosphorylated form of the JNK signaling were also performed in SVZ cell cultures treated with AMPA 1μM and AMPAKine CX546 5μM for 6h. AMPA and AMPAkine treatment promoted a five and six fold increase in the number and in the total length of the ramifications per neurosphere, respectively. Knowing that JNK signaling is involved in axonogenesis, these data show that AMPA and AMPAkine CX 546 improve neuronal maturation.Altogether, these data demonstrate that AMPA and AMPAkines CX 546 are positive modulators of neurogenesis in SVZ cell cultures and highlight the possible use of AMPAkines for future development of cell- based brain therapies.Acknowledgments: Convenio GRICES-CAPES and Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia: PTDC-SAU-NEU- 68465-2006 Conference: 11th Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience, Braga, Portugal, 4 Jun - 6 Jun, 2009. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Abstracts Citation: De-Sampaio-Schitine C (2009). AMPA and ampakines as proneurogenic modulators of progenitors derived from subventricular zone. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: 11th Meeting of the Portuguese Society for Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.01.2009.11.037 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 06 Aug 2009; Published Online: 06 Aug 2009. * Correspondence: Clarissa De-Sampaio-Schitine, Universidade de Coimbra, Centro de Neurociencias e Biologia Celular, Alicante, Portugal, schitine@biof.ufrj.br Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Clarissa De-Sampaio-Schitine Google Clarissa De-Sampaio-Schitine Google Scholar Clarissa De-Sampaio-Schitine PubMed Clarissa De-Sampaio-Schitine Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Cityscapes: símbolos, dinámicas e apropriaçoes da paisagem cultural urbana

Urban territories are places in which people have made material and immaterial inscriptions that shaped these landscapes. Urban areas have been changed through time and produced by particular economic needs, values and cultural beliefs. Indeed, cultural landscape concepts and components depend on a wide group of local and non-local features and layers in reality aggregated in a very diversified and changing collection of worldwide urban landscapes. As a road movie, this text will travel and explore the main characteristics and dynamic processes that produced and changed cultural urban landscapes in Portuguese and non Portuguese cities: a functional space but also a remembrance and an 1 Professor do Departamento de Geografia da Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Coimbra e colaborador do Departamento de Arquitectura do Centro Regional das Beiras da Universidade Catolica. JOAO LUIS J. FERNANDES 196 ideological territory, frequently used as an arena for political

T09-O-43 Psychological variables in male sexual dysfunction: cognitive schemas and personality

The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of cognitive structures like Early Maladaptive Schemas and personality traits in men's sexual functioning. 50 men diagnosed with sexual dysfunction from the Sexology Clinic of the Hospitais Universidade de Coimbra, and 50 individuals from the community without sexual dysfunction. Participants answered to the Sexual Dysfunction Inventory (SDI - male version; Sbrocco, Weisberg, & Barlow, 1992), International Index Erectile Function (IIEF; Rosen, Riley, Wagner, Osterloh, Kirkpatrick, & Mishra, 1997), Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI; Derogatis & Spencer, 1982), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck, Ward, Mendelson, Mock, & Erbaugh, 1961), Young Schemas Questionnaire (YSQ; Young & Brown, 1990), Questionnaire of Cognitive Schema Activation in Sexual Context (QCSASC; Nobre & Pinto-Gouveia, 2006); NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI; Costa & McCrae, 1992). Men with higher sexual functioning show more Openness to Experience (personality dimension) compared to men with lower sexual functioning. Regarding cognitive schemas, men with lower sexual functioning show significantly more Vulnerability schemas and activate with significantly higher frequency Difference/Loneliness, Self-Depreciation, Incompetence and Undesirability/ Rejection schemas when confronted to unsuccessful sexual situations, when compared with men with higher sexual functioning. the findings supported the importance of the cognitive structures, psychopathology and personality variables on sexual functioning.