03 April 2010

Parasitic Pathogens Affecting the CNS



Parasitic Pathogens Affecting the CNS
By:Mark F. Wiser
Department of Tropical Medicine
School of Public Health

Protozoa Affecting the CNS
Rare cases
Free-living ameba
Rare invasion of the brain
Entamoeba histolytica
Cerebral Malaria
Plasmodium falciparum
African Sleeping Sickness
African Trypanosomes
Associated with congenital defects and AIDS
Toxoplasma gondii
Disease

Protozoan
Amebas Affecting the CNS
* Entamoeba histolytica
o normally found in large intestine
o can become invasive (primarily liver)
* Free-living Amebas

GAE; skin or lung lesions
Balamuthia mandrillaris
GAE; skin or lung lesions; amebic keratitis
Acanthamoeba species
PAM

Naegleria fowleri
Diseases
Ameba

Toxoplasma gondii
* cosmopolitan distribution
* seropositive prevalence rates vary
o generally 20-75%
* generally causes very benign disease in immunocompetent adults
o congenital transmission
o AIDS associated
* tissue cyst forming coccidia
o predator-prey life cycle
o felines are definitive host
o infects wide range of birds and mammals (intermediate hosts)

Definitive Host
* adult forms
* sexual reproduction

Intermediate Host
* immature forms
* asexual reproduction

chronic stage = bradyzoites
acute stage = tachyzoites
* ingestion of sporulated oocysts (cat feces + incubation)
* ingestion of zoites (undercooked meat)
* congenital infection (only during acute stage)
* organ transplants
o chronic infection in donor
o immunosuppression
* blood transfusions (only during acute stage)

Human Transmission
Acquired Postnatal Toxoplasmosis
* 1-2 week incubation period
* acute parasitemia persists for several weeks until development of tissue cysts
o often asymptomatic (>80%)
o a common symptom is lymphadenopathy without fever
o occasionally mononucleosis-like (fever, headache, fatigue, myalgia)
* likely persists for life of patient
* immunosuppression can lead to reactivation (eg, organ transplants)

Congenital Toxoplasmosis
* 1o infection must occur during or shortly before pregnancy
o can only occur once
o 1/3 will pass infection to fetus
* incidence ~1 per 1000 births
* severity varies with age of fetus
o move severe early in pregnancy
o more frequent later in pregnancy
* infection can result in: spontaneous abortion, still birth, premature birth, or full-term ą overt disease
* typical disease manifestations include: retinochoroiditis, psychomotor disturbances, intracerebral calcification, hydrocephaly, microcephaly

Toxoplasmic Encephalitis
* common complication associated with AIDS during the 1980's
* recrudescence of latent infection
* multifocal disease associated with immunosuppression
* lesions detectable with CT or MRI
* little spread to other organs
* symptoms include: lethargy, apathy, incoordination, dementia
* progressive disease  convulsions
* usually fatal if untreated

Diagnosis
* various serological tests
* active (acute) vs chronic infection
o compare samples at 2 week intervals
o IgM > IgG; Ab titers
* seldom by direct parasite demonstration
o biopsy
o inoculation into mice or cell culture (only acute stage)
* CT scans or MRI for toxoplasmic encephalitis

Prevention
But dog contact is highly correlated with Toxoplasma transmission.
Several studies show no correlation between cat contact and Toxoplasma.

An Enigma
Some Helminths Affecting the CNS
Taenia solium and Cysticercosis
* adult tapeworm infects GI tract of humans
* larval stages infect tissues causing cysticercosis or neurocysticercycosis
* most common parasitic disease of the CNS
* endemic throughout much of the developing world
o especially prevalent in Central and South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and Central and Eastern Europe
* prevalence of 3.6% in some regions of Mexico
* greatest cause of acquired epilepsy worldwide

Cysticercosis in the United States
* has become an important parasitic disease, particularly in California
* estimated that 1000 new cases of neurocysticercosis will be diagnosed each year
* increasing prevalence attributed to the migration of large numbers of rural immigrants from developing countries
* also improvements in neuro-imaging leading to better diagnosis

http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/
Disease States
* Taeniasis = adult tapeworm in small intestine
o Usually asymptomatic (eggs or proglottids in feces)
o Vague abdominal symptoms occasionally report
* Cysticercosis = T. solium larvae in human tissues (eg, muscle)
o Usually asymptomatic
o Painless subcutaneous nodules in arms and chest
* Neurocysticercosis (NCC) = cysts in the central nervous system
o Most severe manifestation

Pathogenesis of Cysticerci
* larva (cysticercal cysts) survive up to 5 years
* living larva produce little inflammation
* death of larva leads to inflammation and edema resulting in symptoms
* cellular reaction eventually destroys parasite and leaves a calcified nodule

Clinical Manifestations
* presentation is varied—depends on stage, number, size and location of cysts
* seizures/convulsions most common symptoms
* blocked circulation of CSF can lead to intracranial hypertension or hydrocephalus
* occasionally large cysts can mimic tumors
* can also cause a variety of mental and motor changes

Diagnosis
* onset of epileptic seizures
* person from endemic area
* CT scans and MRI are most useful
o 1-2 cm cystic lesions
o with or without edema and inflammation
* some serological tests available
o problems with sensitivity and specificity

Treatment
* symptomatic treatment (eg, antiepileptic drugs)
o spontaneous cures noted especially in children
* praziquantel and albendazole kill the cysts faster
o limited clinical benefit
o administer with corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory)
* surgical excision of cysts was previous treatment

Prevention and Control
* Enhanced personal hygiene
* Thorough cooking/ freezing of pork to kill cysticerci
* Enhanced environmental sanitation
o proper disposal of human feces
* Agricultural inspection of pork
* Vaccination of pigs?

Parasitic Pathogens Affecting the CNS.ppt

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Cysticcercosis



CYSTICERCOSIS
By:Palak Parikh

EPIDEMIOLOGY
* Found in approximately 50 million people worldwide (probably an underestimate)
* Endemic in several countries in Central and South America, sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Asia
* Prevalence in this country often higher in rural areas
* 221 deaths identified in the US from 1990-2002 (62% had emigrated from Mexico)

CYSTICERCOSIS TRANSMISSION
* Caused by the larval stage of Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm
* Humans develop by ingestion of T. solium eggs; they can spread infection by:
o Egg-containing feces contaminating water supplies in endemic areas
o Contaminating food directly, as eggs are sticky and can often be found under the fingernails of tapeworm carriers.

LIFE CYCLE
* Once eggs ingested, embryos are released in the small intestine and invade the bowel wall.
* They then disseminate hematogenously to other tissues and develop into cysticerci over 3 weeks to 2 months.
* Cysticerci – liquid-filled vesicles consisting of a membranous wall and a nodule containing the invaginated scolex.
* Scolex – head armed with suckers and hooks and a rudimentary body.

PATHOGENESIS
* Cysticerci initially viable but do not cause much inflammation in surrounding tissues – asymptomatic infection
* Host develops immune tolerance to cysticerci, which remain in this stage for several years.
o Postulated mechanisms of tolerance:
+ Taenia elaborate substances that inhibit or divert complement pathways away from parasite
+ Humoral antibodies do not kill mature taenia.
+ Poorly defined factors may interfere with lymphocyte proliferation and macrophage function, inhibiting normal cellular immune defenses.
* Clinical manifestations occur when inflammatory response develops around degenerating cysticercus.

SYMPTOMATIC DISEASE
* Divided into:
o Neurocysticercosis
o Extraneural cysticercosis

NEUROCYSTICERCOSIS
* 80% of infections are asymptomatic
* Symptoms mainly due to mass effect, inflammatory response, or obstruction of foramina and ventricular system of brain.
* Most common symptoms:
o Seizures
o Focal neurological signs
o Intracranial hypertension
* Peak estimated to occur 3-5 years after infection

NEUROCYSTICERCOSIS
* Increased risk of seizures with a single calcific granuloma.
* Risk of seizures highest when lesions are degenerating and are surrounded by inflammation.
* Encephalitis and diffuse brain edema most common in children and young females.
* 1-3% of cases involve the spinal cord, with thoracic lesions the most common.

NEUROCYSTICEROSIS IN ENDEMIC COUNTRIES
* Most common cause of adult-onset seizures
* Risk of seizures in seropositive individuals 2-3 times higher than seronegative controls.
* Punctate calcifications most frequent finding on neuroimaging of brain.

EXTRANEURAL CYSTICERCOSIS
* Typically involves:
o Eyes – in 1-3% of all infections
o Muscle
o Subcutaneous tissue – nodules most common in patients from Asia and Africa than from Latin America

DIAGNOSIS
* Serologic testing
* Peripheral eosinophilia only if cyst is leaking
* CT scan or MRI
o Pathognomonic Lesion: Scolex – mural nodule within a cyst
* Brain biopsy (only in symptomatic patients with equivocal serology and radiologic tests)

SEROLOGIC TESTING
* ELISA
* Complement fixation (CF)
* Radioimmunoassay
* Enzyme linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (EITB) assay – test of choice

EITB ASSAY
* Enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot assay
* Test of choice for detecting anticysticercal antibodies
* Uses affinity-purified glycoprotein antigens
* Higher sensitivity (83-100%) and specificity (93-98%) than ELISA
* Can be performed on serum or CSF but has a higher sensitivity on serum.
* Detected 94% of pathologically confirmed NCC with 2 or more lesions compared to only 28% with a single lesion in one study.

CT VS MRI
* MRI preferred since it is more sensitive in detecting:
o small lesions
o brainstem or intraventricular lesions
o perilesional edema around calcific lesions
o scolex
o degenerative changes in the parasite
* CT scan cheaper and better at detecting:
o small areas of calcifications.
o cysticercal infestation of extraocular muscles.

* Perform CT scan first followed by MRI in patients with inconclusive findings or in those with negative CT scans where strong clinical suspicion persists.

PERUVIAN STUDY
POTENTIAL TREATMENTS
* Albendazole (15 mg/kg/day) X 15 days + corticosteroids (30-40 mg prednisolone or 12-16 mg dexamethasone daily) – per UpToDate
* Praziquantel (50 mg/kg/day) X 15 days + corticosteroids (30-40 mg prednisolone or 12-16 mg dexamethasone daily) – per UpToDate
* Corticosteroids alone
* Anticonvulsants in patients who present with seizures or are at high risk for seizures
* Surgery

ALBENDAZOLE VS PRAZIQUANTEL
* Albendazole
o Destroys 75-90% of parenchymal brain cysts
o Does not interact with anticonvulsants
o Levels not adversely affected w/ co-administration of corticosteroids
* Praziquantel
o Destroys 60-70% of cysts 3 months after administration
o Decreased efficacy compared to Albendazole
o Available for oral administration
o Does not cross the blood-brain barrier well, so CSF levels only approx 20% of plasma levels.
o Involves cytochrome P-450 hepatic metabolism, which is induced by corticosteroids, phenytoin, and phenobarbital

* No blinded randomized controlled trials comparing albendazole to praziquantel.
Because of the above, praziquantel is generally considered second-line therapy.

TREATMENT
* One randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
o 120 pts with living cysticerci in the brain and seizures treated with antiepileptic drugs
+ Randomized to either albendazole (800 mg qd) and dexamethasone (6 mg qd X 10 days) or double placebo
+ Followed for 30 months or until they were seizure-free for 6 months after tapering of antiepileptic drugs
o Results:
+ Resolution of intracranial cystic lesions more common in treatment arm
+ Number of patients experiencing generalized seizures declined in the treatment arm
+ No significant change between the two groups in patients experiencing partial seizures

NEUROCYSTICERCOSIS
* Treatment in those with:
o 5-50 cysts (both antiparasitic and steroids)
o Steroids alone in patients w/ > 50 cysts
* No Treatment in those with:
o Asymptomatic nonviable neurocysticercosis
o Calcified cysts
o Single viable cysts
o Fewer than 5 cysts

ANTICONVULSANTS
* Recommended for patients who present with seizures
* Should be stopped if patient remains seizure-free during therapy to see if the patient remains asymptomatic
* Should be reinitiated chronically if the patient has recurrent seizures
* Should be considered in patients w/ multiple cysts who have no history of seizure activity

SURGICAL INTERVENTION
* Used in some patients with intracranial hypertension
* Shunting improves hydrocephalus, although recurrent blockages of shunts common
* Surgical intervention recommended for cysts:
o Located in the 4th ventricle
o Attached to middle cerebral artery
o Compressing the optic chiasm
o Located in the spine

TREATMENT OF EXTRANEURAL CYSTICERCOSIS
* None if pt asymptomatic
* Surgical excision for intraocular disease
* Medical therapy for involvement of extraocular muscles or optic nerve.
* NSAIDs for patients w/ symptomatic subcutaneous or intramuscular lesions.
* Excision of solitary lesions if NSAIDs fail or not tolerated.

BEFORE INITIATING MEDS…
* Apply PPD.
* Consider treating with a single dose of ivermectin before beginning corticosteroids, as many patients have risk factors for strongyloidiasis.
* Consult ophthalmology to rule out ocular cysticercosis.

PATIENT MONITORING
* Intermittent surveillance w/ imaging until cyst(s) resolve(s).
o Perhaps every 3-6 months if patient improving or earlier if patient symptomatic.
* Reimaging of brain 2 months after completion of treatment
* Consider antiparasitic therapy if cysts growing off therapy

POSSIBLE PREVENTION
* Human Tapeworm Infections
o Inspection of pork for cysticerci
o Freezing or adequately cooking meat to destroy cysticerci
o Administering antiparasitic agents to pigs
* Infection in Pigs
o Confining animals and not allowing them to roam freely
o Improved sanitary conditions
* Egg Transmission to Humans
o Good personal hygiene and hand washing prior to food preparation
o Identifying human carriers of tapeworms
o Mass community programs to treat tapeworm carriers.
* Possible Vaccine – porcine vaccine currently in the works

TAKE HOME POINTS
* Cysticercosis caused by the larval stage of Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm
* Pay special attention if pt from Central and South America, sub-Saharan Africa, India, and Asia, as neurocysticercosis is the most common cause of adult-onset seizures in these endemic areas.
* Order Head CT first to diagnose neurocysticercosis; if negative and suspicion still high, order Brain MRI.
* EITB test of choice for serology.
* Place PPD before starting treatment.
* Obtain Ophthalmology consult before starting treatment.
* Albendazole and Dexamethasone comprise first-line treatment for symptomatic cysticercosis. Consider concurrent anticonvulsants if pt presents with seizures.

REFERENCES
* aapredbook.aappublications.org
* UpToDate.
* www.dpd.cdc.gov
* www.e-radiology.net
* www.parasite-diagnosis.ch
* www.stanford.edu/class/cysticercosis/symptoms

CYSTICERCOSIS.ppt

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02 April 2010

The Basal Ganglia



The Basal Ganglia

Outline
* Components of the basal ganglia
* Arrangement of basal ganglia components in the brain
* Architecture: cytology & neurochemistry
* Pathways & circuitry
* Function(s) of the basal ganglia
* Dysfunction and pathology
* Differences between human and rodent basal ganglia?

What are the Basal Ganglia?
The basal ganglia include…
* Neostriatum
o Caudate nucleus
o Putamen
o Nucleus Accumbens
* Globus Pallidus
o Internal segment
o External segment
o Ventral pallidum
* Subthalamic nucleus
* Substantia nigra
o Pars compacta
o Pars reticulata
* Pedunculopontine nucleus**
Subgroups of the basal ganglia
* Striatum
o Caudate nucleus
o Putamen
* Lenticular nuclei
o Globus pallidus
o Putamen
* Corpus striatum
o Caudate
o Lenticular nuclei

How are the basal ganglia arranged in the brain?
Caudate Nucleus
o C shaped structure
o Lateral wall of lateral ventricle
o Head, body and tail of caudate

Putamen and Globus Pallidus
* Putamen + Globus Pallidus = lentiform or lenticular nuclei
* Fills in space between the inferior horn and the anterior horn and body of the lateral ventricle.
* Gap between the lentiform nuclei and the lateral ventricle filled by the caudate nucleus.
* The posterior limb of the internal capsule separates the lentiform nuclei from the thalamus.

* Claustrum
* Septum pellucidum
* Insular cortex
* Corpus callosum
* Caudate nucleus
* Putamen
* Nucleus accumbens
* Internal capsule
* External capsule
* Extreme capsule
* Caudate nucleus
* Putamen
* Globus pallidus external (GPe)
* Globus pallidus internal (GPi)
* Ventral pallidum
* Anterior commissure
* Substantia innominata
* Internal capsule
* Lentiform nucleus**
* Caudate (Head, body, tail)
* Putamen
* GPe & GPi
* Lateral ventricle, anterior and temporal horn
* Internal capsule, anterior and posterior horn
* Caudate nucleus (body and tail)
* Putamen
* Globus pallidus
* Subthalamic nucleus
* Substantia nigra

- Pars compacta
- Pars reticulata
* Subthalamic nucleus
* Substantia nigra
* Globus pallidus external
* Subthalamic nucleus
* Substantia nigra
* Ventral tegmental area

Functions of the Basal Ganglia
* Extrapyramidal motor system
* Motor planning, sequencing and learning
* Striatal neuronal activity is not sufficiently explained by the stimuli presented or the movements performed
* Dependent on certain behavioral situations, certain conditions or particularly types of trials
+ -sensory stimuli but only when they elicit movements
+ -instruction cues (go-no go)
+ -memory related cues
+ -reward (especially ventral striatum)
+ -self-initiated moves
* Basal ganglia distinguished from cerebellum by connections with limbic system

Architecture of the basal ganglia: cellular and neurochemistry

Cytoarchitecture
* Main neurotransmitter in basal ganglia is GABA
* 95% of neurons in neostriatum are medium spiny neurons
o Contain GABA
o Principal neurons: project to globus pallidus and SNpr
o Subpopulations are distinguished by peptides, neurotransmitter receptors and connections
o Receive bulk of afferent input
* Several populations of interneurons
o aspiny
o ACh, somatostatin, GABA/parvalbumin
Neuronal circuitry of the basal ganglia
The Neostriatal Mosaic
* Neostriatum divided into two compartments:
patch (striosome) & matrix
* First described by Ann Graybiel in 1978 using AChE stain
* Not visible in Nissl stains (“hidden chemoarchitecture”)
* Define input/output architecture of neostriatum

Neostriatal Mosaic and Input/Output Organization
* Most inputs to the neostriatum terminate in a patchy fashion (“matrisomes”)
* Input from a given cortical region terminates over an extended anterior-posterior extent
* Functionally related cortical areas project to the same patches
* Output neurons to a given efferent subregion are also arranged in patches
* Neurons in patches project to both GPi/SNpr and GPe

Functional subdivisions
* Sensorimotor
o Putamen + globus pallidus/SNpr
o SNpc
* Association
o Caudate nucleus + globus pallidus/SNpr
o SNpc
* Limbic
o Nucleus accumbens + ventral pallidum
o VTA

Basal ganglia connections and pathways
Connections
* Afferents/inputs (neostriatum):
o Cerebral cortex (entire cortex)
o Thalamus (intralaminar and midline nuclei)
o Amygdala (basolateral nucleus)
o Raphe, substantia nigra pars compacta, VTA
* Efferents/output (GPi, VP, SNpr)
o Ventral tier nuclei of thalamus
o Subthalamic nucleus
o Superior colliculus
Organization of inputs to basal ganglia
Organization of basal ganglia outputs

All regions of cerebral cortex project to the basal ganglia, but output of basal ganglia is directed towards the frontal lobe, particularly pre-motor and supplementary motor cortex
Basic Circuit of Basal Ganglia

Neostriatum
GPi/SNpr
Cerebral Cortex
VA/VL thalamus
Direct vs. indirect pathways
* Different populations of spiny neurons
* Neuromodulators/co-transmitters
* Striosomes vs. matrix
* Dopamine receptor subtypes
Both

Recurrent loops
* Motor loop
o sensorimotor areas 1,2,3,4,5,6 -> putamen -> GP -> VA ->SMA
* Ocularmotor loop
o prefrontal cortex & ppc 9,12, 7 -> caudate -> GP -> VA -> frontal eye fields & SC
* Cognitive loop
o prefrontal cortical areas 9,12 -> caudate -> GP -> VA -> prefrontal cortex
* Limbic loop
o cingulate -> caudate (striosomes)-> GP -> MD -> ant. cingulate.
Topography is maintained within each loop!

Motor loop
Somatotopic subdivisions of the input remain segregated throughout the circuit.
Adapted from Rothwell, 1994; from Alexander and Crutcher, 1990
Processing in the basal ganglia
Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases
* Neurodegenerative diseases
* Motor dysfunction
* Brainwide pathology with focus on basal ganglia elements
* Genetic and/or environmental causes
Huntington’s Disease
Clinical symptoms
* Hyperkinetic & hemiballistic movements

Pathology hallmarks
* Striopallidal degeneration
* Decreased striatal volume
* Decrease in 5-HT1B receptors in ventral pallidum
Hyperkinetic hypothesis
* Reduced Glu (+) from STN to GPi, due either to STN lesions or reduced striatopallidal inhibitory influences along the in direct pathway lead to reduced inhibitory outflow from GPi/SNr and excessive disinhibition of the thalamus.
* Increased Glu (+) to cortical areas engaged by the motor circuit (SMA, PMC, MC) results in hyperkinetic movements.
Parkinson’s Disease
Clinical symptoms
* Hypokinetic movement
* Cogwheel rigidity

Pathology hallmarks
* Nigostriatal degeneration
* DA neuronal degeneration in SN
Hypokinetic hypothesis
* Inhibition of GPe within the indirect pathway leads to disinhibition of the STN
* Increased STN to the basal ganglia output nuclei (Gpi/SNr), leads to excessive thalamic inhibition.
* This is reinforced by reduced inhibitory input to Gpi/SNr through the direct pathway.
* Overall result is a reduction in reinforcing influence of the motor circuit upon cortically initiated movements.

PD Therapeutics: The approaches
* Pharmacology
o DA, mGluR, MAO(B) inhibitors, antioxidants, iron chelators
* Surgical
o Pallidal ablation
o DBS of globus pallidus or STN
* Transplantation
o Fibroblast cells
o Stem cells
* Vaccines
* RNA interference (RNAI)-based treatments

DBS: Deep Brain Stimulation of STN
Common themes in neurodegeneration
* Neurotoxicity
* Inflammation (glia)
* Apoptosis
* Abnormal protein aggregation
Thank you!
Notable differences between basal ganglia of human and rodents …..
There are differences in:
* Divisions & nomenclature
* Proportions
* Topography of afferent and efferent projections
Globus pallidus and entopeduncular nucleus (rodent)
vs.
Globus pallidus (external) and Globus pallidus (internal) (primate)
Regional proportion by volume
(% of total volume)
Spinal Cord

Major projection differences

* Neurons projecting to the motor and associative striatum
o Rats: reside in distinct regions
o Primates: arranged in interdigitating clusters.
* Terminal fields of projections arising from the motor and associative striatum
o rats: largely segregated
o Primates: not segregated
* Organization of patch- and matrix-projecting dopamine cells
o Rats: organized in spatially, morphologically, and histochemically distinct ventral and dorsal tiers,
o Primates: no (bi)division of the dopaminergic system that results in two areas which have all the characteristics of the two tiers in rats.

The Basal Ganglia.ppt
http://login.ncmir.ucsd.edThe Basal Ganglia

Outline
* Components of the basal ganglia
* Arrangement of basal ganglia components in the brain
* Architecture: cytology & neurochemistry
* Pathways & circuitry
* Function(s) of the basal ganglia
* Dysfunction and pathology
* Differences between human and rodent basal ganglia?

What are the Basal Ganglia?
The basal ganglia include…
* Neostriatum
o Caudate nucleus
o Putamen
o Nucleus Accumbens
* Globus Pallidus
o Internal segment
o External segment
o Ventral pallidum
* Subthalamic nucleus
* Substantia nigra
o Pars compacta
o Pars reticulata
* Pedunculopontine nucleus**
Subgroups of the basal ganglia
* Striatum
o Caudate nucleus
o Putamen
* Lenticular nuclei
o Globus pallidus
o Putamen
* Corpus striatum
o Caudate
o Lenticular nuclei

How are the basal ganglia arranged in the brain?
Caudate Nucleus
o C shaped structure
o Lateral wall of lateral ventricle
o Head, body and tail of caudate

Putamen and Globus Pallidus
* Putamen + Globus Pallidus = lentiform or lenticular nuclei
* Fills in space between the inferior horn and the anterior horn and body of the lateral ventricle.
* Gap between the lentiform nuclei and the lateral ventricle filled by the caudate nucleus.
* The posterior limb of the internal capsule separates the lentiform nuclei from the thalamus.

* Claustrum
* Septum pellucidum
* Insular cortex
* Corpus callosum
* Caudate nucleus
* Putamen
* Nucleus accumbens
* Internal capsule
* External capsule
* Extreme capsule
* Caudate nucleus
* Putamen
* Globus pallidus external (GPe)
* Globus pallidus internal (GPi)
* Ventral pallidum
* Anterior commissure
* Substantia innominata
* Internal capsule
* Lentiform nucleus**
* Caudate (Head, body, tail)
* Putamen
* GPe & GPi
* Lateral ventricle, anterior and temporal horn
* Internal capsule, anterior and posterior horn
* Caudate nucleus (body and tail)
* Putamen
* Globus pallidus
* Subthalamic nucleus
* Substantia nigra

- Pars compacta
- Pars reticulata
* Subthalamic nucleus
* Substantia nigra
* Globus pallidus external
* Subthalamic nucleus
* Substantia nigra
* Ventral tegmental area

Functions of the Basal Ganglia
* Extrapyramidal motor system
* Motor planning, sequencing and learning
* Striatal neuronal activity is not sufficiently explained by the stimuli presented or the movements performed
* Dependent on certain behavioral situations, certain conditions or particularly types of trials
+ -sensory stimuli but only when they elicit movements
+ -instruction cues (go-no go)
+ -memory related cues
+ -reward (especially ventral striatum)
+ -self-initiated moves
* Basal ganglia distinguished from cerebellum by connections with limbic system

Architecture of the basal ganglia: cellular and neurochemistry

Cytoarchitecture
* Main neurotransmitter in basal ganglia is GABA
* 95% of neurons in neostriatum are medium spiny neurons
o Contain GABA
o Principal neurons: project to globus pallidus and SNpr
o Subpopulations are distinguished by peptides, neurotransmitter receptors and connections
o Receive bulk of afferent input
* Several populations of interneurons
o aspiny
o ACh, somatostatin, GABA/parvalbumin
Neuronal circuitry of the basal ganglia
The Neostriatal Mosaic
* Neostriatum divided into two compartments:
patch (striosome) & matrix
* First described by Ann Graybiel in 1978 using AChE stain
* Not visible in Nissl stains (“hidden chemoarchitecture”)
* Define input/output architecture of neostriatum

Neostriatal Mosaic and Input/Output Organization
* Most inputs to the neostriatum terminate in a patchy fashion (“matrisomes”)
* Input from a given cortical region terminates over an extended anterior-posterior extent
* Functionally related cortical areas project to the same patches
* Output neurons to a given efferent subregion are also arranged in patches
* Neurons in patches project to both GPi/SNpr and GPe

Functional subdivisions
* Sensorimotor
o Putamen + globus pallidus/SNpr
o SNpc
* Association
o Caudate nucleus + globus pallidus/SNpr
o SNpc
* Limbic
o Nucleus accumbens + ventral pallidum
o VTA

Basal ganglia connections and pathways
Connections
* Afferents/inputs (neostriatum):
o Cerebral cortex (entire cortex)
o Thalamus (intralaminar and midline nuclei)
o Amygdala (basolateral nucleus)
o Raphe, substantia nigra pars compacta, VTA
* Efferents/output (GPi, VP, SNpr)
o Ventral tier nuclei of thalamus
o Subthalamic nucleus
o Superior colliculus
Organization of inputs to basal ganglia
Organization of basal ganglia outputs

All regions of cerebral cortex project to the basal ganglia, but output of basal ganglia is directed towards the frontal lobe, particularly pre-motor and supplementary motor cortex
Basic Circuit of Basal Ganglia

Neostriatum
GPi/SNpr
Cerebral Cortex
VA/VL thalamus
Direct vs. indirect pathways
* Different populations of spiny neurons
* Neuromodulators/co-transmitters
* Striosomes vs. matrix
* Dopamine receptor subtypes
Both

Recurrent loops
* Motor loop
o sensorimotor areas 1,2,3,4,5,6 -> putamen -> GP -> VA ->SMA
* Ocularmotor loop
o prefrontal cortex & ppc 9,12, 7 -> caudate -> GP -> VA -> frontal eye fields & SC
* Cognitive loop
o prefrontal cortical areas 9,12 -> caudate -> GP -> VA -> prefrontal cortex
* Limbic loop
o cingulate -> caudate (striosomes)-> GP -> MD -> ant. cingulate.
Topography is maintained within each loop!

Motor loop
Somatotopic subdivisions of the input remain segregated throughout the circuit.
Adapted from Rothwell, 1994; from Alexander and Crutcher, 1990
Processing in the basal ganglia
Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases
* Neurodegenerative diseases
* Motor dysfunction
* Brainwide pathology with focus on basal ganglia elements
* Genetic and/or environmental causes
Huntington’s Disease
Clinical symptoms
* Hyperkinetic & hemiballistic movements

Pathology hallmarks
* Striopallidal degeneration
* Decreased striatal volume
* Decrease in 5-HT1B receptors in ventral pallidum
Hyperkinetic hypothesis
* Reduced Glu (+) from STN to GPi, due either to STN lesions or reduced striatopallidal inhibitory influences along the in direct pathway lead to reduced inhibitory outflow from GPi/SNr and excessive disinhibition of the thalamus.
* Increased Glu (+) to cortical areas engaged by the motor circuit (SMA, PMC, MC) results in hyperkinetic movements.
Parkinson’s Disease
Clinical symptoms
* Hypokinetic movement
* Cogwheel rigidity

Pathology hallmarks
* Nigostriatal degeneration
* DA neuronal degeneration in SN
Hypokinetic hypothesis
* Inhibition of GPe within the indirect pathway leads to disinhibition of the STN
* Increased STN to the basal ganglia output nuclei (Gpi/SNr), leads to excessive thalamic inhibition.
* This is reinforced by reduced inhibitory input to Gpi/SNr through the direct pathway.
* Overall result is a reduction in reinforcing influence of the motor circuit upon cortically initiated movements.

PD Therapeutics: The approaches
* Pharmacology
o DA, mGluR, MAO(B) inhibitors, antioxidants, iron chelators
* Surgical
o Pallidal ablation
o DBS of globus pallidus or STN
* Transplantation
o Fibroblast cells
o Stem cells
* Vaccines
* RNA interference (RNAI)-based treatments

DBS: Deep Brain Stimulation of STN
Common themes in neurodegeneration
* Neurotoxicity
* Inflammation (glia)
* Apoptosis
* Abnormal protein aggregation
Thank you!
Notable differences between basal ganglia of human and rodents …..
There are differences in:
* Divisions & nomenclature
* Proportions
* Topography of afferent and efferent projections
Globus pallidus and entopeduncular nucleus (rodent)
vs.
Globus pallidus (external) and Globus pallidus (internal) (primate)
Regional proportion by volume
(% of total volume)
Spinal Cord

Major projection differences

* Neurons projecting to the motor and associative striatum
o Rats: reside in distinct regions
o Primates: arranged in interdigitating clusters.
* Terminal fields of projections arising from the motor and associative striatum
o rats: largely segregated
o Primates: not segregated
* Organization of patch- and matrix-projecting dopamine cells
o Rats: organized in spatially, morphologically, and histochemically distinct ventral and dorsal tiers,
o Primates: no (bi)division of the dopaminergic system that results in two areas which have all the characteristics of the two tiers in rats.

The Basal Ganglia.ppt

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Anxiety Disorders



Anxiety Disorders

* Panic disorder
o Can be induced by lactate or CO2 in PD sufferers (only occasionally in normal people)
o Increased activity in parahippocampal gyrus,
o Decreased activity in anterior temporal cortex & amygdala (seems odd!)
o May have 3, rather than 2, repeats of a section on chromosome 15
+ Also have joint laxity (bend too far)

* Treatments for panic disorder
o Benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium)
+ Increase frequency of Cl- channel openings in response to GABA
+ Have little or no effect alone: safer than barbiturates
+ Allopregnanolone = endogenous agonist at benzodiazepine binding site.
o Buspirone (Buspar): 5-HT1a agonist (GI/O)
o SSRIs: fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil)

Benzodiazepine receptors in brain
PTSD
* Monozygotic > dizogotic concordance
o Genetics 1/3 of variance
* NMDA mechanisms in amygdala
o May mediate both the conditioning and the extinction
+ NMDA antagonists in amygdala prevent extinction
+ Hippocampus and PFC also lose effectiveness in extinction
* Not due to high levels of glucocorticoids:
o Usually PTSD sufferers have LOWER than normal cortisol levels, despite high CRH
+ Maybe it’s the high CRH that  symptoms
+ Or maybe it’s increased responsiveness to CRH or cortisol
* Individual differences in responsiveness to trauma
* Sometimes treated with β NE antagonists (propranolol) or protein synthesis inhibitors soon after the trauma or during recall of the trauma
OCD
* Increased metabolism in orbitofrontal cortex, cingulate, and caudate nuclei.
* Decreased REM latency (~ to depression)
* At least 2 gene polymorphisms:
o For BDNF, 5-HT2A receptor
* Treatment: SSRIs
Cingulotomy to treat OCD
Tourette’s Syndrome
* In many ways opposite Parkinson’s disease
* Treated with dopamine antagonists
* Monozygotic concordance: 53-77%; dizygotic concordance: 8-23%
* Witty Ticcy Ray (by Oliver Sacks): “We Touretters…are forced into levity by our Tourette’s and forced into gravity when we take Haldol….You have a natural balance: we must make the best of an artificial balance.”

THE NIGROSTRIATAL AND MESOLIMBIC DOPAMINE SYSTEMS
* Nigrostriatal and mesolimbic tracts are parallel.
o Begin in midbrain (substantia nigra & ventral tegmental area, VTA)
o End in dorsal (caudate & putamen) and ventral (N. accumbens) striatum
o Cortico-striato-pallido-thalamic-cortical loops

Nigrostriatal system
* Plans and triggers self-initiated movements
* Adjusts posture
* Degeneration  Parkinson’s disease
o Tremor at rest
o Difficulty initiating movements

Mesolimbic system
* Increases responsiveness to external and internal stimuli
* Motivation
* Motor activity
* Reward
* Drug addiction
* Schizophrenia
Nigrostriatal dopamine tract
Mesolimbic dopamine tract

Direct pathway
* Positive feedback loop
* Cortical areas that initiated the activity are further excited.
* 2 consecutive inhibitory influences
* Then an excitatory influence
* Stimulating the first inhibitory path inhibits the second inhibitory path: disinhibits the excitatory path.

Sensorimotor Cortex
Striatum
Direct pathway
* Stimulate putamen
* Inhibits GPi/SNr
via D1 receptors
Sensorimotor Cortex
Striatum
Direct Pathway
When putamen inhibits
GPi/SNr, VL/VA
is disinhibited.
Thus, VL/VA excites
sensory motor cortex.
Indirect Pathway
Negative feedback
Begins with 2
inhibitory paths:
1. Putamen to GPe
2. GPe to STN
Sensorimotor Cortex
Indirect Pathway
Those inhibitory paths disinhibit an excitatory path.
But that exc. path ends on another inhibitory path!
Function
* Direct path excites cortex; indirect path inhibits it: opposing functions.
* May “sharpen” influence on behavior
o (similar to “sharpening” receptive fields).
* May provide greater control over movement
o (similar to having both EPSPs and IPSPs on same neuron).

Effects of Dopamine
* D1 receptors excite the Direct Pathway
o (i.e., increase excitation of the cortex).
* D2 receptors inhibit the Indirect Pathway
o (i.e., decrease the inhibition of thalamus and therefore increase excitation of cortex).
* Therefore, both effects increase excitation of cortex
o (i.e., increase either movement or motivation).

The Mesolimbic System
* Circuit is parallel to nigrostriatal system:
o Direct and indirect pathways
o Prefrontal cortex vs. sensory motor
o N. accumbens (ventral striatum), vs. caudate & putamen (dorsal striatum)
o Ventral pallidum vs. GPi and GPe
o Mediodorsal thalamus vs. VL/VA
Prefrontal Cortex
VP normally inhibits

Effects of Dopamine
* D1 receptors excite the Direct Pathway
o (i.e., increase excitation of the cortex).
* D2 receptors inhibit the Indirect Pathway
o (i.e., decrease the inhibition of thalamus and therefore increase excitation of cortex).
* Therefore, both effects increase excitation of cortex
o (i.e., increase either movement or motivation).

Glutamate/DA balance in schizophrenia
* Cortical or hippocampal hypofunction may  decrease glutamate in NAcc and striatum
* decrease tonic DA release
* increase DA receptor sensitivity
* hyperresponsive to phasic input

Anxiety Disorders.ppt

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Movement Disorders



Movement Disorders

* Background
o AKA Extrapyramidal Disorders
o These disorders impair the regulation of voluntary motor activity w/o affecting the strength, sensation, or cerebellar fcn.
o Result from dysfunction of the basal ganglia
+ Caudate
+ Putamen
+ Globus Pallidus
+ Subthalamic Nucleus
+ Substantia Nigra
+ Lentiform Nucleus
# Putamen & Globus Pallidus
+ Corpus Striatum
# Lentiform Nucleus + Caudate Nucleus
* Basal Ganglia Circuitry (Fig 7-1)
o Corticocortical Loop:
Cerebral Cortex
Caudate & Putamen
Internal Segment
Globus Pallidus
Thalamus
* Basal Ganglia Circuitry (Fig 7-1)
o Nigrostriatal Loop:
Substantia Nigra
Caudate & Putamen
* Basal Ganglia Circuitry (Fig 7-1)
o Striatalpallidal Loop:
Caudate & Putamen
External Segment
Globus Pallidus
Subthalamic Nuclei
Internal Segment
Globus Pallidus
* Types of Abnormal Movements
o Tremor: rhythmic movement characterized by when it occurs
+ Postural Tremor
# During sustained posture
+ Intention Tremor
# During movement; absent at rest
+ Resting Tremor
# At rest
o Chorea: irregular muscle jerks
+ Florid Cases
# Fully developed
# Forceful movements of limbs, head, facial grimacing, & tongue movements
+ Mild Cases
# Characterized by:
* Clumsiness
* Milkmaid grasp
* Absent in sleep
o Hemiballismus
+ Unilateral Chorea
+ Involves the proximal muscles
+ Vascular disease of contralateral subthalamic nucleus
o Athetosis
+ Continued slow, sinuous, & writhing movements
o Dystonia: sustained athetotic movements
+ Segmental Dystonia
# Affects one or more limbs
+ Focal Dystonia
# Affects localized muscle groups
+ Palliative/Provocative
+ Causes
o Myoclonus
+ Definition
+ Classification
+ Generalized: widespread
# Physiological
# Essential
# Epileptic
# Symptomatic
+ Segmental: more localized
o Tics
+ Definition
+ Palliative/Provocative
+ Types
# Transient Simple: common in children, resolve w/I 1 yr
# Chronic: any age, no tx
# Persistent Simple or Multiple: onset before 15 yoa, resolve in adults
# Chronic Multiple: Tourette’s Sydrome
* Hypokinetic Movement Disorders
o Parkinson’s Disease
* Hyperkinetic Movement Disorders
o Huntington’s Disease
o Wilson’s Disease
o Tourette’s Syndrome
o Restless Leg Syndrome
* Parkinson’s Disease - Hypokinetic
o Defined as a syndrome consisting of variable combination of tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and characteristic disturbance of gait and posture
o Onset: mid-late life; mean age is 57 yrs
o Epidemiology:
+ Affects all ethnicities
+ has equal M/F distribution
+ occurs 1-2 per 1,000 people in general population
+ occurs 1 per 100 people that are over 65 yrs
+ 4th most common disease in the elderly
* Parkinson’s Disease - Hypokinetic
o Cause: unknown
o Pathophysiology:
+ Loss of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra
# Dopamine’s normal function
+ Over excitation of the caudate & putamen
+ Over excitation of the corticospinal tracts
+ Oscilation of feedback
+ Decrease in thalamic excitation of the motor cortex
o Four Hallmark Signs
+ Resting Tremor (Pill-Rolling)
+ Rigidity (Lead-Pipe or Cogwheel)
+ Bradykinesia
+ Flexed Posture with shuffling gait (Festinating)
o Examination:
+ History
+ Phsyical Findings:
# Passive movement
# Muscle Strength
# Sensory
# Deep Tendon Reflexes
# Autonomic
# Myerson’s Sign
# Pull Test
o Diagnosis:
+ Four Hallmark signs
+ Tremor is absent in 30% of patients
o Differential Diagnosis
+ Involuntary tremor vs. Intentional tremor
+ Depression
+ Wilson’s Disease
+ Huntington’s Disease
o A neurodegenerative disorder which predominately has behavioral, cognitive, or signs
o Onset: Usually begins during adult life
o Epidemiology:
+ 5-10 per 100,000 in the US
+ 50% chance to pass on the disorder
+ Anticipation
+ Paternal Descent
* Huntington’s Disease – Hyperkinetic
o Cause: Autosomal Dominant Disorder
o Pathophysiology:
+ Mutation on chromosome 4: CAG repeats
+ CAG Normal Function: codes for glutamine
+ Over-expression of the gene: i.e. excess glutamine
+ Uncertainty?
* Huntington’s Disease – Hyperkinetic
o Cause: Autosomal Dominant Disorder
o Pathophysiology:
+ Pathological Changes
# Atrophy & neuronal degeneration of cortex
# Hallmark: caudate atrophy
+ Projected Conclusion?
# Over activity
# Under activity
o Examination:
+ Physical Findings
# Initial Findings
* Gradual onset
* Slowed saccadic movements 1st sign
* In 85% chorea is predominate movement disorder
# Juvenile Form
* AKA The Westphal Variant
* Rigidity & bradykinesia
* Tremors, Dystonic postures, & Ataxia
* Mental retardation, Seizures, & myoclonus
o Examination:
+ Physical Findings
# Adult Onset
* Prominent chorea
* Bradykinesia
* Postural reflex compromise
# Terminal Phase
* Dysarthria, dysphagia, & respiratory difficulties
# General
* Cognitive impairment
* Depression
* Psychiatric disorders
* Wilson’s Disease – Hyperkinetic
o Onset
+ Hepatic Dysfunction – 11 yoa
+ Neurological Dysfunction – 19 yoa
o Epidemiology
+ Rare
+ 1 in 40,000 people
o Cause: Autosomal Recessive Disorder
o Pathophysiology
+ Abnormal copper metabolism
+ Deposition of copper in tissues
o Examination
+ Physical Findings
# Children: hepatic dysfunction predominates
* Sardonic Smile
* Behavioral problems
# Adults: neurological dysfunction predominates
* Parkinsonian features
# General
* Hallmark: Kayser-Fleischer Rings
* 1/3 experience psychiatric symptoms
* Other ocular abnormalities
* Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome – Hyperkinetic
o Diagnosed when childhood onset tics are multifocal, motor or vocal, lasting longer than 1 yr and naturally wax and wane
o Cause: unknown
o Onset: 2-21 yoa
o Male predilection
* Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome – Hyperkinetic
o Examination
+ Physical Findings
# Simple Tics
* Motor: blinking, facial grimacing, shoulder shrugging
* Vocal: throat clearing, grunting, snorting, barking
# Complex Tics
* Motor: hopping, skipping, Echopraxia
* Vocal: Coprolalia, Echolalia, Palilalia
* Restless Legs Syndrome – Hyperkinetic
o Common movement disorder
o Diagnostic Criteria
# Desire to move limbs which is associated with unpleasant sensations
# Restlessness
# Worsening of symptoms @ rest w/ temporary relief w/ movement
# Worsening of symptoms @ night
* Restless Legs Syndrome – Hyperkinetic
o Common Descriptions
+ Always unpleasant, but not necessarily painful
+ Need to move
+ Crawling
+ Tingling
+ Itching
+ Restless

Movement Disorders.ppt

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29 March 2010

Placebo Control: What is it? Why do we use it? Is it ethical?



Placebo Control: What is it? Why do we use it? Is it ethical?
By:Tom Talbot, MD MPH
Vanderbilt School of Medicine

Placebo
* Placebo = “I shall please”
* Pharmocologically inert substances used to satisfy patients that something being done for them (“please the patient”)
* “Any therapeutic procedure (or that component of any therapeutic procedure) which is given deliberately to have an effect, or unknowingly has an effect on a patient, symptom, syndrome, or disease, but which is objectively without specific activity for the condition being treated. The therapeutic procedure may be given with or without the conscious knowledge that the procedure is a placebo, may be an active (non-inert) or inactive (inert) procedure, and includes, therefore, all medical procedures no matter how specific – oral and parenteral medications, topical preparations, inhalants, and mechanical, surgical, and psycho-therapeutic procedures. The placebo must be differentiated from the placebo effect which may or may not occur and which may be favorable or unfavorable. The placebo effect is defined as the changes produced by placebos. The placebo is also used to describe an adequate control in research.” -- Shapiro

Placebo: Why Use it?
* Need to control for therapeutic aspects of prescribing a medication or procedure not directly due to the medication or procedure itself
* i.e. . . . The Placebo Effect

Placebo: History
* First placebo-controlled trial:
o Sanocrysin vs. distilled water to treat TB
o 1931
The Story of Kebrozion
* Pt. with lymphosarcoma
* Patient given Kebrozion
* “The tumor masses had melted like snowballs on a hot stove, and in only a few days, they were half their original size!”
* 2 months later – Kebrozion outed
* Pt given a “new form” of Kebrozion
* Water injections
* Tumors resolved remission
* 2 months later: AMA – “This stuff’s worthless”
* Pt. returns in extremis and dies

Kebrozion, Pt 2
Issues
* Does use of placebo remove access to effective standard of care?
* Is a trial that does not use placebo arm scientifically rigorous?
* Does use of a placebo sacrifice ethics and an individual patient’s welfare?

Placebo-Control: PROS
* Need placebo control to insure validity
Placebo-Control: PROS
* Need placebo control to insure validity
* Argue that no drug should be approved for patient use if it is not clearly superior to placebo or no treatment
* Scientifically invalid research is itself unethical
* Harm and discomfort nonexistent or small in some cases

Placebo-Control: PROS
* Places patients at less risk of harm due to need for smaller numbers for placebo-controlled trials
o Greater power with smaller numbers than noninferiority trial
o Many more exposed to drug in non- placebo trial
* FDA:
o Placebo controls required for disorders of moderate severity and pain
o Beta-blocker not approved for angina (even though it was shown to be as efficacious as proven tx) due to lack of placebo comparison
* Unethical to withhold effective treatment
* Places demands of science ahead of right and well-being of patients
* Your study question has to change:
o Is the new drug better than proven effective therapy?

Placebo-Control: CONS
* Patients are owed medical care for ailments when they present to healthcare providers
* Not truly testing therapy against “no treatment” placebo effect
Rothman KJ et al NEJM 1994;331:394 Enserink M Science 2000;490:418-9
* Declaration of Helsinki:
o “Every patient -- including those of a control group, if any -- should be assured of the best proven diagnostic and therapeutic method.”
o 2000 Revision: Placebos may be used only when there are no other therapies available for comparison with a test procedure
* “Concedes to individual investigators and to IRBs the right to determine how much discomfort or temporary disability patients should endure for the purpose of research”
Clinician/Physician Clinical Researcher
Ethical?
* Subjects: Cancer patients
* Intervention: Odansetron vs. placebo
* Indication: Post-chemotherapy emesis and nausea
* ? Proven effective therapy for nausea
* Subjects: Men with hair loss
* Intervention: Compound X vs. placebo
* Indication: Prevent hair loss
* ? Lack of sequelae from placebo use
* Subjects: Pts. with depression
* Intervention: Compound X vs. placebo
* Indication: Reduction in depressive sx.
* ? Places placebo pts. at risk for severe sequelae of depression

Ethical Balance
* Valid research vs. Undue harm
Validity Minimize Risk
Ethical Balance Validity
Minimize Risk
* Valid research vs. Undue harm
Placebo-Control and Procedures/Surgery
“A Controlled Trial of Arthroscopic Surgery for Osteoarthritis of the Knee”
* Randomized, PLACEBO-controlled trial
* Endpoint: Pain in study knee
* Placebo:
o Did not receive general anesthesia
o Knee prepped, draped
o Three 1cm incisions made
o Knee manipulated as if arthroscopy performed
o No instruments entered the incisions
Placebo-Control and Procedures/Surgery
* Informed Consent:
o Explained study thoroughly
o Subjects had to write the following:
+ “On entering this study, I realize that I may receive only placebo surgery. I further realize that this means that I will not have surgery on my knee joint. This placebo surgery will not benefit my knee arthritis.”
o 44% declined
So . . . What do you think? Is this ethical?
Placebo-Control and Procedures/Surgery
* Placebo is not necessarily without risk
* Placebo surgery “violates an essential standard for research: the requirement to minimize the risk of harm to subjects.”
* Again – is there harm in performing an unvalidated procedure?
* Does the risk exceed that of other research procedures from which the subject does not receive benefit?
o Bronchoscopy in healthy adults
o Placement of P-A catheter in non-critically- ill subjects
o Muscle biopsy in healthy adults
* Must be informed
* Must be told that misleading tactics may be used
* Must not be misled about the chances of receiving the sham procedure
* Must be debriefed after study complete and unblinded
* Arthroscopy Study Results:
o No difference in pain scores
o The surgery itself had been causing undue risk (and cost – $3.25 billion/year)
o Without the placebo-controlled study, this would never had been discovered

Cultural Issues and Placebo-Control
* What about when conducting research in other countries?
* “Standard of care” is different due to:
o Access to meds
o Access to healthcare
o Basic infrastructure issues
o Cultural beliefs
* Prevention of fetal-maternal transmission of HIV
* Population: African women
* Intervention: Short course AZT vs. placebo
* Problem: AZT shown effective (longer course)
* Critics: Withheld effective, morbidity-reducing treatment
* Supporters: “Standard of care” in the country was no meds – no money or availability

Cultural Issues and Placebo-Control – Ethical?
* Generally felt that the cultural “standard of care” for studies in developing countries should be that of the investigator’s host country

THE USE OF PLACEBO
Placebo Acceptable If . . .
* Use of placebo does not impair health or cause “severe” discomfort
* Existing therapies only partly effective or have very serious side effects
* Low frequency of condition – would prevent enrollment for a larger trial
* Participants at risk of harm from nonresponse are excluded
* Placebo period is a limited to minimum required
* Careful monitoring is insured
* Explicit withdrawal criteria for AE
* Informed consent explicit as to why placebo should be used
* Improved survival or prevention of irreversible morbidity does not exist for any therapy
Questions

Placebo Control: What is it? Why do we use it? Is it ethical?.ppt

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MRI Safety and Policies & Procedures



MRI Safety and Policies & Procedures

Magnet Safety at ALL TIMES
Outline
Understanding Magnets
o Your role in MR Safety
o Metallic Screening
o Screening Patients / Colleagues
o Other Safety Considerations

What to do in Emergencies
MRI Department Policies and Procedures
Preview MRI Safety Videotape

Magnetism / Magnets
* All substances possess some form of magnetism.
* The degree of magnetism exhibited depends on the atoms that make-up the substance.
* Magnetic susceptibility is the ability of a substance to become magnetized.
* Ferromagnetic substances, such as iron have a large magnetic susceptibility, it is easily magnetized permanently and becomes a magnet itself.
* All magnets have a North and a South pole.
* All magnets have a “fringe” magnetic field which exists in the vicinity surrounding the magnet.

Magnetic Fringe Fields
* The fringe magnetic field is the magnetic field which exists in the vicinity surrounding the magnet.
* This field may extend many meters from the magnet itself.
* These imaginary lines of force demonstrate the pattern of the magnetic field.
* Safety and operational concerns make it necessary to contain the fringe field to a small area.
* Magnetic fields are measured in units of Gauss or Tesla.

MRI Safety at ALL TIMES
A STATIC MAGNETIC FIELD IS ALWAYS PRESENT 24hrs/day, 365 days/yr. EVEN WHEN NOT IN USE.
ANY PERSON USING THE MAGNET MUST BE CERTIFIED AFTER ATTENDING THE MRI SAFETY TRAINING CLASS.
ONE MUST BE TRAINED ON THE SCANNER INTERFACE BEFORE SCANNING.

What is your role in MR Safety?
The greatest risk of injury and damage to the system results from:
o Misuse or abuse of the MR equipment
o Failure to comply with recommended safety procedures
o Lack of proper inspection and maintenance of the MR equipment

Who should know MR Safety?
All in-house personnel that have reason to enter the MR suite area should be trained in MR safety procedures:
o MR technologists, students, researchers, transporters and other medical personnel
o Maintenance and janitorial personnel
All personnel must be thoroughly briefed about the potential risks involved and reminded not to bring any ferromagnetic items into the magnetic field.

Examples of items in-house personnel may have that can become projectiles if brought into the magnetic field

Tool Kits
Clipboards, Metal Pens
Tools
Gurneys, Wheelchairs
Vacuum Cleaners
Oxygen Cylinders
Buffers
Stethoscopes
Buckets
Scalpels, Syringes, Needles
Dustpans
Scissors, Hemostats
Maintenance & Janitorial personnel
MR technologists, students, researchers, transporters & other medical personnel

Who should know MR Safety?
Public safety forces that may respond to the MR suite for an emergency must also know the potential hazards of the MR equipment.
o Law enforcement personnel
o Fire department personnel

A person from the MR site should discuss the possible hazards with these people and provide them with handouts that will reinforce the information.

Examples of items public safety forces may have that can become projectiles if brought into the magnetic field
Breathing apparatus
Fire Extinguishers
Flashlights
Pike poles
Clipboards
Nozzles
Handcuffs
Hose couplings
Knives
Axes
Guns
Fire Department personnel
Law enforcement personnel

MRI Safety - Projectiles
* Projectile effects of metal objects seriously compromise safety. The potential harm cannot be over emphasized.
* Many types of clinical equipment are ferromagnetic and should never be brought into the scan room.
* Items may be tested for magnetic susceptibility with a hand-held magnet located at each MR station.

Metal Objects Becoming Projectiles
Fatal Accidents CAN Happen!
Patient Emergencies
Should a condition exist where the patient is having a medical emergency, all efforts must be made to quickly and safely remove the patient from the scan room.
Once the patient is removed from the MR scan room, close the door to prevent re-entry.
Under no circumstances should a “code team” be allowed to enter the scan room without proper screening!
Controlled Access Area
Although not detectable by the human senses, a magnetic field can be dangerous to equipment and to people.
Since a magnet is always “at field,” safety procedures must be followed to prevent accidents.
For the safety of patients and personnel, controlled access areas are established.

Controlled Access Area
* These areas are established for the safety of patients and personnel.
* The area is labeled with the use of warning signs and markings to prevent the entry of ferromagnetic objects into the controlled access area and to limit the access of individuals with medical implants near high magnetic fields.
* Public access begins at the 5 gauss line (0.5mT).

Equipment / Personal Items
The magnetic field can seriously damage or impair the operation of equipment or personal items such as:
o Oscilloscopes (slow moving electron beams)
o Camera
o Watches
o Credit / Bank cards
o Hearing Aids
o Hair Accessories, Belt Buckles, Shoes

Screening Procedures
* At least one MR operator must screen the patient for possible contraindications that could affect the MR scan. See Patient History and Safety Screening form.
* Check implanted devices in the Reference Manual for Magnetic Resonance Safety by Frank Shellock, Ph.D. or by using MRIsafety.com
Example of MRI Metal Screening Sheet
Screening Procedures
Static magnetic fields can alter the operation of electrically and mechanically operated implants and must remain outside the 5 gauss line.
Pregnant medical personnel should take precautions and remain outside of the magnet room during scanning.
Questions about implants not found in reference material should be discussed with a licensed, MRI technologist or a radiologist before allowing the patient to be scanned.
Absolute Contraindications
* Cardiac Pacemakers (except in rare, controlled environments)
* Cochlear (inner ear) implants
* Swan-Ganz catheters with thermodilution tips
* Ferromagnetic or unidentifiable aneurysm clips of the brain
* Implanted neuro stimulators
* Metal or unidentifiable foreign bodies in the eyes
* Shrapnel near a vital organ
Bioeffects
There is no conclusive evidence for irreversible or harmful bioeffects in humans below 3.0T.
Reversible abnormalities may include but are not limited to:
o Localized tissue and core body temperature heating
o Cutaneous sensations (tingling)
o Peripheral nerve stimulation (involuntary muscle contractions)
o Burn hazards
* Burn Hazards are caused by damaged hardware or by electrical currents produced in conductive loops of material.
* Localized heating is caused by RF irradiation energy absorption to a volume of tissue.
* Dissipation of the absorbed RF energy is described in terms of Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), measured in watts/kg.
* SAR is calculated by the patient’s weight and the expected increase in body temperature for each imaging pulse sequence.
* Patients with poor thermo-regulatory systems must be carefully monitored.
Acoustic Noise
The MR scanner can produce very high acoustic noise levels.
Some patients may experience discomfort from the associated noise of the scanner.
Prior to scanning, it is strongly recommended that earplugs be provided to the patient to reduce the noise level by at least 25dB.

Operating Safely
When operating the MR equipment, be attentive to the following abnormal conditions:
* Louder-than-normal motor noises
* Sparks
* Components overheating
* Smoke or odors coming from the electronic equipment or from within the scan room.
Do not operate equipment with protective panels opened or removed, there is risk of electric shock and can cause image artifacts.

Magnetic Field / Scan Room Emergencies
If an emergency situation arises, you may need to quickly bring down the patient systems and remove power from the MR system.
The nature of the emergency will dictate which procedure you follow. Each procedure has a distinct and specific purpose.
Each magnet is equipped with two emergency buttons:
* Emergency Stop / Shut Off
o Turns off all incoming electrical power to the magnet Power Distribution Unit (PDU)
* Quench or Emergency Run Down
o Causes immediate collapse of the superconductive magnetic field within minutes

FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THESE BUTTONS. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE!
Emergency Stop / Shut Off Button
Shutting power to the PDU may be required for life threatening situations such as:
* Fire in the computer room
* Fire, sparks, loud noises emanating from the scan room
* Flooding or sprinkling system goes off
* Catastrophic equipment failure
***Keep in mind that when this button is pushed, it does not initiate a quench, the magnet remains “at field.” Exercise caution, make sure that all ferromagnetic materials remain outside of the scan room***
Quench / Emergency Run Down Button
The following situation is THE ONLY TIME that may require quenching of the magnet:
* Large magnetic object pins or impales a person against the magnet and no other method can prevent further injury or free the person.
Do not attempt to pull large magnetic objects (oxygen tanks) from a magnet field. The object may change its magnetic polarity and re-align itself on the magnet and become a projectile, causing a serious or fatal injury.
Do not touch a quenched magnet. Under certain conditions, an electrical potential of >1,000 volts could exist on the surface of the magnet.

Quenching
Definition: a loss of superconductivity of the magnet coil due to a local temperature increase in the magnet as it becomes resistive, resulting in rapid evaporation of liquid helium in the cryostat and quickly reducing the magnetic field strength.
* A quench may happen spontaneously or can be manually instigated in case of an emergency.
* Quenching may cause severe and irreparable damage to the superconducting coils (magnet).
* A magnet quench will result in several days’ downtime, so do not press the button except in a true emergency.
* Do not attempt to test this button!

Emergency Buttons @ MR1 Univ. of Utah Hospital
* QUENCH BUTTON
o Button is located on the east wall (with window).
* E-STOP BUTTON
o Button is located behind the door as you enter the scan room (on the right).
QUENCH
OXYGEN
SENSOR
QUENCH
University of Utah Hospital and Clinics
MRI Department Policies and Procedures
This manual is available at all sites having a MRI scanner. Detail of all departmental situations can be reviewed. The following safety considerations are further highlighted:

Cryogen Safety Oxygen Monitors
Metallic Screening Pregnancy / Nursing
Magnet Quench Medical Emergencies
Magnetic Field / Scan Room Emergencies
Summary
* MRI scanners are powerful magnets with the ability to attract ferromagnetic objects.
* Any personnel around the MRI suite must be adequately screened for metallic implants and personal items before entering the scan room.
* Patients in the scanner must be carefully monitored for reversible bioeffects caused by the magnet’s hardware.
* Become familiarized with E-Stop vs. Quench buttons at each scanner.
* Review Policies and Procedures Manual

Congratulations!
You have completed the University of Utah Hospital and Clinics MRI Safety Training course!
Please review a safety video that demonstrates the powerful forces of MRI magnets.
Following written certification, you will be authorized to aid or assist an MRI technologist with patient examination procedures.

MRI Safety and Policies & Procedures.ppt

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Computers in Medical Education



Computers in Medical Education
Roles of computers in medical education
* Provide facts and information
* Teach strategies for applying knowledge appropriately in medical situations
* Encourage the development of lifelong learning skills

Goals
* Students must learn about physiological processes
* Must understand the relationship between observed illnesses and underlying processes
* Must learn to perform medical procedures
* Must understand the effects of interventions on health outcomes

Basic curriculum
* Premedical requirements
* Medical school
o Basic
+ Physiology
+ Pathophysiology
o Clinical
* Residency
* CME

Teaching strategies
* Lecture
* Interactive

Process
* Presentation of a situation or body of facts containing core knowledge
* Explanation of important concepts and relationships
* How does one derive the concepts
* Why they are important
* Strategy for guiding interaction with the patient

Weaknesses of traditional approach
* Rapid knowledge growth
* Reliance on memorization rather than problem solving
* Reliance on lecture method

Terms
* Computer assisted learning
* Computer based education
* Computer assisted instruction

Advantages of computers in medical education
* Computer can augment, enhance or replace traditional teaching methods
o Rapid access to body of information
+ Data
+ Images
+ Immersive interfaces
o Any time, any place, any pace
o Simulated clinical situation

Advantages
* Interactive learning
o Active vs. passive solving
* Immediate student specific feedback
o Correct vs. incorrect, tailored response
* Tailored instruction
o Focus on areas of weakness
o Request help in interpretation
* Objective testing
o Permits standardized testing
o Self-evaluation
* Fun!

Experimentation
* Safe exploration of what-if in a well done scenario
o You can do things with simulated patients you can’t do with real ones

Case variety
* The ability to experience disease scenarios one otherwise wouldn’t see
o Simple: diabetes
o Complex: multiple disease, multiple medications
Time
* Manage diseases as they evolve over time
o Rapidly evolving problems
o Chronic diseases

Problem-solving competency
* Book smart vs. real-world
* Memorization vs. thinking
* Testing
* Right answer vs. cost-effective vs. safest vs.quickest (fewest steps)

Board examinations
* USMLE test
* CME testing

History of CAI
* Pioneering research in the 1960’s
o Ohio State
+ Tutorial evaluation system
# Constructed choice, T/F, multiple choice, matching or ranking questions
# Immediate response evaluation
# Positive feedback
# Corrective rerouting
+ Authoring language
History
* Barnett MGH 1970
o Simulated patient encounters
+ 30 simulated cases
o Mathematical modeling of physiology
+ Warfarin, insulin, Marshall
o Dxplain
* University of Illinois
o Computer aided simulation of the patient encounter
+ Computer as patient
+ Natural language encounter
* Illinois 1970’s
o Programmed logic for automated teaching (PLATO)
+ Plasma display (required specialized equipment)
+ Combination of text, graphics and photos
o TUTOR authoring language
* University of Wisconsin
o Used simulated case scenarios and estimated the efficiency of the student in arriving at a diagnosis (cost-effectiveness)
* Initial installations site limited
* Subsequent modem dial-up
* Proliferation of medical CAI, CME development entities
* Development of the internet
o Initial material bandwidth limited
o Increasing use of streaming video

Modes of CAI
* Drill and practice
* Didactic
Modes
* Discrimination learning
* Exploration vs. structures interaction
o Hyperlink analogy
o Requires feedback/guidance
* Constrained vs. unconstrained response
o Student may have a pre-selected set of possible response (learn to answer questions)
o Student may be able to probe system using natural language
* Constructive
o Put the body together from pieces of anatomy
Simulation
* Static vs. dynamic
Static simulation
Dynamic simulation
Feedback and guidance
* Feedback
o Correct vs. incorrect
o Summaries
o References
* Guidance
o Tailored feedback
o Hints
o Interactive help
Intelligent tutoring
* Sophisticated systems can
o Intervene if a student goes down an unproductive path
o Gets stuck
o Appears to misunderstand a detail
o Mixed initiative systems
o Coaching vs. tutoring
Graphics and Video
* Storage of images, video etc as part of a multimedia stream
o General appearance
o Skin lesions
o Xrays
o Sounds (cardiology, breath sounds)
Authoring systems
* Generic authoring systems
o McGraw Hill, Boeing
o Simple (constraints) vs. comprehensive (difficult to master)

Examples
* USMLE
* Lister Hill
* Stanford anatomy
* Digital anatomy
* Penn curriculum
* Medical matrix
Continuing medical education
* Echo
* PAC
* CME
Simulators
* ACLS
* Visible human
* Eye simulator
* Other simulators
Future
* Forces for change
* Impediments
o Cost
o Immaturity of authoring tools
o Bandwidth
o Barriers to sharing
+ Institutional jealousy
+ Copyright
* Lack of standard approach
o Authoring software
o Platform
* Explicit integration of CAI into curriculum
* Access to PC’s and LAN

Computers in Medical Education.ppt

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Radiation Safety Oversight of Surgical Procedures



Radiation Safety Oversight of Surgical Procedures Involving the Use of RAM
By: René Michel, M.S., RSO
VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA

Introduction
* The objective of this presentation is to review the various Radiation Safety aspects of a typical medical procedure that involves the use of radiological agents.
* Lymphoscintigraphy (LS) is a medical procedure for the treatment of malignant melanoma and mamma-carcinoma.
* The goal is to identify which sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) have been infiltrated by tumor cells
* The objective of this presentation is to determine what basic radiation safety controls are needed.
* ALARA, dosimetry, contamination control, radioactive waste, etc.

Outline
* Radioactive Drugs Used
* Overview of the Procedure
* Radiation Exposure
* Contamination Control
* Recommendations

Radioactive Drugs
* Many radiopharmaceuticals have been evaluated for and used in LS studies
* The ideal drug, must have the following characteristics:
* Small and uniform particle size
* Short half-life
* Low LET
* Appropriate energy for gamma imaging
* 198Au colloid was one of the first widely used drugs in LS
198Au Characteristics
Particle size: 3-5 nm
Half-life: 2.7 d
Emissions: 412 keV photons plus beta particles
* 198Au was replaced by other agents with the increased availability of 99mTc
* Antimony trisulfide, albumin, human serum albumin, sulfur colloid and nano-colloid
99mTc Characteristics
Particle size: 3-90,000 nm
Half-life: 6 h
Emissions: 140 keV photons

Procedure Overview
* There are three stages in Sentinel Node LS
1) Lymphatic Mapping
2) Intradermal Blue Dye Injection
3) SLN Biopsy
Lymphatic Mapping
* The surgeon injects about 1 mCi of 99mTc unfiltered sulfur colloid intradermally near the lesion.
* The colloid is taken up by the lymphatic system and the patient is imaged with a conventional gamma camera.
* About 20 min from injection dynamic scanning is performed
* A late phase scanning done 90 min after injection shows the location of the SLNs.
* The location of the node is marked on the skin of the patient

Blue Dye Injection
* The patient is moved to the OR to perform biopsy
* To assist in identifying the nodes draining the site of interest, a blue dye is injected

SLN Biopsy

* A surgeon uses the skin mark and a scintillation probe to relocalize the highest area of uptake
* A dissection is performed through soft tissue to remove “hot” nodes located by the gamma probe
* All excised nodes are sent to the pathology lab for histological examination to asses for invasion by tumor cells

Radiation Exposure
* Nuclear Medicine personnel are excluded from this evaluation, they are already closely monitored.
* Radiation exposure to OR and Pathology personnel and the potential for spread of contamination are considered the main radiation safety concerns.

Hazards Control-Radiation Exposure
* The expected radiation exposure to personnel from handling SLN radioactive specimens is very small
* 10-15 SLN procedures/year are performed in most large medical centers
* Several studies have documented dosimetry data
Average whole-body radiation dose equivalent/procedure for hospital personnel from malignant melanoma and mamma-carcinoma SLN surgery with typical activities.
* A surgeon's hand dose has been reported to be 10 mrem (Miner et al. 1999)
* The pathologist’s hand dose is even smaller, ~ 4-6 mrem (Veronesi et al.1999)

Hazards Control- Contamination
* The residual activities a day post surgery are <0.3 mCi for tumor-specimens and <50 nCi for SNLE (Kopp and Wengenmair 2002). * These activities are relatively fixed to the tissue, they do not produce contamination that exceeds the allowed levels. * Standard universal precautions used to prevent infections are sufficient to avoid any kind of incorporation in the bodies of those handling specimens. Specimen Control * Under 10 CFR 20.1905 (NRC 2002), labeling is not required for containers holding less than 1.0 mCi of Tc-99m * Labeling is also exempted if only authorized personnel have access to containers, provided a written record identifies the contents. * Specimen quarantine before gross examination is unnecessary since the level of exposure to personnel is not a safety concern. * Despite the simplicity of the guidelines, each institution is expected to develop and implement procedures for handling radioactive specimens. * Awareness training documentation for all individuals handling these specimens is also necessary. Recommended Guidelines 1. Follow standard universal precautions (e.g., wear hospital gown, surgical gloves, etc.). 2. Using forceps, place all radioactive specimens removed from the patient in a sealed container. 3. In addition to the patient’s name and specimen number, label all resected primary site specimens with the name of the isotope (e.g., 99mTc), date and time when it was collected 4. Maintain security of specimens at all times 1. Upon completion of the surgical procedure, all instruments (e.g., forceps, scalpels, etc.) having had direct contact with the radioactive specimens should be cleaned following standard procedures. 2. All specimens should follow the normal biomedical waste stream and be surveyed before disposal to ensure that radiation levels are not distinguished from background References Radiation Safety Oversight of Surgical Procedures.ppt

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Emerging Infections and Medical Procedures



Emerging Infections and Medical Procedures
By:Lennox K. Archibald, MD, PhD, FRCP
Hospital Epidemiologist, University of Florida

Parasitic Infections:
Clinical Manifestations, Diagnosis and Treatment

The Reality
* 1.3 billion persons infected with Ascaris (1: 4 persons on earth)
* 300 million with schistosomiasis
* 100 million new malaria cases/yr
* At UCLA, 38% of pediatric and dental clinic children harbored intestinal parasites

Infections Deaths

Parasites
* Organisms that cannot survive outside their host, AND they cause some harm to the host.
* Contrast with commensal organisms
* Incredibly complex organisms
* Consider the struggle for survival from the perspective of a parasite

Giardia
Giardiasis (G. lamblia)
* Should be suspected in prolonged diarrhea
* Contaminated water often implicated—outbreaks
* Campers who fail to sterilize mountain stream water
* Person-person in day care centers
* MSM
* Symptoms usually resolve spontaneously in 4-6 weeks
* Tests of choice
o Examination of concentrated stools for cysts (90% yield after 3 samples); usually no PMNs
o Stool ELISA, IF Antigen (up to 98% sensitive/90-100% specific)
o Consider aspiration of duodenal contents--trophozoites
* Treatment: Metronidazole for 5-7 days

Entamoeba histolytica
* One of 7 amoebae commonly found in humans
* Only one that causes significant disease
* Causes intestinal disease (diarrhea and dysentery) and extra-intestinal disease (liver primarily)
* In US, often seen in institutionalized patients, MSM, tourists returning from developing countries, patients with depressed cell mediated immunity
Cyst (wet mount)
* Diagnostic smear: trophozoites in liquid stools, cysts in formed stools
* IHA important in liver abscess
o Intestinal: 95% predictive of active infection
o Extra-intestinal: 100% predictive of active I infection

Amoebiasis: Clinical Manifestations
* Symptoms depend on degree of bowel invasion
o Superficial: watery diarrhea and nonspecific GI complaints
o Invasive: gradual onset (1-3 weeks) of abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, tenesmus
* Fever is seen in minority of patients
* Can be mistaken for ulcerative colitis
* Steroids can dramatically worsen and precipitate toxic megacolon
* Amebic liver abscesses
o RUQ pain, pain referred to right shoulder
o High fever
o Hepatomegaly (50%)

Amoebic abscess—remember…
* Can occur in lung, brain, spleen
* That stool is merely a convenient vehicle passing by
* Amoebae live the bowel wall
* Direct observation preferable to mere examination of stool
* Trophozoites best seen in direct scrapings of ulcers
* Liquifaction of liver cells
* Do not contain pus
* Anchovy paste sauce
* Culture of contents usually sterile
* Liver affected
o 53%--right lobe
o 8%--left lobe

Amoebiasis (Entamoeba histolytica)
Treatment
* Most respond to metronidazole
* Open surgical drainage should be avoided, if at all possible

Cryptosporidium
Cryptosporidium parvum
* Causes secretory diarrhea: 10 liter/day
* Significant cause of death in HIV/AIDS
* Animal reservoirs
* Incubation period: 5-10 days
* Infants and younger children in day-care centers
* Unfiltered or untreated drinking water
* Farming practices: lambing, calving, and muck-spreading
* Sexual practices that brings a person into oral contact with feces of an infected individual
* Nosocomial setting with other infected patients or health-care employees
* Veterinarians: contact with farm animals
* Travelers to areas with untreated water
* Living in densely populated urban areas
* Owners of infected household pets (rare)

Diagnosis and Treatment
* Best diagnosed by stool exam
* There is no known effective treatment-nitazoxamide shortens duration of diarrhea
o Infectious disease specialist - for consideration of antiparasitic and antiretroviral therapy
o Gastroenterologist - ERCP and sphincterotomy; endoscopy sometimes required for diagnosis
o General surgeon - suspected acalculous cholecystitis

Malaria
Falciparum vs. Vivax
* Location: Falciparum confined to tropics and subtropics; vivax more temperate
* Falciparum infects RBC of any age; others like reticulocytes; only 2% infected cells
* Falciparum infected RBCs stick to vascular endothelium causing capillary blockage; fewer schizonts in the periphery, heavy pigment deposition, cerebral and renal disease
* Vivax and Ovale may reinfect hepatocytes, leading to a persisting tissue phase, causing relapses
* Sickle cell trait protects against Falciparum
Malaria: Genetic susceptibility
* Two genetic traits associated with decreased susceptibility to malaria
o Absence of Duffy blood group antigen blocks invasion of Plasmodium vivax
+ Significant number of Africans
o Persons with sickle cell hemoglobin are resistant to P. falciparum
+ Sickle cell disease and trait

Malaria: Clinical manifestations
* Non-specific, flu-like illness
* Incubation
* Fever is the hallmark of malaria
* Fever occurs after the lysis of RBCs and release of merozoites
* Febrile paroxysms have 3 classic stages
* Other symptoms depend upon the strain of malaria
* P. vivax, ovale and malariae: few other sxs
* P. falciparum:
* Always suspect malaria in travelers from developing countries who present with:
o Influenza-like illness
o Jaundice
o Confusion or obtundation

Diagnosis
* Giemsa-stained blood smear
* P. falciparum:
* Others:
* Examine blood on 3-4 successive days
* Key of diagnosis is to identify P. falciparum
* New assays: o ELISA for antigen, immunoassay for LDH, PCR
* Anemia, elevated LDH, increased reticulocytes, thrombocytopenia
* Elevated unconjugated bilirubin without increases in hepatic enzymes
* Elevated serum creatinine, proteinuria, hemoglobinuria, hypoglycemia

Differences in strains
* P. falciparum
* P. vivax and ovale
* P. malariae

Early troph--ring
Mature troph
Schizont
Gametocyte
Treatment
* P. falciparum malaria can be fatal if not promptly diagnosed and treated
* Pts with no immunity against P. falciparum require hospitalization
o Pregnant women, young children, elderly
* Non- P. falciparum malaria rarely requires hospitalization
* Widespread drug resistance dictates regimen (www.cdc.gov/travel; CDC malaria hot line: 770-488-7788).
* Uncomplicated malaria
o Drug options
+ Chloroquine phosphate
+ Mefloquine
+ Quinine sulfate plus doxycycline
+ Atovaquone plus proguanil (AP)
+ Artemisin derivatives
* P. vivax, ovale, malariae, chloroquine-susceptible falciparum
+ Chloroquine
+ Primaquine

Prevention
* Chloroquine
* Mefloquine
* Doxycycline
* Atovaquone plus proguanil (AP)
* Screens, nets
* 30-35% DEET
* permethrin spray for clothing and nets

And don’t forget baggage malaria!
Leishmaniasis
* Tropical areas where phlebotomine sandfly is common:
o South America
o India
o Bangladesh
o Middle East
o East Africa
* Sandfly introduces flagellated promastigote into human ingested by macrophages develops into nonflagellated amastigote
* Intracellular parasite controlled by Th1-type CD8+ response
Leishmaniasis: Clinical Manifestations
* 3 forms: visceral, cutaneous, mucosal
* A single species can produce more than one syndrome, and each syndrome is caused by multiple different species
* Visceral (kala azar)
o Species most prevalent in different places
# L. donovani – India
# L. infantum – Mid East
# L. chagasi – Latin America
# L. amazonensis -- Brazil
* Cutaneous
* Mucosal
Visceral Leishmaniasis
* Dissemination of amastigotes throughout the reticulendothelial system of the body
* Opportunistic infection in AIDS patients
* Ineffective humeral response
Hepatosplenomegaly
Splenic aspirate
* Most satisfactory method
* Spleen must be at least 3cm below LCM
* PT not more than 5 secs longer than controls
* Platelets >40,000
* 21 gauge needle
* Aspirate stained with Giemsa

Leishmaniasis: treatment
* Only drug approved in US is Amphotericin B
* Outside US: pentavalent antimony (sodium stibogluconate)
* Treatment of cutaneous disease depends on anatomic location
* Many spontaneously heal and do not require treatment
* If no mucosal disease and areas of no cosmetic concern:
o 15% paromomycin or 12% methylbenzethonium chloride
* Mucosal, progressive lesions or cosmetically sensitive locations:
o Pentavalent antimony or ketoconazole

Remember..
* The factors determining the form of leishmaniasis:
o Leishmanial species
o Geographic location
o Immune response of the host

Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasma gondii
* Worldwide distribution
* Human infection
* Prevalence of latent infection in US about 10%; France about 75%
o Generally higher in less-developed world
Transmission
* Eating oocysts excreted by cats harboring sexual stages of parasite
* Outbreaks traced to inadequately cooked meat of herbivores (raw beef)
* Mutton
Toxoplasma gondii: life cycle
Immunocompetent hosts
* Latent infection (persistence of cysts) is generally asymptomatic
* Cervical lymphadenopathy (10-20%)
* Mono-like presentation (<1% of all mono-like illnesses) * Chorioretinitis * Very rare: myocarditis, myositis Toxoplasma gondii: Immunocompromised hosts * Often life-threatening * Almost always reactivation of latent infection * AIDS o Encephalitis most common manifestation o Usually subacute onset/focal (if CD4< 200) o Mental status changes, seizures, weakness, cranial nerve abnormalities, cerebellar signs, o Can present as acute hemiparesis/language deficit o Usually multiple ring-enhancing lesions on CT/MRI * Pneumonitis * Chorioretinitis Toxoplasma gondii: Clinical manifestations * Immunocompromised hosts o Non-AIDS (transplants, hematologic malignancies) * Congenital * Acute infection asymptomatic in mother * Clinical manifestations range: no sequelae to sequelae that develop at various times after birth o Chorioretinitis o Strabismus o Blindness o Epilepsy, mental retardation, pneumonitis, microcephaly, hydrocephalus, spontaneous abortion, stillbirth Toxoplasma gondii: diagnosis * Clinical suspicion crucial * Serology is primary method of diagnosis o IgM, IgG * Histopathology o Tachyzoites in tissue sections or body fluid (difficult to stain) o Multiple cysts near necrotic, inflammatory lesions Toxoplasma gondii: Treatment * Immunocompetent adults are usually not treated unless visceral disease is overt or symptoms are severe and persistent * Immunodeficient patients * Congenital: Ascaris lubricoides Ascaris lumbricoides * In GI tract, few symptoms in light infectionst. * Pulmonary: symptoms due to migration Effects of Adult Ascaris Worms * Depends on worm load * Effects * Toxic and Metabolic Ascaris lumbricoides Diagnosis * Characteristic eggs on direct smear examination * If treating mixed infections, treat Ascaris first o Mebendazole 100 mg bid x 3 days o Pyrantel 10 mg/kg single dose * Control: o Periodic mass treatment of children, health education, environmental sanitation Enterobius (Pinworm) * 18 million infections in U.S. * Incidence higher in whites * Preschool and elementary school most often * Mostly asymptomatic * Nocturnal anal pruritis cardinal feature due to migration and eggs * May have insomnia, possible emotional symptoms * DS-eggs or adults on perineum {scotch tape} * Mebendazole 100 mg. Repeat in 2 weeks. Pyrantel pamoate 11 mg/kg; repeat 2 weeks Strongyloides Strongyloides: Crucial Aspects of Life Cycle * Infection acquired through penetration of intact skin * Infection may persist for many years via autoinfection * In immunocompromised patients, there is risk of dissemination or hyperinfection o Hyperinfection syndrome Disseminated Strongyloidiasis * High mortality 75% * Penetration of gut wall by infective larvae * Gut organisms carried on the surface of larvae results in polymicrobial sepsis, meningitis * Larvae disseminate into all parts of body: CNS, lungs, bladder, peritoneum Summary—Clinical Findings * Defective cell-meditated immunity: steroids, burns, lymphomas, AIDS (?) * Gl symptoms in about two-thirds: o Abdominal pain o Bloating o Diarrhea o Constipation * Wheezing, SOB, hemoptysis Summary—Clinical Findings * Skin rash or pruritis in ~ one-third * Eosinophilia 60-95% * Less if on steroids Hookworm * Hookworm responsible for development of USPHS * Caused by two different species (North American and Old World) * Very similar to strongyloides in life cycle * Attaches to duodenum, feeds on blood * Elaborates anticoagulant, attaches and reattaches many times * Loss of around 0.1 ml/d of blood per worm Cutaneous larva migrans (creeping eruption) * Caused by filariform larvae of dog or cat hookworm (Ancylostoma braziliense or Ancylostoma duodenale * Common in Southeast U.S. * Red papule at entry with serpiginous tunnel * Intense pruritis * Self limiting condition * Diagnosis clinical * Topical or oral thiabendazole 25 mg/kg bid for 3-5 days * May use ethyl chloride topically * More common in children o Larvae penetrate skin and cause tingling followed by intense itching. * Eggs shed from dog and cat bowels develop into infectious larvae outside the body in places protected from desiccation and extremes of temperature * Shady, sandy areas under houses, at beach, etc. Usually not associated with systemic symptoms * Diagnosis and treatment * Skin lesions are readily recognized * Usually diagnosed clinically * Generally do not require biopsy # Reveal eosinophilia inflammatory infiltrate # Migrating parasite is generally not seen * Stool smear will reveal eggs Visceral Larva Migrans * Infection with dog or cat round worms * Toxocara canis; Toxocara catis * Underdiagnosed based on seroprevalence surveys * Heavy infections associated with fever, cough, nausea, vomiting, hepatomegaly, and eosinophilia * Uncommon in adults * Ocular type more common in adults * Diagnosis-ELISA * Thiabendazole: 25 mg/kg bid X 5 days Echinococcosis Hydatid Disease Echinococcosis * Clinical manifestations: o Most patients are asymptomatic + Dx’d incidentally on an imaging study o Sxs generally develop when the hydatid cyst reaches 8-10 cm (often over decades) + Compress vital structures + Erode into biliary tract or bronchus o Cysts can become superinfected o Leakage or rupture can result in anaphylactic reaction  fever, hypotension Echinococcosis * Diagnosis: o US, CT or MRI + Characteristic hydatid cyst with septated daughter cysts + May see head of the tapeworm o ELISA + Highly sensitive for liver cysts, less so for other organs Echinococcosis (Treatment) * Surgical resection of cyst * To reduce risk of spread: o Aspirate cyst o Instill hypertonic saline, iodophor, 95% ethanol to kill germinal layer and daughter cysts o No cidal agents in cases with biliary communication  risk of sclerosing cholangitis * Percutaneous aspiration-injection-reaspiration (PAIR) * Albendazole before and after surgery or PAIR Schistosomiasis Schistosomiasis: Epidemiology and life cycle Schistosomiasis: Clinical manifestations Schistosomiasis: Diagnosis and treatment * Detection of characteristic eggs in stool, urine or tissue biopsy is diagnostic o Urine is best between 12N and 2Pm, passed through 10 µm filter to concentrate eggs * Antibody tests are available, but limited by sensitivity, specificity * Praziquantel is the drug of choice S. mansoni Stool S. haematobium Urine S. japonicum African trypanosomiasis Trypanosoma brucei gambiense Blood smear Tsetse fly Treatment * Suramin * Melasoprol American trypanosomiasis Blood smear Reduviid bug (assassin bug) Chagas disease: Clinical manifestations Chagas disease: Diagnosis and treatment * Acute disease is diagnosed by seeing trypomastigotes on peripheral blood smear * Chronic disease is diagnosed by ELISA detecting IgG antibody to T. cruzi * Both acute and chronic disease can be treated with nifurtimox or benznidazole * Treatment slows the progression of heart disease Chagas Disease * Public health implications in the US * Chronic o Cardiomyopathy o Megaesophagus o Magacolon * Blood transfusion * Transplant o Solid organ o Musculoskeletal allograft tissue Tapeworms (Cestodes) * Adult worms inhabit GI tract of definitive vertebrate host * Larvae inhabit tissues of intermediate host * Humans o Definitive for T. saginata o Intermediate for Echinococcus granulosus (hydatid) o Both definitive and intermediate for T. solium * Adult worms shed egg-containing segments in stool ingested by intermediate host larval form in tissues Taenia saginata * Ingestion of raw or poorly cooked beef * Cows infected via the ingestion of human waste containing the eggs of the parasite * Cows contain viable cysticercus larvae in the muscle * Humans act as the host only to the adult tapeworms * Up to 25 meters in the lumen of intestine * Found all over the world, including the U.S. Beef Tapeworm Treatment * Praziquantel * Albendazole * Niclosamide Cystercercosis * Human infected with the larval stage of Taenia solium * Humans can serve as definitive or intermediate host * Eggs are ingested, or possibly get to stomach by reverse peristalsis * Probably much more common than is reported, since most infections are asymptomatic Cystercercosis * Symptoms depend on location of cysts, but frequently include motor spasms, seizures, confusion, irritability, and personality change * In the eye, often subretinal or in vitreous. Movement may be seen by the patient. Pain, amaurosis, and loss of vision may occur. * Clinical manifestations Cysticercosis * Diagnosis o CT and MRI preferred studies + Discrete cysts that may enhance + Usually multiple lesions # Single lesions especially common in cases from India + Older lesions may calcify o CSF + Lymphs or eos, low glucose, elevated protein o Serology + Especially in cases with multiple cysts Cysticercosis * Treatment o Complex and controversial o Praziquantel and albendazole may kill cysts, but death of larvae can increase inflammation, edema and exacerbate sxs o When possible, surgical resection of symptomatic cyst is preferred o Corticosteroids vs. edema and inflammation; antiseizure meds Babesiosis * Babesiosis caused by hemoprotozoan parasites of the genus Babesia * >100 species reported
* Few actually cause human infection
* Babesia microti
* Life cycle involves two hosts:
o Deer tick, Ixodes dammini, (definitive host) introduces sporozoites into white-footed mouse
* Once ingested by an appropriate tick gametes unite and undergo a sporogonic cycle resulting in sporozoites
* Humans enter cycle when bitten by infected ticks
Deer are the hosts upon which the adult ticks feed and are indirectly part of the Babesia cycle as they influence the tick population
* Clindamycin* plus quinine
* Atovaquone* plus azithromycin*
* Exchange transfusion in severely ill patients with high parasitemia

Classification of Parasitic Diseases
* Protozoa: amoeba; flagellates; ciliates; apicomplexa; microspors (primitive intracellular parasites)
* Metazoa (two phyla)
o Helminths (worms)
+ Nematodes
# Intestinal
# Extra-intestinal
+ Flatworms (platyhelminths)
# Cestodes (tapeworms)
# Trematodes (flukes)
o Arthopods (ectoparasites): scabies, lice, fly larvae

General rules of treatment
* Protozoa: require species-specific treatment
* Metozoa: species-specific

General rules of treatment of metazoa
Nematodes
Intestinal
Mebendazole or Albendazole
Tissue
Albendazole
Filiariae
Ivermectin, doxycycline
Cestodes
Praziquantel, Albendazole, Niclosamide
Trematode
Praziquantel
Ectoparasites
Permethrin, Ivermectin
This is just the beginning of a great adventure in infectious diseases
Sine qua non:history and physical examination

Emerging Infections and Medical Procedures.ppt

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