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Nervous System Diseases Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Nervous System Diseases

Investigation Of Visual Perceptions In Parkinson's Disease And The Development Of Disease Monitoring Software, Matthew Bernardinis Aug 2019

Investigation Of Visual Perceptions In Parkinson's Disease And The Development Of Disease Monitoring Software, Matthew Bernardinis

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Non-motor Parkinson’s Disease (PD) symptoms are substantial factors of PD arising throughout disease stages, yet their diagnosis and monitoring remain a challenge. Sensory abnormalities in PD occur across sensory systems and disease stages, contributing to disease-related impairments. However, the extent of symptoms is unknown, with inadequate monitoring and treatment options furthering disease management difficulties. The current work studies movement-independent visual perceptions of time, displacement and velocity in PD patients across disease stages using levodopa, deep brain stimulation (DBS), or no PD therapy. Perceptual tasks were conducted using a computer-generated graphical device designed with a focus on simplicity and flexibility. Perception …


Differentiating The Substantia Nigra And Ventral Tegmental Area In Early-Stage Parkinson's Disease Using Iron Imaging, Erind Alushaj Aug 2019

Differentiating The Substantia Nigra And Ventral Tegmental Area In Early-Stage Parkinson's Disease Using Iron Imaging, Erind Alushaj

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Excessive midbrain iron accumulation in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) contributes to degeneration of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Despite this understanding, there are no validated PD biomarkers. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can localize and quantify brain iron for diagnosis of PD. Seventeen early-stage PD patients and twenty-one controls were scanned at 3T and 7T MRI. Using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and R2* relaxometry, we analyzed the average iron content in the SNc, substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr), and VTA. QSM detected significantly higher SNc iron content in PD patients compared to controls at both …


Improving The Assessment And Understanding Of Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension, Jacquie Baker Jul 2019

Improving The Assessment And Understanding Of Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension, Jacquie Baker

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension (NOH) is a cardinal feature of autonomic failure. Patients with NOH experience a persistent and consistent drop in blood pressure when standing due to failure of the autonomic nervous system to reflexively increase sympathetic outflow. NOH affects individuals worldwide, presenting as both a primary feature (i.e. Multiple Systems Atrophy, Pure Autonomic Failure) and secondary to several common disorders including diabetes and Parkinson’s Disease. However, there are still several gaps in our overall understanding and assessment of patients with NOH. Therefore, the six studies presented in this thesis aimed to address some of these gaps in our current …


Ultra-High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging For Stereotactic Neurosurgery, Jonathan Lau Apr 2019

Ultra-High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging For Stereotactic Neurosurgery, Jonathan Lau

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Stereotactic neurosurgery is a subspecialty within neurosurgery concerned with accurate targeting of brain structures. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a specific type of stereotaxy in which electrodes are implanted in deep brain structures. It has proven therapeutic efficacy in Parkinson’s disease and Essential Tremor, but with an expanding number of indications under evaluation including Alzheimer’s disease, depression, epilepsy, and obesity, many more Canadians with chronic health conditions may benefit. Accurate surgical targeting is crucial with millimeter deviations resulting in unwanted side effects including muscle contractions, or worse, vessel injury. Lack of adequate visualization of surgical targets with conventional lower field …