Ansgar Torvik

Combined modality therapy of operated astrocytomas grade III and IV. Confirmation of the value of postoperative irradiation and lack of potentiation of bleomycin on survival time: A prospective multicenter trial of the scandinavian glioblastoma study group

In a controlled, prospective, randomized investigation, started in 1974, 118 patients with supratentorial astrocytoma Grade III–IV were divided into three groups. Groups 1 and 2 received 45 Gy postoperatively to the whole supratentorial brain. Bleomycin in 15‐mg doses and a total dose of 180 mg or placebo was given intravenously three times a week, one hour prior to radiotherapy, during weeks 1,2,4 and 5. Group 3 received conventional care but no radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Median survival rates of patients were 10.8 months in Groups 1 and 2, and 5.2 months in Group 3, a statistically significant difference. With regard to performance, the patients in Group 3 deteriorated faster than patients in Groups 1 and 2. Bleomycin had no positive or negative influence on survival.

The perineuronal glial reaction after axotomy.

The perineuronal glial reaction after axotomy of the facial nerve was examined in adult mice and rats and in newborn rabbits. The facial nerve was damaged in two ways: by crush lesions, which were followed by complete neuronal regeneration, and by transection (in mice) or evulsion (in rats and rabbits), which caused extensive nerve cell disintegration. After nerve lesions which caused irreversible damage the microglial cells encircled the degenerating neurons and ultimately phagocytosed them. After crush lesions there were great species variations in the glial reaction: the neurons of rats and rabbits showed considerable and reversible separation of the synaptic terminals by glial cells, while mice showed no significant synaptic separation. It is suggested that the main function of the microglial cells may be to serve as potential phagocytes for disintegrating neurons, and that the reversible glial changes around regenerating neurons possibly represent abortive glial reactions.

The cerebellar projection of the peri-hypoglossal nuclei (nucleus intercalatus, nucleus praepositus hypoglossi and nucleus of roller) in the cat.

The cell groups immediately surrounding the nucleus of the hypoglossal nerve in the cat may be subdivided into three nuclei: the nucleus intercalatus, the nucleus praepositus hypoglossi, and the nucleus of Roller. They will here be collectively referred to as the peri-hypoglossal nuclei. In a previous study (7) it was shown that a considerable proportion of the cells of these nuclei send their neurites into the cerebellum, since typical retrograde (axonal) changes consistently occurred in them following decerebellations or large cerebellar lesions. The connection was determined to be crossed as well as uncrossed, with some preponderance of the uncrossed component. Furthermore, cells of all types (large, medium-sized and small ones) send processes into the cerebellum. The findings indicate that these nuclei are functionally related to motor activities of the tongue, rather than to taste, as has been suggested by some authors. The present study was undertaken in an attempt to determine the perihypoglossal-cerebellar projection in more detail, since it would be of interest to know whether these fibers are distributed to all parts of the cerebellum or only to particular areas, and if so, to which areas or lobules. Furthermore, the question as to whether the different nuclei of the peri-hypoglossal complex project onto the same or different cerebellar areas deserves attention.