ABSTRACT
Objective To assess the impact on caretaker who looked after patients with Parkinson's disease(PD) and to identify the main factors related to their burden.Methods 115 consecutive pairs of PD patients and their caretakers were included.Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) was used to assess the burden of PD on the caretakers.Patients were evaluated by neurologists using the United Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS),the Hoehn and Yahr Scale(H-Y Scale),the Activity of Daily Liring Scale(ADL),the Parkinson's Disease Quesnonnaire(PDQ-39),the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HAMD),the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale(HAMA),the Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA)and the Mini-mental State Examination(MMSE).Multiple linear stepwise regression models were fired to ascertain the factors linked to the CBI.Results Based on multiple linear stepwise regression analysis,ADL(β=-0.813,t=-6.265,P=0.000)and PDQ-39(β=0.285,t=4.256,P=0.000)of patients and the age ofcaretakers(β=0.327,t=3.107,P=0.002)proved to be the main predictors of CBI.Conclusion Many factors might comprehensively affct the burden of PD on caretakers of the patients.Attention needs to be given to the early identification of factors that generating stress on 1iveretakers in order to improve their quality of life.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluation of cirrhotic liver.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>With a 4F catheter, 1% diluted carbon tetrachloride (1 ml/kg) was selectively injected into right or left hepatic artery of 12 dogs fortnightly. The half liver into which carbon tetrachloride was injected was called as study side (SS), while the other half liver without carbon tetrachloride injection was called as study control side (SCS). Conventional and perfusion-weighted MRI were performed in every 4 weeks. Via a 4F catheter, 5ml gadolinium diethylentriamine pentaaceti acid (Gd-DTPA) dilution was injected into superior mesenteric artery at the 5th scan. The signal intensity-time curves of SS, SCS, and portal vein were completed in MR workstation. The maximal relative signal increase (MRSI), peak time (tp), and slope of the curves were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>On conventional MR images, no abnormalities of externality and signal intensity were observed in both SS and SCS of liver at each stage. The mean tp, MRSI, and slope of intensity-time curves in normal liver were 10.56 seconds, 1.01, and 10.23 arbitrary unit (au)/s, respectively. Three parameters of curves didn't show obvious change in SCS of liver at every stage. Abnormal perfusion curves occurred in SS of liver at the 12th week after the 1st injection. The abnormality of perfusion curve in SS was more and more serious as the times of injection increased. The mean tp, MRSI, and slope intensity-time curves in SS of liver were 19.45 seconds, 0.43, and 3.60 au/s respectively at the 24th week.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Perfusion-weighted imaging can potentially provide information about portal perfusion of hepatic parenchyma, and to some degree, reflect the severity of cirrhosis.</p>