ABSTRACT
Background: The increasing incidence of obesity is a recognized medical problem world wide including Thailand. Obesity raises the risk for developing diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Green tea, containing caffeine and catechin polyphenols, has effects on decreasing body weight, in Caucasian, possibly through stimulation of energy expenditure and fat oxidation. Perpose: To investigate the effects of green tea on weight reduction in obese Thais.Study design: Randomized control trialSubject: 60 obese subjects (BMI \> 25 kg/m2)Method: Subjects were randomized and divided into green tea and placebo group. Duration of treatment is 12 weeks. Body weight, BMI, body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), substrate oxidation were measure at baseline in 4, 8 and 12 weeks. All data of two groups at the same week were compared and analyzed by using Student’s t test..Results: Comparing between two groups, differences of weight loss were 2.70, 5.10 and 3.73 kg in 4, 8 and 12 weeks, respectively. At 8th week body weight loss was significantly different (P
ABSTRACT
Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive and painless stimulation of the human brain. There are three types of stimulation: single stimuli, pairs of stimuli separated by different intervals (to the same or to several brain areas), or trains of repetitive stimuli at various frequencies. Single stimuli give rise to motor evoked potentials that have clinical use and serve diagnostic and prognostic purposes. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can modify excitability of cerebral cortex. It has opened a new field of studying of the neural circuitry, and is developing into a therapeutic tool. This general review considers fundamental of transcranial magnetic stimulation, mode of stimulation and its application, mechanism of action, and their utility in clinical practice.
ABSTRACT
Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common hereditary neuromuscular disease. No curative treatment for DMD is known. Prednisone therapy is the first medical treatment that alters the course of DMD. Several studies about the doses and administrations of prednisone or prednisolone had been reported. Objectives: To review clinical features, laboratory findings, and the result of treatment of DMD. Methods: DMD patients who came to Srinagarind Hospital, Thailand from January, 1995 to January, 2007 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Sixty-two patients fulfilled the study criteria. All patients were male (100 %). Mean age at onset was 4.9 years. Family history was found in 10 families (16 %). The most common symptoms were weakness, standing difficulty, and gait abnormality (100, 97, and 93 % respectively). The most common clinical signs were calf hypertrophy, weakness, and Gower sign (100, 100, and 94 % respectively). Serum creatine kinase (CK) was raised in all of the patients with mean serum CK 13,026 IU/L. Fifty patients received prednisolone. Twelve received only supportive treatments. The overall outcomes of prednisolone treatment were better, same, and worse in 37, 51, and 12 % respectively. Mean age at wheel chair was 10.8 years. Three patients with associate diseases; adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), Sturge Weber syndrome, and autism were presented. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report about DMD concomitant with ARDS and DMD with Sturge-Weber syndrome. DMD with autism, a very rare occurrence, is presented. Conclusion: Clinical features, laboratory findings, and the outcomes of treatments of 62 DMD patients were presented. Prednisolone treatment had some beneficial effects and had significant side effects. Starting with a low dose, and then increasing to high dose in the no response patient is recommended.