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Objective To investigate effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on picture naming by those with Broca's aphasia recovering from a stroke.Methods Five patients with Broca's aphasia 6-12 months post-stroke served as their own controls.They all had lesions of the left frontal gyms or the basal ganglia.They received either anodic, cathodic or sham stimulation of the left Broca's area.They were then given a picture naming test.Results The average number of correct namings was 13.13 with anodic stimulation, 9.80 with cathodic and 10.15 with the sham stimulation.Compared with cathodic or sham stimulation, anodic stimulation of the left Broca's area can improve the picture-naming ability of aphasic stroke patients significantly more effectively.Conclusions Anodic stimulation of the left Broca's area can improve the picture-naming of cerebral apoplexy patients with Broca's aphasia.Such stimulation may increase the excitability of the left cortex, suggesting that the left Broca's area and its periphery play a very important role in language recovery after stroke.
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Objective To investigate the clinical effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with body-weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) on patients with incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI).Methods Four patients with chronic incomplete SCI participated in this study.They were first treated with rTMS and then BWSTT training.They were assessed with clinical measures of function.Two of the four patients were assessed in terms of their H reflex,and using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a balance performance monitor (BPM).Results In two of the four patients,American spinal injury association (ASIA) clinical measures of motor and sensory function improved,as did 10 m walking speed and their sense of effort.In static balance tests,the sway path and sway area of the two patients both decreased.These improvements lasted for 3 weeks after the intervention.The two patients' maximum H reflex amplitude and the H/M amplitude ratio decreased.The fMRI results showed progressive enlargement of the activation volume of the movement-related M1 region after treatment.Conclusion High-frequency rTMS combined with BWSTT may improve motor function,elevate excitability of spinal motor neurons and improve the plasticity of the cerebral cortex in chronic incomplete SCI patients.
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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Cefepime in treating senile patients with hospital acquired pneumonia(HAP).METHODS: A total of 60 HAP cases were randomly assigned to receive Cefepime(n=30) or Ceftazidime (n=30) for 7～10 days.The effective rate and the bacterial clearance rate of two groups were compared.RESULTS: The effective rate was 86.7% for Cefepime group and 70.0% for Ceftazidime group(P
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Aim To study IL-8 expression of human airway epithelium-like NCI-H292 cells directly induced by Pyocyanin and its mechanism through protein kinase C(PKC) and nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-??).Methods ELISA methods were performed to test the expression of IL-8 in NCI-H292 cells infected by Pyocyanin.Western blot was employed to examine the expression of NF-?B protein.In addition,NCI-H292 cells were cultured together with PKC inhibitor,calphostin C or NF-?? inhibitor,pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate(PDTC),respectively before Pyocyanin infection,then the expression of IL-8 and NF-?? was assayed using the above methods.Results Pyocyanin was able to induce IL-8 protein secretion in NCI-H292 cells and had marked concentration-dependent relations.Pyocyanin could also significantly promote the activation of NF-?B,which peaked at 60~90 min.PDTC and calphostin C could significantly decrease the activation of NF-?? and the expression of IL-8.Conclutions Pyocyanin can induce IL-8 production.The direct induction of Pyocyanin can promote the activation of NF-?B by PKC signal pathway,then cause the expression and secretion of IL-8.