Practice and thinking of AB working system in the management of pharmacy department of hospital / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To provide reference for improving work efficiency and promoting the rapid development of pharmacy department. METHODS AB working system was established in pharmacy department， and task division and working process were formulated. The response time of role B， management performance， the construction of discipline platform， scientific research achievements and other indexes were analyzed comparatively before （2016-2020） and after （2021） the implementation of AB working system. RESULTS Compared with before the implementation， the response time of role B was shortened to 0.5 h； the score of management performance was increased from 27.67 to 73.00； scientific research projects， SCI papers and discipline construction funds had increased significantly after the implementation. CONCLUSIONS The practice of AB working system should shorten the response time and be beneficial to build a high-quality management personnel， improve the management level and work efficiency， promote rapid development of pharmacy department.

Uso de simulación de eventos discretos y algoritmos genéticos para estimar los recursos necesarios para responder oportunamente en el sistema de emergencias médicas en Bogotá / Use of discrete event simulation and genetic algorithms to estimate the necessary resources to respond in a timely manner in the Medical Emergency System in Bogotá

INTRODUCCIÓN: Bogotá cuenta con un sistema de emergencias médicas de ambulancias públicas y privadas que responden a incidentes de salud. No se conoce, sin embargo, su suficiencia en cantidad, tipo y ubicación de recursos demandados. OBJETIVOS: A partir de los datos del sistema de emergencias médicas de Bogotá, Colombia, se buscó primero caracterizar la respuesta pre hospitalaria en paro cardiaco. Luego, con el modelo se buscó determinar cuál sería el menor número de recursos necesarios para responder antes de ocho minutos, teniendo en cuenta su ubicación, número y tipo. MÉTODOS: Se obtuvo una base de datos de incidentes reportados en registros administrativos de la autoridad sanitaria distrital de Bogotá (de 2014 a 2017). A partir de esa información, se diseñó un modelo híbrido basado en la simulación de eventos discretos y algoritmos genéticos para establecer la cantidad, tipo y ubicación geográfica de recursos, conforme a frecuencias y tipología de los eventos. RESULTADOS: De la base de datos, Bogotá presentó 938 671 envíos de ambulancias en el período. El 47,4% de prioridad alta, 18,9% media y 33,74% baja. El 92% de estos correspondieron a 15 de 43 códigos de emergencias médicas. Los tiempos de respuesta registrados fueron mayores a lo esperado, especialmente en paro cardiaco extra hospitalario (mediana de 19 minutos). En el modelo planteado, el mejor escenario requirió al menos 281 ambulancias, medicalizadas y básicas en proporción de 3:1 respectivamente para responder en tiempos adecuados. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados sugieren la necesidad de incrementar los recursos que responden a estos incidentes para acercar estos tiempos de respuesta a las necesidades de nuestra población.

INTRODUCTION: Bogotá has a Medical Emergency System of public and private ambulances that respond to health incidents. However, its sufficiency in quantity, type and location of the resources demanded is not known. OBJECTIVE: Based on the data from the Medical Emergency System of Bogotá, Colombia, we first sought to characterize the prehospital response in cardiac arrest and determine with the model which is the least number of resources necessary to respond within eight minutes, taking into account their location, number, and type. METHODS: A database of incidents reported in administrative records of the district health authority of Bogotá (2014 to 2017) was obtained. Based on this information, a hybrid model based on discrete event simulation and genetic algorithms was designed to establish the amount, type and geographic location of resources according to the frequencies and typology of the events. RESULTS: From the database, Bogotá presented 938 671 ambulances dispatches in the period. 47.4% high priority, 18.9% medium and 33.74% low. 92% of these corresponded to 15 of 43 medical emergency codes. The response times recorded were longer than expected, especially in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (median 19 minutes). In the proposed model, the best scenario required at least 281 ambulances, medicalized and basic in a 3:1 ratio, respectively, to respond in adequate time. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest the need for an increase in the resources that respond to these incidents to bring these response times to the needs of our population.

Clinical Investigation of Key Parameter Range of AMG Muscle Relaxant Monitor / 中国医疗器械杂志

The accelerometry(AMG) muscle relaxant monitor is the most widely used quantitative muscle relaxant monitor to assess the degree of neuromuscular at present. In this study, the ulnar nerve was stimulated by using train of four stimulation(TOF) mode of the AMG muscle relaxant monitor, and the movement of the adductor pollicis muscle was monitored. In this way, the distribution range of key parameters (acceleration peak value, response time, and TOF ratio) of the adductor pollicis muscle during the use of muscle relaxant in clinical practice is analyzed and will provide a practical basis for the development and improvement of the muscle relaxant monitor.

Tarefa de compatibilidade espacial afetiva como modelo de estudo do comportamento emocional / Affective spatial compatibility task as a model for the study of emotional behavior / Tarea de compatibilidad espacial afectiva como modelo para el estudio del comportamiento emocional

Além dos aspectos emocionais, o comportamento humano pode ser afetado por outros fatores, tal como a localização espacial dos estímulos, que favorecem a ocorrência de respostas motoras mais rápidas para o mesmo lado de sua apresentação em uma tarefa clássica de compatibilidade estímulo-resposta. O presente artigo consiste em uma revisão narrativa de estudos que utilizaram a Tarefa de Compatibilidade Espacial Afetiva (TCEA) para avaliar a influência da valência afetiva do estímulo sobre os padrões de compatibilidade espacial. De modo geral, os estudos analisados indicam que figuras, imagens e palavras com valência emocional são capazes de influenciar o comportamento do voluntário. Portanto, a TCEA é uma ferramenta com potencial aplicação ao estudo da interação entre emoção e cognição na avaliação neuropsicológica.

Besides emotional aspects, human behavior can be affected by other factors, such as the spatial location of stimuli, which tend to facilitate the occurrence of faster motor responses to stimulus at the same side in a classic stimulus-response compatibility task. This article consists of a narrative review of studies that used the Affective Spatial Compatibility Task (TCEA) to assess the influence of the stimulus' affective valence on spatial compatibility patterns. In general, studies analyzed indicate that figures, images and words with emotional valence are capable of influencing the subject's behavior. Thus, we conclude that TCEA is a tool with potential application to the study of the interaction between emotion and cognition in the neuropsychological evaluation.

Además de los aspectos emocionales, el comportamiento humano puede verse afectado por otros factores, como la ubicación espacial de los estímulos, que favorecen la aparición de respuestas motoras más rápidas al estímulo en el mismo lado en una tarea de compatibilidad estímulo-respuesta. Este artículo consiste en una revisión narrativa de estudios que utilizaron la Tarea compatibilidad espacial afectiva (TCEA) para evaluar la influencia de la valencia afectiva del estímulo en los patrones de compatibilidad espacial. En general, los estudios analizados indican que las figuras, imágenes y palabras con valencia emocional son capaces de influir en el comportamiento del sujeto. TCEA es una herramienta con potencial aplicación para el estudio de la interacción entre emoción y cognición en la evaluación neuropsicológica.

Factors Associated With Delayed Ambulance Response Time In Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan

@#Ambulance response time is one of the key performance of ambulances services. The objective of this study is to determine the factors associated with delayed ambulance response time in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM). This was a cross sectional study conducted in Department of Emergency Medicine, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (EDHUSM) between January 2016 to January 2017. A total of 300 ambulance calls were included in our analysis. Data were collected by ambulance paramedic using validated ambulance form. All ambulance forms with missing data were excluded from this study. Of the 300 ambulance calls within the study periods, 254 cases (84.7%) were determined to have delayed ambulance response time. Current ambulance response time is 14 minutes with interquartile range of 5 minutes. Factors which showed significant association delayed ambulance response time include distance from hospital, location, type of emergency and ambulance mechanism. The odd of delayed ambulance response time by every increase in distance unit was 1.59 (95% CI, 1.37 to 1.85). For location type, the odd of delayed ambulance response time for public location as compared to road was 0.13 (95% CI, 0.04 to 0.45). For ambulance mechanism, the odd of delayed ambulance response time for beacon type as compared to siren type was 0.22 (95% CI, 0.01 to 0.69). Further intervention should be initiated based on our findings to improve current ambulance response time.

The relationship between classical item characteristics and item response time on computer-based testing / 한국의학교육

PURPOSE: This study investigated the relationship between the item response time (iRT) and classic item analysis indicators obtained from computer-based test (CBT) results and deduce students' problem-solving behavior using the relationship. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the results of the Comprehensive Basic Medical Sciences Examination conducted for 5 years by a CBT system in Dankook University College of Medicine. iRT is defined as the time spent to answer the question. The discrimination index and the difficulty level were used to analyze the items using classical test theory (CTT). The relationship of iRT and the CTT were investigated using a correlation analysis. An analysis of variance was performed to identify the difference between iRT and difficulty level. A regression analysis was conducted to examine the effect of the difficulty index and discrimination index on iRT. RESULTS: iRT increases with increasing difficulty index, and iRT tends to decrease with increasing discrimination index. The students' effort is increased when they solve difficult items but reduced when they are confronted with items with a high discrimination. The students' test effort represented by iRT was properly maintained when the items have a 'desirable' difficulty and a 'good' discrimination. CONCLUSION: The results of our study show that an adequate degree of item difficulty and discrimination is required to increase students' motivation. It might be inferred that with the combination of CTT and iRT, we can gain insights about the quality of the examination and test behaviors of the students, which can provide us with more powerful tools to improve them.

Visual-spatial neglect after right-hemisphere stroke: behavioral and electrophysiological evidence / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background:@#Visual-spatial neglect (VSN) is a neuropsychological syndrome, and right-hemisphere stroke is the most common cause. The pathogenetic mechanism of VSN remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) changes in patients with or without VSN after right-hemisphere stroke.@*Methods:@#Eleven patients with VSN with right-hemisphere stroke (VSN group) and 11 patients with non-VSN with righthemisphere stroke (non-VSN group) were recruited along with one control group of 11 age- and gender-matched healthy participants. The visual-spatial function was evaluated using behavioral tests, and ERP examinations were performed.@*Results:@#The response times in the VSN and non-VSN groups were both prolonged compared with those of normal controls (P < 0.001). In response to either valid or invalid cues in the left side, the accuracy in the VSN group was lower than that in the non-VSN group (P < 0.001), and the accuracy in the non-VSN group was lower than that in controls (P < 0.05). The P1 latency in the VSN group was significantly longer than that in the control group (F[2, 30] = 5.494, P = 0.009), and the N1 amplitude in the VSN group was significantly lower than that in the control group (F[2, 30] = 4.343, P = 0.022). When responding to right targets, the lefthemisphere P300 amplitude in the VSN group was significantly lower than that in the control group (F[2, 30] = 4.255, P = 0.025). With either left or right stimuli, the bilateral-hemisphere P300 latencies in the VSN and non-VSN groups were both significantly prolonged (all P < 0.05), while the P300 latency did not differ significantly between the VSN and non-VSN groups (all P > 0.05).@*Conclusions:@#Visual-spatial attention function is impaired after right-hemisphere stroke, and clinicians should be aware of the subclinical VSN. Our findings provide neuroelectrophysiological evidence for the lateralization of VSN.

Comparison of Single-Task versus Dual-Task for Listening Effort

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Depending on the kind of task and/or material, listeners sometimes need to pay attention to understand communication. The present study aimed to estimate a listener’s amount of effort needed to understand communication by using recognition score and response time as a function of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and to confirm his/ her task dependency for listening effort. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Forty-eight young adults with normal hearing participated in the study. As stimuli, Korean Speech Perception in Noise test without a question tag and three consecutive digits were used for sentence recognition (or single-task) and arithmetic (or dual-task), respectively. Both tasks were measured in quiet and under four SNR (i.e., 0, -4, -8, -12 dB) conditions. Their outcomes were analyzed and compared in terms of percent correct and response time. RESULTS: Sentence recognition scores and arithmetic scores decreased as the level of noise increased. Response time for sentence recognition decreased as noise increased, whereas the response time for arithmetic increased as noise increased. In addition, there was a negative correlation between error percent and response time in the sentence recognition. Conversely, a positive correlation between error percent and response time appeared in the arithmetic test. CONCLUSIONS: Listening effort showed a different pattern based on the kind of task, single vs. dual, while the dual-task required greater effort from the listener.

The Effectiveness Of A Navigation System For Ambulance Service In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

@#The response and transport intervals of an ambulance dispatch are affected by various factors. The present ambulance system relies on the driver’s experience, knowledge of local road map and estimations of directions. These may contribute to delays, misdirection and inefficient utilization of resources. The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of GPS navigation device on the response and transport time intervals of an ambulance service operating in urban setting. This was a three-month experimental study involving simulated ambulance dispatch based in a hospital. A total of 50 simulated cycles were constructed. Travel time, arrival time and distance were documented from each cycle. The median actual response time using map and GPS navigation device was 11.82 min and 10.47 min respectively. The median actual transport time using map and GPS navigation device was 11.00 min and 10.74 min respectively. The differences in response time and transport time between map and GPS navigation were not statistically significant (p= 0.215 and p=0.710). The application of GPS reduced the error value between estimated and actual response time by 8.73%. It also reduced the mean error value between estimated and actual transport time by 1.42%. The result shows that the GPS navigation device allowed for more accurate travel time estimation and its application in an urban setting such as Kuala Lumpur has the potential to reduce ambulance response time.

The Effectiveness of a Navigation System for Ambulance Service in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The response and transport intervals of an ambulance dispatch are affected by various factors. The present ambulance system relies on the driver’s experience, knowledge of local road map and estimations of directions. These may contribute to delays, misdirection and inefficient utilization of resources. The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of GPS navigation device on the response and transport time intervals of an ambulance service operating in urban setting. This was a three-month experimental study involving simulated ambulance dispatch based in a hospital. A total of 50 simulated cycles were constructed. Travel time, arrival time and distance were documented from each cycle. The median actual response time using map and GPS navigation device was 11.82 min and 10.47 min respectively. The median actual transport time using map and GPS navigation device was 11.00 min and 10.74 min respectively. The differences in response time and transport time between map and GPS navigation were not statistically significant (p= 0.215 and p=0.710). The application of GPS reduced the error value between estimated and actual response time by 8.73%. It also reduced the mean error value between estimated and actual transport time by 1.42%. The result shows that the GPS navigation device allowed for more accurate travel time estimation and its application in an urban setting such as Kuala Lumpur has the potential to reduce ambulance response time.

Estimating Response Time in Spatial Frequency Band Experiments involving Visual Perception / Estimación del tiempo de respuesta en los experimentos de banda de frecuencia espacial que implican percepción visual

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to determine the optimum response time (RT) needed to identify images of everyday objects when filtered using different spatial frequency bands. Subjects were randomly presented with different images of familiar objects that were both serialized and progressive in their spatial frequencies. The time needed to recognize them was then measured. The results showed that the optimum RT for identifying an image filtered in different spatial frequency bands was approximately 2000 ms of exposure. Specifically, stimuli presented using spatial frequency bands with Gaussian filters of variance V26-V32, which were familiar and of medium size to the viewer, were recognized in a mean time of 2126 ms.

RESUMEN El presente estudio tiene como objetivo determinar el tiempo de respuesta óptimo (RT) necesario para identificar imágenes de objetos cotidianos cuando se filtran utilizando diferentes bandas de frecuencias espaciales. A los sujetos se les presentaba aleatoriamente diferentes imágenes de objetos familiares cuyas bandas de frecuencia eran progresivamente serializadas. Se midió el tiempo necesario para reconocerlos. Los resultados mostraron que la RT óptima para identificar una imagen filtrada en diferentes bandas de frecuencias espaciales fue de aproximadamente 2000 ms de exposición. En concreto, los estímulos presentados utilizando bandas de frecuencias espaciales con filtros gaussianos de varianza V26-V32, que eran familiares y de tamaño medio para el espectador, se reconocieron en un tiempo medio de 2126 ms.

Correlation of Human Fasting Blood Sugar with Grip Muscle Strength and Reflex Response Time.

In humans, one of the major complications of chronic Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is Peripheral Neuropathy. Apparently linked to ischemic Nerve damage, a ravaging puzzle on its pathophysiology, onset prediction, and prognosis is yet to be fully uncovered. Today, what seems to be a major “breakthrough” is the discovery that chronic DM damages signal transduction across Nerve and Muscle tissues, leading to a bad and/or poorly coordinated reflex. The goal of this study was to find in humans, the relationship that binds fasting blood sugar (FBS) with grip muscle strengths and reflex response time. To achieve this, 387 humans were ethically sourced from Ethiope East Local government area of Delta State, Nigeria. Based on their glucometer readings, subjects were then gender-sorted and classified into 3 groups; A (hypoglycaemic), B (normoglycaemic or control), and C (hyperglycaemic). Using the hand-grip dynamometer (HGD) and Meter rule, subjects’ Grip Muscle strengths (GMS) and Reflex Response times (RRT) were respectively obtained and mapped against their corresponding glucometer reading (FBS). Using the Pearson Product moment correlation coefficient, Statistical measure of association (correlation) was conducted on obtained variables, and ANOVA was used to analyse the differences between means of each groups. Though no actual difference(s) was/were found between GMS and RRT, apparently, there was a weak Auditory-FBS relationship in hypoglycaemic females, and a weak GMS-FBS, plus Tactile-FBS correlations in hypoglycaemic males and females respectively.

Exploration of the Solution of Hospital Pharmacy Waiting Time for Medicine Based on Response Time / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To provide suggestions for solving the problem of hospital pharmacy waiting time for medicine. METHODS:The definition and classification of the response time in hospital pharmacy dispensing process were introduced. The re-sponse time was considered to analyze the causes of waiting time for medicine in outpatient pharmacy and central pharmacy. The scheme for shortening the waiting time for medicine were put forward. RESULTS&CONCLUSIONS:The response time can be di-vided into 2 types,i.e. relative invariable and relative variable;the former results from hardware factor,system factor and other factors,and is relative stable and hardly changed;the latter results from that the speed of previous step is higher than that of next step,and can be changed by certain method,such as adjusting the proportion of manpower allocation,adjusting manpower tempo-rarily. Based on the concept of response time,the essence of waiting time for medicine can be understood accurately and deeply, and countermeasure can be found out fundamentally and used for other steps as prescribing prescription.

Epidemiology and outcome of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Zhejiang province / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective To investigate the epidemiological features of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Zhejiang and to analysis factors associated with outcomes for providing evidence on improving the success rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Methods Clinical data of 493 patients with OHCA collected from the emergency department (ED) of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Ningbo Emergency Medical Service Center and Shaoxing Emergency Medical Service Center from January 2012 to August 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. All the data were recorded following the Utstein style included causes of arrest, location of arrest, first arrest rhythm, witnessed by bystanders, bystander CPR, pre-hospital defibrillation, pre-hospital intubation, pre-hospital epinephrine administration, emergency medical services (EMS) response time, return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) at scene/enroute, ROSC at ED, admission to hospital, survival to hospital discharge and neurological outcomes at discharge. Factors associated with 30 days survival rate of patients with OHCA were analyzed. Results 493 patients were enrolled, of whom 342 were male and 151 were female. The average age was (58.8±21.4) years. The causes of arrests consisted of cardiac etiology (219 cases), trauma (155 cases), respiratory disease (22 cases), drowning (19 cases), electrocution (8 cases) and others (70 cases). Most of the events occurred at home (65.1%) and public places (22.7%). 55.2% patients were witnessed by bystanders while bystander CPR was performed in only 2.6% cases. Asystole was the predominant rhythm (78.7%) observed by the ambulance crew at the arrest site while only 5.5% first arrest rhythms were ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia (VF/VT). Only 6.9% patients underwent pre-hospital defibrillation. Pre-hospital intubations were attempted in 16.4% patients. Epinephrine was administered in 56.4% patients at scene or in ambulances. EMS response time was (13.6±8.0) minutes. 4.5% patients had ROSC at scene/enroute and 7.7% had ROSC at ED. Only 9.7% patients were admitted to hospital and 1.2% discharged alive. 0.8% patients were still in hospital on 30th day. The 30-day survival rate was 2.0% (10/493) and only 0.8% patients had neurologically favorable survivals [with the cerebral performance category (CPC) score of 1 or 2]. Witnessed by bystanders (3.31% vs. 0.45%), VF/VT as the first arrest rhythm (7.41% vs. 1.72%), bystander CPR (15.38% vs. 1.67%), pre-hospital defibrillation (8.82% vs. 1.53%) and EMS response time < 10 minutes (3.57% vs. 0.74%) could improve 30-day survival rate of OHCA significantly (all P < 0.05). Conclusion Resuscitation survival of OHCA in Zhejiang province was unsatisfactory. Improvements are required in series aspects of OHCA survival chain.

The analysis of factors affecting the response time required for inter-hospital transfer of critically ill pediatric patients / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective To evaluate the mode of referral by response time for inter-hospital transfer of critically ill pediatric patients,and subsequently some measures taken for minimizing the response time in referral process.Methods A total of 9231 patients (≤14 years) transferred from primary hospital were included in a cross-section study.Information about age,sex,referral radius,the seasonal variation for inter-hospital transport of critically ill pediatric patients,time of referral telephone call and response time were collected.All computations were performed using the Statistic Package for Social Sciences for Windows version 18.0.Differences between groups were assessed by x2 tests or Wilcoxon test or Kruskal-Wallis for categorical data.Results Among all critically ill pediatric patients for the inter-hospital transfer,male to female ratio was 2.24:1,and the majority of patients were neonates and infants.Median retrieval mobilization time was 30 min (interquartile range,20-50 min).This study has demonstrated that referral time,age categories,referral radius,different years and seasons were associated with response time.Conclusions With the improvement of technologies and management mechanism,the response time was apparently minimized since the beginning of interhospital transportation.But there is still plenty of room for shortening rsponse time compared with advanced Westem countries.

Análise da influência da bandagem funcional de tornozelo no tempo de reação do fibular longo em sujeitos saudáveis / Analysis of ankle taping influence in the peroneal reaction time in healthy subjects

OBJETIVOS: O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a influência da bandagem funcional de tornozelo no tempo de reação do fibular longo de indivíduos sadios. MÉTODOS: A amostra foi composta por oito indivíduos do gênero masculino, fisicamente ativos, sem histórias prévias de lesões de tornozelo e, com os resultados negativos aos testes de instabilidade articular de tornozelo. Foram usados como instrumentos da pesquisa, a bandagem funcional de tornozelo tipo bota fechada, para realizar o teste uma plataforma capaz de inclinar 30o no plano frontal simulando a entorse lateral do tornozelo e um eletromiógrafo de oito canais (Bortec Electronics Incorporation, Canadá) para aquisições dos sinais eletromiográficos. Os sinais EMG foram coletados juntamente com o sinal da plataforma (sincronismo). A coleta dos dados foi realizada em dois momentos, primeiramente sem a bandagem e logo após com a bandagem. RESULTADOS: Os indivíduos tinham idade média de 23,3 anos (± 2,8), massa corpórea de 74,4kg (± 9,4), estatura de 1,7m (± 0,4) e IMC de 23,7kg/m2 (± 2,4). O estudo encontrou diferença estatisticamente significativa p = 0,018 na situação da bandagem funcional de tornozelo com diminuição do tempo de reação do fibular longo. CONCLUSÃO: Acreditamos que esta melhora se deva ao íntimo contato da bandagem com os receptores cutâneos do tornozelo, aumentando a ativação do reflexo fibular, com consequente ganho proprioceptivo e, assim, aumentando a habilidade dos sujeitos em responder a situações súbitas de entorses. O estudo demonstrou diminuição no tempo de reação do fibular longo de indivíduos sadios com o uso da bandagem funcional de tornozelo quando submetidos à inclinação lateral súbita do tornozelo.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the ankle functional tape on long fibular reaction time in health subjects. METHODS: The sample was composed of eight physically active male subjects, without ankle injury history and with negative results on ankle joint instabilities tests. The instruments used in this research were an ankle functional tape(closed boot type), a platform capable to 30º frontal inclination and an eight-channel electromyograph (Bortec Electronics Incorporation, Canada) for the electrical signals acquisition. The EMG signals were collected concomitantly to the platform (synchronism). Data were collected in two moments: firstly without tape and immediately after, with the tape. RESULTS: The subject average age was 23.3 years (± 2.8), body mass of 74.4 kg (± 9.4), height of 1.7 m (± 0.4) and BMI of 23.7 kg/m2. The research found statistically significant difference of p = 0.018 when the subjects were using the functional ankle tape, with a decreasing of reaction time in long fibular. CONCLUSION: We believe that this increase is related to the close contact of the functional tape with the ankle cutaneous receptors, increasing the fibular reflex activation, with a consequent proprioceptive gain and hence increasing the subjects' ability to respond to sudden ankle sprains. The study showed decrease in long fibular reaction time of health subjects while using this kind of ankle tape when submitted to a sudden lateral ankle inclination.

Test-retest Reliability of Lower Extremities Response Time in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis / 中国康复理论与实践

@#ObjectiveTo determine the test-retest reliability of lower extremities response time of functional squat system tests in patients with knee osteoarthritis.MethodsThirty patients who met the inclusion criteria of knee osteoarthritis were carried out lower extremities response time measurement twice within 1 week by the same tester. Intra-class correlation coefficients with 95% confidence intervals was calculated.ResultsThe intra-class correlation coefficient of the total response time and the reaction time ranged from 0-44 to 0-62 (P<0-05 or P<0-001). ConclusionLower extremities response time of functional squat system tests has an acceptable test-retest reliability in patients with knee osteoarthritis. It can better reflect their reaction capability and can appropriately reflect the adaptation and plasticity of lower extremities muscles' desired action to meet stimulation in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Increased Cortisol after Stress is Associated with Variability in Response Time in ADHD Children

PURPOSE: Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often perform poorly during cognitive tests. We sought to evaluate cortisol as potential moderator of performance in mentally challenging tasks in children with ADHD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety clinic-referred children with ADHD were studied. Cortisol contents in saliva were measured before and after administration of a continuous performance test (CPT). RESULTS: Pre and post CPT cortisol levels were similar in 68 children. Children whose cortisol level increased after testing ( n = 22 ) displayed a significantly longer response time and increased response time variability scores as compared to children who did not display increase of cortisol after the CPT test. Even after controlling for the effects of response time and anxiety, the changes in cortisol levels were associated with effect on response time variability. CONCLUSION: The patients who showed an increased cortisol level after stress displayed a higher variability in response time than the patients who showed no change or a decreased cortisol level. The result of the current study suggests that stress-induced high norepinephrine (NE) release may accompany poorer attention performance in patients with ADHD.

Acute exercise performed close to the anaerobic threshold improves cognitive performance in elderly females

The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of acute exercise performed at different intensities in relation to the anaerobic threshold (AT) on abilities requiring control of executive functions or alertness in physically active elderly females. Forty-eight physically active elderly females (63.8 ± 4.6 years old) were assigned to one of four groups by drawing lots: control group without exercise or trial groups with exercise performed at 60, 90, or 110 percent of AT (watts) and submitted to 5 cognitive tests before and after exercise. Following cognitive pretesting, an incremental cycle ergometer test was conducted to determine AT using a fixed blood lactate concentration of 3.5 mmol/L as cutoff. Acute exercise executed at 90 percent of AT resulted in significant (P < 0.05, ANOVA) improvement in the performance of executive functions when compared to control in 3 of 5 tests (verbal fluency, Tower of Hanoi test (number of movements), and Trail Making test B). Exercising at 60 percent of AT did not improve results of any tests for executive functions, whereas exercise executed at 110 percent of AT only improved the performance in one of these tests (verbal fluency) compared to control. Women from all trial groups exhibited a remarkable reduction in the Simple Response Time (alertness) test (P = 0.001). Thus, physical exercise performed close to AT is more effective to improve cognitive processing of older women even if conducted acutely, and using a customized exercise prescription based on the anaerobic threshold should optimize the beneficial effects.

Variability of Response Time as a Predictor of Methylphenidate Treatment Response in Korean Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

PURPOSE: Methylphenidate (MPH) is an effective medication for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, about 30% of patients do not respond to or are unable to tolerate MPH. Based on previous findings, we hypothesized that great variability in response time (RT) among Korean children with ADHD on a computerized continuous performance attention test would be related to poor MPH treatment response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Children (ages 6-18 years) with ADHD were recruited for a prospective 12-week, open-labeled, multicenter study to examine optimal dosage of OROS methylphenidate. Of the 144 subjects selected, 28 dropped out due to adverse events, medication noncompliance, or follow-up loss, and an additional 26 subjects with comorbid disorders were excluded from statistical analyses. We defined 'responders' as subjects who received a score of less than 18 on the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder rating scale (ARS; Korean version, K-ARS) and a score of 1 or 2 on the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scale (CGI-I). RT variability was assessed with the ADHD diagnostic system (ADS). RESULTS: Fifty-nine (67%) subjects responded to MPH treatment. The non-responders showed greater RT variability at baseline (Mann Whitney U = 577.0, p < 0.01). Baseline RT variability was a significant predictor of MPH response (Nagelkerke R2 = 0.136, p < 0.01). It predicted 94.9% of responder, 17.2% of non-responder and 69.3% of overall group. CONCLUSION: High RT variability may predict poor response to MPH treatment in children with ADHD.