Validity and reliability of the medicine ball throw for kindergarten children.

The purpose of this study was to establish validity and reliability evidence for the medicine ball throw test for kindergarten students, an underrepresented group in the literature. The subjects were 105 students, 5-7 years old, BMI 17.44 +/- 3.17 kg x m(-2), 43% female and 57% male. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to examine reliability, and Pearson correlation coefficients and a paired t-test were used to examine validity. To accomplish this, the kindergarten students completed the medicine ball throw test on two different days and the modified pull-up test, the "criterion" measure, on another day. For the medicine ball throw, each student sat on the floor before throwing the medicine ball forward like a chest pass three times. The medicine ball throw was highly reliable both within 1 day (ICCs = 0.93 and 0.94 for day 1 and day 2, respectively) and across 2 days (ICC = 0.88), with all reliability estimates over the acceptable level of 0.80. The medicine ball throw scores were positively related with height (r = 0.34) and weight (r = 0.34), and there was a significant difference between the 5-year-old group (mean +/- SD; 111.78 +/- 34.93) and the 6-year-old group (135.60 +/- 39.77), t = -3.23, p = 0.002, which supports correlational and known-difference evidence of validity for the medicine ball throw test. Even though no correlation was found between the medicine ball throw test and the modified pull-up test, r = -0.04, other forms of validity evidence (i.e., known-difference and correlational) were apparent. In conclusion, the medicine ball throw test seems to be a valid and reliable measure of upper-body strength for kindergarten children.

[Double-blind clinical study: flunarizine versus pizotifen in a single nightly dose in hemicrania patients]. / Studio clinico in doppio cieco: flunarizina contro pizotifene in un'unica somministrazione serale in pazienti emicranici.

In this double-blind clinical trial we compared the prophylactic efficacy of the calcium-entry blocker flunarizine (15 mg nocte) with that of pizotifen (1,5 mg nocte). In 30 patients affected by classical and common migraine. During a two months treatment both drugs showed a good efficacy. Flunarizine tended to more markedly suppress severity of pain and duration of attacks than pizotifen. Daytime drowsiness and weight gain occurred with both drugs; the first side effect was more evident in the group treated with flunarizine, the second one in the group treated with pizotifen.

Naloxone-induced jumping activity in morphine-dependent mice: a pharmacological study on the role of DA2 receptors.

The morphine withdrawal syndrome is strictly related to modifications on neurotransmittorial systems at central and peripheral levels. Dopamine seems to play an important role. Particularly in the experimental withdrawal syndrome the jumping activity seems to be related to a hypersensitivity of DA receptors. While the role of DA1 receptors has been extensively studied, using agonist and antagonist drugs, the role of DA2 receptors is still little known. In our study we evaluated the changes of the jumping response that was induced by substances active on DA2 receptors (lisuride, tiapride) in mice made acutely dependent on morphine, in which we induced a withdrawal syndrome with naloxone. Haloperidol (DA1-DA2 blocker) did not provoke significant changes. Either tiapride or lisuride determined a sharp increase of jumping.

Changed plasma prolactin levels after etoperidone and placebo.

A neuroendocrinological study was carried out by evaluating plasma prolactin levels after etoperidone i.m. (100 mg) and placebo. Fourteen male inpatients (mean age: 35.36 +/- 11.7 years) with chronic schizophrenia were selected for the study, whose aim was to improve interpretation of the pharmacological activity of etoperidone. The results suggest that etoperidone plays the role of an atypical psychotropic drug since it does not affect prolactin levels. In addition, the drug is devoid of anticholinergic effects, which facilitates its prospective clinical use for medium-term and long-term therapy.

[Double-blind trial of tiapride versus placebo in patients with sub-perennial idiopathic headache]. / Etude en double aveugle tiapride contre placebo chez des patients souffrant de céphalées essentielles subcontinues.

25 patients with sub-perennial idiopathic headache were given tiapride or a placebo in a double-blind controlled trial, over thirteen weeks. Tiapride was given orally in a dosage of 300 mg per day. Blood was drawn in 10 patients and 10 healthy controls for blood prolactin determination. No significant side-effects were recorded during the trial. Statistical analysis of the results is reported. Tiapride proved effective in reducing the frequency of headache (in 65% of patients), with an improvement rate which was statistically significant in comparison to the placebo. The drug seems to improve the headache index itself, although the difference was not statistically significant; however, the number of patients was small.

[Double-blind study of tiapride and placebo in patients with subcontinuous essential headache]. / Studio in doppio cieco coi tiapride versus placebo in pazienti con cefalea essenziale sub-continua.

25 patients with subcontinual primary headache were treated with Tiapride an Placebo in a controlled double-blind study. The duration of trial was 13 weeks. Blood samples were taken to value PRL in 10 patients and in 10 normal subjects. During the pharmacological trial no side-effects appeared. Authors refer results elaborated through statistical examinations. Tiapride is useful to reduce the frequency of the attacks (in 65% of the patients) with percentage of improvement statistically significant in comparison with placebo. Headache index appears influenced although in non statistically significant way.

Pyridoxine and depression: neuroendocrine aspects.

Plasma prolactin levels (PRL) were determined in 5 male depressed patients and in 5 controls, after injection of TRH (200 mg i.v.) (first phase), TRH following oral L-DOPA (500 mg) given 90 minutes before (second phase), TRH plus pyridoxine (300 mg i.v.) after same pretreatment with L-Dopa (third phase). L-Dopa induced a statistically significant suppression of TRH, caused PRL release; such suppression appears to be lower when TRH plus pyridoxine were administered simultaneously. PRL profile was not significantly different in the two groups.

[Double-blind study of the effects of amitriptyline and of a combination of amitriptyline and lithium on patients with chronic primary headache]. / Studio in doppio cieco sugli effetti dell'amitriptilina e di una associazione amitriptilina-litio in pazienti affetti da cefalea primaria cronica.

The Authors report their experience in a "double-blind" study in patients affected by chronic primitive headache. 30 patients have been examined: the first one were prescribed amitriptyline, the other one amitriptyline plus lithium association for 30 days. The study pointed out treatments have been effective in reducing frequency, duration and intensity of headache, even though the amitriptyline is more effective in the prophylaxis of chronic headache, whilst amitriptyline plus lithium association seems to be more effective in subacute headache.