Decline in locomotor functions over time in HIV-infected patients.

OBJECTIVES: To assess changes in locomotor function in HIV-infected patients and to evaluate the determinants of variations in lower limb muscle performance. DESIGN: Longitudinal study within the ANRS CO3 Aquitaine Cohort. METHODS: Standardized locomotor tests, including global functional capacity [6-min walk distance (6MWD)] and lower limb muscle performance tests [five times sit-to-stand (5STS) test], were performed in HIV-infected adults at baseline and 2-year follow-up. Evolution of performances and determinants of 5STS time were studied in linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS: At baseline (354 patients, 90% on antiretroviral treatment), median 5STS time was 9.8 s and 6MWD 549 m. Poorer performances were associated with falls, reported by 12% of 178 patients at follow-up. Estimated mean deterioration was +0.24 s/year (P < 10) for 5STS time and -11 m/year (P < 10) for 6MWD. In multivariable analyses, older age was associated with worse baseline 5STS time (+0.47 s/10-year age increase; P = 10), but not with further deterioration. Deterioration was greater in prior injecting drug users compared to others (difference in slope +0.62 s/year; P = 0.04). 5STS time at any time point was worse in patients with history of cerebral AIDS conditions (+2.47 s; P < 10) and diabetes (+0.95 s; P = 0.02) than in others. No significant associations were found for antiretroviral treatment type, viral load or CD4 cell count. CONCLUSION: Compared to published data from healthy persons of similar age, baseline 5STS time and 6MWD were poorer in HIV-infected adults and associated with subsequent falls. Test performances deteriorated further over time. Age, diabetes, neurologic complications and injection drug use, rather than virologic factors, contribute to variations in lower limb muscle performance.

Functional MRI using Fourier decomposition of lung signal: reproducibility of ventilation- and perfusion-weighted imaging in healthy volunteers.

PURPOSE: To assess the reproducibility of Fourier decomposition (FD) based ventilation- and perfusion-weighted lung MRI. METHODS: Sixteen healthy volunteers were examined on a 1.5 T whole-body MR-scanner with 4-6 sets of coronal slices over the chest volume with a non-contrast enhanced steady-state free precession sequence. The identical protocol was repeated after 24h. Reconstructed perfusion- and ventilation-weighted images were obtained through non-rigid registration and FD post-processing of images. Analysis of signal in segmented regions of interest was performed for both native and post-processed data. Two blinded chest radiologists rated image quality of perfusion- and ventilation-weighted images using a 3-point scale. RESULTS: Reproducibility of signal between the two time points was very good with intra-class correlation coefficients of 0.98, 0.94 and 0.86 for native, perfusion- and ventilation-weighted images, respectively. Perfusion- and ventilation-weighted images were of overall good quality with proportions of diagnostic images of 87-95% and 69-75%, respectively. Lung signal decreased from posterior to anterior slices with image quality of ventilation-weighted images in anterior areas rated worse than in posterior or perfusion-weighted images. Inter- and intra-observer agreement of image quality was good for perfusion and ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates high reproducibility of ventilation- and perfusion-weighted FD lung MRI.

Behavioral activity associated with onset in chronic tic and habit disorder.

Seventy-six people (aged 18-62 years) diagnosed with either a chronic tic disorder or a habit disorder, entering a treatment study, kept a baseline daily diary for at least ten days, noting tic frequency and activity at time of onset. Together with an evaluator, participants completed a form ranking three high-risk activities where the tic or habit was likely to appear, and three low-risk activities where the tic was absent or barely present. Subjective appraisals distinguishing the two types of activities were also elicited and their relevance to the tic was measured on a seven-point scale using an adaptation of Kelly's repertory grid technique. Overall, the most frequent high-risk and low-risk activities were, respectively, passive attendance and physical activity. There were, however, significant differences in types of high-risk activities amongst the tic and habit disorders. Conversely, appraisals of the high-risk activities seemed to center on negative evaluations of tenseness, boredom, dissatisfaction, and disinterest.