ABSTRACT
Neuromodulation in the bioelectrical domain is an attractive option for the remediation of functionally based deficits. Most of the interest to date has focused on exogenous methods, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transient direct current stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, and deep brain stimulation. Much less attention has been given to endogenous methods of exploiting latent brain plasticity. These have reached a level of sophistication and maturity that invites attention. Over the last 7 years, the domain of infralow frequencies has been exploited productively for the enhancement of neuroregulation. The principal mechanism is putatively the renormalization of functional connectivity of our resting-state networks. The endogeneous techniques are particularly attractive for the pediatric population, where they can be utilized before dysfunctional patterns of brain behavior become consolidated and further elaborated into clinical syndromes.
Subject(s)
Brain Waves/physiology , Brain/physiology , Neurotransmitter Agents/metabolism , Brain/blood supply , Electroencephalography , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Nervous System Diseases/pathology , Nervous System Diseases/physiopathology , Nervous System Diseases/therapy , Transcranial Magnetic StimulationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Endosseous dental implants are a popular treatment to replace missing teeth. Although many advances have occurred and affected the macrogeometry and surface characteristics of dental implants, among other aspects, it is important to document how the implants perform in patients over time. Such evaluations are helpful not only to document the clinical survival of the implants but also patient satisfaction over an extended period. METHODS: A formal prospective multicenter human clinical was performed at five centers involving 200 patients and 626 implants. Specific inclusion and exclusion criteria were used and detailed data collected at specified times using case report forms. An independent study monitor reviewed all study data before entry into the study database. Two implant designs were used in two different clinical indications. A non-submerged titanium plasma-sprayed (TPS) hollow cylindrical implant with a smooth transgingival collar was evaluated in the maxillary anterior sextant and a non-submerged TPS solid screw implant with similar collar in the mandible. RESULTS: Over the course of the 5-year clinical trial, there was one early failure occurring before definitive prosthesis delivery. Three late failures were documented, one occurring at each of the 6, 12, and 18 months postoperative visits. Life table analysis at 5 years revealed a 99.4% survival rate and a 92.5% success rate. Patient satisfaction was rated as good to excellent for 96.1% of implants in regards to esthetics after 5 years; 98.8% for appearance; and 99.4% for prosthesis comfort, ability to chew and taste, fit, and general satisfaction. No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Implant success and survival was over 92% and 99%, respectively, in a formal 5-year prospective multicenter clinical trial involving 200 patients and 626 non-submerged TPS implants. These implants included hollow cylinder implants in the anterior maxilla and solid screw implants placed in the mandible. These findings document the predictability and patient satisfaction of tooth replacement using a non-submerged surgical technique involving a tissue-level, rough surfaced endosseous dental implant.
Subject(s)
Coated Materials, Biocompatible/chemistry , Dental Implants , Dental Materials/chemistry , Dental Prosthesis Design , Plasma Gases/chemistry , Titanium/chemistry , Adult , Aged , Alveolar Bone Loss/classification , Dental Prosthesis Retention , Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported , Dental Restoration Failure , Esthetics, Dental , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Mandible/surgery , Mastication/physiology , Maxilla/surgery , Middle Aged , Osseointegration/physiology , Patient Satisfaction , Prospective Studies , Surface Properties , Survival Analysis , Taste/physiology , Treatment Outcome , Young AdultABSTRACT
About one third of patients with epilepsy do not benefit from medical treatment. For these patients electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback is a viable alternative. EEG biofeedback, or neurofeedback, normalizes or enhances EEG activity by means of operant conditioning. While dozens of scientific reports have been published on neurofeedback for seizure disorder, most have been case series with too few subjects to establish efficacy. The purpose of this paper is to meta-analyze existing research on neurofeedback and epilepsy. We analyzed every EEG biofeedback study indexed in MedLine, PsychInfo, and PsychLit databases between 1970 and 2005 on epilepsy that provided seizure frequency change in response to feedback. Sixty-three studies have been published, 10 of which provided enough outcome information to be included in a meta-analysis. All studies consisted of patients whose seizures were not controlled by medical therapies, which is a very important factor to keep in mind when interpreting the results. Nine of 10 studies reinforced sensorimotor rhythms (SMR) while 1 study trained slow cortical potentials (SCP). All studies reported an overall mean decreased seizure incidence following treatment and 64 out of 87 patients (74%) reported fewer weekly seizures in response to EEG biofeedback. Treatment effect was mean log (post/pre) where pre and post represent number of seizures per week prior to treatment and at final evaluation, respectively. Due to prevalence of small groups, Hedges's g was computed for effect size. As sample heterogeneity was possible (Q test, p=.18), random effects were assumed and the effect of intervention was -0.233, SE = 0.057, z = -4.11, p<.001. Based on this meta-analysis, EEG operant conditioning was found to produce a significant reduction on seizure frequency. This finding is especially noteworthy given the patient group, individuals who had been unable to control their seizures with medical treatment.
Subject(s)
Biofeedback, Psychology , Electroencephalography/statistics & numerical data , Epilepsy/epidemiology , Epilepsy/rehabilitation , Epilepsy/diagnosis , Humans , Incidence , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Commonly observed complications associated with a conventional fixed partial denture (FPD) include loss of retention and tooth fracture. This report describes the occurrence of an unusual FPD abutment fracture and subsequent treatment. The distal abutment of an FPD developed severe periodontal disease with mobility. The anterior abutment fractured in the middle of the clinical crown and experienced cement failure.
Subject(s)
Dental Abutments , Dental Restoration Failure , Denture, Partial, Fixed , Aged , Female , Humans , Root Canal Therapy/methods , Tooth Fractures/etiology , Tooth Fractures/therapy , Tooth Mobility/etiologyABSTRACT
An often-neglected aspect of fixed prosthodontics is the contour of the tooth adjacent to the cast restoration. The adjacent surfaces should be surveyed to reveal compatibility with the path of insertion of the restoration. Adjacent contacts may have to be altered to permit the placement of the fixed partial denture and to ensure proper contact size/shape and embrasure size. The need for guide planes on teeth adjacent to fixed partial denture abutments in fixed prosthodontics is described.
