ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Quantitative evaluation of mental stress is important to prevent stress-related disorders. Finger plethysmography (FPG) is a simple noninvasive method to monitor peripheral circulation, and provides many physiological indices. Our purpose is to investigate how FPG-derived indices reflect on mental stress, and to clarify any association between these physiological indices and subjective indices of mental stress. METHODS: Thirty-one healthy women (mean age, 22 years ± 2) participated. The participants rested by sitting on a chair for 10 min. They then performed a computerized version of the Stroop color-word conflict test (CWT) for 10 min. Finally, they rested for 10 min. FPG was recorded throughout the experiment. The participants completed a brief form of the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire before and after the test. Using the FPG data, we conducted chaos analysis and fast Fourier transform analysis, and calculated chaotic attractors, the largest Lyapunov exponent, a high-frequency (HF) component, a low-to-high-frequency (LF/HF) ratio, finger pulse rate and finger pulse wave amplitude. RESULTS: The HF component decreased and the LF/HF ratio increased significantly during the test (P < 0.01), while the confusion subscale of POMS increased after the test (P < 0.05). During testing, finger pulse rate significantly increased (P < 0.001), and the finger pulse wave amplitude decreased (P < 0.001). The attractor size reduced during testing and returned to a baseline level afterwards. Although the largest Lyapunov exponent showed no significant change during testing, significant negative correlation with the tension-anxiety subscale of POMS was observed at the beginning (P < 0.01). A significant negative correlation between the LF/HF ratio and two subscales was also observed in the beginning and middle of the test (P < 0.05). There were no correlations during the rest periods. CONCLUSIONS: The physiological indices derived from FPG were changed by mental stress. Our findings indicate that FPG is one of the easiest methods to evaluate mental stress quantitatively. In particular, the largest Lyapunov exponent and the LF/HF ratio might be associated with acute mental stress. Farther examination is needed to find any association between the physiological indices and various types of mental stress.
Subject(s)
Fingers/physiology , Plethysmography/methods , Stress, Psychological/physiopathology , Adult , Cohort Studies , Female , Fourier Analysis , Heart Rate/physiology , Humans , Plethysmography/instrumentation , Psychological Tests , Stress, Psychological/diagnosis , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young AdultSubject(s)
Osteoarthritis, Hip/ethnology , Severity of Illness Index , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Disability Evaluation , Humans , Japan , Middle Aged , Osteoarthritis, Hip/diagnosis , Osteoarthritis, Hip/psychology , Psychometrics , Quality of Life , Reproducibility of Results , TranslationsABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a common technique for increasing quality of life (QOL) in patients with degenerative or traumatic hip arthropathy. However, there is always a risk of THA requiring revision. The present study aimed to develop guidelines for QOL assessment and patient education by analyzing the risk factors for revision THA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 136 patients who underwent THA (revision group: n = 52 and no revision group: n = 84), a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for THA, and McNemar's test was used to compare the changes in living postures before and after surgery between the two groups. RESULTS: The following risk factors for revision were extracted by logistic regression analysis: dislocation after primary THA (OR: 10.5; 95% CI: 1.0-106.7), insufficient advance preparation of living aids (OR: 5.0; 95% CI: 1.6-15.8), and discouraged toileting postures (OR: 11.3; 95% CI: 1.1-115.9). In the postoperative period, the proportion of recommended postures while eating, toileting, bathing, sleeping, and resting was significantly higher for the no revision group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that recommended living postures, advance preparation of living aids, and dislocation prevention after THA are efficient indicators for assessing the risk for revision THA while emphasizing aspects of the Japanese lifestyle that require considerable hip joint range of motion.
Subject(s)
Activities of Daily Living , Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip , Patient Education as Topic , Posture , Prosthesis Failure , Biomechanical Phenomena , Female , Hip Joint/physiopathology , Humans , Japan , Male , Middle Aged , Quality of Life , Reoperation , Risk Factors , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
We have evaluated the feasibility of a telenursing system for patients with a chronic condition who are in receipt of home care services. The Internet-based system allows patients (equipped with a laptop computer), nurses and physicians to access information from a central database through a wireless network (128 kbit/s). Email and video-mail messages as well as vital signs data can be sent daily by the patient to a server at a regional health-care centre, and can be accessed by a nurse or physician, who can then decide on appropriate care. The system was tested by a male patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus, to see whether it would enhance his own management of his condition. During a 73-day baseline introductory period, no specific educational material was provided on the system Website about the management of diabetes (during this time the technical operation of the system was tested). During a second, 71-day period, educational material was provided. The telenursing system helped the patient to manage his condition, as shown by significant improvements in his levels of blood glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) and in his blood pressure. Our findings suggest that the system is feasible.
