Ventral striatal dopaminergic defect is associated with hallucinations in Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Visual hallucinations (VHs) are a common complication of Parkinson's disease (PD). The pathogenesis of VHs in PD is still largely unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the dopaminergic mechanisms of VHs and specifically whether the degree of striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) function or extrastriatal serotonin transporter (SERT) function can predict the appearance of VHs in patients with PD. METHODS: Twenty-two PD patients scanned with [123 I]FP-CIT single photon emission computed tomography at an early stage of their disease who later developed VHs were identified and compared with 48 non-hallucinating PD patients. The groups were matched for age, medication, disease duration and motor symptom severity. Clinical follow-up after the scan was a median (range) of 6.9 (3.8-9.6) years. Imaging analyses were performed with both regions-of-interest-based and voxel-based (Statistical Parametric Mapping) methods for the striatal and extrastriatal regions. RESULTS: The median interval between the scan and the emergence of VHs was 4.8 years. Patients who developed VHs had 18.4% lower DAT binding in the right ventral striatum (P = 0.009), 16.7% lower binding in the left ventral striatum (P = 0.02) and 18.8% lower binding in the right putamen (P = 0.03) compared to patients who did not develop VHs. CONCLUSIONS: Low striatal DAT function may predispose PD patients to VHs, and the regional distribution of the findings suggests a particular role of the ventral striatum. This is in line with non-PD research that has implicated ventral striatal dysfunction in psychosis.

No relevant midbrain atrophy in Parkinson's disease.

AIMS OF THE STUDY: To investigate whether significant midbrain atrophy is present in Parkinson's disease (PD), and if so, whether it can be used as a marker of striatal dopaminergic degeneration. METHODS: In total, 150 PD patients and 155 controls were scanned with both brain dopamine transporter (DAT) [123 I]FP-CIT SPECT and 1.5T MRI. Midbrain atrophy was measured from sagittal MRIs using the midbrain-to-pons ratios. Both striatal region-of-interest-based (Brass) and striatal and extrastriatal voxel-by-voxel-based DAT binding (SPM8) were investigated in relation to midbrain atrophy. RESULTS: The midbrain-to-pons ratios in PD patients were slightly lower than those in the controls (mean 0.59 vs 0.61, P < 0.05). The ratios did not significantly correlate with striatal or extrastriatal [123 I]FP-CIT uptake in controls or patients with PD. CONCLUSIONS: Mild midbrain atrophy is present in PD and can be detected with MRI. However, the midbrain atrophy in PD is not associated with the level of striatal dopaminergic dysfunction, and midbrain measurements therefore cannot be used as a clinically useful predictor of dopamine function.

Incorporating patient perspectives in health technology assessments and clinical practice guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Ensuring patient involvement in health technology assessments (HTAs) and clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) is important. However, the goals and methods of such involvement are not always clear. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to 1) discover ways to involve patients in HTA and CPG processes, 2) describe challenges, and 3) find ways of informing patients about HTAs and CPGs in Finland. METHODS: As part of a one-day seminar targeted at representatives of patient organizations (POs), 3, 1-h focus group discussions were held (n = 20, with 14 PO representatives). PO representatives included real patients and health care professionals working in the organizations. The discussions were tape-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. RESULTS: Focus group participants highlighted the importance of gathering patient views from a group of patients, rather than individuals. Surveys through POs were the most frequently mentioned means of gathering patients' views. PO representatives reported interest in cooperating in HTA and CPG processes. The most often mentioned challenges were finding appropriate representatives for the target group and conveying information about HTAs and CPGs to patients. Multichannel communication was seen as essential. Furthermore the information should be readable, comprehensible, tailored, reliable, reusable, complementary, and timely. CONCLUSIONS: Possible strategies to involve patients in HTA and CPG processes were incorporating patient representatives in the CPG and HTA groups, offering timely possibility to participate, and ensuring reporting with clear and unambiguous language. The main identified challenge was finding appropriate representatives of the target group. The role of POs was seen as important particularly when informing the patients.

Incidence of moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injuries after reduction in alcohol prices.

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol may be involved in 40-50% of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). In Finland, the cutting of alcohol taxes by one third in 2004 resulted in a marked increase in per capita alcohol consumption. We investigated the consequences of increased alcohol consumption on the incidence of moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury among a defined population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We identified all residents of Northern Ostrobothia with acute moderate-to-severe TBI admitted to Oulu University Hospital in 1999 and in 2007 as well as those who died on the scene without being admitted to the hospital. Alcohol involvement was recorded by similar methods and equally often during both years. Incidence rates were calculated as number of subjects per 100,000 population. Logistic regression was performed to determine which factors predicted fatal TBI and associated with alcohol-related TBI. RESULTS: No significant increase from 1999 to 2007 occurred in the incidence of alcohol-related moderate-to-severe TBIs among the population of Northern Ostrobothnia. The total number of alcohol-related TBIs were 61/135 (45.2%) in 2007 and 52/126 (41.3%) 1999. Fall-related TBIs were more frequent in 2007 than in 1999. Alcohol and older age predicted fatal outcome. Alcohol was significantly (P < 0.001) more often present in fatal TBIs (83/156, 53.2%) than in non-fatal TBIs (30/105, 28.6%). Male sex, fall, suicide, and assault significantly associated with alcohol-related TBI. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction in alcohol prices and the concomitant increase in alcohol consumption did not increase the incidence of alcohol-related moderate-to-severe TBI.

Virtual reality simulator training of laparoscopic cholecystectomies - a systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Simulators are widely used in occupations where practice in authentic environments would involve high human or economic risks. Surgical procedures can be simulated by increasingly complex and expensive techniques. This review gives an update on computer-based virtual reality (VR) simulators in training for laparoscopic cholecystectomies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From leading databases (Medline, Cochrane, Embase), randomised or controlled trials and the latest systematic reviews were systematically searched and reviewed. Twelve randomised trials involving simulators were identified and analysed, as well as four controlled studies. Furthermore, seven studies comparing black boxes and simulators were included. RESULTS: The results indicated any kind of simulator training (black box, VR) to be beneficial at novice level. After VR training, novice surgeons seemed to be able to perform their first live cholecystectomies with fewer errors, and in one trial the positive effect remained during the first ten cholecystectomies. No clinical follow-up data were found. Optimal learning requires skills training to be conducted as part of a systematic training program. No data on the cost-benefit of simulators were found, the price of a VR simulator begins at EUR 60 000. CONCLUSIONS: Theoretical background to learning and limited research data support the use of simulators in the early phases of surgical training. The cost of buying and using simulators is justified if the risk of injuries and complications to patients can be reduced. Developing surgical skills requires repeated training. In order to achieve optimal learning a validated training program is needed.

Cost analysis of an exercise program for older women with respect to social welfare and healthcare costs: a pilot study.

The aim of this study was to analyze social welfare and healthcare costs and fall-related healthcare costs after a group-based exercise program. The 10-week exercise program, which started after discharge from the hospital, was designed to improve physical fitness, mood, and functional abilities in frail elderly women. Sixty-eight acutely hospitalized and mobility-impaired women (mean age 83.0, SD 3.9 years) were randomized into either group-based (intervention) or home exercise (control) groups. Information on costs was collected during 1 year after hospital discharge. There were no differences between the intervention and control groups in the mean individual healthcare costs: 4381 euros (SD 3829 euros) vs 3539 euros (SD 3967 euros), P=0.477, in the social welfare costs: 3336 euros (SD 4418 euros) vs 4073 euros (SD 5973 euros), P=0.770, or in the fall-related healthcare costs: 996 euros (SD 2612 euros) vs 306 euros (SD 915), P=0.314, respectively. This exercise intervention, which has earlier proved to be effective in improving physical fitness and mood, did not result in any financial savings in municipal costs. These results serve as a pilot study and further studies are needed to establish the cost-effectiveness of this exercise intervention for elderly people.

Effects of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbyl palmitate on the isomerization and decomposition of methyl linoleate hydroperoxides.

In order to study antioxidant action on lipid hydroperoxide decomposition, the effects of alpha-tocopherol (TOH) and ascorbyl palmitate on the decomposition rate and reaction sequences of 9- and 13-cis,trans methyl linoleate hydroperoxide (cis,trans ML-OOH) decomposition in hexadecane were studied at 40 degrees C. Decomposition of cis,trans ML-OOH as well as the formation and isomeric configuration of methyl linoleate hydroxy and ketodiene compounds were followed by high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis. TOH effectively inhibited the decomposition of ML-OOH. The decomposition rate was two times slower at 0.2 mM and more than 10 times slower at 2 and 20 mM of TOH. Ascorbyl palmitate (0.2, 2, and 20 mM) slightly accelerated the decomposition of ML-OOH. Both compounds had an effect on the reaction sequences of ML-OOH decomposition. At high levels TOH inhibited the isomerization of cis,trans ML-OOH to trans,trans ML-OOH through peroxyl radicals and increased the formation of hydroxy compounds. Further, the majority of the hydroxy and ketodiene compounds formed had a cis,trans configuration, indicating that cis,trans ML-OOH decomposed through alkoxyl radicals without isomerization. These results suggest that when inhibiting the decomposition of hydroperoxides, TOH can act as a hydrogen atom donor to both peroxyl and alkoxyl radicals. In the presence of ascorbyl palmitate, cis,trans ML-OOH decomposed rapidly but without isomerization. In contrast to TOH, the majority of hydroxy compounds were cis,trans, but the ketodiene compounds were trans,trans isomers. This indicates that ascorbyl palmitate reduced cis,trans ML-OOH to the corresponding hydroxy compounds. However, the simultaneous formation of trans,trans ketodiene compounds suggests that ML-OOH decomposition, similar to the control sample, also occurred in these samples. Thus, under these experimental conditions, the reduction of ML-OOH to more stable hydroxy compounds did not occur to an extent significant enough to inhibit the radical chain reactions of ML-OOH decomposition.

Hormone-dependent changes in A and B forms of progesterone receptor.

The influence of different estrogen and/or progesterone treatments on concentrations of A and B forms of progesterone receptor (PR-A and PR-B) in the different cell types of chick oviduct was studied. A semiquantitative immunohistochemical assay for cellular PR concentrations was developed using a computer-assisted image analysis system. The staining intensity of nuclear PR in the basal layer of epithelial cells, glandular, smooth muscle and mesothelial cells was analysed separately using two monoclonal antibodies, PR6 and PR22. The measured concentrations of PR varied between different cell types and from cell to cell. A significant decrease in PR concentration, as noted by a decrease in staining intensity, was observed in all cell types studied 2 or 6 h after a single injection of progesterone with or without simultaneous estrogen administration. The decrease was also verified with immunoblotting and an immunoenzymometric assay (IEMA) for chicken PR. After down-regulation the concentration of PR recovered to the control level within 48 h after progesterone or estrogen administration. Estrogen administration alone was observed to cause changes in the concentration of PR-A only, having little or no effect on PR-B concentration depending on the cell type studied. These findings indicate that estrogen and progesterone cause cell-specific changes not only to the total concentration of PR but also to the cellular ratio of PR-A and PR-B.

A controlled study on the effect of beta-glucan-rich oat bran on serum lipids in hypercholesterolemic subjects: relation to apolipoprotein E phenotype.

The effects of beta-glucan-rich oat bran on serum lipids and lipoproteins were examined in a randomized 8-week study. After a 4-week run-in phase, subjects with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia [serum total cholesterol (TC) 5.5-8.5 mmol/l] on cholesterol-lowering diets were randomly allocated to an oat bran (10.3 g beta-glucan/day) or wheat bran group. Thirty-six subjects (20 in the oat bran group, 16 in the wheat bran group) completed the study. The diet was identical in both groups during the trial and no significant changes in body weight were found. Serum TC and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) significantly declined in the oat bran group during the first 4 weeks from 7.03 +/- 0.81 to 6.72 +/- 0.97 (p = 0.028) and from 4.90 +/- 0.69 to 4.61 +/- 0.89 mmol/l (p = 0.038), respectively, but at 8 weeks the values were not significantly different from baseline. Changes in serum TC were mainly confined to those who ate at least two-thirds of the planned daily dose of oat bran. In wheat bran group no changes were observed in serum TC or LDL-C levels. Apolipoprotein A1 and B did not change significantly in either group. Only subjects with apolipoprotein E 3/3 phenotype (n = 12) had hypocholesterolemic response to oat bran at 4 weeks, but no change was found in those with apolipoprotein E 4/4 or 4/3 (n = 7).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Changes in trichloroethylene-treated rat erythrocyte membranes in vitro.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a widely used organic solvent, the most important toxic effect of which is a narcotic central nervous (CNS) effect. In the present study we have used rat erythrocyte membranes as a nerve cell model for studying the changes in membrane integrity caused by TCE treatment. The parameters determined were osmotic resistance and the activities of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase), both of which are integral membrane proteins. TCE had a dose-dependent effect on all these parameters. It increased the osmotic resistance at low concentrations and caused a decrease at high concentrations. Enzyme inhibition was only significant at high solvent concentrations. Decrease of temperature potentiated these effects. Our results indicate that changes in membrane proteins may be the initial factor leading to other changes in the membrane, e.g. increased osmotic resistance.

Effects of SO2 on the photosynthetic and respiration rates in scots pine seedlings.

Exposure to moderate concentrations (90-500 microg SO(2) m(-3)) of SO(2) for 5-30 days caused a decrease in the photosynthetic rate. Only the lowest concentration (30 microg SO(2) m(-3)) increased photosynthesis. There was hardly any recovery in photosynthesis after the exposure. All exposure concentrations increased dark respiration. However, the lowest concentration had the smallest effect. Exposure to high concentration (2320 microg SO(2) m(-3)) of SO(2) for 5 h caused a strong decrease in the photosynthetic rate but there was a complete recovery within 2 weeks.

Ultrasonography as a screening procedure in children with urinary tract infection.

Renal ultrasonography, excretory urography and radionuclide-voiding cystography or conventional voiding cystourethrography were performed in 76 children with urinary tract infection. Forty children had functional or anatomical abnormalities. Twenty-eight children had vesicoureteral reflux and 12 children had an obstructive lesion. All 12 children with obstructive lesions as well as 4 children with reflux and hydronephrosis required corrective surgery. Ultrasonography as the initial procedure detected 14 of these cases and the other 2 were discovered in voiding cystourethrography. Our data and those in the literature suggest that renal ultrasonography may be the method of choice in children with urinary tract infection. This is followed by voiding cystourethrography or radionuclide-voiding cystography. Excretory urography is not necessary in the initial evaluation of these patients, but it should be utilized when the other imaging methods show an abnormality and more detailed anatomical visualization of the upper urinary tract is required. Using this protocol in children with urinary tract infection, unnecessary radiation, discomfort and expense will be avoided.

Factors affecting the pulmonary toxicity of bleomycin.

Bleomycin induced lung toxicity was retrospectively analyzed in 39 patients with vulval malignancy (group A) and in 23 patients with head and neck carcinoma (group B). Group A consisted of non-smokers, mean age 69.8 years, who received the drug as intravenous injections. Group B contained mainly heavy smokers, mean age 60.6 years, treated with intramuscular injections of bleomycin. In group A, 6 patients (15.4%) and in group B only one patient (4.3%) developed typical pulmonary fibrosis. Advanced age, a high total dose of bleomycin, and intravenous bolus injections of the drug seemed to be major factors responsible for the development of lung fibrosis, whereas smoking had no obvious effect.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head in lymphoma patients treated with combined chemotherapy including corticosteroids.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head developed in two patients with malignant lymphoma treated with combined chemotherapy. Pain was the main symptom. It was not possible to radiographically distinguish the necrotic lesions from metastatic tumour growth, and in both cases only histological examination revealed the true nature of bone destruction. The large doses of corticosteroids included in the treatment regimens were most likely of more importance in the etiology of the necrosis than the cytostatic drugs proper.

[Changes in the cervical spine in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (author's transl)]. / Veränderungen an der Halswirbelsäule rei juveniler rheumatoider Arthritis.

Changes in the cervical spine in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis can be shown by A.P., lateral and functional views with maximal flexion and extension, and particularly by tomography. The latter is essential for proper evaluation of the atlanto-occipital and atlanto-axial joints and of the odontoid. Atlanto-axial subluxation was found in eight out of eighty-four patients. Destruction of the odontoid was found in twelve out of fifty-three patients examined by tomography. The earliest tomographic changes at the atlanto-occipital joint consists of isolated joint narrowing, erosions and fusion and were observed in sixty-four out of sixty-six patients examined. Similar findings at the atlanto-axial joint were observed in thirty-seven out of sixty-six cases. The severity of the changes correlated with seropositivity and duration of the disease. The most marked changes were found with a prolonged history and a positive Rose-Waaler reaction.

Temperature effects in affinity chromatography of alanine aminotransferase.

The effects of temperature on the elution parameters of alanine aminotransferase and albumin were studied on substituted agaroses designated for the affinity chromatography of the enzyme. The elution volume of alanine aminotransferase depended logarithmically and and the elution volume of albumin linearly on temperature. Both decreased when the temperature increased. It was concluded that the observed elution volume of alanine aminotransferase was due to two types of retardation mechanisms: specific (the logarithmic mode) and non-specific (the linear mode), both of which were additive. Thermodynamic parameters were estimated for the specific mode and the calculation resulted in delta Ho and delta So values of ca. -40 kJ/mole and -140 J/mole . degrees K, respectively.

Comparison between clinical and radiological classification of infants with the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

Clinical and radiological classifications of the severity of the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) were made in 55 infants. According to the clinical classification 17 infants belonged to the first class (mild RDS), 22 to the second (moderate RDS), and 16 to the third class (severe RDS). In the classification based on radiological findings the numbers of infants in classes 1, 2 and 3 were 18, 19 and 18 respectively. On the basis of both the clinical and radiological findings, 11 infants belonged to the mild RDS class, 11 to the moderate, and 12 to the severe RDS class. Thus, 34 infants had the same clinical and radiological classification. In 21 infants there were discrepancies between the clinical and the radiological classifications, but only one infant with the most severe radiological findings belonged to the mild RDS class and only one infant with mild radiological findings belonged to the worst RDS class.

Computer aided diagnosis of bone tumors.

Four radiologists, three of whom having no special expertise in bone tumor radiology, analysed 177 bone tumors. One of the radiologists, using a computer aided bone tumor program, performed significantly better than the other two at a comparable level of training and was able to compete successfully with the fourth radiologist experienced in bone diagnosis. The results validate the assumption that computer aided diagnostic programs may improve the diagnostic accuracy of radiologists having limited experience with the problem at hand.