ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Curcumin has been shown to deliver protective effects against numerous degenerative conditions associated with high levels of inflammation and oxidative stress. Owing to its poor bioavailability when delivered orally, it is difficult to deliver a high concentration therapeutic dose. LipiSperse® is a novel delivery system that uses dispersion technology to enhance bioavailability of hydrophobic agents. In this study, we investigated the pharmacokinetics of a commercially available curcumin extract, with or without the curcumin-LipiSperse® delivery complex. METHODS: Eighteen healthy male and female volunteers participated in this single equivalent dose, randomised, double-blinded study. Seven of those volunteers further participated in the crossover phase of the trial. Plasma concentrations were determined at baseline and at regular intervals over a 24-h period following 750 mg of curcuminoid ingestion. RESULTS: In both the parallel and crossover trial, Curcumin with LipiSperse® delivered significantly higher plasma curcuminoid concentrations compared to the raw curcumin product (807 vs 318 ng/mL in the crossover trial). CONCLUSIONS: The novel delivery system LipiSperse® is safe in humans, and demonstrates superior bioavailability for the supply of curcumin when compared to a standard curcumin extract.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/pharmacokinetics , Curcumin/pharmacokinetics , Drug Delivery Systems/methods , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/administration & dosage , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/blood , Biological Availability , Cross-Over Studies , Curcumin/administration & dosage , Curcumin/metabolism , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to determine if stutters and nonstutters differed in their ability to initiate phonation repeatedly with a gentle voice onset. Ten stutterers and ten nonstutterers were asked to phonate the vowel /a/ with an average rise time slower than 52.3 dB/sec while starting the voice at or below 63 dB SPL. Voice productions were monitored by a voice monitor, which is used in the administration of the Precision Fluency Shaping Program. Measurements of number of attempts and time to reach criterion, percentage of correct productions, and intensity levels of each production were made. There were no significant differences between the two groups for any of the variables examined. Results were compared with other studies demonstrating phonatory differences between stutterers and nonstutterers.
Subject(s)
Phonation , Stuttering/physiopathology , Voice , Adult , Humans , Larynx/physiopathology , Male , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of auditory and visual "distractors' on the frequency of stuttering. Ten stutters spoke extemporaneously during conditions of auditory masking, when lights were turned on and off in a room, and during normal conditions. No significant differences in stuttering frequency were found between conditions. The results of this study suggest that further research is needed to clarify the relationship between stuttering frequency, vocal intensity, and supposed distractors during conversational speech.
Subject(s)
Attention , Auditory Perception , Stuttering/psychology , Visual Perception , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Perceptual Masking , Photic Stimulation , SpeechSubject(s)
Laryngeal Nerves/physiology , Voice , Adult , Auditory Perception/physiology , Humans , Male , Mechanoreceptors/physiologyABSTRACT
This study was conducted to determine if the reduction of stuttering typically observed during singing is associated with altered vocalization or the familiarity of the melody and lyrics of the song sung by the stutterer, or both. Subjects were eight adult male stutterers. Prior to testing, each of these individuals demonstrated that he knew the melody and lyrics of a well-known song from memory. Subsequently, subjects were asked to read these lyrics aloud and then sing them. Next, subjects had to read aloud and then sing a set of unfamiliar lyrics to the conventional melody of the same song. The stutterers' reading and singing performances were audiotaped. The dependent measures of utterance duration and stuttering frequency were extracted from the tapes. Results showed that subjects' utterance durations were significantly longer during singing than reading. The main effects of singing and familiarity were both associated with significant reductions in stuttering frequency. The greatest decrement in stuttering occurred in the condition where subjects sang the familiar melody and lyrics. These findings were interpreted to mean that changes in vocalization cannot account for all of the decrease in stuttering that occurs during singing. During song, the familiarity of the melody and lyrics being produced may also affect stuttering frequency.
