ABSTRACT
This report describes a case of cardiac sarcoidosis in a 40-year-old man with minimal risk factors for coronary artery disease who was found to have a critical coronary lesion on angiography performed for declining left ventricular function. The case highlights the diagnostic and therapeutic issues surrounding cardiac sarcoidosis and raises the question of a possible link between sarcoidosis and premature coronary artery disease. It also stresses the importance of ruling out ischemia in any patient with declining left ventricular function.
Subject(s)
Coronary Angiography , Coronary Artery Disease , Cardiomyopathies , Humans , Sarcoidosis , Ventricular Dysfunction, LeftABSTRACT
A suction-based stimulating electrode was designed and fabricated to allow intraoperative testing of lower-limb muscles during routinely scheduled surgical procedures. The suction device can adhere to a small exposure of muscle surface with reproducible contact forces and can maintain its geometric relationship to the underlying tissue for sufficient time to grade the resulting muscle contraction before removal and repositioning. When operated with a 10-cc syringe, the device can generate between 0 and 23 N of contact force; correlation between measured contact forces and those analytically predicted was 0.989. Preliminary animal testing indicates that the reusable device maintains its position over the nerve entry point even during vigorous active contractions of the stimulated muscle. Thus, it may be a valuable useful tool for locating the optimal site for a permanent electrode for functional electrical stimulation (FES) applications, as well as an ideal means of providing accurate and repeatable stimulation in various locations.
Subject(s)
Electric Stimulation Therapy/instrumentation , Electrodes , Muscle, Skeletal , Paraplegia/rehabilitation , Animals , Equipment Reuse , Intraoperative Period , Leg/innervation , Muscle Contraction , Muscle, Skeletal/innervation , Tissue AdhesionsABSTRACT
In recent times, social skills training (SST) has been used in the treatment of unipolar non-psychotic depression. We outline the rationale for SST in such treatment, provide definitions of SST, and outline the assessment and training procedures. Published studies are reviewed and their shortcomings discussed. We examine four theoretical issues arising from the review, and guidelines for improvements in future studies are suggested.
