ABSTRACT
Although the Anosognosia Questionnaire-Dementia (AQ-D) is one of the main instruments for assessing awareness in Alzheimer's disease (AD), the normative data were until now limited to people from Argentina and Japan. This study aims to validate this instrument in an European context, in particular in an Italian sample. In a multicenter project (Verona, Padova, and Trapani), 130 patients with AD and their caregivers participated in the study. Psychometric characteristics of AQ-D are confirmed indicating that the scale permits the early identification of anosognosia and the correct care management of patients. Indeed, anosognosia results to be present also in patients with very mild AD (moderate: 44.44%; mild: 47.17%; and very mild: 23.73%). Moreover, the results indicate that deficits in awareness may vary in severity and that different types of anosognosia may be identified.
Subject(s)
Agnosia/diagnosis , Alzheimer Disease/diagnosis , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales/standards , Psychometrics/methods , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Agnosia/etiology , Alzheimer Disease/complications , Female , Humans , Italy , Male , Psychometrics/instrumentation , Reproducibility of Results , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
From May 1993 to January 1997, a total of 130 humeral fractures and nonunions were treated using an "elastic" unreamed nail. The elastic nail consists of a cylindrical proximal component tapered for the application of the impactor-extractor, distally containing the proximal ends of four or five secondary nails preloaded to diverge and held together by a retaining system. The surgical approach is through the olecranic fossa apex. Once introduced, the proximal end of the nail locks automatically by diverging the secondary nails in the proximal humeral epiphysis. Distally, the elastic nail is locked with a crossbolt. The elastic nail enables stable fixation of fractures or nonunions and allows early rehabilitation.
Subject(s)
Bone Nails , Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary/instrumentation , Fractures, Ununited/surgery , Humeral Fractures/surgery , Adult , Aged , Elasticity , Equipment Design , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary/methods , Fracture Healing/physiology , Fractures, Ununited/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Humeral Fractures/diagnostic imaging , Male , Materials Testing , Middle Aged , Radiography , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
On the basis of five cases of supraepitrochlear process of the humerus the authors recall the most significant anatomical and clinical aspects of the disease. The presence of clinical symptoms, going under the name of Struthers syndrome, indicates surgical removal.
Subject(s)
Humerus/abnormalities , Humerus/diagnostic imaging , Ligaments, Articular/abnormalities , Ligaments, Articular/diagnostic imaging , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Radiography , SyndromeABSTRACT
Four cases of breakage of Küntscher intramedullary nails (AO model) are presented. All 4 nails broke after fracture healing had occurred and all 4 presented breakage of the stem in the same site. In these cases breakage of the nails is not due to instability of the fracture, but always derives from superficial micro-cracks, technologically inevitable, due to defects or irregularities in the metal that expand during load application.
