ABSTRACT
Alzheimer's disease affects almost ten million people every year. Negative emotions such as frustration and anxiety can have impact on brain capability in terms of memory functions. Alzheimer's patients experience more negative emotions than healthy older adults. Non-pharmacological treatment such as animal therapy could help Alzheimer patient but has restrictions and requirements. We propose a Virtual Reality Zoo Therapy system in which the patients are immersed in a virtual environment and can interact with animals using their hands. With the immersive experience of virtual reality (VR), patients feel that they are in a real therapy room and can freely interact with animals. This system is controlled by an intelligent agent which tracks the patients' emotions using electroencephalography and commands the animals according to their hand gesture and emotions. Experiments have been done and preliminary results show that it is possible to predict patients' hand gesture and interpret them in order to interact with virtual animals and the Zoo Therapy system can reduce the negative emotions.
Subject(s)
Alzheimer Disease , Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy , Virtual Reality , Aged , Alzheimer Disease/therapy , Anxiety Disorders , Gestures , HumansABSTRACT
The article describes briefly the salient features of Rudraksha therapy.
ABSTRACT
Intradural extramedullary glial tumours of the spinal cord are rare. We report for such tumours arising from the dorsal cord. Myelography and operative findings were almost similar to that of an intradural neurofibroma. Surgical removal had resulted in rewarding neurological recovery. One of them had a recurrence after six years and was re-explored. Anterolateral attachment near the root entry zone suggests its origin probably from the spinal cord with an exophytic growth.
Subject(s)
Glioma/diagnosis , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/diagnosis , Adult , Diagnosis, Differential , Glioma/surgery , Humans , Male , Meningeal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Middle Aged , Neurofibroma/diagnosis , Spinal Cord Neoplasms/surgeryABSTRACT
A brief discussion of the infrared observations from 4 to 20 micrometers of seven comets is presented. The observed infrared emission from comets depends primarily on their heliocentric distance. A model based on grain populations composed of a mixture of silicate and amorphous carbon particles in the mass ratio of about 40 to 1, with a power-law size distribution similar to that inferred for comet Halley, is applied to the observations. The model provides a good match to the observed heliocentric variation of both the 10 micrometers feature and the overall thermal emission from comets West and Halley. Matches to the observations of comet IRAS-Araki-Alcock and the antitail of comet Kohoutek require slightly larger grains. While the model does not match the exact profile and position of the 3.4 micrometers feature discovered in comet Halley, it does produce a qualitative fit to the observed variation of the feature's strength as a function of heliocentric distance. The calculations predict that the continuum under the 3.4 micrometers feature is due primarily to thermal emission from the comet dust when the comet is close to the Sun and to scattered solar radiation at large heliocentric distances, as is observed. A brief discussion of the determination of cometary grain temperatures from the observed infrared emission is presented. It is found that the observed shape of the emission curve from about 4 to 8 micrometers provides the best spectral region for estimating the cometary grain temperature distribution.
Subject(s)
Carbon/chemistry , Dust/analysis , Meteoroids , Models, Theoretical , Silicates/chemistry , Astronomical Phenomena , Astronomy , Extraterrestrial Environment , Solar System , Spectrophotometry, Infrared , TemperatureABSTRACT
Unilateral dilatation of the lateral ventricle in adults is rare. We report 2 cases of unilateral hydrocephalus with obstruction at the foramen of Monro. Both patients presented with symptoms of raised intracranial pressure.
Subject(s)
Cerebral Ventricles/pathology , Hydrocephalus/etiology , Adult , Dilatation, Pathologic/complications , Humans , Hydrocephalus/pathology , Intracranial Pressure , MaleABSTRACT
123 cases of meningioma operated upon between 1975 and 1984 were reviewed. There were 13 cases of symptomatic tumour recurrence and 15 cases of tumour progression. Both, recurrence and progression of the tumour were seen twice as often in males. They were not related to any particular age group or site of origin. Recurrence was more common in the angioblastic type of meningioma. In the majority, progression of the tumour was seen within two years of the initial operation, while recurrence of the tumour was distributed evenly over time.
Subject(s)
Meningeal Neoplasms/surgery , Meningioma/surgery , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Meningeal Neoplasms/physiopathology , Meningioma/physiopathology , Middle Aged , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
A case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma presenting as a cerebellar mass in a young man is described. The tumor was found to be arising from the dura mater and infiltrating the cerebellum. The ultrastructural and immunocytochemical studies confirmed the mesenchymal origin of the neoplasm. Focal reactive astrocytomalike areas were observed in the midst of this tumor.
Subject(s)
Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous/diagnosis , Meningeal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Adult , Cerebellar Neoplasms/diagnosis , Cerebral Ventriculography , Cranial Fossa, Posterior , Diagnosis, Differential , Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein/metabolism , Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous/diagnostic imaging , Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous/surgery , Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous/ultrastructure , Histocytochemistry , Humans , Immunochemistry , Male , Meningeal Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Meningeal Neoplasms/surgery , Meningeal Neoplasms/ultrastructure , Microscopy, ElectronABSTRACT
Sciatectomized toad gastrocnemius has shown a progressive loss in lactate (LDH), succinate (SDH) and malate (MDH) dehydrogenase activities and elevation of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity during post-neurectemic days. The possible role of malate in the restoration of metabolic homeostasis in denervated muscle is discussed.
Subject(s)
Malates/physiology , Muscles/metabolism , Oxidoreductases/metabolism , Sciatic Nerve/physiology , Animals , Bufonidae , Glutamate Dehydrogenase/metabolism , L-Lactate Dehydrogenase/metabolism , Malate Dehydrogenase/metabolism , Muscle Denervation , Succinate Dehydrogenase/metabolismABSTRACT
Arachnoid cysts are rare lesions responsible for spinal cord compression. Five cases of congenital intraspinal arachnoid cysts are reported. Three cases of thoracic and two cases of thoracolumbar region were encountered. The clinical presentation was one of progressive spastic paraparesis. The characteristic radiological features are described. Surgery was successful in all cases.
