Lifestyle, Physical Activity, Eating and Hygiene Habits: A Comparative Analysis Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Student Population.

Background: Changing daily habits such as diet, hygiene and physical activity may be some of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of this pandemic on lifestyle, physical activity, eating and hygiene habits among students. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 171 students from the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Serbia. Data were statistically analyzed using Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test, Marginal homogeneity test and Chi-square test. The differences were considered statistically significant when p ≤ 0.05. Results: In this study, it was observed that the most common physical activity before the pandemic was walking, while during the pandemic was home exercising. Compared to the period before the pandemic, there was no difference in the time spent engaging in daily physical activity (p = 0.334). However, there was a significant increase in sitting time during the pandemic (p = 0.005). Difference was noticed in the use of breakfast, the number of meals, and the type of fat in the diet before and during the pandemic (p = 0.000). During the pandemic, there was an increase in the use of fruits (p = 0.000), vegetables, and nuts (p = 0.001), while the use of fast food and alcohol have decreased. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant increase in the use of dietary supplements was observed (40.2%), (p = 0.008). Conclusions: Given that the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, certain changes in lifestyle observed in this study should be confirmed in more extensive population studies.

Treating of focal epilepsy: a patent review.

Focal epilepsy is one of the most frequent specific type of epilepsies, with 30% treatment-resistant patients. There are several directions researchers can follow to improve existing treatment of focal epilepsy: synthesis of new compounds with anticonvulsant activity, repurposing drugs approved for other indications, finding drugs targeted to specific genetic and biochemical defects that underlie focal epilepsy syndromes, development of viral vectors for specific gene therapy, creation of devices and methods for suppression of seizures by electrostimulation and development of methods to increase safety of epilepsy surgery. Improvement of efficacy and safety of current therapies is necessary, as well as developing targeted treatment of genetic epilepsy syndromes that will not only suppress seizures, but stop further epileptogenesis.

Efficiency of chewable toothbrush in reduction of dental plaque in students.

BACKGROUND: Besides classical and electrical toothbrushes market offers tooth brushes that can be chewed, like chewing gums. The aim of this study was to show the effectiveness of chewable toothbrush versus a conventional brush in the students' population. METHODS: The prospective study included 346 students. For this research, we used a e-questionnaire for "smart" phones, that students completed outside the dental office. Respondents are divided into two groups: control group used conventional toothbrushes, respondents from the tested group used chewable toothbrush. For assessment of accumulation of the plaque we used TQHI index. For testing statistical hypotheses, the following were used: t-test for two independent samples and analysis of the variance of repeated measurements. RESULTS: Before brushing teeth, the average TQHI value for chewable brushes is 2.8 ± 0.3, while conventional is 2.7 ± 0.3, which is not a statistically significant difference (p = 0.448). After brushing teeth, the average TQHI value for chewable brushes is 2.0 ± 0.1, while conventional 2.0 ± 0.3, which is also not statistically significant (p = 0.729). Observing the index of the plaque values on the tooth surfaces in the upper jaw, in both groups, there was a statistically significant change in the amount of plaque in time (p < 0.001). There is a statistically significant interaction between groups and changes in the amount of plaque in the observed period (p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: The fact that there is no significant difference in the effectiveness of the tested brushes indicates the benefits of using chewable toothbrushes in order to reduce plaque, primarily in the inability to use conventional brushes.

Towards a new protocol of scoliosis assessments and monitoring in clinical practice: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Although intensively investigated, the procedures for assessment and monitoring of scoliosis are still a subject of controversies. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess validity and reliability of a number of physiotherapeutic measurements that could be used for clinical monitoring of scoliosis. METHODS: Fifteen healthy (symmetric) subjects were subjected to a set of measurements two times, by two experienced and two inexperienced physiotherapists. Intra-observer and inter-observer reliability of measurements were determined. Following measurements were performed: body height and weight, chest girth in inspirium and expirium, the length of legs, the spine translation, the lateral pelvic tilt, the equality of the shoulders, position of scapulas, the equality of stature triangles, the rib hump, the existence of m. iliopsoas contracture, Fröhner index, the size of lumbar lordosis and the angle of trunk rotation. RESULTS: Intraclass correlation coefficient was high (> 0.8) for majority of measurements when experienced physiotherapists performed them, while inexperienced physiotherapists performed precisely only basic, easy measurements. CONCLUSIONS: We showed in this pilot study on healthy subjects, that majority of basic physiotherapeutic measurements are valid and reliable when performed by specialized physiotherapist, and it can be expected that this protocol will gain high value when measurements on subjects with scoliosis are performed.

Complex regional pain syndrome type I in the upper extremity - how efficient physical therapy and rehabilitation are.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of early started combined therapy in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome-1 (CRPS-1) on the upper extremities. METHODS: The study included 36 patients in the first stadium of CRPS-1 on the upper extremities The mean age of patients was 42.6±14.6, the majority of them (26 of 36) were females. The right side of the upper extremity was affected much more then the left side. They were treated by combined therapy including analgetics, electrotherapy, magneto therapy and kinesitherapy. The average length of observation was 172.1 days (from 90 to 250 days). The average length of treatment was 91.5±42.16 days. Intensity of pain, swelling of the extremity, the change in skin coloration and cutaneous manifestations were assessed three times, at the beginning of the treatment, after 6 weeks and at the end of the treatment. RESULTS: The pain was registered in all patients at visit 1 (average pain intensity was 5.70 ±1.44 on 100 mm visual analogue scale), and it was progressively decreased during the treatment from 3.60±1.22 at the second visit to 0.34±0.68 at the third visit. Vasodilatation was registered in 30 (83.33%) patients and skin temperature asymmetries was found in 21 (58.33%) patients. The difference of size was detected in 30 (83.33%) patients at the first visit compared to four (11.11%) patients at the end of the treatment. There were six (16.66%) patients without swelling at the beginning compared to 26 (72.22%) at the end of the treatment (p less than 0.000). Complete healing was achieved in 32 patients (88.88%). CONCLUSION: The carefully chosen physical agents in combination with analgesic and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may benefit in patients with CRPS-1 on the upper extremity if the treatment starts as soon as possible.

ScolioMedIS: web-oriented information system for idiopathic scoliosis visualization and monitoring.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is the most common type of abnormal curvature observed in spine and it progresses rapidly during the puberty period. The most followed clinical way of assessing the spinal deformity is subjective by measuring the characteristic angles of spinal curve from a set of radiographic images. This paper presents a web-based information system (called ScolioMedIS) based on parameterized 3D anatomical models of the spine to quantitatively assess the deformity and to minimize the amount of radiation exposure by reducing the number of radiographs required. The main components of the system are 3D parametric solid model of spine, back surfaces, relevant clinical information and scoliosis ontology. The patient-specific spine model is regenerated from the parametric model and surface data using anatomical information extracted from radiographic images. The system is designed to take inherent advantage of Web for facilitating multi-center data collection and collaborative clinical decisions. The preliminary analysis of patient data showed promising results, which involve improved documentation standard, clinical decision knowledge base record, facilitated exchange and retrieval of medical data between institutions in multi-center clinical studies, 3D visualization of spinal deformity, and permanent monitoring of treatments.

Epidemiological characteristics of suicidal patients admitted to the Psychiatric Clinic in Kragujevac: a ten-year retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: Suicide attempts are a significant public health problem. They are associated with significant morbidity and result in significant use of health care resources. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to analyze epidemiological characteristics attempts of suicide for persons in the period 2001-2010 who were hospitalized at the Psychiatric Clinic in Kragujevac after the attempt of suicide. METHODS: We analysed 286 clinical records of patients who had attempted suicide (133 males, 153 females). We used the illness history of patients, who were treated at the Psychiatric Clinic in Kragujevac after their suicide attempts. We made the analysis of socio-demographic characteristics of the sample and characteristics of the suicide act itself. RESULTS: Our results showed a higher rate of female population, except for the period 2003-2005:2003 - 14 males (58.3%), 2004 - 15 (62.5%) and 2005 - 60%. The largest number of attempts was in the population aged between 25 and 34 years (23.8%). The percentage of persons from urban areas was higher (66.4%). Depressive disorder was a common pre-existing disorder before a suicide attempt (42.3%). Most attempts of suicide were performed by overdosing on medications (57.7%). CONCLUSION: In the last three years we observed a decrease of suicide attempts. We noticed that middle aged persons are the most frequent ones to attempt suicide. Depressive disorder is the most frequent pre-existing condition of suicide attempt. In order to prevent suicide attempts we must improve early detection of depressive disorder, as well as initial treatment.