A new factor involved during childbirth labor: the importance of having a good dental occlusion.

It is widely recognized that the physiology of childbirth labor largely depends on the interaction between three factors: a) the force generated by uterine contractions; b) the structure and characteristics of the birth canal and c) the fetus. Harmony between these three variables determines the initiation of maternal dynamic phenomena and the establishment of an optimal maternal-fetal balance in which both warrant for a correct delivery timing. The present study considered the above known factors and assessed if any other factor, still not recognized, could also play a role, and eventually modify the timing of delivery during the expulsive period. In particular, we focused our attention on the role played by the temporomandibular joint and dental occlusion on maternal body balance and on the stability of muscular reflected forces. The importance of assessing the temporomandibular function and the dental occlusion lies in the fact that any alteration in chewing or in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) mobility and occlusion brings to relevant modifications on the vertebral column and pelvic girdle. Our hypothesis is based on the evidence that those women who have any kind of alteration in their dental occlusion, can have an altered capability of pushing during the expulsive period, as the force applied on the pelvic floor is not expressed. Moreover, recent studies have highlighted a relationship between temporomandibular dysfunctions and sleep apnea syndrome and between sleep apnea syndromes and pregnancy. These relationships are explored in this study.

Does a short lingual frenulum affect body posture? Assessment of posture in the sagittal plane before and after laser frenulotomy: a pilot study.

The factors that characterize posture are neurophysiological, biomechanical, psychoemotional. Neurophysiological factors concern the modulation of tone, muscle tone is the result of a series of neuropsychological processes within the tonic-postural system. The tonic-postural system can become unbalanced for various reasons, including a tight lingual frenum. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the benefits of frenulectomy by laser on body posture and on the scapular (shoulders) anteroposterior movement. Twenty-four healthy subjects were selected, between the ages of 10 and 26 years (mean age 15.22) who presented a short lingual frenum and a low posture of the tongue and jaw. They were examined using the Marchesan Protocol for Lingual Frenum and the Spinometry® Formetric and underwent laser frenectomy by diode laser (Siro Laser Blu. 660 nm) without any post-surgery complications. The release of the frenulum immediately brought benefits to patients, reorganizing the physiological modulation, and the movement of the tongue within the normal parameters of temporomandibular kinematics which were within physiological parameters. Frenectomy improved the anterior-posterior flexion of the scapulas (shoulders) in the sagittal plane but a larger sample is required to have statistically significant results.

A case-control study on cigarette, alcohol, and coffee consumption preceding Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, coffee consumption and Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: We selected subjects affected by idiopathic PD, with a Mini-Mental State Examination of > or =24, and controls matched 1 to 1 with cases by age (+/- 2 years) and sex. Controls were randomly selected from the resident list of the same municipality of residence of the cases. We assessed cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and coffee consumption preceding the onset of PD or the corresponding time for controls using a structured questionnaire, which also evaluated the duration and dose of exposure. Using conditional logistic regression analysis, we calculated adjusted OR and 95% CI. RESULTS: We interviewed 150 PD patients and 150 matched controls. Cigarette smoking (ever vs. never smokers OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.41-1.05, p = 0.08) did not show a statistically significant association with PD. We observed an inverse association between alcohol drinking (ever vs. never OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.39-0.97, p = 0.037) and coffee consumption (ever vs. never OR = 0.16, 95% CI 0.05-0.46, p = 0.0001) and PD. These associations remained significant after adjustment for other covariates: OR for ever vs. never alcohol consumption was 0.62 (95% CI = 0.43-0.89, p = 0.009) and that for coffee drinking 0.19 (95% CI = 0.07-0.52, p = 0.001). Heavy coffee consumption confirmed the inverse association between coffee and PD (more than 81 cup/year vs. none: OR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.08-0.47, p < or = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with previous studies, our results suggest an inverse association between coffee drinking, alcohol consumption and PD. The multiple inverse association observed may indicate a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors.

[Interaction between active metabolites of vitamin D3 and blood aluminum in chronic uremic patients on dialysis]. / Interazione tra metaboliti attivi della vitamina D3 ed alluminemia nell'uremico cronico in dialisi.

In the present study, the authors show that 1, 25 (OH)2 D3 given to hemodialyzed patients taking Al (OH)3, increased their plasma concentrations of Al. Two mechanism can explain this increase: increased intestinal absorption or decreased tissue storage of Al.

Childhood microphthalmic neurofibromatosis.

We present an atypical case of neurofibromatosis marked by young age at onset, rapid invasiveness of the tumor, the presence of curious autonomic symptoms, cranial malformation and congenital microphthalmus, a combination that suggests a new syndrome, which might be called childhood microphthalmic neurofibromatosis.

Lateral differences in GABA binding sites in rat brain.

An asymmetric distribution of GABA binding sites was found in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, cerebellar hemispheres, striatum, and thalamus. Higher levels of [3H]GABA binding were observed in the left-side of most brain areas and in a greater percentage of adult rats, but the opposite asymmetry was found in the thalamus. A similar left-right difference in cerebral hemispheres was also found in five day-old rats, suggesting the genetic predetermination of asymmetry.

Peripheral nerve involvement in chronic liver disease. Clinical and electrophysiological study.

A clinical and electrophysiological study was carried out on 19 selected patients with chronic liver disease. Clinical signs of peripheral nerve involvement were found in 4 patients (21%); while electrophysiological impairment was present in 11 patients (57.8%). These abnormalities were mostly limited to the sensory and motor fibers of the tibialis posterior nerve. Our data confirm the presence of peripheral nerve involvement in chronic liver disease, and that it may be evidenced by careful electrophysiological examination.

[Temporal nosography of primary headache]. / Nosografia temporale delle cefalee primarie.

The lack of certain etiopathogenetic elements and the numerous clinical-descriptive classifications of primary headaches has brought the research-workers to elaborate a chrono-pathological classification of pain in the primary headaches. So, they present a chrono-nosography and they suggest that the continuous form of primary headaches can be divided into two forms, one of these is associated with affective troubles. Then they emphasize the problem of classic migraine and its clinical variant as a trigger of vascular disease.