Altered resting-state fMRI signals and network topological properties of bipolar depression patients with anxiety symptoms.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the changes in functional neuroimaging in bipolar depression patients with anxiety symptoms (BDP-A). METHODS: Forty-five BDP-A patients, 22 bipolar depression patients without anxiety symptoms (BDP-NA), and 48 healthy controls (HC) were finally involved. The low-frequency oscillation characteristics, functional connectivity (FC), and network properties among the three groups of participants were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with the BDP-NA group, BDP-A patients exhibited significantly decreased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), superior occipital gyrus, and inferior parietal, but supramarginal and angular gyri (IPL). Enhanced FC from left IPL to middle temporal gyrus, from left precentral gyrus (PreCG) to bilateral angular gyri, medial superior frontal gyrus, and left superior frontal gyrus (SFG)/MFG were also revealed. Compared with HC, the BDP-A group showed remarkably increased ALFF in the left MFG/PreCG, right superior parietal gyrus, while decreased ALFF in the left inferior frontal gyrus, opercular part, and SFG. In addition, higher regional homogeneity in the left MFG/PreCG was found. LIMITATIONS: The limitations are as follows: (1) relatively small sample size; (2) not all the patients were drug-naive; (3) lack of pure anxiety disorder patients as a controlled group; (4) mental health conditions of HC were not systemic evaluated. CONCLUSIONS: BDP-A patients showed significant differences in resting-state fMRI properties when compared with BDP-NA or HC group. These results may infer the dysfunction of the dorsal attention network, the default network, and the fronto-limbic system as well as disrupted brain network efficiency in BDP-A patients.

Safety and survival benefit of surgical management for elderly gastric cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To study the safety and survival outcome of surgical management for elderly gastric cancer patients. Methods: Patients proven of gastric cancer who aged ≥80 years during November 2002 to July 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. The detailed information of patients' characteristics and surgical management was retrieved. Follow-up of overall survival status was performed to analyze the surgical effectiveness. RESULTS: Totally, 92 (48 in surgery and 44 in non-surgery group) out of 187 eligible patients recorded adequate information and analyzed finally. There were 34 patients undergone radical gastrectomy, 6 palliative gastrectomy, 1 gastrojejunostomy and 7 exploratory laparotomy. Median follow-up durations were 25 (9-111) and 28 (8-114) months in surgery and non-surgery groups, respectively (p=0.797). Clinical-pathological T stage and node status were comparable. Clinical-pathological distal metastasis status was 15 and 26 M1 cases for surgery and nonsurgery, respectively (p=0.006). Incidence of postoperative complications and hospital mortality were 25.0% and 2.1%, respectively. The 2-year survival rates of M0 subgroups were 35.7% and 0% for surgery and nonesurgery, respectively (HR=3.98, p=0.022). CONCLUSIONS: The safety of surgery for well-selected ≥ 80-year elderly gastric cancer patients was potentially acceptable and the patients of early or locally advanced diseases could obtain survival benefits by surgery.

Safety and Survival Benefit of Surgical Management for Elderly Gastric Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To study the safety and survival outcome of surgical management for elderly gastric cancer patients. METHODOLOGY: Patients proven of gastric cancer who aged 80 years during November 2002 to July 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. The detailed information of patients' characteristics and surgical management was retrieved. Follow-up of overall survival status was performed to analyze the surgical effectiveness. RESULTS: Totally, 92 (48 in surgery and 44 in non-surgery group) out of 187 eligible patients recorded adequate information and analyzed finally. Median ages were 81 years in surgery group and 83 year in non-surgery group. There were 34 patients undergone radical gastrectomy, 6 palliative gastrectomy, 1 gastrojejunostomy and 7 exploratory laparotomy. Median follow-up durations were 25 (9-111) and 28 (8-114) months in surgery and non-surgery groups, respectively (p = 0.797). Clinical-pathological T stage was 6 T1, 5 T2, 14 T3 and 23 T4 cases for surgery and 7 T1, 6 T2, 3 T3, 7 T4 and 21 TX cases for non-surgery. Clinical-pathological node status was 18 N0, 7 N1, 6 N2, 7 N3 and 10 NX cases for surgery and 10 N0, 3 N1, 3 N2, 3 N3 and 25 NX cases for non-surgery. Clinical-pathological distal metastasis status was 15 and 26 M1 cases for surgery and non-surgery, respectively (p = 0.006). Incidence of postoperative complications was 25.0% and postoperative hospital mortality was 2.1%. The 2-year survival rates were 30.8% and 8.0% for surgery and none-surgery, respectively (HR = 3.023, p = 0.001), and the 3-year survival rates were 17.6% and 0% for surgery and non-surgery, respectively (HR = 3.680, p = 0.001). In M0 subgroup, 2-year survival rate was 35.7% and 0.0% for surgery and non-surgery groups, respectively (HR = 3.98, p = 0.022). CONCLUSION: The safety of surgery for well-selected ≥ 80-year elderly gastric cancer patients was potentially acceptable and the patients of early or locally advanced diseases could obtain survival benefits by surgery.

[Therapeutic schemes for refractory ascites of advanced schistosomiasis: a clinical control study].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic schemes for refractory ascites of advanced schistosomiasis. METHODS: The advanced schistosomiasis patients with refractory ascites were randomly divided into 4 groups: a conventional group, high-dose albumin group, high-dose diuretic group, and comprehensive group, and the course of the treatment was 4 weeks. The abdominal circumference, urine volume, and weight changes were observed daily, and B-ultrasound, liver function, and renal function were performed weekly. RESULTS: In the total effective rates, recurrence rates and A/G and renal function changes, the high-dose albumin group and comprehensive group were superior to the conventional group and high-dose diuretic group (P < 0.01). The death rate of the comprehensive group was the lowest among the 4 groups. CONCLUSION: The therapeutic scheme of the comprehensive group is optimum.