Erg lens with built-in ganzfeld light-source for stimulation and adaptation

A contact lens for routine electroretinography which contains a Ganzfeld light source is described. The light source consists of six light-emitting diodes and serves both as a stimulus source and a background illumination. The response characteristics with this source are comparable with those of an integrating sphere stimulator

Erg lens with built-in ganzfeld light-source for stimulation and adaptation

A contact lens for routine electroretinography which contains a Ganzfeld light source is described. The light source consists of six light-emitting diodes and serves both as a stimulus source and a background illumination. The response characteristics with this source are comparable with those of an integrating sphere stimulator

The homogeneity of the retinal illumination is restricted by some erg lenses

Are all types of available electroretinographic contact lenses suited for Ganzfeld stimulation? To answer this question, calculations have been made of the retinal light distribution with several types of ERG lenses placed on a theoretical eye. The results make possible a division of the ERG lenses into three categories. Category 1: Lenses with which the homogeneity of the retinal illumination is nearly perfect and independent of pupil size. These lenses are especially well designed for Ganzfeld electroretinography. Category 2: Lenses which illuminate a large retinal area but with which the light distribution depends on the size of the pupil. The suitability of these lenses is questionable, because Ganzfeld electroretinography is used in order to obtain a homogeneous retinal light distribution under most conditions. Category 3: Lenses with which the size of the illuminated retinal area changes strongly with the size of the pupil. These lenses are unsuitable for Ganzfeld electroretinograph

Circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) correlate with disease status in leprosy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Caused by <it>Mycobacterium leprae </it>(ML), leprosy presents a strong immune-inflammatory component, whose status dictates both the clinical form of the disease and the occurrence of reactional episodes. Evidence has shown that, during the immune-inflammatory response to infection, the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-I (GH/IGF-I) plays a prominent regulatory role. However, in leprosy, little, if anything, is known about the interaction between the immune and neuroendocrine systems.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the present retrospective study, we measured the serum levels of IGF-I and IGBP-3, its major binding protein. These measurements were taken at diagnosis in nonreactional borderline tuberculoid (NR BT), borderline lepromatous (NR BL), and lepromatous (NR LL) leprosy patients in addition to healthy controls (HC). LL and BL patients who developed reaction during the course of the disease were also included in the study. The serum levels of IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were evaluated at diagnosis and during development of reversal (RR) or erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) reaction by the solid phase, enzyme-labeled, chemiluminescent-immunometric method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The circulating IGF-I/IGFBP-3 levels showed significant differences according to disease status and occurrence of reactional episodes. At the time of leprosy diagnosis, significantly lower levels of circulating IGF-I/IGFBP-3 were found in NR BL and NR LL patients in contrast to NR BT patients and HCs. However, after treatment, serum IGF-I levels in BL/LL patients returned to normal. Notably, the levels of circulating IGF-I at diagnosis were low in 75% of patients who did not undergo ENL during treatment (NR LL patients) in opposition to the normal levels observed in those who suffered ENL during treatment (R LL patients). Nonetheless, during ENL episodes, the levels observed in RLL sera tended to decrease, attaining similar levels to those found in NR LL patients. Interestingly, IGF-I behaved contrary to what was observed during RR episodes in R BL patients.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our data revealed important alterations in the IGF system in relation to the status of the host immune-inflammatory response to ML while at the same time pointing to the circulating IGF-I/IGFBP-3 levels as possible predictive biomarkers for ENL in LL patients at diagnosis.</p

Isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis: A systematic review of treatment options using the GRADE approach

Background and purpose The optimal treatment for isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis is unclear at present. We systematically reviewed the highest level of available evidence on the nonoperative and operative treatment of isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis to develop an evidenced-based discussion of treatment options

Predicting the outcome of conservative treatment with physiotherapy in adults with shoulder pain associated with partial-thickness rotator cuff tears – a prognostic model development study

Model coefficient statistics (DOCX 21 kb