Factors underlying age-related changes in discrete aiming

Age has a clear impact on one’s ability to make accurate goal-directed aiming movements. Older adults seem to plan slower and shorter-ranged initial pulses towards the target, and rely more on sensory feedback to ensure endpoint accuracy. Despite the fact that these age-related changes in manual aiming have been observed consistently, the underlying mechanism remains speculative. In an attempt to isolate four commonly suggested underlying factors, young and older adults were instructed to make discrete aiming movements under varying speed and accuracy constraints. Results showed that older adults were physically able to produce fast primary submovements and that they demonstrated similar movement-programming capacities as young adults. On the other hand, considerable evidence was found supporting a decreased visual feedback-processing efficiency and the implementation of a play-it-safe strategy in older age. In conclusion, a combination of the latter two factors seems to underlie the age-related changes in manual aiming behaviour

Stepwise approach towards adoption of allergen immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis and asthma patients in daily practice in Belgium : a BelSACI-Abeforcal-EUFOREA statement

Allergic rhinitis (AR) affects 23-30% of the European population with equal prevalence reported in Belgium. Despite guidelines on the correct use of effective treatment, up to 40% of AR patients remain uncontrolled. Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) has been shown to improve the level of control up to 84% of patients being controlled by AIT. Recently, new guidelines for AIT have been published, supporting the clinical evidence for effectiveness of various subcutaneous and sublingual products for AIT in patients who are allergic to airborne allergens. AIT in AR patients not only reduces nasal and/or ocular symptoms but also induces tolerance and has preventive potential. Adoption of AIT into daily clinical practice in Belgium and other European countries is hampered primarily by reimbursement issues of each of the single products but also by several patient-and physician-related factors. Patients need to be better informed about the effectiveness of AIT and the different routes of administration of AIT. Physicians dealing with AR patients should inform patients on tolerance-inducing effects of AIT and are in the need of a harmonized and practical guide that supports them in selecting eligible patients for AIT, in choosing evidence-based AIT products and in following treatment protocols with proven efficacy. Therefore, a stepwise and holistic approach is needed for better adoption of AIT in the real-life setting in Belgium

The influence of early aging on eye movements during motor simulation

Movement based interventions such as imagery and action observation are used increasingly to support physical rehabilitation of adults during early aging. The efficacy of these more covert approaches is based on an intuitively appealing assumption that movement execution, imagery and observation share neural substrate; alteration of one influences directly the function of the other two. Using eye movement metrics this paper reports findings that question the congruency of the three conditions. The data reveal that simulating movement through imagery and action observation may offer older adults movement practice conditions that are not constrained by the age-related decline observed in physical conditions. In addition, the findings provide support for action observation as a more effective technique for movement reproduction in comparison to imagery. This concern for imagery was also seen in the less congruent temporal relationship in movement time between imagery and movement execution suggesting imagery inaccuracy in early aging

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma mimicking an otitis externa

Introduction: Metastases of the external auditory canal (EAC) are uncommon. Otitis externa (OE) is a common pathology, well known to medical practitioners. The typical symptoms are ear pain, otorrhea and sometimes hearing loss. An adenocarcinoma of the pancreas is a more rare pathology. The symptoms are jaundice, belly or back pain, nausea and vomiting, weight loss and poor appetite. This case is unique since the diagnosis of a pancreatic adenocarcinoma was started by an ENT surgeon because of ear complaints.Case report: A 52-years-old woman presented at the ENT department with ear pain. Physical examination showed a painful, swollen EAC. Otorrhea was never present. The ENT surgeon also noted icteric sclera and an obvious weight loss. Because of the long-term ingestion of paracetamol and the icteric sclera, a blood sample was taken, showing a strong hepatic impairment. Different masses at the level of the pancreas, liver, adrenal gland, lung, subcutis and bone were seen on a CT-scan. A biopsy of the EAC confirmed an adenocarcinoma emanating from the pancreas. Chemotherapy was started.Discussion: Primary tumours of the EAC are more common than metastases in the EAC. Different types of metastases in the EAC are described: for instance from colon adenocarcinoma, small cell carcinoma of the lung. In all these cases, the primary tumour was already known before ear problems occured. To our knowledge, this is the first case report in which the diagnosis of a pancreatic adenocarcinoma is initiated by a symptomatology that mimics an OE.Conclusion: Otitis externa is a common disease but in very exceptional cases it may be a signal of an underlying condition. This case report shows the importance of obtaining a good medical history and general physical examination.Der Erstautor gibt keinen Interessenkonflikt an

Craniofacial embryology and postnatal development of relevant parts of the upper respiratory system

Objectives: To compare historical and current knowledge relating to the development of the paranasal sinuses, the nose and face, the Eustachian tube and temporal bones, particularly with respect to chronic inflammation during childhood. Methodology: Traditional literature data, mainly emanating from text books, were supplemented with information based on a non-structured PubMed search covering the last two decades. Results: Historical knowledge has most often been confirmed, sometimes supplemented and only rarely challenged by present-day studies. Recent studies focus mainly on the clinical application of modem imaging techniques. Conclusions: Interest in the development of relevant parts of the upper respiratory system remains as lively as ever. Imaging techniques with low or absent radiation exposure may give rise to a novel field of research, especially with respect to paediatric rhinosinusitis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Biological conditions affecting chronic inflammation in upper airways in children

Problems/objectives: A child's immune system cannot depend on a memory-type immune response and it also induces cytokine responses less efficiently. Biological conditions like allergy or cystic fibrosis, immune deficiency or gastro-oesophageal reflux can induce and maintain background inflammation in children's upper airways, making newborns and children more susceptible to upper airway infections and inflammations. This paper will describe in brief how allergy, cystic fibrosis, immune deficiency, nasal and paranasal anatomical variants, and gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) can affect the immune and inflammatory responses in upper airways and how they could interfere with immunity development and maturation in children. Methodology: Literature review. Results: Chronic inflammation induced by infection, allergy, cystic fibrosis or immune deficiency is multifactorial in origin and is strongly influenced by physiological, immunological, anatomical, environmental and, above all, genetic parameters. Finally, the direct role played by nasal and paranasal anatomical variants and GOR is also discussed. Conclusions: These conditions should be screened systematically in all children presenting chronic clinical features of upper airway inflammation

Biological conditions affecting chronic inflammation in upper airways in children.

A child's immune system cannot depend on a memory-type immune response and it also induces cytokine responses less efficiently. Biological conditions like allergy or cystic fibrosis, immune deficiency or gastrooesophageal reflux can induce and maintain background inflammation in children's upper airways, making newborns and children more susceptible to upper airway infections and inflammations. This paper will describe in brief how allergy, cystic fibrosis, immune deficiency, nasal and paranasal anatomical variants, and gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR) can affect the immune and inflammatory responses in upper airways and how they could interfere with immunity development and maturation in children. Literature review. Chronic inflammation induced by infection, allergy, cystic fibrosis or immune deficiency is multifactorial in origin and is strongly influenced by physiological, immunological, anatomical, environmental and, above all, genetic parameters. Finally, the direct role played by nasal and paranasal anatomical variants and GOR is also discussed. These conditions should be screened systematically in all children presenting chronic clinical features of upper airway inflammation