Corticospinal excitability changes following blood flow restriction training of the tibialis anterior: a preliminary study

© 2017 The Authors Aim To examine the neural excitability of projections to the tibialis anterior (TA) following blood flow restriction training (BFRT). This is the first study to examine the TA following BFRT. Methods Ten subjects performed each experiment. Experiment one consisted of BFRT at 130 mmHg (BFRT-low). Experiment two consisted of BFRT at 200 mmHg (BFRT-high), training (TR-only) and blood flow restriction at 200 mmHg (BFR-only) performed on separate days. Blood flow restriction was applied to the thigh and training consisted of rapid dorsiflexion contractions against gravity every 10 s for 15-min. The motor evoked potential (MEP) peak-to-peak amplitudes were recorded pre-intervention and 1-, 10-, 20- and 30-min post-intervention and expressed relative to the maximal peak-to-peak M-wave at each time-point. Results Experiment one revealed no difference in MEP amplitudes for BFRT-low over time (P = 0.09). Experiment two revealed a significant effect of time (P < 0.001), with 1-min post-intervention MEP amplitudes significantly facilitated compared to pre-intervention, but no effect of intervention (P = 0.79) or intervention*time interaction (P = 0.25). Post-hoc power calculations were performed for the intervention*time interaction. Discussion and conclusions Corticospinal excitability of projections to the TA did not change following BFRT-low and corticospinal excitability changes between BFRT-high, BFR-only and TR-only interventions were not different over time. In experiment two, there was a significant main effect of time 1-min post-intervention which was mainly due to the BFRT-high intervention. Post-hoc power calculations revealed that 15 subjects were required for a significant interaction effect 80% of the time however, as the changes in corticospinal excitability were not prolonged, a new dataset of ≥ 15 subjects was not acquired

Association between pregravid physical activity and family history of stroke and risk of stillbirth: Population-based cohort study

Objectives: To evaluate whether family history of disease and pregravid lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors are associated with subsequent stillbirth delivery. Design: Prepregnancy cohort study. Setting: Cohort Norway regional health surveys (1994–2003) linked to Medical Birth Registry of Norway for deliveries through 2012. Participants: 13 497 singleton births (> 22 weeks gestation) in 8478 women. Main outcome measure: Risk of stillbirth evaluated by Poisson regression. Results: Mean (SD) length of follow-up was 5.5 (3.5) years. In analyses adjusting for baseline age and length of follow-up, ≥3 hours of baseline past-year vigorous physical activity per week (resulting in shortness of breath/sweating) was associated with increased risk of stillbirth compared with 18.5 and <25 kg/m2). Vigorous activity of ≥3 hours per week (IRR of 4.50; 95% CI 1.72 to 11.79) and a family history of stroke (IRR of 3.81; 95% CI 1.31 to 11.07) were more strongly related to stillbirth risk among women with a normal BMI than that observed for all women combined. Established risk factors also associated with stillbirth risk. Conclusions: The study identified physical activity and family history of stroke as potential new risk factors for stillbirth delivery.publishedVersio

Proof firm downsizing and diagnosis-specific disability pensioning in Norway

&lt;br&gt;Background: We wanted to investigate if firm downsizing is related to an increased rate of disability pensions among the former employed, especially for those with musculoskeletal and psychiatric diagnoses, and for those having to leave the firm.&lt;/br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Methods: Statistics Norway provided a linked file with demographic information and all social security grants from the National Insurance Administration for 1992–2004 for all inhabitants in Norway. Our sample was aged 30–55 years in 1995, being alive, employed and not having a disability pension at the end of 2000. Downsizing was defined as percent change in number of employed per firm from 1995 to end 2000. Employment data were missing for 25.6% of the sample.&lt;/br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Results: Disability pension rates in the next four years were 25% higher for those experiencing a 30-59% downsizing than for those not experiencing a reduction of the workforce. 1-29% and 60-100% downsizing did not have this effect. Stayers following down-sizing had higher disability pension rates than leavers. What we have called complex musculoskeletal and psychiatric diagnoses were relatively most common.&lt;/br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Conclusion: Moderate downsizing is followed by a significant increase in disability pension rates in the following four years, often with complex musculoskeletal and psychiatric diagnoses.&lt;/br&gt

Implementation of recommended trauma system criteria in south-eastern Norway: a cross-sectional hospital survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Formalized trauma systems have shown beneficial effects on patient survival and have harvested great recognition among health care professionals. In spite of this, the implementation of trauma systems is challenging and often met with resistance.</p> <p>Recommendations for a national trauma system in Norway were published in 2007. We wanted to assess the level of implementation of these recommendations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A survey of all acute care hospitals that receive severely injured patients in the south-eastern health region of Norway was conducted. A structured questionnaire based on the 2007 national recommendations was used in a telephone interview of hospital trauma personnel between January 17 and 21, 2011. Seventeen trauma system criteria were identified from the recommendations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Nineteen hospitals were included in the study and these received more than 2000 trauma patients annually via their trauma teams. Out of the 17 criteria that had been identified, the hospitals fulfilled a median of 12 criteria. Neither the size of the hospitals nor the distance between the hospitals and the regional trauma centre affected the level of trauma resources available. The hospitals scored lowest on the criteria for transfer of patients to higher level of care and on the training requirements for members of the trauma teams.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study identifies a major shortcoming in the efforts of regionalizing trauma in our region. The findings indicate that training of personnel and protocols for inter-hospital transfer are the major deficiencies from the national trauma system recommendations. Resources for training of personnel partaking in trauma teams and development of inter-hospital transfer agreements should receive immediate attention.</p

Health Promotion in Early-Stage Dementia: A Focused Ethnographic Study of a 12-Week Group-Based Educational Intervention

This is the final version. Available on open access from SAGE Publications via the DOI in this recordData availability statement: The data supporting this study's findings are available upon reasonable request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available because they contain information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.Introduction: Educational health promotion interventions for people with early-stage dementia have shown promising results, including empowering the person with dementia to live well and cope with their condition. Objective(s): The aim of this study was to explore how group interactions, course structure, and facilitation by healthcare professionals in a 12-week educational health promotion course promote coping, healthy behaviors, and empowerment in people with early-stage dementia. Method: A focused ethnographic approach was employed, collecting data through moderate participant observations of people with early-stage dementia who attended the health promotion course and field conversations with the facilitators. Additionally, before and after the participants had completed the course, the participants and their care partners were interviewed individually. Results: The findings showed that group discussions provided an opportunity for the facilitators to identify knowledge gaps, correct misinterpretations of symptoms, and tailor the information to the participants’ specific needs, thereby promoting healthy behaviors and empowering the participants. The consistent and structured format of the course appeared to reduce stress and promote learning. Learning about dementia first-hand, reminiscing, using humor, receiving support from others facing similar challenges, and receiving support and validation from facilitators all contributed to participants coping with their condition, processing negative emotions, and reducing internalized stigma. Conclusion: This study emphasized the importance of providing people living with early-stage dementia educational opportunities that combine first-hand information, peer and facilitator support, reminiscing, humor, recognition, and validation. These interventions can contribute to promote coping, healthy behaviors, and empowerment in people living with early-stage dementia.Stiftelsen Da

Vocabulary interventions for second language (L2) learners up to six years

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows:. The primary objective is to examine the immediate and long-term effects of second language (L2) vocabulary interventions targeting L2 learners up to six years of age on vocabulary and social-emotional well-being. The secondary objectives are to examine associations between L2 vocabulary interventions and general characteristics of L2 learners (e.g. age, L2 exposure and L1 skills), as well as specific characteristics of L2 learners who do not appear to benefit from treatment

The QUIET Instrument

The Q/U Imaging ExperimenT (QUIET) is designed to measure polarization in the Cosmic Microwave Background, targeting the imprint of inflationary gravitational waves at large angular scales (~ 1 degree). Between 2008 October and 2010 December, two independent receiver arrays were deployed sequentially on a 1.4 m side-fed Dragonian telescope. The polarimeters which form the focal planes use a highly compact design based on High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs) that provides simultaneous measurements of the Stokes parameters Q, U, and I in a single module. The 17-element Q-band polarimeter array, with a central frequency of 43.1 GHz, has the best sensitivity (69 uK sqrt(s)) and the lowest instrumental systematic errors ever achieved in this band, contributing to the tensor-to-scalar ratio at r < 0.1. The 84-element W-band polarimeter array has a sensitivity of 87 uK sqrt(s) at a central frequency of 94.5 GHz. It has the lowest systematic errors to date, contributing at r < 0.01. The two arrays together cover multipoles in the range l= 25-975. These are the largest HEMT-based arrays deployed to date. This article describes the design, calibration, performance of, and sources of systematic error for the instrument