Drug Therapy in Dental Practice: General Principles: Part 2—Pharmacodynamic Considerations

The fundamental principles that govern drug therapy are often overlooked by the busy clinician. This disregard frequently results in the use of particular drugs and regimens that may be less ideal for the clinical situation being managed. By convention, these principles are categorized as pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic. Pharmacokinetic processes include drug absorption, distribution, biotransformation (metabolism), and elimination—essentially reflecting the influence of the body on the drug administered. These principles were addressed in the preceding issue of this journal. Pharmacodynamics deals with the actual mechanisms of action and effects a drug produces on the patient and is the topic for this continuing education article

Imaging-detected bone stress injuries at the Tokyo 2020 summer Olympics: epidemiology, injury onset, and competition withdrawal rate

Background Prevention and early detection of injuries are essential in optimising sport participation and performance. The aim of this study is to investigate the epidemiology, athlete injury history, and competition withdrawal rate of imaging-detected bone stress injuries during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Methods We collected and analysed imaging and clinical information in athletes with bone stress injuries diagnosed in the Olympic Village polyclinic during the Games. Two physicians independently and retrospectively reviewed all imaging examinations of bone stress injuries. Results A total of 11,315 individual athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees competed at the Games, during which 567 MRIs and 352 X-rays were performed at the Olympic Village polyclinic. Radiology examinations revealed four stress fractures and 38 stress reactions in 29 athletes (median age 24 years, range 18–35 years). Of these, 72% of athletes (n = 21) had symptoms before entering the Olympic Village. Bone stress injuries were most common in women (55%), the lower extremities (66%), and track and field athletes (45%). Six athletes (21%) did not start or did not finish their competitions. Conclusions This study revealed 42 imaging-detected bone stress injuries in the polyclinic of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Village. The high proportion of athletes with symptoms before entering the village and the high proportion of competition withdrawals suggests the usefulness of an early MRI examination.Medicine, Faculty ofNon UBCRadiology, Department ofReviewedFacultyResearche

A comparison of brain magnetic resonance imaging lesions in multiple sclerosis by race with reference to disability progression

Abstract Background We compared the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features between Japanese and Caucasian patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and identified the relationships between MRI features and disability. Methods From the baseline data of phase II fingolimod trials, 95 Japanese and 246 Caucasian relapsing-remitting MS patients were enrolled. The number, volume, and distribution of brain MRI lesions were evaluated using T2-weighted (T2W) images. Cross-sectional total normalized brain volume (NBV), normalized cortical gray matter volume, normalized deep gray matter volume (NDGMV), normalized white matter volume (NWMV), and normalized thalamic volume were measured. Results Japanese patients had significantly lower Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores than Caucasian patients (mean 2.0 vs. 2.3, p = 0.008), despite a similar disease duration. Japanese patients showed a trend towards fewer T2W-lesions (median 50 vs. 65, p = 0.08) and significantly lower frequencies of cerebellar and parietal lobe lesions (p = 0.02 for both) than Caucasian patients. There were no differences in T2W-lesion volume between races, whereas Japanese patients had a significantly larger T2W-lesion volume per lesion compared with Caucasian patients (median 140 mm3 vs. 85 mm3, p < 0.0001). T2W-lesion volumes were positively correlated with EDSS scores in Japanese patients (p < 0.0001). In both races, NBV, normalized cortical gray matter volume, NDGMV, and thalamic volume were negatively correlated with disease duration and EDSS scores (p < 0.01 for all). NWMV was negatively correlated with disease duration and EDSS scores only in Caucasian patients (p = 0.03 and p = 0.004, respectively). NBV, NDGMV, NWMV, and thalamic volume were consistently smaller in Japanese compared with Caucasian patients throughout the entire examined disease duration (p = 0.046, p = 0.01, p = 0.005, and p = 0.04, respectively). Japanese patients had a significantly faster reduction in NDGMV (p = 0.001), particularly for thalamic volume (p = 0.001), with disease duration compared with Caucasian patients. Conclusions Gray matter atrophy is a common denominator for disability in Japanese and Caucasian patients. Additional contributory factors for disability include T2W-lesion volume in Japanese patients and white matter atrophy in Caucasian patients. Less frequent parietal and cerebellar involvement with fewer T2W-lesions may underlie milder disability in Japanese patients

修士論文要旨 : D. 健康・生命医科学研究領域

departmental bulletin pape