Recovery of Motor Imagery Ability in Stroke Patients

Objective. To investigate whether motor imagery ability recovers in stroke patients and to see what the relationship is between different types of imagery and motor functioning after stroke. Methods. 12 unilateral stroke patients were measured at 3 and 6 weeks poststroke on 3 mental imagery tasks. Arm-hand function was evaluated using the Utrecht Arm-Hand task and the Brunnström Fugl-Meyer Scale. Age-matched healthy individuals (N = 10) were included as controls. Results. Implicit motor imagery ability and visual motor imagery ability improved significantly at 6 weeks compared to 3 weeks poststroke. Conclusion. Our study shows that motor imagery can recover in the first weeks after stroke. This indicates that a group of patients who might not be initially selected for mental practice can, still later in the rehabilitation process, participate in mental practice programs. Moreover, our study shows that mental imagery modalities can be differently affected in individual patients and over time

Body composition, blood pressure, and lipid metabolism before and during long-term growth hormone (GH) treatment in children with short stature born small for gestational age either with or without GH deficiency

To assess the effects of long-term continuous GH treatment on body composition, blood pressure (BP), and lipid metabolism in children with short stature born small for gestational age (SGA), body mass index (BMI), skinfold thickness measurements, systemic BP measurements, and levels of blood lipids were evaluated in 79 children with a baseline age of 3-11 yr with short stature (height SD-score, < -1.88) born SGA (birth length SD-score, < -1.88). Twenty-two of the 79 children were GH deficient (GHD). All children participated in a randomized, double-blind, dose-response multicenter GH trial. Four- and 6-yr data were compared between two GH dosage groups (3 vs. 6 IU/m2 body surface/day). Untreated children with short stature born SGA are lean (mean BMI SD-score, -1.3; mean SD-score skinfolds, -0.8), have a higher systolic BP (SD-score, 0.7) but normal diastolic BP (SD-score, -0.1), and normal lipids (total cholesterol, 4.7 mmol/L; low-density lipoprotein, 2.9 mmol/L; high-density lipoprotein, 1.3 mmol/L) compared with healthy peers. During long-term continuous GH treatment, the BMI normalized without overall changes in sc fat compared with age-matched references, whereas the BP SD-score and the atherogenic index decreased significantly. Although the mean 6-yr increase in height SD-score was significantly higher in the children receiving GH treatment with 6 IU/m2 x day (2.7) than in those receiving treatment with 3 IU/m2 day (2.2), no differences in the changes in BMI, skinfold measurements, BP, and lipids were found between the GH dosage groups. The pretreatment SD-scores for BMI, skinfold, and BP, as well as the lipid levels, were not significantly different between GHD and non-GHD children, but after 6 yr of GH treatment the skinfold SD-score and BP SD-score had decreased significantly more in the GHD than in the non-GHD children. Our data indicate that GH treatment has at least up to 6 yr positive instead of negative effects on body composition, BP, and lipid metabolism. In view of the reported higher risk of cardiovascular diseases in later life in children born SGA, further research into adulthood remains warranted

Speech, Sound, Technology

Johannes Mulder and Theo van Leeuwen investigate how the microphone, the amplifier, and the loudspeaker have changed the semiotic potential of the sound of the voice. Based on a social semiotic understanding, the authors discuss the voice from three perspectives: physical, focusing on how bodily experience from speaking and singing informs the understanding of the sound of the voice (covering implications such as pitch, loudness, and alterations of various kinds); social, based on the way human social and cultural experiences, such as accents and different vocal styles, inform the understanding of sound; and, finally, the technologically enhanced voice, showing that, even though the appreciation of this voice rests on prior understanding of biological and social voices, this voice introduces extraexperiential dimensions that slowly assimilate into the culture as a form of disembodied, nonhuman voice

Chronologic Change and Clinicopatiologic Characteristics of Gastric Cancer Patients Over 70 Years of Age

Chronologic change and clinicopathology of 299 gastric cancer patients over 70 years of age (old group) were examined by comparing with those of 307 patients under 50 years of age (young group), and the histogenesis was discussed. The patients of the old group increased significantly in frequency from 9.9 % in the 1960's to 33.9 % in the 1990's, and the patients of the young group decreased clearly from 23.5 % in the 1960's to 9.4 % in the 1990's. However, no significant difference was found in the frequency of patients between 50 and 69 among 4 periods from the 1960's to the 1990's. In 6 out of 12 clinicopathologic factors, significant difference were found between both groups; male, tumor of lower 3rd of the stomach, macroscopic localized type in advanced cancer and protruded and elevated types in early cancer, liver metastasis, differntiated adenocarcinoma and venous invasion were significantly more in the old group than in the young group. From the results, it is suggested that the frequency of gastric cancer in Japan increases recently in the old group and decreases in the young group. Histogenetically, differentiated adenocarcinoma originating from intestinal metaplasia is suggested to arise more frequently in the former than in the latter

Growth hormone treatment in children with short stature born small for gestational age: 5-year results of a randomized, double-blind, dose-response trial

The growth-promoting effect of continuous GH treatment was evaluated over 5 yr in 79 children with short stature (height SD score, less than -1.88) born small for gestational age (SGA; birth length SD score, less than -1.88). Patients were randomly and blindly assigned to 1 of 2 GH dosage groups (3 vs. 6 IU/m2 body surface-day). GH deficiency was not an exclusion criterium. After 5 yr of GH treatment almost every child had reached a height well within the normal range for healthy Dutch children and in the range of their target height SD score. Only in children who remained prepubertal during the study period was the 5-yr increase in height SD score (HSDS) for chronological age significantly higher in the study group receiving 6 compared to 3 IU GH/m2 x day. Remarkably, the 5-yr increment in HSDS for chronological age was not related to spontaneous GH secretion, maximum GH levels after provocation, or baseline insulin-like growth factor I levels. GH treatment was associated with an acceleration of bone maturation regardless of the GH dose given. The HSDS for bone age and predicted adult height increased significantly. GH treatment was well tolerated. In conclusion, our 5-yr data show that long term continuous GH treatment at a dose of 3 or 6 IU/m2 x day in short children born SGA results in a normalization of height during childhood followed by growth along the target height percentile

Standardized Screening for Mental Health Needs of Detained Youths from Various Ethnic Origins: The Dutch Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Second Version (MAYSI-2)

In the U.S., the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Second Version (MAYSI-2) has been shown to be a reliable and valid tool to identify youth with mental health needs upon entry in detention facilities. The present study examined the factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent validity of the Dutch MAYSI-2 administered as part of routine clinical assessments in up to 955 detained male adolescents. Standardized mental health screening questionnaires (Youth Self-Report and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) were used to test the convergent validity of the Dutch MAYSI-2. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the factor structure of the original MAYSI-2 could be replicated with the Dutch MAYSI-2. Internal consistency indices showed that the Dutch MAYSI-2 provides a reliable screening of mental health needs. In addition, the Dutch MAYSI-2 scales were related with conceptually parallel measures of the same targeted mental health needs in the total group. With a few exceptions, the internal consistency and convergent validity was supported across ethnic groups as well. Overall, these results suggest the psychometric properties of the Dutch MAYSI-2 to be promising. Implications and limitations of the current study\u27s findings and directions for future research are discussed

Effects of black tea on body composition and metabolic outcomes related to cardiovascular disease risk: a randomized controlled trial

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)There is increasing evidence that tea and its non-caffeine components (primarily flavonoids) contribute to cardiovascular health. Randomized controlled trials have shown that tea can improve cardiovascular disease risk factors. We have previously reported a non-caffeine associated beneficial effect of regular black tea consumption on blood pressure and its variation. Objective: To explore the non-caffeine associated effects of black tea on body weight and body fat distribution, and cardiovascular disease related metabolic outcomes. Design: regular tea-drinking men and women (n ¼ 111; BMI 20–35 kg m 2) were recruited to a randomized controlled double-blind 6 month parallel-designed trial. Participants consumed 3 cups per day of either powdered black tea solids (tea) or a flavonoid-free flavour- and caffeine-matched placebo (control). Body weight, waist- and hip-circumference, endothelial function and plasma biomarkers were assessed at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. Results: Compared to control, regular ingestion of black tea over 3 months inhibited weight gain ( 0.64 kg, p ¼ 0.047) and reduced waist circumference ( 1.88 cm, P ¼ 0.035) and waist-to-hip ratio ( 0.03, P ¼ 0.005). These effects were no longer significant at 6 months. There were no significant effects observed on fasting glucose, insulin, plasma lipids or endothelial function. Conclusion: Our study suggests that short-term regular ingestion of black tea over 3 months can improve body weight and body fat distribution, compared to a caffeine-matched control beverage. However, there was no evidence that these effects were sustained beyond 3 months

Beta-Blocking Agents and Electroconvulsive Therapy

In this review we want to summarize the results of the placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials with betablocking adrenergic agents during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and review the effect on seizure duration and cardiovascular variables. We sea