An intervention for people with learning disabilities and epilepsy

Date of Acceptance: 09/01/2015Epilepsy is relatively common in people with learning disabilities, and can be complex and refractory to treatment, with negative effects on quality of life and service costs. This article describes a randomised controlled feasibility trial, called Wordless Intervention for Epilepsy in Learning Disabilities, under way at Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. Recruitment of people with learning disabilities and epilepsy to the trial has been affected by logistical issues, such as difficulties in identifying potential patients and contacting carers. However, public and patient involvement has improved study design and management, and has helped maximise recruitment. Should the present study confirm feasibility, a full-scale randomised controlled trial will address the effects of the Books Beyond Words title Getting on With Epilepsy as an intervention for people with learning disabilities and epilepsy.Peer reviewe

Vocal fold vibratory characteristics pre and post phonosurgery investigated by stroboscopy

The purpose of this study was to investigate voice audio perceptual outcomes and true vocal fold vibratory characteristics following surgery for removal of vocal fold polyp. The specific aims of this study were 1) to determine vocal fold vibratory changes following surgery and 2) to compare these changes to audio perceptual ratings and Voice Handicap Index (VHI) scores. It was hypothesized that significant vibratory changes would occur following surgery and that Voice Handicap Index scores and audio perception ratings would correlate 1 week before surgery, 1 week following surgery, and 1 month following surgery. The most improved structural, functional, and audio perceptual outcome was expected at 1 month post surgery. Eight patients were included in the study, five of which possessed follow up data three months following surgery. The three month data of these patients were also included in the analysis. Results demonstrated a trend toward improved perceived vocal quality and vocal structure and function up to 3 months following surgery. Though Voice Handicap Index data were limited, there was a trend toward better VHI scores up to 1 month, then a slight decrease at 3 months

Pairwise summation approximation for Casimir potentials and its limitations

We investigate the error made by the pairwise summation (PWS) approximation in three geometries where the exact formula for the Casimir interaction is known: atom-slab, slab-slab and sphere-slab configurations. For each case the interactions are calculated analytically by summing the van der Waals interactions between the two objects. We show that the PWS result is incorrect even for an infinitely thin slab in the atom-slab configuration, because of local field effects, unless the material is infinitely dilute. In the experimentally relevant case of dielectric materials, in all considered geometries the error made by the PWS approximation is much higher than the well-known value obtained for perfect reflectors in the long-range regime. This error is maximized for permittivities close to the one of Silicon

Slowing of Motor Imagery after a Right Hemispheric Stroke

The temporal congruence between real and imagined movements is not always preserved after stroke. We investigated the dependence of temporal incongruence on the side of the hemispheric lesion and its link with working memory deficits. Thirty-seven persons with a chronic stroke after a right or left hemispheric lesion (RHL : n = 19; LHL : n = 18) and 32 age-matched healthy persons (CTL) were administered a motor imagery questionnaire, mental chronometry and working memory tests. In contrast to persons in the CTL group and LHL subgroup, persons with a RHL had longer movement times during the imagination than the physical execution of stepping movements on both sides, indicating a reduced ability to predict movement duration (temporal incongruence). While motor imagery vividness was good in both subgroups, the RHL group had greater visuospatial working memory deficits. The bilateral slowing of stepping movements in the RHL group indicates that temporal congruence during motor imagery is impaired after a right hemispheric stroke and is also associated with greater visuospatial working memory deficits. Findings emphasize the need to use mental chronometry to control for movement representation during motor imagery training and may indicate that mental practice through motor imagery will have limitations in patients with a right hemispheric stroke

Analyse de séquences oculométriques et d'électroencéphalogrammes par modèles markoviens cachés

National audienceThis work aims at analysing sequences of eye movements. These sequences were measured during reading tasks involving information acquisition so as to take decisions. Their analysis, based on hidden semi-Markov chains, highlights different phases of acquisition, which can be related to particular characteristics in multichannel electroencephalograms measured synchronously with eye movements during the reading tasks. This analysis reveals changes associated with the different phases of information acquisition, occurring in variances and correlations between channels at specific frequencies.Cette étude vise à analyser des séquences de mouvements oculaires collectées au cours de tâches de lecture visant à acquérir de l'information à des fins décisionnelles. L'analyse, basée sur des semi-chaînes de Markov cachées, met en évidence différentes phases d'acquisition, qui sont alors reliées à des caractéristiques de signaux électroencéphalographiques multicanaux collectés concomitamment à la lecture. Cette analyse permet de révéler des changements de variance et de corrélation entre canaux suivant les phases et les bandes de fréquence

Feuerbach lecteur de Fichte

Si Feuerbach est souvent considéré dans son rapport à Hegel, il est remarquable que, comme de nombreux Jeunes Hégéliens, en se séparant du maître, il effectue un « retour sur Fichte ». Ce retour, motivé par le contexte philosophique et politique du Vormärz, permet à Feuerbach, non seulement de séparer totalement la philosophie de la théologie, de penser à nouveau frais une autonomie éthique, mais plus encore, il lui permet de définir une « philosophie nouvelle » à partir de la critique du Moi

Caractérisation par IRM précoce de la synergie tPA - inhibiteur du TAFI dans un modèle d'ischémie focale thromboembolique murin

The benefit of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) treatment in stroke is well known with serious side effects requiring the evaluation of alternative strategies. Injection of thrombin in the middle cerebral artery of mice has been proposed as a new model of thromboembolic stroke. In the first study, we used multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), performed immediately after thrombin injection, to document occlusion and area at risk in this model. Despite similar MCA occlusion and marked hypoperfusion, half of animals showed a cortical lesion on DWI, while the other half demonstrated no or very limited lesion. Therefore, MRI measurement of basal lesion size is required to use this animal model in therapeutic studies. The second study compared efficacy between TAFI inhibitor alone and TAFI inhibitor in combination with low-dose rtPA. In conclusion, we showed that the combination of TAFI-I with low-dose rtPA is not as effective as the standard dose of rtPA, with a positive trend, while TAFI inhibition alone is not effective at all. The present thromboembolic model is of particular interest in assessing strategies rtPA association to improve thrombolysis, especially when coupled with longitudinal MRI assessmentL'efficacité du rtPA dans le traitement de l’ischémie aigue est bien reconnue avec des effets secondaires graves nécessitant l’évaluation d’autres stratégies. Un modèle d’ischémie cérébrale focale a été décrit, réalisé par injection in situ de thrombine. Dans notre première étude, nous avons utilisé l’imagerie par résonance magnétique multimodale pour documenter les lésions et les zones de pénombre dans ce modèle. Malgré une occlusion de l’artère reproductible et une hypoperfusion marquée chez tous les sujets, une reperfusion spontanée est constatée dans 38% des cas, rendant l’IRM incontournable dans l’évaluation de ce modèle. La deuxième étude a comparé l'efficacité d’un TAFI inhibiteur seul ou en combinaison avec le rtPA à faible dose. Nous avons montré que la combinaison du TAFI inhibiteur avec le rtPA à faible dose n'est pas aussi efficace que la dose standard de rtPA, avec une tendance positive, tandis que le TAFI inhibiteur seul n'est pas efficace du tout. Le modèle thromboembolique présente un intérêt particulier dans l'évaluation des stratégies thérapeutiques associées au rtPA pour améliorer la thrombolyse, surtout lorsqu'il est évalué par un suivi longitudinal en IR

Continuous measurement of nitrate concentration in a highly event-responsive agricultural catchment in south-west of France: is the gain of information useful?

A nitrate sensor has been set up to measure every 10 min the nitrate signal in a stream draining a small agricultural catchment dominated by fertilized crops during a 2-year study period (2006–2008) in the south-west of France. An in situ sampling protocol using automatic sampler to monitor flood events have been used to assume a point-to-point calibration of the sensor values. The nitrate concentration exhibits nonsystematic concentration and dilution effects during flood events. We demonstrate that the calibrated nitrate sensor signal gathered from the outlet is considered to be a continuous signal using the Nyquist–Shannon sampling theorem. The objectives of this study are to quantify the errors generated by a typical infrequent sampling protocol and to design appropriate sampling strategy according to the sampling objectives. Nitrate concentration signal and flow data are numerically sampled to simulate common sampling frequencies. The total fluxes calculated from the simulated samples are compared with the reference value computed on the continuous signal. Uncertainties are increasing as sampling intervals increase; the method that is not using continuous discharge to compute nitrate fluxes bring larger uncertainty. The dispersion and bias computed for each sampling interval are used to evaluate the uncertainty during each hydrological period. High underestimation is made during flood periods when high-concentration period is overlooked. On the contrary, high sampling frequencies (from 3 h to 1 day) lead to a systematic overestimation (bias around 3%): highest concentrations are overweighted by the interpolation of the concentration in such case. The in situ sampling protocol generates less than 1% of load estimation error and sample highest concentration peaks. We consider useful such newly emerging field technologies to assess short-term variations of water quality parameters, to minimize the number of samples to be analysed and to assess the quality state of the stream at any time