The transition between turning and sitting in patients with Parkinson's disease: A wearable device detects an unexpected sequence of events

BackgroundWhen older adults turn to sit, about 80% of the subjects complete the turn before starting to sit i.e., a distinct-strategy, while in about 20%, part of the turning and sitting take place concurrently, i.e., an overlapping-strategy. A prolonged duration of the separation between tasks in the distinct-strategy (D-interval) and a prolonged duration of the overlap interval in overlapping-strategy (O-interval) are related to worse motor symptoms and poorer cognition. In the present study, we evaluated what strategy is employed by patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) when they transition from turning to sitting.Methods96 participants with PD performed turn to sit as part of the Timed Up and Go test, both with and without medications, while wearing a body-fixed sensor. We quantified the turn-to-sit transition and determined which strategy (distinct or overlapping) was employed. We then stratified the cases and used regression models adjusted for age, gender, height, and weight to examine the associations of the D-interval or O-interval with parkinsonian features and cognition.ResultsMost patients (66%) employed the overlapping-strategy, both off and on anti-parkinsonian medications. Longer O-intervals were associated with longer duration of PD, more severe PD motor symptoms, a higher postural-instability-gait-disturbance (PIGD) score, and worse freezing of gait. Longer D-intervals were not associated with disease duration or PD motor symptoms. Neither the D- nor O-intervals were related to cognitive function. Individuals who employed the overlapping-strategy had more severe postural instability (i.e., higher PIGD scores), as compared to those who used the distinct-strategy.SignificanceIn contrast to older adults without PD, most patients with PD utilize the overlapping strategy. Poorer postural and gait control are associated with the strategy choice and with the duration of concurrent performance of turning and sitting. Additional work is needed to further explicate the mechanisms underlying these strategies and their clinical implications.     

小儿豉翘清热颗粒治疗疱疹性咽峡炎临床研究

目的:观察小儿豉翘清热颗粒治疗疱疹性咽峡炎的临床疗效及安全性。方法:选取79例疱疹性咽峡炎患儿,随机分为对照组39例和治疗组40例,对照组常规给予利巴韦林气雾剂治疗,治疗组使用小儿豉翘清热颗粒联合利巴韦林气雾剂治疗。比较2组患儿临床症状、体征消失时间,观察2组总体疗效及用药安全性。结果:与对照组比较,治疗后治疗组症状体征恢复时间均更短,总体疗效更优,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。2组患儿用药期间不良反应发生情况比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:小儿豉翘清热颗粒联合利巴韦林气雾剂治疗小儿疱疹性咽峡炎,可缩短临床症状、体征消失的时间,增加总疗效率且不增加药物不良反应,比传统抗病毒治疗更加有效。     

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis resembling Rasmussen’s encephalitis on magnetic resonance imaging

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare, slowly progressing but invariably fatal disease that is related to a prior measles virus infection and most commonly affects paediatric patients. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is the modality of choice for determining such changes in white matter. SSPE typically demonstrates bilateral but asymmetric periventricular and subcortical white matter involvement. We herein report a rare case of unilateral white matter involvement in a 13-year-old boy with SSPE that closely simulated Rasmussen’s encephalitis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an atypical presentation on MR imaging in which SSPE was a rare cause of unilateral brain parenchymal involvement in a patient with intractable seizures.