Caries and periodontal status in patients fitted with removable partial dentures

A 6-year follow-up study was carried out on 28 patients fitted with removable partial dentures. Prior to the prosthetic treatment all patients were given oral hygiene instruction and periodontal therapy where indicated. The removable partial dentures were carefully planned and designed. During the follow-up period the patients were examined at yearly intervals when remotivation, scalings, conservation and prosthetic adjustments were carried out as required. Patient cooperation was excellent and no significant deterioration of the periodontal status of the remaining teeth could be found. In addition the number of newly registered carious lesions was low. A certain degree of deterioration of occlusion, articulation, stability and clasp retention of the dentures fitted did occur, however.     

The validity of prospective and retrospective global change criterion measures

OBJECTIVE: To assess the validity of retrospective versus prospective criterions of change. DESIGN: Single cohort pretest-posttest design. SETTING: Physical or occupational therapy outpatient clinics. PARTICIPANTS: Volunteer sample of 211 patients with upper-extremity musculoskeletal problems. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire, the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index, the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation, the Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey; global disability rating (GDR), retrospective global rating of change (GRC), and patient satisfaction. RESULTS: Correlations were calculated among the baseline, 3-month follow-up, and change scores for each outcome measure with the change criterion instruments. Retrospective GRC and patient satisfaction ratings showed moderate correlations with the 3-month follow-up scores, but nonsignificant correlations with baseline scores. By contrast, the prospective GDR criterion showed significant correlations with both baseline and 3-month follow-up scores ranging between 0.3 and 0.4 (absolute value). CONCLUSIONS: Retrospective self-report measures of change do not accurately reflect true change over time. The retrospective GRC and patient satisfaction were heavily influenced by current (posttreatment) status whereas the prospective global change measure reflected both baseline and posttreatment status equally and thus appeared to be a more valid measure of change over time. This study demonstrates the need for an alternative criterion for establishing true individual change.     

二次交通事故成伤致死的法医学鉴定3例

目的:探讨二次交通事故成伤致死亡案件的法医学鉴定思路。方法:收集3例二次交通事故成伤致死亡案例,多渠道收集案件信息,全面细致检验尸体,再现事故发生经过,明确死者的成伤过程,分析损伤的成伤方式、严重程度,判断生活反应,确定死者的死亡原因及各次损伤对死亡的参与程度。结果:二次交通事故成伤致死亡案例,存在损伤重、多发伤、复合伤、成伤方式多样、成伤机制复杂、生前伤死后伤并存,甚至多次损伤相互叠加、破坏、掩盖等特点。结论:二次交通事故成伤致死亡的法医学鉴定应以法医尸检为基础,结合痕迹学、运动力学等多学科知识综合分析和判断。     

Diagnostic uncertainty and recall bias in chronic low back pain

Patients’ beliefs about the origin of their pain and their cognitive processing of pain-related information have both been shown to be associated with poorer prognosis in low back pain (LBP), but the relationship between specific beliefs and specific cognitive processes is not known. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between diagnostic uncertainty and recall bias in 2 groups of chronic LBP patients, those who were certain about their diagnosis and those who believed that their pain was due to an undiagnosed problem. Patients (N = 68) endorsed and subsequently recalled pain, illness, depression, and neutral stimuli. They also provided measures of pain, diagnostic status, mood, and disability. Both groups exhibited a recall bias for pain stimuli, but only the group with diagnostic uncertainty also displayed a recall bias for illness-related stimuli. This bias remained after controlling for depression and disability. Sensitivity analyses using grouping by diagnosis/explanation received supported these findings. Higher levels of depression and disability were found in the group with diagnostic uncertainty, but levels of pain intensity did not differ between the groups. Although the methodology does not provide information on causality, the results provide evidence for a relationship between diagnostic uncertainty and recall bias for negative health-related stimuli in chronic LBP patients.     

Familieterapi med familiemedlemmer fordelt på 3 generasjoner

Background: Patients with schizophrenia suffer from wide range of deficits in neurocognitive functions of the brain, including visuospatial working memory. Aims: This study aims at evaluating the effect of short-term smoking abstinence on different components of visuospatial working memory in smoker patients with schizophrenia as well as possible reversal effect of a nicotine patch. Methods: In this trial, 45 male smoker patients with schizophrenia (Razi Hospital, Tabriz, Iran, 2010) were randomly divided into three groups. One group experienced a short time (overnight) smoking abstinence; one group used a single dose of nicotine patch (21 mg) after an overnight smoking abstinence and one group with no intervention or restrain on smoking was considered as control. The function of visuospatial working memory was tested by the brief visuospatial memory test-revised (BVMT-R) at the baseline and after the intervention. Results: The three groups were matched regarding age, educational level and the initial elements of cognitive performance. Between-the-group analysis showed that patients with an overnight smoking abstinence had a significant decrease in percent retained score and an increase in recognition biases compared to patients using nicotine patch and controls. No significant changes were observed in patints using nicotine patch or controls. Conclusions: Smoking abstinence results in visuospatial disabilities in male smoker patients with schizophrenia, including delayed recall and recognition biases.