Parks/sports facilities in local communities and the onset of functional disability among older adults in Japan: The J-shaped spatial spillover effects

We examined the associations between parks/sports facilities in local communities and the onset of functional disability among Japanese older adults. We further investigated the spatial spillover effects of parks/sports facilities in 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-degree neighboring communities. Data on the onset of functional disability, including date of onset, sex, age, and address (school district) of all older adults aged 65 years and older living in Kobe City were obtained from the public long-term care insurance database (163,348 men [190,831 person-year] and 200,443 women [230,464 person-year]). Multilevel proportional hazard regression analyses showed that the number of parks and sports facilities were negatively associated with the onset of functional disability among men. In particular, these associations were stronger for the adjacent district than for individuals’ living districts. Our results imply that involving multiple neighboring communities as the intervention unit is effective when utilizing community built environments for long-term care prevention in men.     

针刺干预对单眼视觉剥夺模型大鼠视皮层方位柱“漂移”和异常重组的调节作用及其脑功能机制

探讨针刺干预对大鼠单眼视觉剥夺后视皮层方位柱“漂移”和通道重组的影响，初步阐明其作用机制。     

Enlarged high frequency oscillations of the median nerve somatosensory evoked potential and survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

ObjectiveA large N20 and P25 of the median nerve somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) predicts short survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We investigated whether high frequency oscillations (HFOs) over N20 are enlarged and associated with survival in ALS.MethodsA total of 145 patients with ALS and 57 healthy subjects were studied. We recorded the median nerve SEP and measured the onset-to-peak amplitude of N20 (N20o-p), and peak-to-peak amplitude between N20 and P25 (N20p-P25p). We obtained early and late HFO potentials by filtering SEP between 500 and 1 kHz, and measured the peak-to-peak amplitude. We followed up patients until endpoints (death or tracheostomy) and analyzed the relationship between SEP or HFO amplitudes and survival using a Cox analysis.ResultsPatients showed larger N20o-p, N20p-P25p, and early and late HFO amplitudes than the control values. N20p-P25p was associated with survival periods (p = 0.0004), while early and late HFO amplitudes showed no significant association with survival (p = 0.4307, and p = 0.6858, respectively).ConclusionsThe HFO amplitude in ALS is increased, but does not predict survival.SignificanceThe enlarged HFOs in ALS might be a compensatory phenomenon to the hyperexcitability of the sensory cortex pyramidal neurons.     

Multimodal examination of emotion processing systems associated with negative affectivity across early childhood

High Temperamental Negative Affectivity in early childhood has been found to predict later emotion dysregulation. While much work has been conducted to separately probe bio-behavioral systems associated with Negative Affectivity, very little work has examined the relations among multiple systems across age. In this study, we use multi-modal methods to index neurobiological systems associated with Negative Affectivity in 53 4-7-year-old children. Prefrontal activation during emotion regulation was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy over the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) while children played a game designed to elicit frustration in Social (Happy and Angry faces) and Nonsocial contexts. Gaze behaviors while free-viewing Happy and Angry faces were also measured. Finally, Negative Affectivity was indexed using a score composite based on factor analysis of parent-reported temperament. Using mixed-effects linear models, we found an age-dependent association between Negative Affectivity and both PFC activation during frustration and fixation duration on the mouth area of Happy faces, such that older children high in Negative Affectivity spent less time looking at the mouths of Happy faces and had lower PFC activation in response to frustration (ps<0.034). These results provide further insight to how Negative Affectivity may be associated with changes in affective neurobiological systems across early childhood.     

Exploring three levels of interoception in people with functional motor disorders

IntroductionA three-level model of interoception has recently been defined. We aim to study the interoceptive processing in individuals with functional motor disorder (FMD).MethodsTwenty-two patients with FMD were compared to 23 healthy controls. They underwent a protocol measuring different levels of interoception including: accuracy (a heart-beat tracking task), awareness (participant's confidence level) and sensibility (the Body Awareness Questionnaire-BAQ). Depression, anxiety and alexithymia were assessed by means of validated clinical scales.ResultsThe FMD group showed a lower cardiac interoceptive accuracy and sensibility than healthy controls but they did not differ in terms of awareness (p = 0.03 and 0.005 respectively). They were aware of their poor performance in the accuracy task. Cardiac interoceptive accuracy positively correlated with the BAQ sub-scales “Predict Body Reaction” (r = 0.49, p = 0.001) and “Sleep-Wake Cycle” (r = 0.52, p < 0.001). A mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of group on cardiac interoceptive accuracy through BAQ “Predict Body Reaction” (b = −2.95, 95% BCa CI[-7.2;-0.2]). The direct effect of group on “Predict Body Reaction” was still significant (b = − 6.95, p = 0.02, 95% CI[-13.18;-0.73]).ConclusionsPeople with FMD have impaired cardiac interoceptive accuracy and sensibility but no difference in metacognitive interoception compared to healthy controls.     

Indirect Magnetic Resonance Arthrography May Help Avoid Second Look Arthroscopy for Assessment of Healing After Bucket Handle Medial Meniscus Repairs: A Prospective Clinico-Radiological Observational Study

ObjectivesThe objectives were: (1) to analyze the MRI healing rates of bucket-handle meniscus repair; (2) to compare the accuracy of assessment of meniscus healing for conventional MRI and Indirect Magnetic Resonance Arthrography (IMRA); and (3) to identify patients who may require second-look arthroscopy after meniscus repair.MethodsThis is a prospective observational case series of thirty-seven patients with repaired bucket-handle medial meniscus tear with a minimum one year follow-up. Meniscus healing rates were assessed on direct MRI and IMRA using Henning’s criteria. At the same time, patients’ symptoms were evaluated according to Barrett’s criteria and functional outcomes were recorded using International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, Knee Osteoarthritis and Outcomes Score (KOOS) and Tegner–Lysholm scores. A further clinical review was performed 18 months after the imaging to assess the evolution of symptoms.ResultsAt a mean of 22.3 ± 7.8 months after the meniscus repair, 56.7% patients showed complete healing and 40.5% patients demonstrated incomplete repair healing on IMRA. 52% patients with complete healing and 40% patients with incomplete healing demonstrated meniscus symptoms. At the second clinical review, 19% patients with complete healing and 20% patients with incomplete healing had meniscus symptoms. There was no co-relation between symptoms, PROMs and healing on MRI.ConclusionIndirect MR arthrography offers distinct advantages over direct MRI for assessment of meniscus healing, especially in symptomatic patients. Patient-reported outcome measures and symptomatology are not co-related with the healing status of the meniscus and they resolve in the majority on longer follow-up. A more conservative approach guided by IMRA to assess meniscus healing will avoid early re-operations.     

Differentiating ictal/subclinical spikes and waves in childhood absence epilepsy by spectral and network analyses: A pilot study

ObjectiveChildhood absence epilepsy (CAE) is a disease with distinct seizure semiology and electroencephalographic (EEG) features. Differentiating ictal and subclinical generalized spikes and waves discharges (GSWDs) in the EEG is challenging, since they appear to be identical upon visual inspection. Here, spectral and functional connectivity (FC) analyses were applied to routine EEG data of CAE patients, to differentiate ictal and subclinical GSWDs.MethodsTwelve CAE patients with both ictal and subclinical GSWDs were retrospectively selected for this study. The selected EEG epochs were subjected to frequency analysis in the range of 1–30 Hz. Further, FC analysis based on the imaginary part of coherency was used to determine sensor level networks.ResultsDelta, alpha and beta band frequencies during ictal GSWDs showed significantly higher power compared to subclinical GSWDs. FC showed significant network differences for all frequency bands, demonstrating weaker connectivity between channels during ictal GSWDs.ConclusionUsing spectral and FC analyses significant differences between ictal and subclinical GSWDs in CAE patients were detected, suggesting that these features could be used for machine learning classification purposes to improve EEG monitoring.SignificanceIdentifying differences between ictal and subclinical GSWDs using routine EEG, may improve understanding of this syndrome and the management of patients with CAE.     

基于十二指肠异常探讨功能性消化不良的中医研究进展＊

功能性消化不良（functional dyspepsia， FD）是一种常见的功能性胃肠病（functional gastrointestinal disorder， FGID），属于中医“痞满”“胃脘痛”范畴，多因“气机升降失常”所致。目前，FD发病机制主要涉及脑肠互动异常、胃容受性受损、内脏敏感性增高、胃动力不足、幽门螺杆菌感染、十二指肠异常、心理精神因素等。随着罗马Ⅳ标准的颁布，十二指肠的作用在FD的发病中日益凸显。十二指肠高敏性、十二指肠黏膜屏障受损及十二指肠黏膜低度炎症等在FD病理生理过程中起着非常重要的作用，十二指肠可能是治疗FD的新靶点。本文综述FD发病中十二指肠的作用及中医药研究，为FD的基础研究及临床治疗提供理论依据。