Impaired modulation of motor cortex excitability by homonymous and heteronymous muscle afferents in focal hand dystonia.

A decrease of heteronymous median nerve-evoked inhibition of corticospinal projections to forearm extensor muscles was reported in a group of 10 dystonic patients by Bertolasi and colleagues in 2003. Here we tested the excitability of corticomotoneuronal connections to both wrist extensor (ECR) and flexor (FCR) muscles after conditioning stimulation of median and also radial nerve at rest in a group of 25 patients with focal hand dystonia compared to 20 healthy subjects. We also investigated the effect of the wrist dystonic posture, either in flexion or in extension, on the afferent modulation of ECR and FCR motor evolved potentials (MEPs). The heteronymous (median-induced) but also homonymous (radial-induced) inhibitions (interstimuli intervals 13-21 ms) of ECR MEP size observed in healthy subjects were decreased in patients. In addition, homonymous (median-induced) facilitation of FCR MEP size was also decreased in patients while heteronymous inhibition (radial-induced) was not. Neither the involvement of the target muscle in the dystonic posture nor the origin of the afferent volley (from a dystonic muscle) influenced the degree of impairment of afferent modulation of the MEP. These findings support the view that a global abnormal somatosensory coupling in focal hand dystonia may contribute to an inadequate motor command to wrist muscles.     

Fabrication of porous hollow silica nanoparticles and their applications in drug release control.

Preparation and characterization of porous hollow silica nanoparticles (PHSN) for controlled release applications were investigated. Through orthogonally designed experiments, the optimal synthesis conditions for the preparation of PHSN were obtained and the produced PHSN were characterized by BET, SEM, TEM and IR. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy images revealed their hollow shell-core structure and also demonstrated that the size and shape of PHSN are determined by the templating CaCO3 nanoparticles. The produced PHSN were applied as a carrier to study the controlled release behaviors of Brilliant Blue F (BB), which was used as a model drug. Being loaded into the inner core and on the surfaces of the nanoparticles, BB was released slowly into a bulk solution for about 1140 min as compared to only 10 min for the normal SiO2 nanoparticles, thus exhibited a typical sustained release pattern without any burst effect. In addition, higher BET of the carriers, lower pH value and lower temperature prolonged BB release from PHSN, while stirring speed showed little influence on the release behavior. It showed that PHSN have a promising future in controlled drug delivery applications.     

Prefrontal cortex dysfunction and depression in atypical parkinsonian syndromes.

Depressive symptoms are common in patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Imaging studies suggest that a disruption of frontal-subcortical pathways may underlie depression associated with basal ganglia disease. This pilot study tested the hypothesis that frontal dysfunction contributes to depression associated with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Depressed patients with MSA (n = 11), PSP (n = 9), and age-matched controls (n = 25) underwent measures of cerebral glucose metabolism applying positron emission tomography with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose. Regional metabolism in the patient groups was compared to the normal subjects using the voxel-based statistical parametric mapping. Depressive symptom severity (Hamilton Depression Rating) and degree of locomotor disability (Hoehn & Yahr) were assessed in the patient groups. The association between prefrontal metabolism and the occurrence of depressive symptoms and the degree of locomotor disability was investigated. When compared to controls, MSA patients revealed significant metabolic decreases in bilateral frontal, parietal, and cerebellar cortex and in the left putamen. In PSP patients, significant hypometabolism was demonstrated in bilateral frontal cortex, right thalamus, and midbrain. Depression severity but not the patients' functional condition was significantly associated with dorsolateral prefrontal glucose metabolism in both patient groups. The findings of this pilot study support the hypothesis that depressive symptoms in MSA and PSP are associated with prefrontal dysfunction.     

不同负荷运动训练对大鼠红细胞膜特性的影响

本文采用实验研究方法,通过对大鼠运动后红细胞数量,Hb浓度及体重等一般情况的检测,拟对其施加不同负荷的训练,观察训练后大鼠红细胞膜流动性及红细胞膜脂质成分的变化,进一步讨论运动后红细胞功能及机体机能所发生的变化。实验结果表明,小负荷的运动训练通过改善RBCM脂质组成,增加p/c比值、增强其抗氧化能力等增加RBCM流动性,使红细胞的变形能力增加,有利于其运氧功能的发挥。大负荷训练后RBCM流动性下降,提示不同负荷的运动训练会引起机体产生不同的变化,进而导致机体运动水平上的差异,整体携氧能力下降。     

颈椎术后病人首次下床活动的感受及需求的调查

早期下床活动的必要性已得到大家认可,但术后早期病人常常较虚弱,且下床活动时会引发一些不适,病人也会有一些担心和顾虑,这在一定程度上会影响病人下床活动的积极性。颈椎手术本身有其特殊性,术后对颈部的稳定要求较高,因此此类病人活动有其特点。本研究以颈椎术后已下床活动的病人为研究对象,通过问卷调查,了解颈椎手术后病人首次下床的感受和相关需求,为进一步提高颈椎术后护理质量提供依据。1资料和方法1.1对象采用方便取样,选取2005年4月—2005年6月在某三甲医院因颈椎病入院、术后已下床活动的病人75例。其中男54例,女21例;年龄28岁~7…     

王焕禄老中医治疗哮喘发作期的用药经验

王焕禄老中医在长期的临床实践中，总结出治疗哮喘病的一些用药体会，兹介绍如下，以飨读者。