Treatment of fecal incontinence by temporary sacral nerve stimulation

Summary BACKGROUND: Sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) is an option for the treatment of fecal incontinence in patients with morphologically intact, but weak external anal sphincter. METHODS: In ten patients a percutaneous test-SNS was performed. Two patients suffered from fecal incontinence after surgery, one patient after incomplete leg palsy after traumatic spine injury and seven patients from idiopathic incontinence. Incontinence score, anorectal manometry and patient diary were performed before and after test-SNS. RESULTS: Intraoperative response (Bellows action) could be achieved in 90% of patients. Test-SNS was successful in 50% of patients. In these patients, resting pressure was increased by 100.1% and squeeze pressure by 84.5%. CONCLUSIONS: SNS is an effective therapy in a subset of patients with fecal incontinence. Fifty percent of patients tested are eligible for implantation of a permanent stimulation device.      

3种桩核系统修复喇叭形根管的抗折性比较

目的 :比较 3种桩核系统修复喇叭形根管的牙根修复后的抗折性及其折断模式。方法 :30个完整的上颌中切牙 ,在根管治疗后 ,沿釉牙骨质界弧形顶点冠方 2mm切除牙冠 ,将根管上 1/3敞开形成喇叭形根管 ,样本随机分成 3组 :A组 ,铸造桩核金属全冠修复 ;B组 ,玻璃纤维树脂核全冠修复 ;C组 ,成品不锈钢平行螺纹桩树脂核全冠修复。样本固定于MTS810测试机上 ,与牙体长轴呈 135°加载 ,测试折断强度并观察折断模式。结果采用方差分析。结果 :铸造桩核修复抗折强度最高 [(76 3.86± 86 .38)N],其次是成品螺纹桩树脂核修复 [(6 19.91± 118.89)N],玻璃纤维树脂核组最小 [(40 5 .5 4± 111.86 )N],统计学分析差异具有显著性。结论 :铸造桩核树脂核修复后抗折强度最高 ,玻璃纤维树脂核修复最低 ,但后者折断模式最有利于重新修复 ,而前者通常无法再行修复。     

全主动脉弓替换术中顺行性脑灌注时血流变化观察

目的　利用前瞻性随机对照方法比较全主动脉弓替换术中单侧顺行性脑灌注 (ASCP)和双侧ASCP时视网膜中央动脉、球后血管血流变化和血S1 0 0蛋白浓度变化。方法　 1 6例全主动脉弓替换术患者随机分为单侧AS CP和双侧ASCP组 ,每组各 8例。两组均行术前术后颅脑计算机体层摄影 (CT)。术中采用经眼球超声监测视网膜中央动脉及球后血管血流。术中术后动态测定血S1 0 0蛋白浓度。结果　两组各有 1例出现短暂性神经功能异常。ASCP过程中单侧组右侧视网膜中央动脉可探及血流 ,左侧视网膜中央动脉不可探及 ,双侧组两侧视网膜中央动脉均可探及血流。所有患者球后动脉均可探及血流。两组间各阶段血S1 0 0蛋白浓度无显著性差异 (P >0 .0 5 )。结论　在基底动脉环完整 ,存在有效侧支循环条件下 ,单侧灌注操作较为简便 ,双侧灌注在ASCP期间两侧脑灌注较为均衡 ,但两种灌注方法对S1 0 0蛋白浓度的影响无显著性差异。     

极外型腰椎间盘突出症的临床特点与神经节位置的相关性研究

目的 探 讨极 外 型腰 椎间 盘 突出 症患 者 的临 床特 点 与神 经节 位 置的 相关 性 方 法:通过 术前 神 经根 造影 : 。确定 受压 神 经根 的背 根 神经 节的 位 置,根 据 其神 经节 的 位置 ,将 27 例极 外侧 腰 椎间 盘突 出 症患 者 分为 三 组 :椎管内 组,5 例;椎间 孔内 组 ,15 例 ;椎 间孔 外组 ,7 例 。分 别比 较神 经 节的 位置 与 临床 参数 ,如 受压 神 经根 的水 平 ,直腿 抬高 试 验的 度数 ,术 前和 术 后症 状(腿痛 ,下 腰痛 和 行走 能力 )及 体 征(感 觉 和运 动障 碍 )的 严重 程 度 及 与恢复率 之间 的 关系 。结 果:与椎 管 内和 椎间 孔 内组 相比 ,椎 间孔 外 组患 者直 腿 抬高 试验 的 度数 较低 ,下 腰 痛的 程度较轻 ,术 前的 腿痛 明 显重 ,而 行走 能 力低 于椎 管 内和 椎间 孔 组。 背根 神 经节 的位 置 与术 前的 感 觉和 运 动 障 碍以及手 术效 果 没有 明显 差 异。结论 :神 经节 的 位置 会影 响 极外 型腰 椎 间盘 突出 患 者根 性症 状 (腿痛 和 行走 能力 )的严重 程度 。     

Current-distance relations of axons mediating circling elicited by midbrain stimulation

Stimulation of mediocaudal midbrain in rats produces ipsiversive circling due to the stimulation of longitudinal axons. The refractory periods of these axons were measured by delivering trains of conditioning and testing pulses via a single electrode at various conditioning-testing (C-T) intervals. As C-T interval increased from 0.3 to 2.0 ms, the frequency required to produce a constant amount of circling halved. The current-distance relations of these axons were measured by placing two electrodes lateral to one another, and delivering conditioning pulses via one electrode and testing pulses via the second electrode. The required frequency decreased less at C-T intervals in the refractory period range using two electrodes rather than using a single electrode. This partial refractoriness suggests that only part of the axons were stimulated by both electrodes. The refractoriness increased as current increased or as interelectrode distance decreased. The overlap in the fields of stimulation at each current was calculated from the refractoriness observed in single and double electrode experiments. The results suggest that the axons mediating circling have a wide range of thresholds rather than a single threshold. The current required to activate an axon is roughly equal to K X r2, were K is a constant and r is the radial distance from electrode to axon. K must range from 400 to at least 3000 microA/mm2, to account for the circling data. For axons mediating medial forebrain bundle self-stimulation3, K must range from 1000 to at least 6400 microA/mm2. Estimation of the K distribution allows calculation of the effects of electrode size, placement and current on the recruitment of axons with different thresholds.     

Reversible shifts in the Ca2+-dependent release of aspartate and glutamate from hippocampal slices with changing glucose concentrations

It is known that low glucose concentrations increase the aspartate and decrease the glutamate content of brain tissue both in vivo and in vitro. To see whether these changes occur in the transmitter compartment or not, the release of aspartate and glutamate evoked by electrical-field stimulation or by high K+ was followed in slices of rat hippocampus superfused with 5 or 0.2 mM glucose. Superfusion with 0.2 mM glucose increased the evoked release of aspartate about ten times and that of glutamate about threefold. This shift in the ratio of aspartate to glutamate released was accompanied by a similar increase in the relative amount of aspartate contained in the slices. The high evoked release of aspartate and glutamate was well maintained, provided 0.5 mM glutamine was added to the medium. Changing the concentration of glucose after the first period of stimulation rapidly altered the relative amounts of aspartate and glutamate released but not the enhanced release of glutamate. The large evoked release of both aspartate and glutamate in 0.2 mM glucose was almost entirely Ca2+-dependent. The relative amounts of aspartate and glutamate released by 50 mM K+ also changed when the glucose concentration was reduced. Results suggest two effects of low glucose concentrations: an increase in the overflow of synaptically released glutamate due to a decreased uptake and an increase in the proportion of aspartate to glutamate formed and released from the transmitter pool. These observations are consistent with the interpretation that these two transmitters can be released in different proportions from the same terminals.     

牙根发育不良疾病的研究进展

牙根发育不良疾病是牙齿根部生理性发育出现障碍的疾病。其发病率为1%~10%,乳、恒牙列均可发生,其结果可导致牙根缺如或短根,严重者可造成牙齿过早脱落。国外学者将该疾病统称为短根异常疾病。其发病因素有遗传性疾病、全身性疾病、外源性因素和医源性因素等。     

Histometric study of root resorption on human premolars following experimental replantation

Abstract – A histometric method was applied for evaluation of root resorption in 57 experimentally replanted teeth and 22 controls. Representative axiobuccolingual sections were selected for measurement of resorptions at a magnification of × 40. The frequency of root resorption in the control teeth was low. In replanted teeth marked resorptive activity elicited by the trauma appeared after 2 wk. The extent of active resorptions increased until the third postoperative week. On an average 14% of the root periphery was affected at this stage. After the sixth postoperative week progressive cement deposition took place in the resorption lacunae. Incidental ankylosis of the periodontal membrane also occurred from this observation time but there was no increase among the long-term groups.     

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.     

A review of serotonin toxicity data: implications for the mechanisms of antidepressant drug action.

Data now exist from which an accurate definition for serotonin toxicity (ST), or serotonin syndrome, has been developed; this has also lead to precise, validated decision rules for diagnosis. The spectrum concept formulates ST as a continuum of serotonergic effects, mediated by the degree of elevation of intrasynaptic serotonin. This progresses from side effects through to toxicity; the concept emphasizes that it is a form of poisoning, not an idiosyncratic reaction. Observations of the degree of ST precipitated by overdoses of different classes of drugs can elucidate mechanisms and potency of drug actions. There is now sufficient pharmacological data on some drugs to enable a prediction of which ones will be at risk of precipitating ST, either by themselves or in combinations with other drugs. This indicates that some antidepressant drugs, presently thought to have serotonergic effects in animals, do not exhibit such effects in humans. Mirtazapine is unable to precipitate serotonin toxicity in overdose or to cause serotonin toxicity when mixed with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and moclobemide is unable to precipitate serotonin toxicity in overdose. Tricyclic antidepressants (other than clomipramine and imipramine) do not precipitate serotonin toxicity and might not elevate serotonin or have a dual action, as has been assumed.