Inter-study differences: How should they influence the interpretation and analysis of results?

In determining the role inter-study variation should play in an overview analysis, it is important to consider three factors: which question one is trying to answer; the degree of similarity or dissimilarity of design, and the degree to which heterogeneity of outcomes can be explained. Three questions one might be interested in are: whether treatment can be effective in some circumstances; whether treatment is effective on average, and whether treatment was effective on average in the trials at hand. Under the assumption of no qualitative interaction, the answers to these questions coincide. The O-E analysis most directly answers the third question. Other analyses are suggested when the first question is of interest, using the aspirin post-MI studies as an example.     

脑瘫患儿脑干听觉诱发电位研究

本文采用日本光电公司生产的 MEB-5304K 诱发电位测定仪,对101名6月-14岁脑瘫患儿和40名正常儿测定了脑干听觉诱发电位(BAEP)。结果表明:给予80dBNHL,20Hz 刺激时 BAEP 异常率为45.54%,随刺激强度减小及刺激重复率增加,BAEP 阳性率提高。BAEP 改变与病情、病型及并发症有关。为脑瘫的发病机理及病理生理学研究提供神经电生理学依据。对脑瘫合并听力障碍者有助于及早选用助听装置,解决其听力障碍问题。     

Application of technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime single-photon emission tomography to neurologic prognosis in patients undergoing urgent carotid surgery

In this study we aimed to work out a quantitative prognostic index for preoperative assessment of brain technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (HMPAO) single-photon emission tomography (SPET) in patients referred for urgent carotid endarterectomy due to acute obstructive disease of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and neurological deficit. To this end we compared data from preoperative SPET studies with the postinterventional changes in neurological status in 20 patients (17 males, three females; mean age 53 years, SD 4 years) with acute ischaemic cerebral disorders induced by obstruction of the ICA. Carotid obstruction was diagnosed by ultrasound B-mode study. All patients underwent urgent carotid endarterectomy from the ICA. Patients were divided into two groups in accordance with the results of postoperative follow-up: group A comprised patients with significant (more than 3 points) postoperative improvement in neurological condition as quantified by the Canadian Neurological Scale (11 patients); group B consisted of patients with minimal improvement or deterioration (nine, three of whom died). All patients were studied preoperatively by^99mTc-HMPAO SPET. The volume of nonperfused tissue (VS, cm³) was quantified using the Mountz technique. Hypoperfused volume (V _hypoperf, cm³) in the affected hemisphere was calculated as the total volume of voxels with^99mTc-HMPAO uptake <90% of the contralateral symmetric voxels. Discriminant prognostic function was calculated by discriminant analysis as:PF = 0.072×VS + 29.46×(VS/V _hypoperf). Patients with preoperativePF values <8.20 demonstrated postoperative improvement in neurological status, while the group withPF>8.90 comprised patients who demonstrated minimal improvement or deterioration. PF values in the range 8.20–8.90 carried an indefinite prognosis. We conclude that the preoperative^99mTc-HMPAO SPET can be used for the selection of patients in whom improvement in neurological status may be expected after urgent surgical correction of acute extracranial obstruction of the ICA.     

床上体操训练对偏瘫患者的效果观察

目的：观察偏瘫患者早期床上训练的效果。方法：对５８例脑血管意外致偏瘫患者随机分成２组：观察组３０例，护理中指导早期床上体操训练；对照组２８例，按常规护理。以上、下肢肌力和日常生活活动能力（ＡＤＬ）为评价指标，于训练开始时、训练４周、训练８周各评价１次。结果：观察组训练４周、８周时患侧上肢肌力以及ＡＤＬ水平明显增加，与对照组比较有显著差异（Ｐ＜００１）。患侧下肢肌力训练４周及８周时均增加，与对照组比较，４周时无明显差异（Ｐ＞００５），８周时有显著性差异（Ｐ＜００１）。结论：对早期偏瘫患者实施床上功能训练，不仅可以提高患者的生命质量，而且可以减少、甚至解除患者及家属的经济和精神负担。     

Studies of the antagonistic effect of BQ-123 on cerebral vasospasm induced by intracisternal injection of endothelin-1 and subarachnoid hemorrhage

Cerebralvasospasm(CVS)remainsoneofthemajorcausesofseriousoutcomeinpatientswithsubarachnoidhemorrhage(SAH);however,themechanismofwhichisstillnotwellunderstood.Sofaralargenumberofputativespasmogenshavebeenproposedandoneofwhichisendothelins(ETs).ETs,akindofverypotentendogenousvasoconstrictorsubstancesknown[1],hasthreeiso-forms:ET-1,2and3,andET-1isthemostpo-tentvasoconstrictorofthem.lnrecentstudies,ET-lhasbeenproposedasamediatorofCVSfol-lowingSAH[2-4j.TheavailabilityofETantagonistprovided…     

急性脑梗塞患者血清肿瘤坏死因子水平变化的观察

采用双抗体夹心ＥＬＩＳＡ法对３０例正常对照和３６例急性脑梗塞患者血清肿瘤坏死因子（ＴＮＦ）水平进行了检测。结果显示：急性脑梗塞组血清ＴＮＦ水平显著高于正常对照组，血清ＴＮＦ水平变化与脑梗塞容积大小密切相关，恢复期血清ＴＮＦ水平显著降低。结果提示，ＴＮＦ参与了脑梗塞发生后病理变化过程，检测血清ＴＮＦ对判定脑梗塞容积大小有一定的临床意义。     

Striatal cells containing the Ca2+-binding protein calretinin (protein 10) in ischemia-induced neuronal injury

The present study concerns the vulnerability of striatal interneurons immunopositive for the Ca²⁺-binding protein calretinin to ischemic neuronal injury. An immunohistochemical study was carried out on the striata of rats which had undergone transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Two weeks after the ischemia, there was a marked reduction in the number of calretinin-positive neurons in the ipsilateral ischemic lesion, although the striatal interneurons positive for parvalbumin, which are a neuronal population distinct from the calretinin-immunoreactive cells in the striatum, were spared in the insulted areas. The present data indicate that the striatal calretinin-positive neurons are less resistant to transient ischemia, suggesting that there may exist vulnerability differences among the striatal interneurons in ischemia-induced neuronal injury.     

Stereotactic craniotomy and intraoperative lesion localisation using the Brown-Robert-Wells frame

Summary A simple technique of stereotactic craniotomy and intraoperative lesion localisation that uses the Brown-Robert-Wells (BRW) stereotactic frame is presented. The method optimises craniotomy placement and facilitates localisation of small intracerebral lesions. Using the system, 16 patients have had resection of intracranial neoplasms from deep and/or eloquent areas of the brain with no neurological morbidity.     

Clinical Efficacy of New Antiepileptic Drugs in Refractory Partial Epilepsy: Experience in the United States With Three Novel Drugs

Summary: A number of new antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), including topiramate (TPM), felbamate (FBM), and gabapentin (GBP), are approved or believed to be close to approval for marketing in the United States. Key efficacy findings for these AEDs in refractory partial epilepsy were reviewed. Large and significant drug-placebo differences were observed with TPM in two large dose-finding trials conducted in the United States. The minimal effective dose of TPM in the population studied was determined to be approximately 200 mg/day, and doses above 600 mg/day produced good efficacy but little incremental benefit versus the lower dosages for the overall study population. FBM is active in partial epilepsy, although seizure reduction is less marked and drug interactions complicate the findings. GBP is also active in this population, but only the 1,800 mg/day dosage was significantly better than placebo with respect to percent re-sponders. It may be useful to explore higher dosage ranges for both FBM and GBP if they can be well tolerated.     

深低温停循环逆行脑灌注脑组织自由基变化的实验研究

研究深低温停循环（ＤＨＣＡ）与逆行脑灌注（ＲＣＰ）时脑组织自由基的变化。健康杂种犬１４只，随机等分为ＤＨＣＡ组和ＲＣＰ组，在停循环前（Ａ点）、ＤＨＣＡ／ＲＣＰ３０分（Ｂ点）、ＤＨＣＡ／ＲＣＰ６０分（Ｃ点）ＤＨＣＡ／ＲＣＰ９０分（Ｄ眯）和复温再灌注３０分（Ｅ点）取脑皮层ｌｇ，检测丙二醛（ＭＤＡ）和超氧化物歧化酶（ＳＯＤ）水平。结果见两组在Ａ点ＭＤＡ和ＳＯＤ无差别。在Ｂ、Ｃ、Ｄ、Ｅ点，ＤＨＣＡ组ＭＤＡ