Restless legs syndrome in Parkinson's disease: a case-controlled study.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a disorder of motor activity with a circadian pattern, occurring frequently in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). We sought to estimate the prevalence of RLS in Indian PD patients. One hundred twenty-six consecutive PD patients and 128 healthy age- and sex-matched controls were evaluated using a predesigned questionnaire. RLS was present in 10 of 126 cases of PD (7.9%) and 1 of 128 controls (0.8%, P = 0.01). PD patients with RLS were older than those without RLS (63.70 +/- 7.80 years vs. 57.37 +/- 10.04 years; P = 0.05) and had higher prevalence of depression (40% vs. 10.3%; P = 0.023). No demographic factors or factors related to PD correlated with the presence or severity of RLS. RLS is more common among patients with PD than controls. A greater medical recognition of this disorder is needed in view of available effective treatment.     

Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction in normotensive awake subjects with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome

Cardiovascular autonomic function in normotensive awake patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome was studied in 21 normotensive (mean age 48 ± 14 years), drug-free men with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. Cardiovascular reflex tests with continuous blood pressure monitoring and biochemical indices were performed the morning after a standard polygraphic sleep recording. A group of 20 agematched (mean age 49 ± 19 years) normal subjects was used as controls. The obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome patients showed higher heart rate and noradrenaline plasma levels (p < 0.05) at rest and a higher blood pressure response to head-up tilt (p < 0.01), suggesting sympathetic overactivity. Respiratory arrhythmia, baroreflex sensitivity index and Valsalva ratio were significantly lower in the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome group (p < 0.01) whereas the decrease in heart rate induced by the cold face test was significantly higher (p < 0.05) showing a blunting of reflexes dependent on baroreceptor or pulmonary afferents with normal or increased cardiac vagal efferent activity. These abnormalities in autonomic regulation may predispose obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome patients to cardiovascular complications like hypertension and cardiac arrhythmias.     

REM sleep behavior disorder and vocal cord paralysis in Machado-Joseph disease.

We evaluated the occurrence of REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) and vocal cord abductor paralysis (VCAP) in a group of 9 Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) patients. RBD was diagnosed by clinical history plus audiovisual polysomnography in 4 men and 1 woman (55%). While dreaming, 4 fell out of the bed and the other injured his arms. Laryngoscopy detected bilateral VCAP in 1 patient with stridor who required emergency tracheotomy, and partial vocal cord abductor restriction in 2. RBD and VCAP are two potentially injurious conditions that should be considered part of the clinical spectrum of MJD.     

The value of pretreatment clinical and biochemical parameters in patients with newly diagnosed untreated prostate carcinoma and no indications for bone metastases on the bone scintigram

Between 10% and 25% of patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer without bone metastases at the time of diagnosis will develop metastases during follow-up. To determine the value of clinical and biochemical parameters for assessment of prognosis at the time of diagnosis, a retrospective study was performed in 124 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer without bone metastases. The mean follow-up was 41 months, during which time 36 patients died and 15 patients developed metastases. Bone scans were classified from 0 (=normal) through 2 (=abnormal, but not typical for metastases) and were correlated with age, alkaline phosphatase (AP), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), tumour grade, T-stage and N-stage. In patients with a class 2 scan, additional roentgenograms and follow-up were used to exclude metastases at initial stage. All parameters, including therapy, were finally correlated with the development of metastases and survival. For survival 38 patients with proven metastases were used as controls. For all parameters tested, no statistically significant differences were found between the three bone scan classifications. The interval between diagnosis and the development of metastases ranged from 12 to 72 months. For the risk of development of metastases only PSA was found to be a significant correlate (P=0.0075). However, when tumour stages were clustered in limited disease (T0–2) and extensive disease (T3–4), the incidence of metastases was significantly higher in patients with extensive disease than in those with limited disease (P=0.0021). Finally, age, PSA and Anderson classification were found to be significant correlates of survival, but in stepwise analysis PSA was selected as the most prognostic variable (P<0.0001). In contrast with a typical pattern of metastases on bone scintigraphy, an abnormal scan (class 1 and 2) at the time of diagnosis is not a poor prognostic parameter of the risk of death. In conclusion, in patients with prostate cancer without bone metastases at the time of diagnosis, pretreatment PSA and tumour stage can be used for the assessment of risk of development of metastases during follow-up and survival. For this purpose, tumour stage should be clustered in limited and extensive disease. Received 14 April and in revised form 9 June 1997     

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征患者肾功能和心钠素的变化分析

目的探讨病人肾功能、心钠素(ANP)的含量变化及经鼻持续气道正压(nCPAP)治疗对阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征(OSAS)患者的影响。方法选择经多导睡眠图(PSG)确诊为中、重度的OSAS患者11例为试验组,PSG检查正常者14例为对照组，试验组给予nCPAP治疗，分别测定其血尿肌酐、尿量、尿β2-微球蛋白(β2-MG)、血浆心钠素(ANP)，并计算出内生肌酐清除率(Ccr)，比较试验组与对照组及试验组治疗前后各项指标的差异。结果试验组与对照组比较，Ccr,尿β2-MG差异无显著性，经nCPAP治疗后两指标也无明显改变；试验组的夜尿量、血ANP含量显著高于对照组，nCPAP治疗后上述指标均较治疗前明显下降。结论OSAS患者夜尿量增多可能与ANP增加有关，这种增高可以被nCPAP治疗所纠正。     

全肠外营养对老年晚期消化系统恶性肿瘤病人生存期的影响

目的:评估全肠外营养(TPN)对老年晚期消化系统恶性肿瘤病人生存期的影响。方法:回顾性分析121例老年晚期消化系统恶性肿瘤病人TPN治疗后的生存期。结果:TPN治疗后,患者生存期不同程度延长,为9～126天,平均68.1天,多数在两月左右。结论:TPN可延长老年晚期消化系统恶性肿瘤病人的生存期。     

Lithium increases slow wave sleep: possible mediation by brain 5-HT2 receptors?

The effect of lithium on slow wave sleep (SWS) was studied in ten normal male volunteers using home based cassette sleep recording and automatic sleep stage analysis. Lithium increased SWS, an effect consisten with a reduction in brain 5-HT₂ receptor function.     

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停患者临床表现与上气道阻塞部位关系的探讨

目的 观察一组AHI接近的阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征（OSAS）患者中上气道阻塞部位对多导睡眠监测（PSG）图及临床表现的影响。方法选取36例AHI为30—40的成年男性OSAS患者行再次整夜PSG，加同步上气道及食道压力监测确定上气道最低阻塞部位。比较上气道最低阻塞部位在软腭水平、舌根水平和下咽水平的不同患者中PSG相关参数：平均SaO2、最低SaO2、最长阻塞性呼吸暂停事件时间、呼吸暂停事件中SaO2下降率（dSaO2／dt）、微觉醒指数；以及部分临床表现参数：白日嗜睡程度、入睡前收缩压／清晨收缩压、入睡前舒张压／清晨舒张压以及高血压发生率。结果平均SaO2、最长阻塞性呼吸暂停事件时间和入睡前收缩压／清晨收缩压比值在3种不同上气道最低阻塞部位患者中差异无显著性（P〉0．05），但与软腭水平相比，舌根水平和下咽水平的最低Sa02降低（P〉0．05），dSaO2／dt（％／s）比值增高（P〈0．05），微觉醒指数及白日嗜睡评分增高（P〈0．01），入睡前舒张压／清晨舒张压比值降低（P〈0．05），最低SaO2〈80％的发生率增高（P〈0．01）以及高血压的发生率增高（P〈0．01）。结论AHI接近的OSAS患者上气道阻塞部位在舌根水平以下者与软腭以上水平者相比，阻塞性呼吸暂停事件的致缺氧效率和程度提高，OSAS的临床表现加重。     

Pressure stability of nasal CPAP and bilevel devices

Summary Question of the study   Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) prevents collapse of the upper airway during sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea provided that a positive transmural pressure can be maintained during inspiration. We examined pressure-flow characteristics in seven CPAP and bilevel devices during spontaneous breathing.
Methods   The CPAP devices were set to a pressure level of 9.8  hPa (10  cm H₂O) and adapted to a pneumotachograph using a standard CPAP hose and an outlet valve. We continuously measured flow, volume and pressure during resting ventilation and increasing voluntary hyperventilation and analysed the dependence of the variables on a breath-to-breath basis.
Results   Mean CPAP pressures differed between the devices (9.9 – 10.6  hPa) despite the same settings. In all machines pressure fell during inspiration to 8.4 – 9.8  hPa and increased during expiration to 11.1 – 11.7  hPa. This effect increased with higher flow rates. Maximum expiratory pressures rose to 12 – 19  hPa at peak flow rates of 2 l/s, mean expiratory pressures to 9.5 – 16  hPa. Inspiratory pressures dropped to 8.5 – 4.5  hPa (minimum) and 10.5 – 6.0 (mean). Bilevel devices showed a higher stability than CPAP devices. Pressure swings during the respiratory cycle increased the additional work of breathing.
Conclusions   Due to differences in mean and effective CPAP levels CPAP devices are not simply exchangeable but should be individually adapted. Patients with higher minute ventilation might benefit from more stable CPAP machines. The impact on patients' compliance remains to be evaluated.     

230例打鼾患者多导睡眠图分析

目的　探讨多导睡眠图 (PSG)对睡眠呼吸暂停综合征 (SAS)的诊断价值及睡眠呼吸暂停综合征 (SAS)对睡眠结构、血氧、心血管系统的影响。方法　对 2 30例打鼾患者进行多导睡眠图监测。结果　 2 30例诊断SAS10 8例 (46 9% ) ,单纯鼾症 (SS) 12 2例 ,SAS与SS组两组相比在睡眠结构、呼吸紊乱、血氧、心血管系统变化等差异有显著性。结论　PSG是诊断SAS、判定病情程度、指导治疗的一种良好方法