Efficacy of istradefylline for gait disorders with freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease: A single-arm,open-label,prospective, multicenter study

Background: Gait disorders are common in Parkinson’s disease patients who respond poorly to dopaminergic treatment. Blockade of adenosine A_2A receptors is expected to improve gait disorders. Istradefylline is a first-in-class selective adenosine A_2A receptor antagonist with benefits for motor complications associated with Parkinson’s disease.

Research design and methods: This multicenter, open-label, single-group, prospective interventional study evaluated changes in total gait-related scores of the Part II/III Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) and Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOG-Q) in 31 Parkinson’s disease patients treated with istradefylline. Gait analysis by portable gait rhythmogram was performed.

Results: MDS-UPDRS Part III gait-related total scores significantly decreased at Weeks 4–12 from baseline with significant improvements in gait, freezing of gait, and postural stability. Significant decreases in MDS-UPDRS Part II total scores and individual item scores at Week 12 indicated improved daily living activities. At Week 12, there were significant improvements in FOG-Q, new FOG-Q, and overall movement per 48 h measured by portable gait rhythmogram. Adverse events occurred in 7/31 patients.

Conclusions: Istradefylline improved gait disorders in Parkinson’s disease patients complicated with freezing of gait, improving their quality of life. No unexpected adverse drug reactions were identified.

Trial registration: UMIN-CTR (UMIN000020288).     

不同年龄阿尔茨海默病患者脑核团ADC值与年龄的相关性

目的 探讨不同年龄阿尔茨海默病（AD）患者ADC值与年龄的相关性。方法 选取30例AD患者（AD组）和年龄与之相匹配的30名志愿者（对照组），按年龄段各分为6个亚组[55~59岁（n=3）、60~64岁（n=4）、65~70岁（n=9）、71~74岁（n=5）、75~80岁（n=6）、>80岁（n=3）]，测量双侧海马、红核、尾状核、杏仁体、壳核ADC值，并进行配对t检验、独立样本t检验、单因素方差分析及Pearson相关分析。结果 AD组红核左、右侧ADC值有统计学差异（P=0.022）。AD组不同年龄亚组右侧海马、双侧尾状核、右侧壳核ADC值差异有统计学意义（P均<0.05）；2组不同年龄亚组双侧海马、壳核、尾状核ADC值差异有统计学意义（P均<0.05）。AD组右侧海马（r=0.615，P<0.001）、右侧壳核（r=0.653，P=0.001）及双侧尾状核（左侧：r=0.397，P=0.030；右侧：r=0.429，P=0.020）ADC值与年龄呈正相关。结论 AD患者右侧海马和壳核、双侧尾状核ADC值随年龄增加而增大。ADC值可为临床预测和早期诊断AD脑内右侧海马和壳核、双侧尾状核神经退行性病变提供参考。     

Endolymph magnetic resonance imaging: Contribution of saccule and utricle analysis in the management of patients with sensorineural ear disorders

Endolymphatic hydrops features excess endolymph in the membranous labyrinth, and is a marker of Menière's disease. Between the early 1980s and late 2000s, MRI in Menière's disease aimed purely to rule out tumor or malformation as differential diagnoses for the pressure disorder. Progress in high-resolution MRI, however, now enables excess endolymph to be visualized in the membranous labyrinth, differentiating saccule and utricle in Menière's disease and in other clinical presentations such as cochleovestibular schwannoma. More recently, non-visibility of the saccule was demonstrated in a subgroup of Menière's disease patients, and utricle atelectasis in case of uni- or bilateral vestibular areflexia. Endolymph quantification remains highly controversial in terms of grading approach, but a simple semiology based on excess or deficient visualization of endolymph according to the compartment sheds light on the pathophysiological mechanisms of cochleovestibular disorder and may in future allow effective monitoring of medical and surgical treatment.     

Methodological Quality Assessment of Meta-analyses and Systematic Reviews of the Relationship Between Periodontal and Systemic Diseases

ObjectivesThe aims of this article are to identify all the published systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) that studied the relationship between periodontal and systemic diseases and to assess their quality using 2 scales (the Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire [OQAQ] and A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews [AMSTAR] checklist).MethodsFor SRs and MAs to be included, they should have investigated one of the following systemic diseases: pulmonary conditions, cardiac conditions, endocrine conditions, cancer, blood disorders, psychological conditions, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, and several other diseases. Two investigators screened MEDLINE via PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. The tools used to evaluate quality were the AMSTAR scale and OQAQ. The protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD42018102208).ResultsThe search strategy found 691 unique articles, 42 of which met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. Diabetes mellitus was the most investigated disease (14 out of 42 studies), followed by obesity (11 studies) and cardiovascular diseases (5 studies). A total of 40 reviews reported on the characteristics of included studies, and, as per the AMSTAR scale, 39 reviews had an a priori design. The number of reviews that fulfilled the status of publication criterion was the lowest (7 reviews only), followed by the number used in the assessment of publication bias (11 reviews). The number of high-quality reviews was higher with the OQAQ than with the AMSTAR checklist (33 vs 25 studies), but the AMSTAR showed a higher number of medium-quality reviews than the OQAQ (14 vs 6 studies). Both showed the same number of low-quality reviews.ConclusionsHigh-quality SRs and MAs are crucial to understanding the relationship between systemic and periodontal diseases. Medical practitioners must be able to inform patients about oral health and specific periodontal health concerns.     

论当前疾病预防控制体系面临的主要问题

对当前的疾病预防控制体系和机构面临的体系不健全、政府投入不充分、事业发展不平衡、人才缺失和能力不足、缺乏系统的理论指导、体系的碎片化严重、与社会经济发展的战略衔接不力、机构内部内生动力和活力不足以及体系治理能力不足等问题做了讨论分析,以期进一步分析在健康中国战略和事业单位机构改革等宏观环境变化所带来的机遇以及疾控体系的发展策略和具体措施,促进疾病预防控制事业在改革中谋发展。     

心脏瓣膜置换术后患者的出院准备度现状及其影响因素分析

目的:调查心脏瓣膜置换术后患者的出院准备度现状,并分析其影响因素。方法:于2018年9月至2019年3月用一般资料、出院准备度量表、出院指导质量量表对139例瓣膜置换术后患者进行调查。结果:心脏瓣膜置换术后患者的出院准备度总分为(89.51±8.53)分,与出院指导质量呈正相关;多元回归分析显示,主要照顾者、婚姻状况、工作状态、服药种类、出院指导质量为出院准备度影响因素。结论:心脏瓣膜置换术后患者的出院准备度有待提高,患者感知的个人状态得分不理想;护士应鼓励患者配合进行早期康复,强化出院指导,采取有效措施提供康复信息,满足患者及其家属需求,提高出院准备度。