Atypical spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) with nonorthostatic headache

BACKGROUND: Some patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) often do not demonstrate typical orthostatic headache, which is contrary to the typical SIH syndrome. They usually have an obscure and intermittent headache, regardless of their positional change. OBJECT: The objective of this study is to investigate the clinical course of atypical SIH that manifests with diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement, but no orthostatic headaches. METHODS: Between January 1997 and December 2005, we observed a total of 6 patients who revealed atypical presentations including nonpostural headaches and normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure, despite the diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement seen on their MR images. For a comparison of the clinical features and the disease course, 13 other SIH patients with typical clinical manifestations were selected as a control group. RESULTS: Cerebrospinal fluid leakage sites were confirmed in only one patient through a variety of diagnostic tools; in contrast, definite focal CSF leakage sites were found in 12 of 13 patients with typical SIH. The 6 atypical SIH patients were treated with conservative treatment, including strict bed rest and intravenous hydration for 2 to 3 weeks. After a mean follow-up of 12 months, their headaches were gradually relieved after 2 to 3 weeks of conservative treatment only. CONCLUSIONS: All SIHs do not necessarily show the typical clinical manifestations. The atypical finding of SIH such as nonorthostatic headache or normal CSF pressure may be the result of a normal physiologic response to the typical SIH as a compensatory reaction. Therefore, when faced with patients showing findings compatible with SIH on the brain MR images, regardless of nonpostural headache, atypical SIH should be suspected.     

Tension neck and evaluation of a physical training course among office workers in a bank corporation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a physical training course in a group of patients (n=74) suffering from chronic tension neck. All participants in the course were employed by a bank corporation in Helsinki, Finland. A comparable control group (n=77) consisted of office workers with tension neck from the same bank corporation who did not attend any training course. The outcome was analysed 6 months after the course. Pain and disability in the neck and shoulder region did not vary significantly between the group which participated in the training course and the control group. The experimental group had increased the amount of physical workout compared to the control group (83.7% vs 69.0%, P = 0.0448). Also, regarding the frequency of relaxation and stretching exercises the two groups differed significantly: the experimental group had continued to perform exercises more often (P= 0.0434). The frequency of sick leave days did not significantly differ between the groups, but the office workers in the experimental group had more periods of extended sick leave (> 10 days) and the controls had more frequent short sick leaves. The experimental group did increase their physical workout significantly compared with the controls, but no differences were detected regarding pain and disability. In order to gain more benefit more attention should be paid to the educational part of the training courses in order to enhance the patients'self-care abilities. Also, strategies to alleviate psychosocial problems and organized relaxation exercises could decrease muscle tension in the neck in office workers.     

液晶高分子液滴形变和回缩过程的模拟

得到了描述分散相液晶高分子液滴形变和回缩过程(松驰过程)的理论模型.该模型主要以椭球形变模型为基础,引入了代表有序微区结构的介观尺寸变量和随结构变化的界面张力两个变量.结果表明:修正的理论模型预测值与松弛过程实验结果相吻合,与剪切形变过程实验结果有一定偏差,但比原始的椭球形变模型预测的结果更接近实验值.     

肌筋膜松解手法联合针刺对脑卒中后下肢痉挛的疗效观察

目的 观察肌筋膜松解手法联合针刺对脑卒中后下肢痉挛的疗效。方法 纳入脑卒中后下肢痉挛患者45例,随机分为对照组（22例）和试验组（23例）。2组均给予针刺治疗,试验组在此基础上增加肌筋膜松解手法治疗。为期6周的治疗后,比较2组临床康复疗效,观察相关指标变化。采用改良Ashworth量表（modified Ashworth scale,MAS）评定屈膝肌群肌张力大小,降低即为治疗有效。采用Fugl-Meyer下肢运动功能评定量表（Fugl-Meyer assessment of lower extremity,FMA-LE）评定下肢运动功能;采用临床痉挛指数（clinic spasticity index,CSI）评定痉挛程度;检测血清同型半胱氨酸（homocysteine,Hcy）水平。结果 治疗后试验组有效率明显高于对照组（P<0.05）;2组屈膝肌群MAS得分、血清Hcy水平显著降低,FMA-LE评分、CSI评分显著增高（P<0.05）;试验组患者MAS得分、血清Hcy水平均低于对照组,FMA-LE评分、CSI均高于对照组（P<0.05）。结论 肌筋膜松解手法联合针刺可有效降低脑卒中下肢痉挛患者肌张力,减轻痉挛程度,改善下肢运动功能,降低血清Hcy水平。     

钢丝环扎联合新式张力带固定治疗髌骨骨折

目的 探讨钢丝环扎联合自行设计的新式张力带固定治疗各种类型髌骨骨折的疗效。方法 以髌骨的功能解剖和生物力学为理论基础,应用钢丝环扎联合新式张力带固定治疗各类骨折102例。结果 原有骨折均愈合,愈合时间7－13周,平均8．2周,关节功能恢复良好无并发症。结论 本法将钢丝环扎与张力带有机结合,形成钢丝环扎联合张力带固定治疗髌骨骨折,操作简便、固定可靠、疗效优良、适合各种类型髌骨骨折。     

Psychosocial and behavioral characteristics in chronic headache patients: support for a continuum and dual-diagnostic approach

The present study attempted to identify psychological differences among different headache diagnoses defined by IHS criteria as well as psychological differences by headache intensity and frequency. Differences between diagnostic categories reflected characteristics used to assign diagnoses, namely the constancy of pain and distracting behaviors of significant others due to isolating behavior from photophobia and phonophobia. A rating of headache intensity and frequency was a more powerful predictor of psychological ratings than diagnosis. Diagnosis was related to headache frequency but not intensity. The results suggest that a continuum diagnosis based on severity can be useful in conceptualizing headaches, and a dual-diagnostic system integrating headache characteristics with perceptions and coping ability would be helpful in determining treatment options.     

Muscle coordination and choice-reaction time tests as indicators of occupational muscle load and shoulder-neck complaints

Summary The use was explored of psychomotor tests as indicators of the risk of shoulder-neck disorders in workers with low-level static loads on the shoulder muscles. Two groups of workers performing office work and light production work were studied. A muscle coordination test with continuous movement of the arm and hand between three target areas and a psychogenic tension test, posing mental demands and with minimal requirement for body movements, aimed to quantify muscle activity in excess of that needed for biomechanical purposes. The electromyogram (EMG) recording of the active trapezius muscle in the muscle coordination test correlated with the median and static EMG values of the vocational (i.e. during the normal work task) trapezius recording both for the office and production workers, but showed no correlation with shoulder-neck complaints. The EMG responses in the psychogenic tension test and of the passive (contralateral) trapezius in the muscle coordination test correlated best with the parameters showing short, spontaneous pauses in the EMG recording of occupational load. For the office workers, but not for the production workers these parameters also correlated with shoulder-neck complaints and the presence of psychosocial problems. Psychomotor tests may thus be useful as indicators of the risk of shoulder-neck complaints in certain occupations, but further experimentation is needed to validate this conclusion.