Alexithymia in Holocaust Survivors with and Without PTSD

Alexithymia was measured in non-treatment seeking, community-dwelling Holocaust survivors using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale—Twenty Item Version (TAS-20). Scores of survivors with (n = 30) and without (n = 26) posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were compared, and associations among alexithymia, severity of trauma, and severity of PTSD symptoms were determined. Survivors with PTSD had significantly higher scores on the TAS-20 compared to survivors without PTSD. TAS-20 scores were significantly associated with severity of PTSD symptoms, but not with severity of trauma. This study adds to our knowledge of the relationship between alexithymia and trauma by demonstrating that this characteristic is related to the presence of posttraumatic symptoms and not simply exposure to trauma.     

Erythrodermic bullous pemphigoid

We report a case of erythrodermic type of bullous pemphigoid which is a rare variant of bullous pemphigoid. Our patient had a peculiar clinical presentation with bullae, erosions and extensive erythrodermic areas, and distinct direct immunofluorescent findings which included linear IgG and C3 deposits in the basement membrane and also IgG in the intercellular spaces. Very high levels of serum IgE were also detected in our patient.     

Bilateral suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome due to an anomalous transverse scapular ligament

A rare case is reported of a young woman who suffered from suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome (SNES) of the right side and two years later developed the same syndrome on the left. At the first operation an anomalous bifid transverse ligament was found and cut. The combination of pressure effect from the congenital defect together with frequent protraction of the shoulder due to her work as a physical education teacher caused triggering of the SNES. The clinical course, electromyographic findings, and differential diagnosis are reported. Cutting of the anomalous ligament on both sides brought relief from pain, weakness, and atrophy of the shoulder muscles, enabling the patient to return to work.     

Increasing the power for detecting impairment in older adults with the Faces subtest from Wechsler Memory Scale-III: an empirical trial.

Empirical studies have questioned the validity of the Faces subtest from the WMS-III for detecting impairment in visual memory, particularly among the elderly. A recent examination of the test norms revealed a significant age related floor effect already emerging on Faces I (immediate recall), implying excessive difficulty in the acquisition phase among unimpaired older adults. The current study compared the concurrent validity of the Faces subtest with an alternative measure between 16 Alzheimer's patients and 16 controls. The alternative measure was designed to facilitate acquisition by reducing the sequence of item presentation. Other changes aimed at increasing the retrieval challenge, decreasing error due to guessing and standardizing the administration. Analyses converged to indicate that the alternative measure provided a considerably greater differentiation than the Faces subtest between Alzheimer's patients and controls. Steps for revising the Faces subtest are discussed.     

Effects of Preemptive Analgesia on Pain and Cytokine Production in the Postoperative Period

Background: The postoperative period is associated with increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, which are known to augment pain sensitivity, among other effects. In a previous study, the authors found that patients treated with patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) exhibited attenuated proinflammatory cytokine response in the postoperative period. In the present study, the authors examined whether preemptive analgesia continued with PCEA may further attenuate the proinflammatory cytokine response and reduce pain sensitivity in the postoperative period. They compared cytokine production in two groups of patients, one receiving PCEA, the other receiving preemptive epidural analgesia continued by PCEA.

Methods: Female patients hospitalized for transabdominal hysterectomy were randomly assigned to one of two pain management techniques: PCEA or preemptive epidural analgesia followed by PCEA (PA + PCEA). Postoperative pain was assessed using the visual analog scale. Blood samples were collected before, 24, 48, and 72 h following surgery. Production of the following cytokines was assessed ex vivo in stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells: interleukin (IL)-1[beta], tumor necrosis factor [alpha], IL-6, IL-1ra, IL-10, and IL-2.

Results: Patients of the PA + PCEA group exhibited lower pain scores throughout the 72 h postoperatively, compared with patients of the PCEA group. In patients of the PA + PCEA group in the postoperative period, production of IL-1[beta], IL-6, IL-1ra, and IL-10 was significantly less elevated, while IL-2 production was significantly less suppressed.     

MR monitoring of MR-guided radiofrequency thermal ablation of normal liver in an animal model

The purpose of this study was to determine the suitability of MRI to accurately detect radiofrequency (RF) thermoablative lesions created under MR guidance. In vivo RF lesions were created in the livers of six New Zealand White rabbits using a 2-mm-diameter titanium alloy RF electrode with a 20-mm exposed tip and a 50-W RF generator. This was performed using a 0.2T clinical C-arm MR imager for guidance and monitoring. Each animal was sacrificed and gross evaluation was performed. Histologic correlation was performed on the first two animals. The MR-compatible RF electrode was easily identified on rapid gradient-echo images used to guide electrode placement. A single lesion was created in each rabbit liver. Lesions ranged from approximately 10 to 17 mm in diameter (mean, 13.5 mm). T2-weighted and short T1 inversion recovery (STIR) images demonstrated lesions ranging in diameter from 12 to 18 mm (mean, 14.6 mm). Lesion dimensions determined from images closely correlated with those determined at gross examination with the discrepancy never exceeding 2 mm, for an r² value of .87. MRI performed at the time of MR-guided RF ablation accurately demonstrated created lesions. This modality may provide a new option for the treatment of local and regional neoplastic disease.     

Presence of virus-specific DNA sequences in murine type C viruses.

Total nucleic acids prepared from a number of murine retroviruses have been shown to contain virus-specific DNA in addition to genomic RNA. This virus-specific DNA has been shown to be at least partially double stranded and to be present within the virus core particle. The DNA isolated from the virus is greatly enriched in virus-specific DNA relative to that from virus infected cells.