Pain, Anxiety, and Cooperativeness in Children with Cerebral Palsy After Rhizotomy: Changes Throughout Rehabilitation

Assessed pain, anxiety, physical functioning, and cooperativenessin 32 childrenn with spastic cerebral palsy. This is the firststudy to assess children throughout rehabilitation followingselective posterior rhizotomy. Results of the ObservationalScale of Behavioral Distress and observer Likert ratings confirmedthe hypothesis that children's pain and anxiety decrease overtime. Children's physical functioning and cooperativeness improveover time. No significant correlation was found between painand changes in physical functioning. Cognitive impairment, parentalinvolvement, and children's pain behaviors explained 77% and56% of the variance in two forms of cooperativeness. Researchand clinical implications are discussed, and special considerationsregarding pain assessment and management in this populationare addressed     

Association between the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) polymorphism and the personality traits of healthy Japanese participants

Background

Dopamine neurotransmitter systems have been associated with reward-related and novelty-seeking personality traits. We investigated the possible relationship between the personality traits measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and the TaqI A and − 141C Ins/Del polymorphisms in the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2).

Methods

The sample consisted of 1084 healthy Japanese medical students and medical staff (age = 29.0 ± 9.7 years), each of whom completed the TCI. Their genomic DNA was isolated from whole blood and genotyped using the TaqMan allele-specific assay method. The associations between gene polymorphisms and the scores for TCI were statistically analyzed by one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) adjusting age. Males and females were analyzed separately. Epstatis was assesses using two-way ANCOVA between the DRD2 and ANKK1 genes.

Results

Men with the Ins/Del genotype of the − 141C Ins/Del polymorphism had significantly higher self-directedness scores than those with the Ins/Ins genotype (p = 0.021). None of the TCI scores differed among women with regard to the three genotype groups of the − 141C Ins/Del polymorphism. The DRD2/ANKK1 Taq1 A polymorphism did not affect any TCI factor for either men or women. An epistatic analysis did not reveal main effects of the two genes with regard to TCI scores, but an ANKK1 × DRD2 interaction significantly predicted TCI scores.

Conclusion

These findings suggest the possibility that the − 141C Ins/Del polymorphism and the DRD2/ANKK1 Taq1 A polymorphism are not strongly linked to personality traits directly, but influences them under the interaction between the DRD2 and ANKK1 genes.     

5-HT2A SNPs and the Temperament and Character Inventory

Temperamental traits, the most basic part of personality, have been largely correlated with neurotransmitter systems and are under genetic control. Among serotonin candidates, the 2A receptor (5-HT(2A)) received considerable attention. We analyzed four SNPs (rs643627, rs594242, rs6311 and rs6313) in the 5-HT(2A) gene and their association with personality traits, as measured with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). The sample was composed of three sub-groups: two German sub-samples, consisting of a healthy group of 289 subjects (42.6% males, mean age: 45.2+/-14.9) and a psychiatric patient group of 111 suicide attempters (38.7% males, mean age: 39.2+/-13.6), and an Italian sub-sample, composed of 60 mood disorder patients (35.0% males, mean age: 44.0+/-14.8). Controlling for sex, age and educational level, the SNPs were not strongly associated with personality dimensions. Only the rs594242 showed an association with Self-Directedness (p=0.003) in the German sample, while rs6313 was marginally associated with Novelty Seeking (p=0.01) in the Italian sample. We conclude that 5-HT(2A) SNPs may marginally modulate personality traits but further studies are required.     

Cooperative Type of Platelet Hypersensitivity to ADP

We found that gestosis is associated with platelet hypersensitivity to ADP. Cell P2X1 receptors exhibited a positive cooperative response to ADP (EC₅₀=10.88±3.70 nM, Hill constant n=2.59±0.50 rel. units). Cooperative binding of ADP to platelet P2X1 receptors was also observed during incubation of cells from pregnant women with isosorbide dinitrate. __________ Translated from Byulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 140, No. 9, pp. 261–264, September, 2005     

军队医院对外合作现状及对策

本文详细阐述近年来军队医院开展对外合作的背景、原因及带来的益处，针对医疗合作项目存在的问题，从军队医院的职能任务、政策调整、管理控制、发展模式等方面，提出规范军队医院合作的建议与对策。     

Profiles of problem and non-problem gamblers,depending on their preferred gambling activity

Background and aims: The objective was to compare the gamblers’ profiles and practices depending on their preferred gambling activity, especially for two structural characteristics: presence of skill and expected value linked to the game. Another objective was to compare the profiles between non-problem and problem gamblers, and especially to identify how they evolve once problem gambling has emerged. Methods: Six hundred twenty-eight non-problem and problem gamblers were assessed with a structured interview, including sociodemographic characteristics, gambling habits, DSM-IV criteria for pathological gambling, gambling-related cognitions, personality profile, psychiatric comorbidities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. We used a stepwise logistic regression with backward elimination to compare gamblers’ profiles depending on: (1) the presence of skill in their favourite game, (2) the expected value of their favourite game. Each regression was performed twice, in non-problem and then in problem gamblers. Results: Contrary to what was expected, the gamblers’ profiles did not differ in gambling-related cognitions according to their chosen game, even at a problematic level of gambling. Problem gamblers of bank games of pure chance showed high levels of persistence and higher frequencies of suicidal risk, problem gamblers of bank games with an element on skill displayed more illegal acts, and gamblers of social games lost their cooperativeness profile on reaching a problematic level of gambling. Conclusions: Significant differences in the profiles of gamblers were identified based on their preferred gambling activity, especially in problem gamblers. Specific therapeutic and protective approaches which could be developed for these different profiles are proposed.     

以小组为单位的护理操作考评方法在提高护生协作精神中的作用

目的探讨以小组为单位的护理操作考评方法在提高护生协作精神中的作用。方法在护理操作教学中实施以小组为单位的护理操作考评方法。结果 86.8%护生认为以小组为单位的护理操作考评方法增强了责任心、集体荣誉感;83.5%护生认为使自己个性更包容;82.6%护生提高了操作练习的主动性和积极性;82.6%护生认为培养了协作精神。结论在护理操作教学中实施以小组为单位的护理操作考评方法能促进护生协作精神的培养。     

No association between the TPH A218C polymorphism and personality traits in Japanese healthy subjects

It has been suggested that the central serotonergic activity is implicated in personality traits. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is the rate-limiting enzyme in serotonin synthesis. In the present study, the association between the TPH A218C polymorphism and personality traits assessed by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) was examined in 345 Japanese healthy subjects. The TPH A218C polymorphism was determined by a PCR-RFLP method. There were no significant differences in the seven dimension scores of TCI among the A/A, A/C, and C/C genotype groups by the one-way ANOVA. There was a significant negative correlation between age and the NS scores. Females showed significantly higher scores of HA, RD, and ST, and significantly lower scores of SD than males. The multiple regression analysis using age, gender, and the TPH genotype as independent variables also showed no significant association between any dimension score and the genotype. The present study thus suggests that the TPH A218C polymorphism does not affect personality traits in Japanese healthy subjects.     

A multivariate analysis of 59 candidate genes in personality traits: the temperament and character inventory

Cloninger (Cloninger CR. Neurogenetic adaptive mechanisms in alcoholism. Science 1987: 236: 410-416) proposed three basic personality dimensions for temperament: novelty seeking, harm avoidance, and reward dependence. He suggested that novelty seeking primarily utilized dopamine pathways, harm avoidance utilized serotonin pathways, and reward dependence utilized norepinephrine pathways. Subsequently, one additional temperament dimension (persistence) and three character dimensions (cooperativeness, self-directedness, and self-transcendence) were added to form the temperament and character inventory (TCI). We have utilized a previously described multivariate analysis technique (Comings DE, Gade-Andavolu R, Gonzalez N et al. Comparison of the role of dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenergic genes in ADHD, ODD and conduct disorder. Multivariate regression analysis of 20 genes. Clin Genet 2000: 57: 178-196; Comings DD, Gade-Andavolu R, Gonzalez N et al. Multivariate analysis of associations of 42 genes in ADHD, ODD and conduct disorder. Clin Genet 2000: in press) to examine the relative role of 59 candidate genes in the seven TCI traits and test the hypothesis that specific personality traits were associated with specific genes. While there was some tendency for this to be true, a more important trend was the involvement of different ratios of functionally related groups of genes, and of different genotypes of the same genes, for different traits.