Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0038454 (stroke)
 147,016 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A realistic 3-D gated cardiac phantom with known left ventricular (LV) volumes and ejection fractions (EFs) was produced to evaluate quantitative measurements obtained from gated myocardial single-photon emission tomography (SPET). The 3-D gated cardiac phantom was designed and constructed to fit into the Data Spectrum anthropomorphic torso phantom. Flexible silicone membranes form the inner and outer walls of the simulated left ventricle. Simulated LV volumes can be varied within the range 45-200 ml. The LV volume curve has a smooth and realistic clinical shape that is produced by a specially shaped cam connected to a piston. A fixed 70-ml stroke volume is applied for EF measurements. An ECG signal is produced at maximum LV filling by a controller unit connected to the pump. This gated cardiac phantom will be referred to as the Amsterdam 3-D gated cardiac phantom, or, in short, the AGATE cardiac phantom. SPET data were acquired with a triple-head SPET system. Data were reconstructed using filtered back-projection following pre-filtering and further processed with the Quantitative Gated SPECT (QGS) software to determine LV volume and EF values. Ungated studies were performed to measure LV volumes ranging from 45 ml to 200 ml. The QGS-determined LV volumes were systematically underestimated. For different LV combinations, the stroke volumes measured were consistent at 60-61 ml for 8-frame studies and 63-65 ml for 16-frame studies. QGS-determined EF values were slightly overestimated between 1.25% EF units for 8-frame studies and 3.25% EF units for 16-frame studies. In conclusion, the AGATE cardiac phantom offers possibilities for quality control, testing and validation of the whole gated cardiac SPET sequence, and testing of different acquisition and processing parameters and software.
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PMID:A realistic 3-D gated cardiac phantom for quality control of gated myocardial perfusion SPET: the Amsterdam gated (AGATE) cardiac phantom. 1515 Jun 73

Senescence is accompanied by an important increase in prevalence and incidence of ischemic stroke. The plasma level of fibrinogen tends to increase with age in the elderly similarly to the prevalence of stroke. The aim of our study was to evaluate the age-related increase in fibrinogen plasma level in the elderly and to assess the presence of eventual differences between normal subjects and patients with previous ischemic stroke associated with precerebral atherosclerosis. Eighty inpatients (41 males and 39 females), consecutively admitted to our Geriatric Unit, were included to this study. The patient group was formed 32 subjects (20 males and 12 females) aged 50-79 years, suffering from cerebrovascular disease with one or several previous ischemic stroke episodes, having occurred at least 1 year earlier. The control group consisted of 48 normal subjects (21 males and 27 females) aged 50-79 years. Both control and patient groups were subdivided into three subgroups, according to their age: Group 1 (50-59 years), Group 2 (60-69 years)and Group 3 (70-79 years). The statistical comparison was carried out by means of the Mann-Whithney nonparametric test. In normal controls, a mild age effect is evident because only Group 3 shows fibrinogen levels significantly higher than those of Group 1. On the contrary, in patients with ischemic stroke, an age effect is already evident between Group 2 and Group 1; of course, also the comparison between patient Group 3 and Group I shows a statistically significant difference. Moreover, the levels of fibrinogen were significantly increased in patient Group 2 and 3 when compared to those of their respective age-matched controls. Our data are in agreement with those already available in the literature and demonstrate that fibrinogen in normal aging changes with age and shows a 19 %increase between age Group 1 and Group 3. Patients with ischemic stroke show an earlier and more evident age-related increase in fibrinogen than normal controls. Even if it is not possible to know, if the increase in fibrinogen is a consequence or not of the ischemic stroke, we can affirm that certainly the increased levels of fibrinogen should be considered as an important risk factor in the elderly for cerebrovascular disease and deserve treatment.
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PMID:Ischemic stroke and fibrinogen in the elderly. 1520 39

Community resources for stroke clients are underdeveloped in Hong Kong and stroke survivors often face difficulties in community reintegration. We have examined the feasibility of using videoconferencing for community-based stroke rehabilitation. The sample comprised 21 stroke patients living at home. All the subjects participated in an eight-week intervention programme at a community centre for seniors. The intervention, which comprised educational talks, exercise and psychosocial support, was conducted by a physiotherapist via a videoconference link. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS), State Self-Esteem Scale (SSES), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form (SF-36) and a stroke knowledge test were administered at the start and end of the programme. In addition, at the start of the study the Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item Short Form, the Elderly Mobility Scale and the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale were used to assess subjects' baseline status, and a focus group was also held at the end of the programme to gather qualitative findings. Nineteen subjects completed the eight-week intervention. The baseline functional status was high, although 52% had symptoms of depression. After the intervention, there were significant improvements in BBS, SSES and knowledge test scores and scores on all subscales of the SF-36. All the subjects accepted the use of videoconferencing for delivery of the intervention. The pilot study demonstrated the feasibility, efficacy and high level of acceptance of telerehabilitation for community-dwelling stroke clients.
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PMID:Telerehabilitation - a new model for community-based stroke rehabilitation. 1527 29

Today, thanks to intensive care treatment and modern diagnostic tools, increasingly more patients with severe brain and spinal cord lesions, mainly secondary to accidents, stroke, tumours, and congenital malformations survive the acute impact on the central nervous system (CNS). Complicated operative procedures and concomitant complication may also lead to severe impairment of the sensory motor and cognitive behavioural functioning as it can be described according to the WHO-ICF criteria. New developments of functional neurorehabilitation in neurosurgery can significantly improve patients' quality of life (QoL) in terms of both brain and body functioning and certain health-related components of well-being (such as social activities and leisure). Rehabilitation starts with assessment of the functional impairment and the underlying pathophysiology by using all modern diagnostic tools. Our concept of postoperative neurorehabilitation is exemplarily demonstrated in one patient who suffered from acute postoperative locked-in syndrome. Surgical decompression and fusion were required for post traumatic and recurrent congenital craniovertebral instability at C0-C1. Subsequent functional neurorehabilitation is based on careful planning in accordance with our concept of a holistic Spectrum of functional early Neurorehabilitation.
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PMID:Functional neurorehabilitation in locked-in syndrome following C0-C1 decompression. 1598 50

Geriatric psychiatric syndromes might serve as the starting point for a medical classification of psychiatric disorders, because their medical and neurological comorbidity and their clinical, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging features often reflect specific brain abnormalities. Geriatric syndromes, however, consist of complex behaviors that are unlikely to be caused by single lesions. We propose a model in which aging-related changes in specific brain structures increase the propensity for the development of certain psychiatric syndromes. The predisposing factors are distinct from the mechanisms mediating the expression of a syndromic state, much like hypertension is distinct from stroke, but constitutes a morbid vulnerability. We argue that research seeking to identify both brain abnormalities conferring vulnerability as well as the mediating mechanisms of symptomatology has the potential to lead to a medical classification of psychiatric disorders. In addition, a medical classification can guide the effort to improve treatment and prevention of psychiatric disorders as it can direct therapeutic efforts to the underlying predisposing abnormalities, the syndrome-mediating mechanisms, and to development of behavioral skills needed for coping with adversity and disability.
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PMID:Late-life depression: a model for medical classification. 1602 64

This analysis triangulates qualitative and quantitative data from interviews, Geriatric Depression Scale scores, and patient records to evaluate poststroke depression. Participants were veterans who were discharged home following a new stroke. Findings indicated underrecognition and treatment of depression. Narrative data uncovered a rich description of respondents' perceptions and emotional experiences during stroke recovery.
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PMID:Qualitative and quantitative measurement of depression in veterans recovering from stroke. 1618 41

By means of a multivariate Cox model, we investigated the predictive value of a depressive mood on vascular disease risk in middle-aged community-dwelling people. In 224 people (88 men and 136 women; mean age: 56.8 +/- 11.2 years) of U town, Hokkaido (latitude: 43.45 degrees N, longitude: 141.85 degrees E), a chronoecological health watch was started in April 2001. Consultations were repeated every 3 months. Results at the November 30, 2004 follow-up are presented herein. 7-day/24-h blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) monitoring started on a Thursday, with readings taken at 30-min intervals between 07:00 h and 22:00 h and at 60-min intervals between 22:00 h and 07:00 h. Data stored in the memory of the monitor (TM-2430-15, A and D company, Japan) were retrieved and analyzed on a personal computer with a commercial software for this device. Subjects were asked to answer a self-administered questionnaire inquiring about 15 items of a depression scale, at the start of study and again after 1-2 years. Subjects with a score higher by at least two points at the second versus first screening were classified as having a depressive mood. The other subjects served as the control group. The mean follow-up time was 1064 days, during which four subjects suffered an adverse vascular outcome (myocardial infarction: one man and one woman; stroke: two men). Among the variables used in the Cox proportional hazard models, a depressive mood, assessed by the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), as well as the MESOR of diastolic (D) BP (DBP-MESOR) and the circadian amplitude of systolic (S) BP (SBP-Amplitude) showed a statistically significant association with the occurrence of adverse vascular outcomes. The GDS score during the second but not during the first session was statistically significantly associated with the adverse vascular outcome. In univariate analyses, the relative risk (RR) of developing outcomes was predicted by a three-point increase in the GDS scale (RR = 3.088, 95% CI: 1.375-6.935, P = 0.0063). Increases of 5 mmHg in DBP-MESOR and of 3 mmHg in SBP-Amplitude were associated with RRs of 2.143 (95% CI: 1.232-3.727, P = 0.0070) and 0.700 (95% CI: 0.495-0.989, P = 0.0430), respectively. In multivariate analyses, when both the second GDS score and the DBP-MESOR were used as continuous variables in the same model, GDS remained statistically significantly associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular death. After adjustment for DBP-MESOR, a three-point increase in GDS score was associated with a RR of 2.172 (95% CI: 1.123-4.200). Monday endpoints of the 7-day profile showed a statistically significant association with adverse vascular outcomes. A 5 mmHg increase in DBP on Monday was associated with a RR of 1.576 (95% CI: 1.011-2.457, P = 0.0446). The main result of the present study is that in middle-aged community-dwelling people, a depressive mood predicted the occurrence of vascular diseases beyond the prediction provided by age, gender, ABP, lifestyle and environmental conditions, as assessed by means of a multivariate Cox model. A depressive mood, especially enhanced for 1-2 years, was associated with adverse vascular outcomes. Results herein suggest the clinical importance of repetitive assessments of a depressive mood and the need to take sufficient care of depressed subjects. Another result herein is that circadian and circaseptan characteristics of BP variability measured 7-day/24-h predicted the occurrence of vascular disease beyond the prediction provided by age, gender, depressive mood and lifestyle, as assessed by means of a multivariate Cox model. Earlier, we showed that the morning surge in BP on Mondays was statistically significantly higher compared with other weekdays. Although a direct association between the Monday surge in BP and cardiovascular events could not be demonstrated herein, it is possible that the BP surge on Monday mornings may also trigger cardiovascular events. We have shown that depressive people exhibit a more prominent circaseptan variation in SBP, DBP and the double product (DP) compared to non-depressed subjects. In view of the strong relation between depression and adverse cardiac events, studies should be done to ascertain that depression is properly diagnosed and treated. Chronodiagnosis and chronotherapy can reduce an elevated blood pressure and improve the altered variability in BP and HR, thus reducing the incidence of adverse cardiac events. This recommendation stands at the basis of chronomics, focusing on prehabilitation in preference to rehabilitation, as a public service offered in several Japanese towns.
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PMID:Depressive mood is independently related to stroke and cardiovascular events in a community. 1627 4

Anosognosia is one of the major problems in the treatment and care of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. The aim of the study was to determine the patient characteristics, psychiatric symptoms, and cognitive deficits associated with anosognosia, because these are currently poorly understood. Eighty-four patients who met the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disease and Stroke-Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria for probable AD were examined for anosognosia based on the difference between questionnaire scores of the patient and their caregiver. The relationship of anosognosia with patient characteristics (age, age at onset, duration of illness, education, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), Hyogo Activities of Daily Living Scale (HADLS)), psychiatric symptoms (Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)), and cognitive function (Digit Span, Word Fluency Test, Trail Making Test, Stroop Test, Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices Test) were studied. Anosognosia showed positive correlations with age, age at onset, duration of illness, CDR, HADLS, and NPI disinhibition, and negative correlations with MMSE and GDS. Regarding cognitive function, only Part III of the Stroop Test was a predictor of anosognosia. The severity of anosognosia increased with disease progression and with a later age at onset. Subjective complaints of depression requiring self-monitoring of mood tended to decrease and, in contrast, inhibition of socially unsuitable behavior became more difficult as anosognosia worsened. Regarding cognitive function, anosognosia appeared to be associated with response inhibition impairment. Both disinhibition, as a psychiatric symptom, and response inhibition impairment are known to be correlated with disturbance of orbitofrontal function, which therefore may be associated with anosognosia.
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PMID:Anosognosia in Alzheimer's disease: association with patient characteristics, psychiatric symptoms and cognitive deficits. 1640 Dec 46

Decades of research have confirmed that being a family caregiver is a stressful role. However, the point at which these stressors constitute a real risk for decreased mental health has not been established. The purpose of the present study was to determine a statistically valid cut-off score for the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) in order to identify family caregivers at risk for depression and in need of further assessment and intervention. The ZBI and the Geriatric Depression Scale or the CES-D were administered to three different populations of family caregivers of older adults: stroke caregivers (n=80), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) caregivers (n=48), and general disability caregivers (n=70). Using three different statistical methods, a ZBI cut-off score was determined. Next, contingency analysis was used to compare depression scale scores and ZBI cut-offs for the three groups of caregivers. Findings suggest that a cut-off score ranging from 24-26 has significant predictive validity for identifying caregivers at risk for depression. A ZBI cut-off of 24 correctly identified 72% of caregivers with probable depression. The validity of ZBI cut-offs scores warrants further confirmation with larger samples. Valid cut-off scores would enable health care providers to assess family caregivers at risk and provide necessary interventions to improve their quality of life in this important role.
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PMID:Assessing family caregiver's mental health using a statistically derived cut-off score for the Zarit Burden Interview. 1651 85

This paper reports on the criterion validity of the Occupational Therapy Adult Perceptual Screening Test (OT-APST) including concurrent criterion validity and its sensitivity and specificity. The performance of 208 people following stroke on the OT-APST and a reference tool (either the Loewenstein Occupational Therapy Cognitive Assessment (LOTCA) or the LOTCA--Geriatric version (LOTCA-G)) was compared. The OT-APST subscale scores and performance outcome (intact or impaired) on related subscales of the reference tool was analyzed to evaluate the concurrent criterion validity of the OT-APST and its sensitivity and specificity at selected cut-off scores. Significant correlations were found between participants' performance (intact or impaired) on the reference tool and scores on the OT-APST. The sensitivity and specificity of the OT-APST were analyzed at selected cut-off scores to explore the validity of decisions based on OT-APST performance when compared with the reference tool. This study shows that the OT-APST is a tool with demonstrated concurrent criterion validity for the assessment of visual perception.
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PMID:Criterion validity of the Occupational Therapy Adult Perceptual Screening Test (OT-APST). 1661 14


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