1,721,011 research outputs found
Epidemiology of motor neuron disease in north-east Veneto region: Venice, Padua, and Belluno Provinces (1972-1981)
No full textIncidence and risk factors of motor neuron disease in the venice and padua districts of italy, 1972-1979
No full text105 patients with motor neuron disease (MND) from the Provinces of Padua and Venice were evaluated over an 8-year period (1972-1979). Average annual age-adjusted incidence rates rose from 0.49/100,000/year in 1972-1973 to 0.82/100,000/year in 1978-1979. Our epidemiologic survey showed a higher incidence in sparsely populated areas (1.7/100,000/year). A case-control study of 25 patients with MND revealed a statistically significant association with previous fractures (p < 0.01). © 1983 S. Karger AG, Basel
Upper-limb robot-assisted therapy in rehabilitation of acute stroke patients: Focused review and results of new randomized controlled trial
No full textThe successful motor rehabilitation of stroke patients requires early intensive and task-specific therapy. A recent Cochrane Review, although based on a limited number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), showed that early robotic training of the upper limb (i.e., during acute or subacute phase) can enhance motor learning and improve functional abilities more than chronic-phase training. In this article, a new subacute-phase RCT with the Neuro-RehabilitationroBot (NeReBot) is presented. While in our first study we used the NeReBot in addition to conventional therapy, in this new trial we used the same device in substitution of standard proximal upper-limb rehabilitation. With this protocol, robot patients achieved similar reductions in motor impairment and enhancements in paretic upper-limb function to those gained by patients in a control group. By analyzing these results and those of previous studies, we hypothesize a new robotic protocol for acute and subacute stroke patients based on both treatment modalities (in addition and in substitution)
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Cognitive and psychiatric evaluation of 40 patients with myotonic dystrophy.
No full textWe evaluated 40 patients suffering from a severe form a myotonic dystrophy (MD) with neuropsychological (WAIS-R, MMSE) and psychiatric tests (SADS, SRT) for the assessment of cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. We tested 20 normal volunteers as control group. Patients with MD scored significantly, lower on WAIS Full Scale (p < 0.001), Verbal Scale (p < 0.001), and Performance Scale (p < 0.001) and on the MMSE (p < 0.05) than the controls. 35% of patients met the Research Diagnostic Criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis; 17.5% of them had a depressive disorder. The scores on SADS subscales and on the SRT scale of depression were also significantly higher in patients than in controls. Our data confirm that mental impairment and psychiatric disorders are important clinical manifestations of CNS dysfunction in the severe form on MD
[Benign muscular dystrophy with hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism and congenital cataract].
No full textLafora's disease as a form of myoclonus epilepsy: 3 cases
No full textWe studied four patients affected by progressive myoclonic epilepsy: three patients had the clinical features of Lafora's disease while the fourth was affected by a Lundborg's type of myoclonic epilepsy. In all the above cases we found no specific electroencephalographic records of Lafora's disease; muscle histochemistry was useful for the diagnosis and the demonstration of PAS positive and NADH-TR positive Lafora's bodies. The authors discuss the nosographic situation of Lafora's body disease among the progressive myoclonic epilepsies
Robotic therapy: a novel approach in upper-limb neurorehabilitation after stroke
No full textAmong the various sensorimotor exercise strategies that may be added to rehabilitation of the post-stroke paralysed upper limb, robotic-aided therapy seems to represent a novel, realistic approach that can provide high-intensity, repetitive, task-specific intervention. We tested whether early additional sensorimotor training of the upper limb in poststroke patients, delivered by a robotic device, enhanced motor recovery and functional outcom
Dysphagia in post-carotid endarterectomy: a prospective study
No full textDysphagia can be a debilitating complication in carotid endarterectomy. This study describes our experience in the management of this complication. We prospectively assembled an inception cohort of 19 consecutive, hospital-referred patients with dysphagia post-carotid endarterectomy. We performed swallowing evaluation in all the recruited patients both at the bedside and by fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) 5 days and 3 months after the operation, using standardized methods and diagnostic criteria. The degree of dysphagia was scored using the Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS). All patients were undergoing early rehabilitation treatment and were followed up prospectively for 3 months, during which time recovery of swallowing function and any occurrence of pneumonia were recorded. At baseline, 15 patients presented dysphagia for liquid and solid food and four for solid food only, eight were on parenteral nutrition, and six presented bronchial aspiration (by FEES). The mean PAS score at the first evaluation was 5.2. Ten patients completely recovered swallowing function and returned to their preoperative diet within 1 month, and six did so within 3 months; the other three patients did not complete the follow-up. No patient presented pneumonia. At the 3-month follow-up, one patient presented bronchial aspiration and the mean PAS score was 1.2. This preliminary experience suggests that careful evaluation of swallowing and early rehabilitation may be advisable in these patients
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