Tag: pubmed

J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2024;11(6):1789-1797. doi: 10.14283/jpad.2024.132.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The potential of biomarkers in the detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is prominent. Acoustics may be useful in this context but the evaluation and weighting for specific acoustic parameters on continuous speech is missing. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the significance of acoustic parameters from acoustic speech analysis on continuous speech, as a diagnostic tool for clinical AD.

METHODS: Applying PRISMA protocol, a comprehensive search was done in MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and CENTRAL, from 1960 to January 2024. Cross-sectional studies comparing the acoustic speech analysis between AD patients and healthy controls (HC), were taken into account. The bias risk of the included studies were examined via JBI checklist. Using Review Manager v.5.4.1, the mean differences of acoustic speech parameters among AD and HC were weighted, and the pooled analysis and the heterogeneity statistics were conducted.

RESULTS: In total, 1112 records (without duplicates) were obtained, and 11 papers with 7 acoustic parameters were included for this study, and 8 from 11 studies were identified with a low level of bias. Five from 7 acoustic parameters revealed significant differences among the two groups (p-values ≤ 0.01), in which for all rate-related and interruption-related acoustic parameters were the most prominent and less in temporal-related acoustic parameters.

CONCLUSIONS: Although a small number of acoustic parameters on continuous speech could be evaluated in the detection of clinical AD, the greatest potential of acoustic biomarkers for AD appeared to exist in two of three categories. Further contributions of high-quality studies are needed to support evidence for acoustics as biomarkers for AD.

PMID:39559890 | DOI:10.14283/jpad.2024.132

J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2024;11(6):1734-1740. doi: 10.14283/jpad.2024.162.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Past research suggests that subjective cognitive decline serves as an early and potentially important indicator that individuals may be at risk for future cognitive decline or neurodegenerative conditions. However, there is a dearth of studies on factors influencing the experience of subjective cognitive decline in Black Americans, especially in Black American men.

OBJECTIVE: The current study explored correlates of subjective cognitive decline in Black American men.

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 117 Black American men, with a mean age of 38.5 (SD = 7.14) years, participated in the study.

MEASUREMENT: Participants completed a survey that assessed their demographic characteristics, self-rated health, neighborhood problems, length of residency in neighborhood, bodily symptoms, sleep comorbidities, sleep difficulties, and subjective cognitive decline. Linear regression analyses was performed and standardized beta coefficients were reported to describe the estimated independent effect of the predictor variables.

RESULTS: We found that socioecomic status (β = -.222, p=.003), bodily symptoms (β = .246, p=.005), length of residency in neighborhood (β = .157, p=.029), and sleep difficulties (β = .305, p<.001) were significant correlates of subjective cognitive decline among Black American men.

CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the intricate roles of socioeconomic status, bodily symptoms, neighborhood factors, and sleep health in shaping subjective cognitive experiences in this population. Research on subjective cognitive decline can contribute to the early identification of individuals at risk for cognitive decline, allowing for timely interventions, lifestyle modifications, and potential preventive measures.

PMID:39559884 | DOI:10.14283/jpad.2024.162

Rev Esp Enferm Dig. 2024 Nov 19. doi: 10.17235/reed.2024.10719/2024. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Diagnosing perihilar cholangiocarcinoma can be challenging. Previous studies suggest that the sensitivity of taking three cholangioscopy-guided biopsies is approximately 70%. We hypothesized that obtaining four or more biopsies might improve the sensitivity for diagnosing perihilar cholangiocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the acceptable number of cholangioscopy-guided biopsies to improve sensitivity for diagnosing perihilar cholangiocarcinoma.

METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed clinical records of adults with perihilar stenosis who underwent cholangioscopy-guided biopsies. Patients with gallbladder cancer or metastatic bile duct obstruction were excluded. Data were grouped based on the number of biopsies taken: Group A (1 to 3 biopsies), Group B (4 to 6 biopsies), and Group C (7 to 10 biopsies). Results from each group were compared against a composite standard, including clinical follow-up and/or biopsies performed by alternative methods.

RESULTS: The group that underwent 4 to 6 biopsies had a sensitivity of 77.4%, while the group with 7 to 10 had a sensitivity of 70.8%. The group with 1 to 3 biopsies had a sensitivity of 34.5%. Statistically significant differences were observed between the groups, with comparisons showing improved sensitivity in the 4 to 6 biopsy group versus the 1 to 3 biopsy group (χ² = 14.42, P = 0.0001), and the 7 to 10 biopsy group versus the 1 to 3 biopsy group (χ² = 6.56, P = 0.010).

CONCLUSIONS: Performing 4 to 6 cholangioscopy-guided biopsies significantly improves sensitivity for diagnosing perihilar cholangiocarcinoma compared to 1 to 3 biopsies. Further studies are needed to validate these findings.

PMID:39559864 | DOI:10.17235/reed.2024.10719/2024

Sports Biomech. 2024 Nov 19:1-15. doi: 10.1080/14763141.2024.2423097. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to clarify the disparities in trunk rotation and attack arm movement and their effect on hand kinematics adjustments between straight-line (SL) and diagonal-line (DL) volleyball jump serves. Thirteen male professional volleyball players (age 21.53 ± 5.39 years, height 1.95 ± 0.06 m, body mass 86.48 ± 11.63 kg, experience 8.61 ± 3.47 years) performed SL and DL jump serve, with three-dimensional coordinate data captured using a motion capture system (200 hz). Paired t-test and statistical parametric mapping examined kinematic differences between the two serving directions. At ball contact (BC), the speed of the attack arm hand was significantly faster in DL (16.99 ± 1.36 m/s) compared to SL (16.37 ± 1.53 m/s), whereas the face angle was significantly smaller in DL (1.98 ± 11.75°) than in SL (17.60 ± 17.98°). Forward rotation angles of the pelvic and upper torso at BC were significantly greater in DL (28.47 ± 10.89°; 21.30 ± 10.25°) than in SL (18.27 ± 12.46°; 9.09 ± 14.41°). During the arm swing phase, the pelvic’s forward rotation angles in DL were significantly greater than in SL at 42-72% spiking motion, and the upper torso’s angles were significantly greater at 49-58% spiking motion. These findings underscore the importance of adjusting pelvic and upper torso rotations to control the hand’s face angle when serving in the diagonal line.

PMID:39559849 | DOI:10.1080/14763141.2024.2423097

Int Angiol. 2024 Nov 19. doi: 10.23736/S0392-9590.24.05323-9. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: We investigated the safety and feasibility of the available interventions in the treatment of recurrent varicose vein disease.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A systematic search on Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science for articles published by August 2024 was performed. Primary endpoints included duplex ultrasonography (DUS)-identified recurrence and clinical recurrence.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: Twenty-eight studies, eleven describing endovenous thermal ablation (EVTA), four ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS), and thirteen surgery (high ligation with or without stripping) encompassing 2228 limbs, were included. The overall DUS-detected recurrence estimate was 11.84% (95% CI: 7.15-17.40). EVTA displayed the lowest recurrence of 4.27% (95% CI: 0.37-10.75), followed by UGFS 11.19% (95% CI: 6.80-16.42) and surgery 23.27% (95% CI: 15.35-32.19). Statistically significant differences were observed between surgery and both EVTA (P<0.01) and UGFS (P=0.01). The overall clinical recurrence estimate was 24.91% (95% CI: 10.40-42.96) with EVTA portraying the lowest clinical recurrence of 2.37% (95% CI: 0.00-16.81), followed by surgery 31.08% (95% CI: 14.43-50.63). Subgroup analysis identified statistically significant differences between EVTA and surgery (P=0.01). Whereas non-statistically significant differences were identified between the included interventions regarding paresthesia and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), surgery exhibited higher wound infection estimates compared to EVTA of 0.00% (95% CI: 0.00-0.80) versus 4.34% (95% CI: 2.21-7.02, P<0.01). The pooled hematoma and lymphatic complication estimates for surgery were 5.04% (95% CI: 0.50-12.87) and 5.71% (95% CI: 2.91-9.22) respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: This review demonstrated the superior efficacy of EVTA over surgery in treating recurrent varicose vein disease corroborating its use as the preferred treatment, when feasible. Additionally, UGFS displayed comparable outcomes to EVTA. The notable recurrence estimates associated with surgery call into question its suitability within this context.

PMID:39559844 | DOI:10.23736/S0392-9590.24.05323-9

Front Neurol. 2024 Oct 30;15:1484661. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1484661. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune disease that affects the peripheral nervous system. It is characterized by the destruction of nerves involved in movement. This condition can lead to transient pain, changes in temperature and touch sensations, muscle weakness, loss of sensation in the legs and/or arms, and difficulty swallowing or breathing. Published data on the outcomes of critical care for patients with GBS are extremely scarce in Africa, particularly Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess mortality and its predictors among patients with GBS in the intensive care unit (ICU) of specialized hospitals in Ethiopia, a low-income country.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Tibebe Ghion Specialized Hospital and the Felege Hiwot Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, from 1 January 2019 to 30 December 2023. Data were collected in the medical record rooms. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of mortality among GBS patients in the ICU. The crude and adjusted hazard ratios (AHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using bivariable and multivariable Cox regression models. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: Of 124 GBS patients admitted to the ICU, 120 were included in the final analysis. During the follow-up, there were 23 (19.17%) deaths. The overall incidence rate of death was 1.96 (95% CI: 1.30, 2.95) per 100 person-days of observation. Traditional medicine (AHR = 3.11, 95%: 1.12, 16.70), COVID-19 infection (AHR = 5.44, 95% CI: 1.45, 73.33), pre-ICU cardiac arrest (AHR = 6.44, 95% CI: 2.04, 84.50), and ICU readmission (AHR = 4.24, 95% CI: 1.03, 69.84) were identified as the independent predictors of mortality.

CONCLUSION: The mortality rate among GBS patients admitted to the ICU was high. Traditional medicine, COVID-19 infection, pre-ICU cardiac arrest, and readmission to the ICU were the significant predictors of mortality. Conducting large-scale studies with a prospective design in the future would yield more robust evidence.

PMID:39559822 | PMC:PMC11571968 | DOI:10.3389/fneur.2024.1484661

Front Cardiovasc Med. 2024 Oct 30;11:1462730. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1462730. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we assessed the clinical efficacy and safety of Danlou tablets in the treatment of stable angina pectoris (SAP) with intermingled phlegm and blood stasis (IPBS), to provide high-quality evidence-based medical evidence for the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease.

METHODS: In this multicenter randomized controlled study, 304 patients diagnosed with stable angina pectoris with IPBS enrolled from 12 national traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical research centers in China were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group at a ratio of 1:1. Each group was divided into four subgroups based on the results of TCM syndrome differentiation: IPBS, IPBS combined with qi deficiency, IPBS combined with qi stagnation, and IPBS combined with toxin accumulation. The control group was treated with routine Western medicine. In addition to routine Western medicine treatment, the treatment group (the IPBS group) was treated with Danlou tablets or Danlou tablets supplemented by interventional therapies based on the results of traditional Chinese medicine differentiation. The frequency of angina attacks per week was the main efficacy evaluation indicator and the secondary efficacy evaluation indicators included angina symptom score, Seattle Angina Questionnaire, an electrocardiogram (ECG) efficacy evaluation, a cardiac Doppler two-dimensional ultrasound, an electrocardiogram treadmill exercise test, blood lipids, blood glucose, a coagulation function test, hemorheology indicators, homocysteine, C-reactive protein (CRP) or high sensitivity-CRP, TCM syndromes (syndrome score, tongue, pulse), and long-term prognosis (endpoint outcome, cardiovascular events).

RESULTS: There were 300 cases in the full analysis set (FAS), 266 in the per-protocol set (PPS), and 300 in the safety set. Regarding the main efficacy indicator, after treatment, the reduction in the frequency of weekly angina attacks in the treatment group was significantly greater than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The results of the FAS and PPS were consistent. Regarding the secondary efficacy evaluation indicators, the angina symptom, TCM syndrome, ECG evaluation, Seattle Angina Pectoris Questionnaire, and 36-item Health Status Survey Summary Form scores of the treatment group were significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.05) and the homocysteine levels of the treatment group were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). The results of the FAS and PPS were consistent. In the PPS, the triglyceride levels in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group after treatment (P < 0.05). The activated partial thromboplastin time in the treatment group decreased significantly (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the safety indicators and incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups.

CONCLUSION: Treatment with Danlou tablets and the modified combination therapy based on Western medicine treatment could improve angina pectoris symptoms of patients with SAP and IPBS syndrome and its concurrent syndromes, and improve patients’ quality of life. Furthermore, the treatment is safe, has a long-term prognosis, and is worth further promotion and application in clinical practice.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=39724, ChiCTR registry, ChiCTR1900023708.

PMID:39559795 | PMC:PMC11571080 | DOI:10.3389/fcvm.2024.1462730

IEEE Open J Eng Med Biol. 2024 Mar 8;5:846-858. doi: 10.1109/OJEMB.2024.3374956. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

Goal: The network representation is becoming increasingly popular for the description of cardiovascular interactions based on the analysis of multiple simultaneously collected variables. However, the traditional methods to assess network links based on pairwise interaction measures cannot reveal high-order effects involving more than two nodes, and are not appropriate to infer the underlying network topology. To address these limitations, here we introduce a framework which combines the assessment of high-order interactions with statistical inference for the characterization of the functional links sustaining physiological networks. Methods: The framework develops information-theoretic measures quantifying how two nodes interact in a redundant or synergistic way with the rest of the network, and employs these measures for reconstructing the functional structure of the network. The measures are implemented for both static and dynamic networks mapped respectively by random variables and random processes using plug-in and model-based entropy estimators. Results: The validation on theoretical and numerical simulated networks documents the ability of the framework to represent high-order interactions as networks and to detect statistical structures associated to cascade, common drive and common target effects. The application to cardiovascular networks mapped by the beat-to-beat variability of heart rate, respiration, arterial pressure, cardiac output and vascular resistance allowed noninvasive characterization of several mechanisms of cardiovascular control operating in resting state and during orthostatic stress. Conclusion: Our approach brings to new comprehensive assessment of physiological interactions and complements existing strategies for the classification of pathophysiological states.

PMID:39559780 | PMC:PMC11573414 | DOI:10.1109/OJEMB.2024.3374956

IEEE Open J Eng Med Biol. 2024 May 7;5:859-866. doi: 10.1109/OJEMB.2024.3397550. eCollection 2024.

ABSTRACT

Goal: REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) is a REM parasomnia that is associated to high risk of developing α-synucleinopathies, as Parkinson’s disease (PD) or dementia with Lewy bodies, over time. This study aims at investigating the presence of autonomic dysfunctions in RBD subjects, with and without PD, by assessing their sleep structure and autonomous nervous system activity along the different sleep stages. Methods: To this aim, an innovative framework combining a sleep transition model, by Markov chains, with an instantaneous assessment of autonomic state dynamics by statistical modeling of heart rate variability (HRV) dynamics through a point-process approach, was introduced. Results: In general, RBD groups showed lower HRV than controls across all sleep stages, as well as higher probabilities of transitioning towards lighter sleep stages. Subjects also affected by PD present an even lower HRV, but better sleep continuity. Conclusions: RBD patients suffer from sleep fragmentation and overall autonomic dysfunction, mainly due to lower autonomic activation across all sleep stages. Coexistence of PD seems to improve sleep quality, possibly due to a sleep-related relief of their symptoms.

PMID:39559778 | PMC:PMC11573400 | DOI:10.1109/OJEMB.2024.3397550

J Oral Biol Craniofac Res. 2024 Nov-Dec;14(6):815-824. doi: 10.1016/j.jobcr.2024.10.014. Epub 2024 Nov 4.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of Lavandula angustifolia (True Lavender extract) towards Candida albicans, Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus pathogens. Varying proportions of the extract was incorporated into polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) denture base resin and the anti-adherent effect was investigated.

METHODS: An in-vitro study was performed after pure extract was obtained from Lavandula angustifolia (LA) flowers using a solvent based hot extraction process. Chromatographic analysis and computational molecular docking were done to analyze its phytoconstituents with potential target-ligand bond. Tests of antimicrobial susceptibility, minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal and fungicidal dosages and in-vitro cytotoxicity were performed. Different proportions of LA extract (0, .5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 %) were added to PMMA resin to assess anti-adherence property. Obtained data were statistically analyzed with One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey post-hoc tests.

RESULTS: The reports revealed significant antimicrobial susceptibility against the test pathogens compared to control drugs (P > 0.05). A minimum concentration of .02 mg of lavender extract inhibited microbial growth with low cytotoxicity (P < 0.05). The highest anti-adherent activity was observed in the .5 % LA-incorporated PMMA resin group (P = 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating lavender extract into denture base resin demonstrated promising antimicrobial properties. This investigation encourages further research to understand its effects on mechanical and physical properties of reinforced dental resins.

PMID:39559748 | PMC:PMC11570514 | DOI:10.1016/j.jobcr.2024.10.014