scholarly journals The role of task constraints in relating laboratory and clinical measures of balance

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 275-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikita A. Kuznetsov ◽  
Michael A. Riley
Keyword(s):  
Task Constraints ◽  
Clinical Measures

scholarly journals Plasma Obestatin, Ghrelin, and Ghrelin/Obestatin Ratio Are Increased in Underweight Patients with Anorexia Nervosa But Not in Symptomatic Patients with Bulimia Nervosa

2008 ◽  
Vol 93 (11) ◽  
pp. 4418-4421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Palmiero Monteleone ◽  
Cristina Serritella ◽  
Vassilis Martiadis ◽  
Pasquale Scognamiglio ◽  
Mario Maj
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Bulimia Nervosa ◽  
Energy Homeostasis ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
Blood Levels ◽  
Women Patients ◽  
Underweight Patients ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Clinical Measures

Introduction: Peptides of the gut-brain axis have a pivotal role in the regulation of energy homeostasis. Obestatin, a sibling of ghrelin derived from preproghrelin, is thought to oppose ghrelin effects on food intake. Because changes in ghrelin levels have been associated with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), the investigation of obestatin production may further contribute to understanding the role of peripheral peptides in patients with eating disorders. Methods: In the present study, we measured circulating blood levels of obestatin and ghrelin and assessed their relationships with anthropometric and clinical measures in 20 AN patients, 21 BN patients, and 20 appropriate healthy controls. Results: Compared with healthy women, patients with BN showed no significant differences in plasma obestatin and ghrelin concentrations and in the ghrelin/obestatin ratio, whereas underweight AN patients displayed significantly increased circulating levels of both obestatin (P < 0.009) and ghrelin (P < 0.002) and an increased ghrelin/obestatin ratio (P < 0.04). Moreover, in AN women, positive correlations emerged between the ghrelin/obestatin ratio and current body weight and body mass index. Conclusions: Underweight AN patients are characterized by increased concentrations of ghrelin and obestatin and a higher ghrelin to obestatin ratio. No changes in circulating ghrelin or obestatin as well as in ghrelin to obestatin ratio seem to occur in acutely ill patients with BN. Although those changes likely reflect the physiological state of symptomatic AN individuals, they may also contribute to the pathophysiology of the disorder.

scholarly journals Abnormalities in Resting-State EEG Microstates are a Vulnerability Marker of Migraine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yansong Li ◽  
Guoliang Chen ◽  
Jing Lv ◽  
Zhao Dong ◽  
Rongfei Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Patient Group ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Transition Probabilities ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
Syntax Analysis ◽  
Class C ◽  
Clinical Measures ◽  
Headache Impact

Abstract Background: Resting-state EEG microstates are thought to reflect brief activations of several interacting components of resting-state brain networks. Surprisingly, we still know little about the role of these microstates in migraine. In the present study, we attempted to address this issue by examining EEG microstates in patients with migraine without aura (MwoA) during the interictal period and comparing them with those of a group of healthy controls (HC). Methods: Resting-state EEG was recorded in 61 MwoA patients (50 females) and 66 HC (50 females). Microstate parameters were compared between the two groups. We computed four widely identified canonical microstate classes A-D.Results: Microstate classes B and D displayed higher time coverage and occurrence in the MwoA patient group than in the HC group, while microstate class C exhibited significantly lower time coverage and occurence in the MwoA patient group. Meanwhile, the mean duration of microstate class C was significantly shorter in the MwoA patient group than in the HC group. Moreover, among the MwoA patient group, the duration of microstate class C correlated negatively with clinical measures of headache‐related disability as assessed by the six-item Headache Impact Test (HIT-6). Finally, microstate syntax analysis showed significant differences in transition probabilities between the two groups, primarily involving microstate classes B, C and D. Conclusions: By exploring EEG microstate characteristics at baseline we were able to explore the neurobiological mechanisms underlying altered cortical excitability and aberrant sensory, affective and cognitive processing, thus deepening our understanding of migraine pathophysiology.

scholarly journals The Role of Religiosity in Families at High Risk for Depression

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Connie Svob ◽  
Myrna M. Weissman
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Clinical Status ◽  
Religion And Spirituality ◽  
Religious Service Attendance ◽  
Biological Children ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Clinical Measures

Background: About forty years ago we began a study of the offspring of depressed (high-risk) and not depressed (low-risk) parents, matched for age and gender, from the same community. We interviewed all of their biological children, blind to the clinical status of the parents. Over the years, we returned to re-interview the families at baseline, 2, 10, 20, 25 30, and 35 years. As the years went by and the sample grew up, we also interviewed the third generation, the grandchildren. As technology became available, we included measures of electrophysiology and magnetic resonance imaging in order to better understand the mechanisms of risk. At the 10-year follow up, we included measures of religion and spirituality – namely, personal religious/spiritual importance and frequency of religious service attendance. We included these measures in all subsequent waves including a more extensive follow up of religious beliefs at the 35-year follow up.Issues of Focus: This paper describes the study design and highlights the key findings of the role of religious/spiritual belief in the transmission and endurance of depression using clinical and biological approaches.Methods: We describe study findings based on clinical measures, as well as physiological measures that employed electrophysiology and magnetic resonance imaging.Results: Taken together, the findings suggest that religiosity/spirituality is protective against depression in high-risk individuals at both clinical and physiological levels.Implications: The findings suggest religiosity interacts with both culture and biology in its impact on depression.

scholarly journals Possible Caveats of Ultra-Short Heart Rate Variability Reliability: Insights from Recurrence Quantification Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiago Murilo Melo ◽  
Mariana Cardoso Melo ◽  
Roger Walz ◽  
Emílio Takase ◽  
Jean Faber
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Recurrence Quantification Analysis ◽  
Dynamic Information ◽  
Recurrence Quantification ◽  
Quantification Analysis ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Main Components ◽  
Clinical Measures

Abstract The heart rate variability (HRV) is the difference between consecutive R-R intervals of heartbeats measured in milliseconds. HRV indices represent the role of sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic branches. Even though HRV is considered an indirect biomarker of Autonomic Nervous System, there are not yet standardized protocols providing reliable clinical measures. One of the reasons is because HRV techniques requires long recording periods. There are attempts of decreasing the required recording, such as the strategy of ultra-short HVR recording (< one minute), which could make the utilization of the technique easier. However, there is little published about its reliability. This work proposes a method to evaluate the reliability of ultra-short HVR based in Poincare map and Recurrence Quantification Analysis, well known methods to assess nonlinear and dynamic information from a system, in order to verify the reliability of the use of ultra-short term HRV. Then, these results was compared with the classical HRV coefficients, such as rMSSD, recorded from subjects in spontaneous breathing and also, in controlled breathing protocols. As a conclusion, using the proposed methods, we were able to show the discrepancy between the segments of interest, both on mean and in variance, explained in the analysis of main components.

Deterioration of hepatic function after locoregional therapy (LRT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) measured by hepatic cholate clearance: A pilot study.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 468-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarouf Hoteit ◽  
Christine Cho-Shing Hsu ◽  
Matthew H Levine ◽  
Kimberly A Forde ◽  
Kim Anna Reiss ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Liver Function ◽  
Disease Severity ◽  
Severity Index ◽  
Hepatic Function ◽  
Locoregional Therapy ◽  
Disease Severity Index ◽  
Clinical Measures ◽  
Selection Of

468 Background: LRT is used in treating HCC, but is associated with a risk of hepatotoxicity, which is not accurately predicted by traditional measures of liver function. In this pilot study, we evaluated the change in liver function after LRT as measured by a test using dual, oral and IV, cholate clearances (HepQuantSHUNT). Our hypothesis is that LRT would impose a significant reduction in the disease severity index (DSI) measured in the HepQuant SHUNT test, as an indicator of reduced liver function. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 11 subjects undergoing LRT for HCC. HepQuantSHUNT was performed at baseline (T0) and 4-10 weeks after LRT (T1). Clinical assessment was performed at T0 and T1, and at 12-18 weeks after LRT (T2). Decompensation was defined as either a new complication of cirrhosis or an increase in Child-Pugh (CP) score by ≥2 points. Results: Median age was 61 years, 73% were men, 55% had hepatitis C. Median CP score was 7[5-8], including 36%CP A and 64%CP B. Subjects had a BCLC stage A(64%) or BCLC stage B(36%) HCC. LRT modalities were TACE (45%) or SBRT (55%). From T0 to T1, there was a reduction in oral cholate clearance(422[235-768] vs 339[208-362], p = 0.03) and in IV cholate clearance(210[150-300] vs 191[144-203],p = 0.04) as well as a trend towards a worsening disease severity index (DSI) (32.0[19.5-37.8] vs 33.0[29.7-38.0],p = 0.10); however, there was no significant change in MELD(12[9-13]vs 11[10-12],p = 0.72) or CP score(7[5-8] vs 7[6-8],p = 0.15). 89% of the subjects had a reduction in oral and IV cholate clearance, and 78% had a worsening DSI; while 44% subjects had increase in CP score, and 56% had an increase in MELD. Decompensation was observed in 43% of CP B patients and none of CP A patients; and in 60% patients with a DSI > 35, and none of the patients with DSI < 35. Conclusions: The dual cholate clearance assay HepQuant-SHUNT detects a deterioration in liver function after LRT for HCC more frequently than clinical measures of liver function. DSI 35 might be a cutoff for risk of clinical decompensation after LRT for HCC. Additional research is needed to evaluate the role of the HepQuant SHUNT test in improving the selection of Child B patients for LRT.

Perceptual-Cognitive Skills and Their Interaction as a Function of Task Constraints in Soccer

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Roca ◽  
Paul R. Ford ◽  
Allistair P. McRobert ◽  
A. Mark Williams
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Thought Processes ◽  
Verbal Reports ◽  
Task Constraints ◽  
Skilled Performance ◽  
Task Conditions ◽  
Specific Search

The ability to anticipate and to make decisions is crucial to skilled performance in many sports. We examined the role of and interaction between the different perceptual-cognitive skills underlying anticipation and decision making. Skilled and less skilled players interacted as defenders with life-size film sequences of 11 versus 11 soccer situations. Participants were presented with task conditions in which the ball was located in the offensive or defensive half of the pitch (far vs. near conditions). Participants’ eye movements and verbal reports of thinking were recorded across two experiments. Skilled players reported more accurate anticipation and decision making than less skilled players, with their superior performance being underpinned by differences in task-specific search behaviors and thought processes. The perceptual-cognitive skills underpinning superior anticipation and decision making were shown to differ in importance across the two task constraints. Findings have significant implications for those interested in capturing and enhancing perceptual-cognitive skill in sport and other domains.

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