scholarly journals Predictors of alcohol responsiveness in dystonia

Neurology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 91 (21) ◽  
pp. e2020-e2026 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Junker ◽  
Valerie Brandt ◽  
Brian D. Berman ◽  
Marie Vidailhet ◽  
Emmanuel Roze ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo determine predictors of alcohol responsiveness in a large cohort of patients with dystonia.MethodsA total of 2,159 participants with dystonia were prospectively enrolled in the cross-sectional Dystonia Coalition multicenter study. Patients with secondary, combined, or confirmed genetic dystonia (total n = 164) or unknown alcohol responsiveness (n = 737) were excluded. Patients answered a standardized questionnaire and were clinically examined using a standardized video protocol and the Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale. Alcohol responsiveness was determined by patients' self-report.ResultsA total of 1,258 patients with isolated dystonia (mean age: 59.5 ± 12.2 years; 898 women) met the inclusion criteria; 369 patients (29.3%) reported improvement of dystonia after alcohol consumption. Alcohol responsiveness was not related to sex (p = 0.742), age (p = 0.715), or severity of dystonia (p = 0.623). Age at onset was lower in patients who responded to alcohol (p < 0.001). Alcohol responsiveness differed across dystonia subgroups (multifocal/generalized > segmental [p = 0.014]; cervical and laryngeal > cranial and limb [p < 0.001]) and was related to a positive family history of movement disorders (p = 0.001), and presence of tremor (p < 0.001).ConclusionThe association of alcohol responsiveness with a positive family history for movement disorders, generalized dystonia, and an earlier age at onset suggests that patients with dystonia who have an underlying genetic contribution may be more likely to respond beneficially to alcohol. The fact that dystonic tremor may respond to alcohol is in keeping with the observation that the intake of GABAergic drugs may have a beneficial effect in a proportion of patients.

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Omolafe ◽  
Michele Mouttapa ◽  
Shari McMahan ◽  
Sora Park Tanjasiri

This cross-sectional study sought to describe an association between family history of type-2 diabetes and the awareness of risk factors, perceived threat and physical activity levels in African Americans. With a prevalence of 11.8%, African Americans remain disproportionately affected by the epidemic of diabetes. A risk factor that cannot be modified, but is important and closely linked with diabetes expression, family history, can be a considerable tool in promoting behavior change and reducing the risk of developing the condition in African Americans. A self-report questionnaire was administered to 133 church going African Americans, with 55 of them with a positive family history of type-2 diabetes (41.4%) and 78 (58.6%) without. None of the participants had been previously been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. The results from the study indicated that African Americans with positive family history had a greater knowledge of risk factors, were more likely to indicate that their concern about the disease influences their eating habits and physical activity, and engaged in significantly more physical activity than those with no family history.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Uzair Abbas ◽  
Bushra Imdad ◽  
Sikander Adil Mughal ◽  
Israr Ahmed Baloch ◽  
Afshan Mehboob Khan ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective MicroRNAs are known to regulate 60% of genes at post translational level. MicroRNAs including Micro RNA-29 family play a vital role in cellular activities and have validate role in numerous metabolic disorders inclusive of diabetes mellitus and its complications. While micro RNA profile changes years before the occurrence of disease. This cross-sectional study was conducted in non-diabetic adults of diabetic and non-diabetic parents to explore the early changes in expression of micro RNA-29 family as it can be served as early biomarker of type 2 diabetes in non-diabetic adults. This study was conducted from January 2019 to January 2021. Micro RNA was extracted from plasma of 50 participants and expression was compared through qPCR. While data was analyzed through SPSS version 21.0. Results 29a and 29b had lower expression in participants with family history of DM compared to those having no family history of DM (P < 0.0001). While micro RNA 29c was found to be significantly higher in participants with positive family history of type 2 diabetes as compared to those without family history of diabetes (P = 0.001).


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-44
Author(s):  
Simon Francis ◽  
Obadia V. Nyongole

Background: The incidence of prostate cancer in Tanzania is among the highest recorded in Africa. Prostate cancer is also the most common cancer among men aged 50 years and above in Tanzania. Our study aimed to determine the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes among adult men with age 50 years and above regarding prostate cancer.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that included 250 adult men aged 50 years and above in Lindi municipal being purposively selected and we interviewed them by using a structured questionnaire. A stratified random sampling method was used for obtaining our participants. All men who had stayed for not less than one year in Lindi and willing to participate were enrolled in the study. These men were selected at households without screening whether or not they had taken prostate screening test or had been diagnosed with prostate cancer Quantitative data were cleaned and analyzed with SPSS version 20.Results: Majority, 216(86.7%) of our study participants were aged 50–69 years and most of them, 142(56.8%) had primary education with 93.2% of them being married. Among the study subjects 7.2% had positive family history of cancer and 195(78%) were aware of prostate cancer with source of information being mass media (62.6%). Majority of them, 63.2%, did not know the risk age group. Few, 20.8% of our participants had good knowledge while majority, 95.2% had negative attitude toward prostate cancer. We found a statistically significant association between level of education, family history and level of knowledge regarding prostate cancer with p < 0.005.Conclusion: This study revealed high level of awareness, but poor knowledge regarding prostate cancer and negative attitude toward prostate cancer among men with age ≥50 years in Lindi municipal Tanzania. Key words: Awareness, knowledge, attitude, prostate cancer.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-33
Author(s):  
SK Shahinur Hossain ◽  
Md Safiul Islam ◽  
Md Mustafizur Rahman ◽  
Shubhashish Dey ◽  
Khurshid Mahmud

Background: Cough variant asthma is presented with different clinical and demographic characteristics.Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to see the clinico-demographic profiles of cough variant asthma patients.Methodology: This descriptive type of cross-sectional study was carried out in theDepartment of Respiratory Medicine at National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH), Dhaka, Bangladesh from September 2014 to August 2015 for a period of one year. Patients presented with cough variant asthma attending in NIDCH were selected as study population. Methacholine challenge test was performed to diagnosis of Cough Variant Asthma. Result: A total number of 50 patients were recruited for this study. The mean age±SD was found 19.1±7.6 years. Male was predominant than female with a ratio of 1.4.:1. Among the study population positive family history of asthma was found in 39.0% cases and associated allergic rhinitis was reported in 58.0% cases. Eczema was associated with 16.0% patients;however, only 4% patients had associate conjunctivitis. Conclusion: In conclusion young male is more commonly affected by cough variant asthma of which majority have family history of asthma. Journal of National Institute of Neurosciences Bangladesh, 2016;2(1):30-33


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Nasir Olamide Madandola ◽  
Shehu Sale ◽  
Adebayo Sunday Adebisi ◽  
Ayodele Obembe ◽  
Auwal S. Salihu ◽  
...  

Background. Depression is a major contributor to the global burden of disease. Its occurrence in patients living with epilepsy is not just common but also a serious comorbidity. Patients tend to suffer if the depressive disorder is undetected and thus untreated. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of depressive disorder in patients with epilepsy. Also, the sociodemographic and clinical factors that are associated with the development of depression in people living with epilepsy were examined. Materials and Method. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study of participants living with epilepsy and receiving care at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. Participants were recruited consecutively as they come for follow-up care. A sociodemographic/clinical questionnaire and General Health Questionnaire version 28 (GHQ-28) were first administered to participants followed by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). The descriptive statistics were generated and analyzed. Logistic regression was also done to determine the predictors of depression in the study participants. All test of probability was set at p<0.05. Results. A total of 400 participants with epilepsy were examined with GHQ-28 and CIDI. Out of the GHQ-28 examined individuals, 71 people (17.8%) met criteria for caseness while 35 participants (8.8%) were depressed when assessed with CIDI. The predictors of depressive illness in participants living with epilepsy were GHQ caseness (p≤0.001), minority ethnic group (p=0.006), and a positive family history of mental illness (p=0.021). Conclusion. Depression is common in people with epilepsy. Physicians should actively assess individuals with epilepsy for symptoms of depression. Special attention should be paid to patients with a family history of epilepsy and those from minority ethnic groups.


Author(s):  
Umberto Aguglia ◽  
Antonio Gambardella ◽  
Emilio Le Plane ◽  
Demetrio Messina ◽  
Rosario L. Oliveri ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT:Objective:To compare mild vs. severe non-lesional temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).Methods:Data from 104 consecutive patients with non-lesional TLE were reviewed. Seventy-three of the 104 fulfilled the criteria for inclusion in this study of a follow-up period longer than three years at our Institute. Patients were considered to have a mild TLE if they were seizure free for at least three years after appropriate antiepileptic medication, or had rare (≤ 2/year) complex partial or secondarily generalized seizures for at least three years with or without appropriate antiepileptic therapy. Clinical, EEG and MRI data of mild vs. severe non-lesional TLE patients were compared on the basis of a cross-sectional study design.Results:Of the 73 patients with non-lesional TLE included in the study, 43 (59%) had mild TLE, and 30 (41%) had severe TLE. Duration of epilepsy was significantly shorter (mean 15.2 ± 10.5 years vs. 26.4 ± 13.2 years) and age at onset was significantly higher (mean 34.3 ± 15.3 years vs. 7.8 ± 6.8 years) in mild than in severe TLE group. Patients with mild TLE had also a significantly higher prevalence of positive family history of epilepsy (37.2% vs. 10%), and a significantly lower occurrence rate of febrile convulsions (FC) (4.7% vs. 33.3%), mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) (6.9% vs. 36.7%), and intelligence deficiency (0% vs. 20%). In mild TLE there was also a significantly high rate (58.1% vs. 0%) of delayed diagnosis (from 1 to 28 years), because of misdiagnosis (39.5%) or no medical counseling (18.6%).Conclusions:Mild non-lesional TLE is a common, unrecognized disorder mainly characterized by both onset in adulthood and high prevalence of familial history of epilepsy. The present findings suggest that mild non-lesional TLE may represent a clinical entity different from severe non-lesional TLE.


Author(s):  
Ajitabh Soni ◽  
Paramjeet Singh ◽  
Raghav Shah ◽  
Sunil Kumar ◽  
Lalit Batra

Introduction: There is considerable evidence to suggest that the clinical expression of Bipolar Disorder (BD) differs according to Age at Onset (AAO) that has therefore been identified as a potential specifier of interest. Aim: To compare the clinical presentation of BD and also to compare the presence of family history of illness in three subgroups made on the basis of AAO. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional hospital based observational study was carried out on 162 patients having a diagnosis of BD current episode manic. Three subgroups were made according to AAO viz., Early Onset Bipolar Disorder (EOBD; AAO ≤21 years; 67 patients), Intermediate Onset Bipolar Disorder (IOBD; AAO=22-34 years; 59 patients) and Late Onset Bipolar Disorder (LOBD; AAO ≥35 years; 36 patients). The subgroups were compared on clinical variables, items of the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) scales and family history of illness. Results: The EOBD subgroup had significantly more episodes per year (p-value <0.001 and partial eta squared value=0.17) than IOBD and LOBD subgroups (mean episodes per year, respectively in EOBD, IOBD and LOBD were 1.8, 0.8 and 0.6). The prevalence of family history of mood disorder was also significantly higher in the EOBD (present in 35 out of 67; χ2 value=22.8 and p-value <0.001) than both the other subgroups (present in 10 out of 59 in IOBD and 6 out of 36 in LOBD). Significant differences were found on different items of YMRS, HAM-D and SAPS scales among the subgroups EOBD subgroup had higher rating on irritability, motor activity energy, sexual interest, depressed mood, delusions, thought disorders, while LOBD subgroup had higher rating on elevated mood. Conclusion: EOBD subgroup can be considered as a specific phenotype of BD patients, which is more homogenous, severe and heritable form of illness.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 441-454
Author(s):  
Narges Bayat ◽  
◽  
Atieh Ashtari ◽  
Mohsen Vahedi ◽  
◽  
...  

Objectives: The prelinguistic skills which pave the way for language development have always been an area of research in the Speech Therapy field. Although studying these skills is important, there is a study gap among Persian children. Therefore, this study explored prelinguistic skills among a sample of Persian-speaking children aged 6 to 24 months and made a comparison between different age groups. We also studied the effects of gender and family history of speech-language disorders on children’s prelinguistic abilities. Methods: In the present study, 277 mothers of Iranian Persian-speaking children aged 6 to 24 months were asked to fill a research-made checklist that evaluated the prelinguistic skills of their children. This study was cross-sectional and was conducted in Tehran City, Iran, in 2021. Children’s abilities in different age groups were compared using the analysis of variance (ANOVA), Scheffe test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the post-hoc test. The differences between the total scores of the two genders were also determined using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Comparing the prelinguistic skills in different age groups indicated a statistically significant increase in the scores as children grow up. Children with a positive family history of speech-language disorders scored lower on the checklist than the others (91.03±17.37). Furthermore, there were statistically significant differences between the two genders in developing gesture, vocalization, first words, social interaction, imitation, and play; girls had higher scores. Conclusion: Based on the studies conducted in different countries, prelinguistic skills develop as children grow up; these skills facilitate language acquisition and other social skills. The present study also demonstrated the development of these skills alongside children’s development. This similarity between Persian-speaking children and other children from different cultures and languages, as well as better performance in children with a negative family history of speech-language impairments, confirm the role of genetic factors in children’s development. Moreover, the differences in the development of some prelinguistic skills between girls and boys reveal the impact of various factors, such as social factors, on prelinguistic skills development.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-90
Author(s):  
Madiha Shafi ◽  
Humaira Mehmood ◽  
Saeed Afsar ◽  
Zoaib Raza Bokhari ◽  
Saleem Abbasi

Abstract: Introduction:  Globally it is documented that CVD has multi-factorial aetiology and many factors like increased BMI, hypertension (HTN), stress and diabetes determine the risk of CVD. The prevalence of risk factors for cardio vascular disease (CVD) is on increase in the developing nations of the world. Objectives: The purpose of the study was   to find out the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors among employees of Sindh Government in Karachi, Pakistan.Method: It was hospital based cross sectional study. A total of 150 subjects (govt employees of Sindh Government) were interviewed by using consecutive sampling technique. Data on serum cholesterol, BMI, blood pressure, history of hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases was collected, in addition to demographic data. Results: Out of 150 subjects interviewed, 20.6% reported to have CVD. The most prevalent risk factor was hypertension, found in 58% respondents. Other risk factors were diabetes (45%), sedentary life style (50%), obesity (28%), dyslipidaemia (30%), smoking (20%), positive family history (26%). In 6% of subjects, three major risk factors were present. The risk factors, strongly associated with CVD in our study were diabetes (p<0.01), hypertension (p<0.001) and family history of CVD (p<0.02). There is strong association of increasing age on risk of developing CVD (p< 0.001). Conclusion: The results show that there is high frequency of CVD risk factors in employees of health department in Karachi. The high prevalence of risk factors, especially hypertension, sedentary life style, obesity and diabetes should be of great concern.


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