scholarly journals Morphological Foot Model for Temperature Pattern Analysis Proposed for Diabetic Foot Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 7396
Author(s):  
Natalia Arteaga-Marrero ◽  
Lucas Christian Bodson ◽  
Abián Hernández ◽  
Enrique Villa ◽  
Juan Ruiz-Alzola

Infrared thermography is a non-invasive and accessible tool that maps the surface temperature of a body. This technology is particularly useful for diabetic foot disorders, since it facilitates the identification of higher risk patients by frequent monitoring and therefore limits the incidence of disabling conditions. The aim of this work is to provide a methodology to explore the entire plantar aspects of both feet, based on infrared thermography, for the assessment of diabetic foot anomalies. A non-invasive methodology was established to identify areas of higher risk and track their progress via longitudinal monitoring. A standard morphological model was extracted from a group of healthy subjects, nine females and 13 males, by spatial image registration. This healthy foot model can be taken as a template for the assessment of temperature asymmetry, even in cases in which partial amputations or deformations are present. A pixel-wise comparison of the temperature patterns was carried out by Wilcoxon´s matched-pairs test using the corresponding template. For all the subjects, the left foot was compared to the contralateral foot, the right one, providing a map of statistically significant areas of variation, within the template, among the healthy subjects at different time points. In the female case, the main areas of variability were the boundaries of the feet, whereas for the male, in addition to this, substantial changes that exhibited a clear pattern were observed. A fast and simple monitoring tool is provided to be used for personalized medical diagnosis in patients affected by diabetic foot disorders.

1999 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 234-244
Author(s):  
Uwe Niederberger ◽  
Wolf-Dieter Gerber

Abstract In two experiments with four and two groups of healthy subjects, a novel motor task, the voluntary abduction of the right big toe, was trained. This task cannot usually be performed without training and is therefore ideal for the study of elementary motor learning. A systematic variation of proprioceptive, tactile, visual, and EMG feedback was used. In addition to peripheral measurements such as the voluntary range of motion and EMG output during training, a three-channel EEG was recorded over Cz, C3, and C4. The movement-related brain potential during distinct periods of the training was analyzed as a central nervous parameter of the ongoing learning process. In experiment I, we randomized four groups of 12 subjects each (group P: proprioceptive feedback; group PT: proprioceptive and tactile feedback; group PTV: proprioceptive, tactile, and visual feedback; group PTEMG: proprioceptive, tactile, and EMG feedback). Best training results were reported from the PTEMG and PTV groups. The movement-preceding cortical activity, in the form of the amplitude of the readiness potential at the time of EMG onset, was greatest in these two groups. Results of experiment II revealed a similar effect, with a greater training success and a higher electrocortical activation under additional EMG feedback compared to proprioceptive feedback alone. Sensory EMG feedback as evaluated by peripheral and central nervous measurements appears to be useful in motor training and neuromuscular re-education.


Author(s):  
Elif Gündoğdu ◽  
Uğur Toprak

Background: The middle ear cavity is ventilated through the aditus ad antrum. Aditus blockage contributes to the pathology of otitis media. Objective: To determine the normal values of the aditus ad antrum diameter on computed tomography and to investigate its relationship with chronic otitis media and related pathologies (tympanosclerosis and myringosclerosis). Methods: The temporal CT images of 162 individuals were evaluated retrospectively. In the axial sections, the inner diameter of the aditus was measured at the narrowest point at the cortex. The differences in diameter were compared between diseased and healthy ears. Results: In healthy individuals, the diameter was narrower in women. There was no difference between the right and left ears in healthy subjects. No correlation was found between age and diameter. In male patients with myringosclerosis, the diameter was slightly narrower on both sides but more marked on the left. In female patients with myringosclerosis, the diameter in both ears was slightly narrower. In cases of otitis media and tympanosclerosis, the diameter was less than that of healthy individuals, despite the lack of statistically significant result in all cases. Conclusion: The aditus ad antrum was narrower in diseased ears, indicating that a blocked aditus may contribute to the development of otitis media, as well as mucosal diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hoon Choi ◽  
Joon Pyo Jeon ◽  
Jaewon Huh ◽  
Youme Kim ◽  
Wonjung Hwang

Abstract Background Pulmonary artery catheter insertion is a routine practice in high-risk patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, pulmonary artery catheter insertion is associated with numerous complications that can be devastating to the patient. Incorrect placement is an overlooked complication with few case reports to date. Case presentation An 18-year-old male patient underwent elective mitral valve replacement due to severe mitral valve regurgitation. The patient had a history of synovial sarcoma, and Hickman catheter had been inserted in the right internal jugular vein for systemic chemotherapy. We made multiple attempts to position the pulmonary artery catheter in the correct position but failed. A chest radiography revealed that the pulmonary artery catheter was bent and pointed in the cephalad direction. Removal of the pulmonary artery catheter was successful, and the patient was discharged 10 days after the surgery without complications. Conclusions To prevent misplacement of the PAC, clinicians should be aware of multiple risk factors in difficult PAC placement, and be prepared to utilize adjunctive methods, such as TEE and fluoroscopy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martje G. Pauly ◽  
Annika Steinmeier ◽  
Christina Bolte ◽  
Feline Hamami ◽  
Elinor Tzvi ◽  
...  

AbstractNon-invasive brain stimulation techniques including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS), paired associative stimulation (PAS), and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been applied over the cerebellum to induce plasticity and gain insights into the interaction of the cerebellum with neo-cortical structures including the motor cortex. We compared the effects of 1 Hz rTMS, cTBS, PAS and tDCS given over the cerebellum on motor cortical excitability and interactions between the cerebellum and dorsal premotor cortex / primary motor cortex in two within subject designs in healthy controls. In experiment 1, rTMS, cTBS, PAS, and tDCS were applied over the cerebellum in 20 healthy subjects. In experiment 2, rTMS and PAS were compared to sham conditions in another group of 20 healthy subjects. In experiment 1, PAS reduced cortical excitability determined by motor evoked potentials (MEP) amplitudes, whereas rTMS increased motor thresholds and facilitated dorsal premotor-motor and cerebellum-motor cortex interactions. TDCS and cTBS had no significant effects. In experiment 2, MEP amplitudes increased after rTMS and motor thresholds following PAS. Analysis of all participants who received rTMS and PAS showed that MEP amplitudes were reduced after PAS and increased following rTMS. rTMS also caused facilitation of dorsal premotor-motor cortex and cerebellum-motor cortex interactions. In summary, cerebellar 1 Hz rTMS and PAS can effectively induce plasticity in cerebello-(premotor)-motor pathways provided larger samples are studied.


2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (08) ◽  
pp. 895-907
Author(s):  
Nina D. Anfinogenova ◽  
Oksana Y. Vasiltseva ◽  
Alexander V. Vrublevsky ◽  
Irina N. Vorozhtsova ◽  
Sergey V. Popov ◽  
...  

AbstractPrompt diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) remains challenging, which often results in a delayed or inappropriate treatment of this life-threatening condition. Mobile thrombus in the right cardiac chambers is a neglected cause of PE. It poses an immediate risk to life and is associated with an unfavorable outcome and high mortality. Thrombus residing in the right atrial appendage (RAA) is an underestimated cause of PE, especially in patients with atrial fibrillation. This article reviews achievements and challenges of detection and management of the right atrial thrombus with emphasis on RAA thrombus. The capabilities of transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography and advantages of three-dimensional and two-dimensional echocardiography are reviewed. Strengths of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), computed tomography, and cardiac ventriculography are summarized. We suggest that a targeted search for RAA thrombus is necessary in high-risk patients with PE and atrial fibrillation using transesophageal echocardiography and/or CMR when available independently on the duration of the disease. High-risk patients may also benefit from transthoracic echocardiography with right parasternal approach. The examination of high-risk patients should involve compression ultrasonography of lower extremity veins along with the above-mentioned technologies. Algorithms for RAA thrombus risk assessment and protocols aimed at identification of patients with RAA thrombosis, who will potentially benefit from treatment, are warranted. The development of treatment protocols specific for the diverse populations of patients with right cardiac thrombosis is important.


1988 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Lepäntalo ◽  
T. Kangas ◽  
J. Pietilä ◽  
T. Scheinin ◽  
T.M. Scheinin
Keyword(s):  

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (03) ◽  
pp. 1550021
Author(s):  
S. Mohanalakshmi ◽  
A. Sivasubramanian

Arterial stiffness, resulting in loss of the elastic properties of arteries walls, is an indicator of cardiovascular risk, though the presence of disease is not clinically evident. Augmentation index is an important biomarker of arterial stiffness by which the cardiac risk of the patient can be diagnosed. The current paper outlines the non-invasive assessment of arterial stiffness by analyzing the morphology or contour of PhotoPlethysmoGraph (PPG) signal. PPG pulse was optically acquired with the developed photometric measurement device and the desired features were extracted to determine PPG augmentation Index (PAI) through advanced signal processing implemented in MATLAB. PAI was quantified by the fourth derivative of the signal by enhancing the location of inflection point (augmentation point) after conditioning the signal by efficient pre-processing and filtering techniques. The results reveal that the statistical distribution of PAI for healthy subjects presents a very low value and a very tight distribution. On the contrary, patients have a higher value of PAI and a wide asymmetrical shape of distribution. This work also establishes the usefulness of PPG contour analysis in the investigation of changes in the elastic properties of the vascular system. In conclusion, PAI has revealed to be a non-invasive indicator for arterial stiffness assessments.


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