[Submaximal exercise capacity and quality of life in exclusive water-pipe smokers]. / Aptitude aérobie sous-maximale et qualité de vie des fumeurs exclusifs de narguilé

BACKGROUND: It is well known that oxidative stress is increased significantly by regular water-pipe smoking (WPS). This could lead to muscle dysfunction and thus to impairments of exercise and quality of life (QOL). Considering the impressive number of WP smokers, we intend to investigate the potential effect of WPS on submaximal exercise capacity and QOL. AIMS: (1). To evaluate the submaximal exercise capacity by the 6-minutes walking test (6-MWT). (2). To compare the deficiency, incapacity and QOL data of exclusive WPS with those of two control groups (never smokers and exclusive cigarette smokers). (3). To determine the factors influencing the 6-minutes walk distance (6-MWD) of WPS subjects. METHODS: A multicentre study including 180 exclusive WPS [> or =5 WP-year] men aged > or =40 years. Cigar or cigarette smoking, contraindications to the 6-MWT or cortico-steroid therapy will be exclusion criteria. QOL evaluation, spirometry, electrocardiogram and two 6-MWT will be performed. Signs of exercise impairment will be: 6-MWD< or =lower limit of normal, end of walk dyspnoea > or =5/10, haemoglobin saturation fall > or =5 points. Data from WPS subjects will be compared with those from 90 never smoking subjects and 90 exclusives cigarettes smokers. EXPECTED RESULTS: (1). WPS will affect significantly the submaximal exercise capacity. (2). Resting spirometric, 6-MWT and QOL data of exclusive WPS subjects will be significantly reduced compared to never smoking subjects. (3). The 6-MWD's of exclusive WPS subjects will be significantly influenced by cumulative WP consumption, by resting spirometric data, by obesity and by physical activity score.

[Value of maximum expiratory volume per second and peak expiratory flow monitoring in asthma. 77 patients]. / Intérêt du monitoring du volume expiratoire maximum par seconde et du débit expiratoire de pointe dans l'asthme. A propos de 77 patients.

A retrospective study was conducted on a sample of 77 subjects to assess the interest of computerized flowmeter "one-flow" in the diagnosis and follow up of asthma. 77 patients and a control group matched for age and sex, measured four times by day, the forced expiratory volume in one second as well as the peak expiratory flow during 15 to 30 days. The monitoring of these two variables allowed to participate to the exclusion from the study of fifteen patients whose asthma diagnosis was informed. It also allowed the confirmation of four occupational asthma. Concerning the adherence of the treatment by patients, the conclusion of the study showed that 47% of patients modified their treatment at home without consulting their doctors, 38% resorted to their doctor and only 3% resorted to the emergencies.

Effect of expertise on coincident-timing accuracy in a fast ball game.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of intensive practice in table tennis on perceptual coincident timing. The main question was whether the perceptual demands encountered in fast ball sports produce modifications of the perceptual visual system. Expert table tennis players and novices were compared in a perceptual task which consisted of estimating, by pressing a key, the arrival of a moving stimulus at a target. The stimulus, which was presented either at constant velocity or at constant deceleration, reproduced as closely as possible the natural visual demands encountered in table tennis. The difference between the time of response and the time of arrival of the stimulus at a target position was measured over 40 trials for each of the 16 participants. The results showed no effect of expertise under the constant-velocity condition but an effect under the decelerative condition, indicating that experts were less trajectory-dependent than novices. This result was interpreted as reflecting a better adaptation of the perceptual system of experts to the constraints encountered during table tennis and specifically to the perceptual demands resulting from varied and decelerated ball trajectories. Finally, some limitations of the coincidence anticipation procedure are highlighted, concerning its use in practical settings for evaluating athletes or detecting sport talents, and the need for the simulation conditions during testing to reproduce as closely as possible the perceptual demands of real life is discussed.