Virtual Reality Therapy in Palliative Care: A Case Series.

OBJECTIVES: Virtual reality (VR) opens a variety of therapeutic options to improve symptom burden in patients with advanced disease. Until to date, only few studies have evaluated the use of VR therapy in the context of palliative care. This case series aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of VR therapy in a population of palliative care patients. METHODS: In this single-site case series, we report on six palliative care patients undergoing VR therapy. The VR therapy consisted of a one-time session ranging between 20 to 60 minutes depending on the patient's needs and the content chosen for the VR sessions. A semi-structured survey was conducted and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) and the Distress Thermometer were performed pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: Overall, VR therapy was well accepted by all patients. Five out of six patients reported having appreciated VR therapy. There were individual differences of perceived effects using VR therapy. The semi-structured survey revealed that some patients felt a temporary detachment from their body and that patients were able to experience the VR session as a break from omnipresent worries and the hospital environment ("I completely forgot where I am"). There was a considerable reduction in the total ESAS score post-treatment (T0 ESASTot = 27.2; T1 ESASTot = 18.8) and a slightly reduction in distress (T0 DTTot = 4.4; T1 DTTot = 3.8). However, two patients were more tired after the intervention.Significance of Results: Our preliminary results demonstrate that VR therapy is acceptable, feasible and safe for use within a palliative care population and appears to be a viable treatment option. Clinical trials are both warranted and necessary to confirm any therapeutic effects of VR therapy, as is the need to tailor VR systems better for use in palliative care settings.

Patterns of integrating palliative care into standard oncology in an early ESMO designated center: a 10-year experience.

BACKGROUND: Integration of specialist palliative care (PC) into standard oncology care is recommended. This study investigated how integration at the Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen (KSSG) was manifested 10 years after initial accreditation as a European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Designated Center (ESMO-DC) of Integrated Oncology and Palliative Care. METHODS: A chart review covering the years 2006-2009 and 2016 was carried out in patients with an incurable malignancy receiving PC. Visual graphic analysis was utilized to identify patterns of integration of PC into oncology based on the number and nature of medical consultations recorded for both specialties. A follow-up cohort collected 10 years later was analyzed and changes in patterns of integrating specialist PC into oncology were compared. RESULTS: Three hundred and forty-five patients from 2006 to 2009 and 64 patients from 2016 were included into analyses. Four distinct patterns were identified using visual graphic analysis. The 'specialist PC-led pattern' (44.9%) and the 'oncology-led pattern' (20.3%) represent disciplines that took primary responsibility for managing patients, with occasional and limited involvement from other disciplines. Patients in the 'concurrent integrated care pattern' (18.3%) had medical consultations that frequently bounced between specialist PC and oncology. In the 'segmented integrated care pattern' (16.5%), patients had sequences of continuous consultations provided by one discipline before alternating to a stretch of consultations provided by the other specialty. In the 2016 follow-up, while the 'oncology-led pattern' occurred significantly less frequently relative to the 'specialist PC-led pattern' and the 'segmented integrated care pattern', the 'concurrent integrated care pattern' emerged more frequently when compared with the 2006-2009 follow-up. CONCLUSION: The 'specialist PC-led pattern' was the most prominent pattern in this data. The 2016 follow-up showed that a growing number of patients received a collaborative pattern of care, indicating that integration of specialist PC into standard oncology can manifest as either segmented or concurrent care pathways. Our data suggest a closer, more dynamic and flexible collaboration between oncology and specialist PC early in the disease course of patients with advanced cancer and concurrent with active treatment.

SAS CARE 2 - a randomized study of CPAP in patients with obstructive sleep disordered breathing following ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: The benefit of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) treatment following ischemic stroke in patients with obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is unclear. We set out to investigate this open question in a randomized controlled trial as part of the SAS-CARE study. PATIENTS/METHODS: Non-sleepy patients (ESS < 10) with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and obstructive SDB (AHI ≥ 20) 3 months post-stroke were randomized 1:1 to CPAP treatment (CPAP+) or standard care. Primary outcome was the occurrence of vascular events (TIA/stroke, myocardial infarction/revascularization, hospitalization for heart failure or unstable angina) or death within 24 months post-stroke. Secondary outcomes included Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Barthel Index. RESULTS: Among 238 SAS-CARE patients 41 (17%) non-sleepy obstructive SDB patients were randomized to CPAP (n = 19) or standard care (n = 22). Most patients (80%) had stroke and were males (78%), mean age was 64 ± 7 years and mean NIHSS score 0.6 ± 1.0 (range: 0-5). The primary endpoint was met by one patient in the standard care arm (a new stroke). In an intent-to treat analysis disregarding adherence, this corresponds to an absolute risk difference of 4.5% or an NNT = 22. mRS and Barthel Index were stable and similar between arms. CPAP adherence was sufficient in 60% of evaluable patients at month 24. CONCLUSION: No benefit of CPAP started three months post-stroke was found in terms of new cardio- and cerebrovascular events over 2 years. This may be related to the small size of this study, the mild stoke severity, the exclusion of sleepy patients, the delayed start of treatment, and the overall low event rate.

Extent of Microstructural Tissue Damage Correlates with Hemodynamic Failure in High-Grade Carotid Occlusive Disease: An MRI Study Using Quantitative T2 and DSC Perfusion.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Chronic hemodynamic impairment in high-grade carotid occlusive disease is thought to cause microstructural abnormalities that might be subclinical or lead to subtle symptoms including cognitive impairment. Quantitative MR imaging allows assessing pathologic structural changes beyond macroscopically visible tissue damage. In this study, high-resolution quantitative T2 mapping combined with DSC-based PWI was used to investigate quantitative T2 changes as a potential marker of microstructural damage in relation to hemodynamic impairment in patients with unilateral high-grade carotid occlusive disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients with unilateral high-grade ICA or MCA stenosis/occlusion were included in the study. T2 values and deconvolved perfusion parameters, including relative CBF, relative CBV, and the relative CBF/relative CBV ratio as a potential indicator of local cerebral perfusion pressure, were determined within areas with delayed TTP and compared with values from contralateral unaffected areas after segmentation of normal-appearing hypoperfused WM and cortical regions. Hemispheric asymmetry indices were calculated for all parameters. RESULTS: Quantitative T2 was significantly prolonged (P < .01) in hypoperfused tissue and correlated significantly (P < .01) with TTP delay and relative CBF/relative CBV reduction in WM. Significant correlations (P < .001) between TTP delay and the relative CBF/relative CBV ratio were found both in WM and in cortical areas. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative T2 can be used as a marker of microstructural tissue damage even in normal-appearing GM and WM within a vascular territory affected by high-grade carotid occlusive disease. Furthermore, the extent of damage correlates with the degree of hemodynamic failure measured by DSC perfusion parameters.

Correlating the nanostructure of Al-oxide with deposition conditions and dielectric contributions of two-level systems in perspective of superconducting quantum circuits.

This work is concerned with Al/Al-oxide(AlOx)/Al-layer systems which are important for Josephson-junction-based superconducting devices such as quantum bits. The device performance is limited by noise, which has been to a large degree assigned to the presence and properties of two-level tunneling systems in the amorphous AlOx tunnel barrier. The study is focused on the correlation of the fabrication conditions, nanostructural and nanochemical properties and the occurrence of two-level tunneling systems with particular emphasis on the AlOx-layer. Electron-beam evaporation with two different processes and sputter deposition were used for structure fabrication, and the effect of illumination by ultraviolet light during Al-oxide formation is elucidated. Characterization was performed by analytical transmission electron microscopy and low-temperature dielectric measurements. We show that the fabrication conditions have a strong impact on the nanostructural and nanochemical properties of the layer systems and the properties of two-level tunneling systems. Based on the understanding of the observed structural characteristics, routes are suggested towards the fabrication of Al/AlOx/Al-layers systems with improved properties.

Erratum: Lattice Dynamics of EuO: Evidence for Giant Spin-Phonon Coupling [Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 185501 (2016)].

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.185501.

Lattice Dynamics of EuO: Evidence for Giant Spin-Phonon Coupling.

Comprehensive studies of lattice dynamics in the ferromagnetic semiconductor EuO have been performed by a combination of inelastic x-ray scattering, nuclear inelastic scattering, and ab initio calculations. A remarkably large broadening of the transverse acoustic phonons was discovered at temperatures above and below the Curie temperature T_{C}=69 K. This result indicates a surprisingly strong momentum-dependent spin-phonon coupling induced by the spin dynamics in EuO.

Anomalous Lattice Dynamics of EuSi_{2} Nanoislands: Role of Interfaces Unveiled.

We report a systematic lattice dynamics study of EuSi_{2} films and nanoislands by in situ nuclear inelastic scattering on ^{151}Eu and ab initio theory. The Eu-partial phonon density of states of the nanoislands exhibits anomalous excess of phonon states at low and high energies, not present in the bulk and at the EuSi_{2}(001) surface. We demonstrate that atomic vibrations along the island-substrate interface give rise to phonon states both at low and high energies, while atomic vibrations across the island-island interface result in localized high-energy phonon modes.

Grey matter volumetric changes related to recovery from hand paresis after cortical sensorimotor stroke.

Preclinical studies using animal models have shown that grey matter plasticity in both perilesional and distant neural networks contributes to behavioural recovery of sensorimotor functions after ischaemic cortical stroke. Whether such morphological changes can be detected after human cortical stroke is not yet known, but this would be essential to better understand post-stroke brain architecture and its impact on recovery. Using serial behavioural and high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements, we tracked recovery of dexterous hand function in 28 patients with ischaemic stroke involving the primary sensorimotor cortices. We were able to classify three recovery subgroups (fast, slow, and poor) using response feature analysis of individual recovery curves. To detect areas with significant longitudinal grey matter volume (GMV) change, we performed tensor-based morphometry of MRI data acquired in the subacute phase, i.e. after the stage compromised by acute oedema and inflammation. We found significant GMV expansion in the perilesional premotor cortex, ipsilesional mediodorsal thalamus, and caudate nucleus, and GMV contraction in the contralesional cerebellum. According to an interaction model, patients with fast recovery had more perilesional than subcortical expansion, whereas the contrary was true for patients with impaired recovery. Also, there were significant voxel-wise correlations between motor performance and ipsilesional GMV contraction in the posterior parietal lobes and expansion in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. In sum, perilesional GMV expansion is associated with successful recovery after cortical stroke, possibly reflecting the restructuring of local cortical networks. Distant changes within the prefrontal-striato-thalamic network are related to impaired recovery, probably indicating higher demands on cognitive control of motor behaviour.

High field electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy under ultrahigh vacuum conditions--a multipurpose machine to study paramagnetic species on well defined single crystal surfaces.

A new ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectrometer operating at 94 GHz to investigate paramagnetic centers on single crystal surfaces is described. It is particularly designed to study paramagnetic centers on well-defined model catalysts using epitaxial thin oxide films grown on metal single crystals. The EPR setup is based on a commercial Bruker E600 spectrometer, which is adapted to ultrahigh vacuum conditions using a home made Fabry Perot resonator. The key idea of the resonator is to use the planar metal single crystal required to grow the single crystalline oxide films as one of the mirrors of the resonator. EPR spectroscopy is solely sensitive to paramagnetic species, which are typically minority species in such a system. Hence, additional experimental characterization tools are required to allow for a comprehensive investigation of the surface. The apparatus includes a preparation chamber hosting equipment, which is required to prepare supported model catalysts. In addition, surface characterization tools such as low energy electron diffraction (LEED)/Auger spectroscopy, temperature programmed desorption (TPD), and infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) are available to characterize the surfaces. A second chamber used to perform EPR spectroscopy at 94 GHz has a room temperature scanning tunneling microscope attached to it, which allows for real space structural characterization. The heart of the UHV adaptation of the EPR experiment is the sealing of the Fabry-Perot resonator against atmosphere. To this end it is possible to use a thin sapphire window glued to the backside of the coupling orifice of the Fabry Perot resonator. With the help of a variety of stabilization measures reducing vibrations as well as thermal drift it is possible to accumulate data for a time span, which is for low temperature measurements only limited by the amount of liquid helium. Test measurements show that the system can detect paramagnetic species with a density of approximately 5 × 10(11) spins/cm(2), which is comparable to the limit obtained for the presently available UHV-EPR spectrometer operating at 10 GHz (X-band). Investigation of electron trapped centers in MgO(001) films shows that the increased resolution offered by the experiments at W-band allows to identify new paramagnetic species, that cannot be differentiated with the currently available methodology.

Pb5.0(1)In8.4(1)Bi1.6(1)S20, a new quaternary lead indium bismuth sulfide.

The title phase, first detected in the early 1980s but hitherto unpublished, has been resynthesized and structurally characterized. Unambiguous determination of the chemical composition was not possible by structure analysis alone, but required additional analytical methods. The complex structure shows a close similarity to the structures of two related compounds, one known by the formula Pb(1.6)In(8)Bi(4)S(19) and the other being the ternary compound Pb(6)In(10)S(21). This is despite the fact that the three phases correspond to very different Pb:Bi ratios. A geometric mechanism is described by which the three structures can be transformed into each other, provided that the heavy atoms Pb and Bi are treated as equivalent.

Bid-mediated mitochondrial damage is a key mechanism in glutamate-induced oxidative stress and AIF-dependent cell death in immortalized HT-22 hippocampal neurons.

Glutamate toxicity involves increases in intracellular calcium levels and enhanced formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) causing neuronal dysfunction and death in acute and chronic neurodegenerative disorders. The molecular mechanisms mediating glutamate-induced ROS formation are, however, still poorly defined. Using a model system that lacks glutamate-operated calcium channels, we demonstrate that glutamate-induced acceleration of ROS levels occurs in two steps and is initiated by lipoxygenases (LOXs) and then significantly accelerated through Bid-dependent mitochondrial damage. The Bid-mediated secondary boost of ROS formation downstream of LOX activity further involves mitochondrial fragmentation and release of mitochondrial apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) to the nucleus. These data imply that the activation of Bid is an essential step in amplifying glutamate-induced formation of lipid peroxides to irreversible mitochondrial damage associated with further enhanced free radical formation and AIF-dependent execution of cell death.

The cystine/cysteine cycle: a redox cycle regulating susceptibility versus resistance to cell death.

The glutathione-dependent system is one of the key systems regulating cellular redox balance, and thus cell fate. Cysteine, typically present in its oxidized form cystine in the extracellular space, is regarded as the rate-limiting substrate for glutathione (GSH) synthesis. Cystine is transported into cells by the highly specific amino-acid antiporter system xc-. Since Burkitt's Lymphoma (BL) cells display limited uptake capacity for cystine, and are thus prone to oxidative stress-induced cell death, we stably expressed the substrate-specific subunit of system xc-, xCT, in HH514 BL cells. xCT-overexpressing cells became highly resistant to oxidative stress, particularly upon GSH depletion. Contrary to previous predictions, the increase of intracellular cysteine did not affect the cellular GSH pool, but concomitantly boosted extracellular cysteine concentrations. Even though cells were depleted of bulk GSH, xCT overexpression maintained cellular integrity by protecting against lipid peroxidation, a very early event in cell death progression. Our results show that system xc- protects against oxidative stress not by elevating intracellular GSH levels, but rather creates a reducing extracellular environment by driving a highly efficient cystine/cysteine redox cycle. Our findings show that the cystine/cysteine redox cycle by itself must be viewed as a discrete major regulator of cell survival.

Educação em saúde para a prevenção de Febre Reumática

Introdução: A Febre Reumática, doença resultante de uma faringoamigdalite estreptocócica não tratada adequadamente, pode cursar com seqüelas cardíacas graves e incapacitantes. Apesar de sua fácil prevenção, sua prevalência ainda é alta nos países subdesenvolvidos e em desenvolvimentos, em especial no Brasil, segundo dados do Data SUS. A falta de informação da população e dos próprios profissionais de saúde, é uma das causas que contribui para tais índices. No Rio de Janeiro, o Hospital Geral de Bonsucesso é um centro de referência para o acompanhamento de crianças e adolescentes portadores de febre reumática, sendo este, portanto cenário de atuação do presente trabalho. Materiais e métodos: Análise de 480 questionários elaborados e aplicados por estudantes de medicina do nono período e residentes; supervisionados por médicos do setor de cardiologia pediátrica e professores da UNESA. Objetivo: O objetivo geral do estudo é avaliar o grau de conhecimento de usuários, funcionários, estudantes e profissionais de saúde do HGB, a respeito da enfermidade - febre reumática. Com base nos dados obtidos são delineadas estratégias de atuação educacional visando à conscientização da prevenção da doença. Conclusão: Após análise dos dados colhidos de 480 questionários respondidos, constata-se a necessidade de uma maior divulgação interna do centro de referência de febre reumática do HGB e de seu campo de atuação, alem de se criar para a população leiga uma dinâmica de informação do diagnóstico precoce e tratamento correto das faringoamigdalites bacterianas, e reciclagem periódica para profissionais da área de saúde.

Transmission of the Ambystoma tigrinum virus to alternative hosts.

Ambystoma tigrinum virus (ATV) is a lethal virus originally isolated from Sonora tiger salamanders Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi in the San Rafael Valley in southern Arizona. USA. ATV is implicated in several salamander epizootics. We attempted to transmit ATV experimentally to fish and amphibians by injection, water bath exposure, or feeding to test whether ATV can cause clinical signs of infection or be recovered from exposed individuals that do not show clinical signs. Cell culture and polymerase chain reaction of the viral major capsid protein gene were used for viral detection. Salamanders and newts became infected with ATV and the virus was recovered from these animals, but virus could not be recovered from any of the frogs or fish tested. These results suggest that ATV may only infect urodeles and that fish and frogs may not be susceptible to ATV infection.

[Vaccination of young children, at school entrance and completion in the Bern canton 1998]. / Durchimpfung bei Kleinkindern, nach Schuleintritt und -austritt im Kanton Bern 1998.

Vaccine coverage and role of school physicians for vaccination was evaluated among 1260 and 840 children respectively, in the State of Berne, in 1998. Vaccine coverage (three doses) was sufficient for diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis (95%), but unsatisfactory for pertussis (90%) and measles-mumps-rubella (MMR, 78-80%). The situation was stable in comparison to the year 1995, only vaccine coverage against Haemophilus influenzae Typ b increased (15-20%). School children of non-Swiss origin, especially those born outside Switzerland had partially low vaccination coverage. The percentage vaccinate was 88%, 84% and 68% for MMR. There was no association between vaccine coverage and school examination by family or school physician. The Swiss Public Office of Health should be more involved with the promotion of vaccinations.

Inhibition of insulin-like growth factor-I signaling by ethanol in neuronal cells.

BACKGROUND: Ethanol inhibits insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) activation. However, the potency of ethanol for inhibition of the IGF-IR and other receptor tyrosine kinases varies considerably among different cell types. We investigated the effect of ethanol on IGF-I signaling in several neuronal cell types. METHODS: IGF-I signaling was examined in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, primary cultured rat cerebellar granule neurons, and rat NG-108 neuroblastoma x glioma hybrids. The tyrosine phosphorylation of IGF-IR, IRS-2, Shc, and p42/p44 MAP kinase (MAPK), and the association of Grb-2 with Shc, were examined by immunoprecipitations and Western blotting. RESULTS: IGF-I-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of MAPK was inhibited by ethanol in all cell lines. IGF-IR autophosphorylation was markedly inhibited by ethanol in SH-SY5Y cells, was only mildly inhibited in cerebellar granule neurons, and was unaffected in rat NG-108 cells. In vitro tyrosine autophosphorylation of immunopurified IGF-IR obtained from all cell lines was inhibited by ethanol. There was also differential ethanol sensitivity of IRS-2 and Shc phosphorylation, and the association of Shc with IRS-2, among the different cell types. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate that IGF-I-mediated MAPK activation is a sensitive target of ethanol in diverse neuronal cell types. The data are consistent with ethanol-induced inhibition of IGF-IR activity, although the extent of IGF-IR tyrosine autophosphorylation per se is a poor marker of the inhibitory action of ethanol on this receptor. Furthermore, despite uniform inhibition of MAPK in the different neuronal cell types, tyrosine phosphorylation of proximal mediators of the IGF-IR are differentially inhibited by ethanol.

Inhibition of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor and IRS-2 signaling by ethanol in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.

The effect of ethanol on insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I)-mediated signal transduction and functional activation in neuronal cells was examined. In human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, ethanol inhibited tyrosine autophosphorylation of the IGF-I receptor. This corresponded to the inhibition of IGF-I-induced phosphorylation of p42/p44 mitogen-activated/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (MAPK) by ethanol. Insulin-related substrate-2 (IRS-2) and focal adhesion kinase phosphorylation were reduced in the presence of ethanol, which corresponded to the prevention of lamellipodia formation (30 min). By contrast, ethanol had no effect on Shc phosphorylation when measured up to 1 h, and did not affect the association of Grb-2 with Shc. Neurite formation at 24 h was similarly unaffected by ethanol. The data indicate that the IGF-I receptor is a target for ethanol in SH-SY5Y cells However, there is diversity in the sensitivity of signaling elements within the IGF-I receptor tyrosine kinase signaling cascades to ethanol, which can be related to the inhibition of specific functional events in neuronal activation.

Interpregnancy interval as a risk factor for placenta accreta.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the interval from a previous delivery or cesarean to the next conception differs between patients with abnormally adherent placentas as compared to those with normally implanted placentas. METHODS: We identified all histologically confirmed placentas--accreta, increta, and percreta--at our hospital from 1992-1999. Subjects were excluded for primigravidity in the affected pregnancy or inability to identify matched controls. Cases were matched to the next three consecutive women delivering for maternal age (> or = 35 years or < 35 years), placenta previa (yes or no), prior cesarean (yes or no), prior uterine curettage (yes or no), and prior vaginal delivery (yes or no). The primary outcomes were delivery-to-conception and cesarean-to-conception intervals. Secondary outcomes included measures of maternal and neonatal morbidity. RESULTS: Delivery-to-conception intervals for cases and controls were 37.1 +/- 18.7 months and 37.9 +/- 22.7 months, respectively (P = .91). Cesarean-to-conception intervals for cases and controls were 35.2 +/- 18.2 and 48.1 +/- 31.0 months, respectively (P = .35). Cases were more likely to require uterine curettage (54.5 vs 0%), hysterectomy (81.8 vs 0%), and transfusion (72.7 vs 0%), all P < .001. Subjects with accreta delivered earlier (31.7 +/- 9.4 vs 38.1 +/- 2.6 weeks, P = .054) and smaller infants (2,158 +/- 1,180 g vs 3,159 +/- 781 g, P = .006) who were more likely to have five-minute Apgar scores < 7 (18.2% vs 0%, P = .038). CONCLUSIONS: Cesarean-to-conception intervals but not delivery-to-conception intervals are shorter in patients with abnormally adherent placentas. Placenta accreta is associated with significant maternal and perinatal morbidity.

Influence of the ultrasound contrast agent Levovist on human nailfold capillary microcirculation.

Little is known about the behavior of ultrasound contrast microbubbles in human capillaries. The evaluation of circulatory effects of echo contrast media may bring valuable information for the interpretation of echo contrast phenomena in the human myocardium. In 12 healthy volunteers (aged 31 +/- 6.7 years; five women), nailfold capillaries were examined by means of TV microscopy. The authors investigated acral microcirculation at rest and after local cold application with and without saccharide-based microbubbles (10 mL Levovist 300 mg/mL IV). The mean blood flow velocity at rest was 1.18 +/- 0.18 mm/s (mean value +/-1 SD) and 1.11 +/- 0.11 mm/s (mean value +/- 1 SD) after the injection of Levovist (ns). One minute after local cold exposure a decrease of the blood flow velocity by 61% before and by 75% after intravenous Levovist was found. In both groups the cold-induced decrease of blood flow velocity was statistically significant (p<0.01), whereas there was no significant difference in flow reaction between the two groups. No wall adhesion of blood cells or extravasation of contrast into the surrounding tissue was detected. After intravenous injection of a regular dose of saccharide-based microbubbles Levovist, no change of blood cell flow velocity and no wall adhesion or extravasation could be found at rest and after cold application in human nailfold capillaries. Since microcirculatory flow characteristics in the finger nailfold capillaries are not influenced by Levovist, it might be assumed also that myocardial blood flow behavior remains unchanged, so that this contrast agent may be used as a flow tracer for cardiac investigation.