EEG-neurofeedback training and quality of life of institutionalized elderly women (a pilot study).

This pilot study attempted to study the applicability of neurofeedback for elderly persons living in nursing homes. We hypothesized an improve of cognitive functioning and the independence in daily life (IDL) of elderly people by using low beta (12-15HZ) EEG neurofeedback training (E-NFT). The participants (active E-NFT group, n=10; control group, n=6) were community living elderly women without dementia. Neurofeedback training was adjusted ten times within 9 weeks, with a training duration of 21 minutes by use of a single electrode, which was centrally placed on the skull surface. Executive functioning (measured with the Rey and fluency tasks), memory capacity (measured with the 15 words test), and IDL (measured with the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale) were measured before and after ten E-NFT sessions in nine weeks. No effects were found for IDL nor executive functioning. Interestingly, performance on the memory test improved in the experimental group, indicating a possible positive effect of E-NFT on memory in elderly women. This study demonstrates that E-NFT is applicable to older institutionalized women. The outcome of this pilot-study justifies the investigation of possible memory effects in future studies.

Automating Quantitative Measures of an Established Conventional MRI Scoring System for Preterm-Born Infants Scanned between 29 and 47 Weeks' Postmenstrual Age.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Conventional MR imaging scoring is a valuable tool for risk stratification and prognostication of outcomes, but manual scoring is time-consuming, operator-dependent, and requires high-level expertise. This study aimed to automate the regional measurements of an established brain MR imaging scoring system for preterm neonates scanned between 29 and 47 weeks' postmenstrual age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study used T2WI from the longitudinal Prediction of PREterm Motor Outcomes cohort study and the developing Human Connectome Project. Measures of biparietal width, interhemispheric distance, callosal thickness, transcerebellar diameter, lateral ventricular diameter, and deep gray matter area were extracted manually (Prediction of PREterm Motor Outcomes study only) and automatically. Scans with poor quality, failure of automated analysis, or severe pathology were excluded. Agreement, reliability, and associations between manual and automated measures were assessed and compared against statistics for manual measures. Associations between measures with postmenstrual age, gestational age at birth, and birth weight were examined (Pearson correlation) in both cohorts. RESULTS: A total of 652 MRIs (86%) were suitable for analysis. Automated measures showed good-to-excellent agreement and good reliability with manual measures, except for interhemispheric distance at early MR imaging (scanned between 29 and 35 weeks, postmenstrual age; in line with poor manual reliability) and callosal thickness measures. All measures were positively associated with postmenstrual age (r = 0.11-0.94; R2 = 0.01-0.89). Negative and positive associations were found with gestational age at birth (r = -0.26-0.71; R2 = 0.05-0.52) and birth weight (r = -0.25-0.75; R2 = 0.06-0.56). Automated measures were successfully extracted for 80%-99% of suitable scans. CONCLUSIONS: Measures of brain injury and impaired brain growth can be automatically extracted from neonatal MR imaging, which could assist with clinical reporting.

Short and long-term effects of sham-controlled prefrontal EEG-neurofeedback training in healthy subjects.

OBJECTIVE: In this study we evaluated long-term effects of frontal beta EEG-neurofeedback training (E-NFT) on healthy subjects. We hypothesized that E-NFT can change frontal beta activity in the long-term and that changes in frontal beta EEG activity are accompanied by altered cognitive performance. METHODS: 25 healthy subjects were included and randomly assigned to active or sham E-NFT. On average the subjects underwent 15 E-NFT training sessions with a training duration of 45 min. Resting-state EEG was recorded prior to E-NFT training (t1) and in a 3-year follow-up (t3). RESULTS: Compared to sham E-NFT, which was used for the control group, real E-NFT increased beta activity in a predictable way. This increase was maintained over a period of three years post training. However, E-NFT did not result in significantly improved cognitive performance. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, we conclude that EEG-NFT can selectively modify EEG beta activity both in short and long-term. SIGNIFICANCE: This is a sham controlled EEG neurofeedback study demonstrating long-term effects in resting state EEG.

Synergistic effects between GM-CSF and G-CSF or M-CSF on highly enriched human marrow progenitor cells.

The human multilineage hematopoietic growth factor granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) induces multipotent, erythroid, and eosinophil colony formation from highly enriched normal bone marrow cells. We have examined the effects of GM-CSF combined with granulocyte-CSF (G-CSF) or macrophage-CSF (M-CSF) on the monolineage granulocytic, eosinophilic, and macrophage progenitor cells (CFU-G, CFU-Eo, and CFU-M) in accessory cell depleted marrow fractions. GM-CSF effects were assessed in direct comparison with those of interleukin-3 (IL-3) plus G-CSF or M-CSF. GM-CSF strongly synergized with G-CSF in the formation of granulocytic colonies with respect to number and size and enhanced the in vitro survival of CFU-G. More immature cells were present in colonies induced by the mixture of GM-CSF and G-CSF than by G-CSF alone. GM-CSF also synergized with M-CSF in the formation of macrophage colonies (number and size). The addition of G-CSF and M-CSF did not influence eosinophil colony formation induced by GM-CSF or IL-3. Experiments directly comparing GM-CSF and IL-3 revealed that the effects of GM-CSF on G and M colony-forming cells were significantly greater than those of IL-3. The potent positive effects between GM-CSF and G-CSF as well as between GM-CSF and M-CSF provide a powerful mechanism of amplification of granulopoiesis and monocytopoiesis.

Human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) stimulates immature marrow precursors but no CFU-GM, CFU-G, or CFU-M.

Human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) has been described as a multilineage growth factor that induces in vitro colony formation from erythroid burst-forming units (BFU-E), eosinophil colony-forming units (CFU-Eo), and multipotential CFU (CFU-GEMM) as well as from granulocyte-macrophage CFU (CFU-GM), granulocyte CFU (CFU-G), and macrophage CFU (CFU-M). In this paper we provide evidence indicating that GM-CSF, when tested for its stimulating capacities expressed upon highly enriched hematopoietic progenitor cells (CD34+/monocyte-depleted), is unable to induce colonies from CFU-GM, CFU-G, or CFU-M. Only BFU-E, CFU-Eo, and CFU-GEMM were stimulated, and thus GM-CSF induces a similarly restricted spectrum of progenitor cells as does recombinant human interleukin 3 (IL-3). We then compared the relative stimulating potencies of GM-CSF and IL-3 by measuring colony numbers of CFU-GEMM, BFU-E, and CFU-Eo generated from CD34+ progenitor cells. IL-3 and GM-CSF as single factors were equally active in stimulating CFU-GEMM, but the combination of both factors produced additive stimulative effects upon CFU-GEMM. IL-3 was a more potent stimulus of BFU-E, and GM-CSF was the more active stimulating factor for CFU-Eo. We conclude that GM-CSF and IL-3, although stimulating the outgrowth of identical types of progenitor cells, particularly differ as regards their comparative quantitative efficiency of stimulation.

[A short scale for measuring social support in the elderly: the SSL12-I]. / Een korte schaal voor het meten van sociale steun bij ouderen: de SSL12-I.

De SSL12-I is the shortened version of Social Support List--Interaction version, and is meant to be used with elderly people. The instrument consists of three subscales: 'everyday social support', 'social support in problem situations' and 'esteem support'. Each subscale has 4 items. The SSL12-I is initially developed on the basis of a selective research sample (N = 98). The SSL12-I was now been tested in a random sample of elderly people (N = 245). The three principal components, as initially found in the selective research sample and corresponding with the three subscales, stand out even more clearly in the random sample. Internal consistency, as measured with Cronbach's alpha, is .82, .79, .75 respectively for the subscales, and .87 for the total scale. Construct validity of the SSL12-I is satisfactory.

Effects of human interleukin-3 on granulocytic colony-forming cells in human bone marrow.

Human multilineage colony-stimulating factor (multi-CSF)/interleukin-3 (IL-3) induces colony formation from CFU-GEMM, BFU-E, and CFU-Eo when applied to in vitro cultures of highly enriched hematopoietic progenitor cells. No granulocytic colonies are formed in response to IL-3. However, with appropriate assays, we demonstrate that IL-3 increases the size of G-CSF-induced granulocytic colonies; these colonies contain greater proportions of immature cells as compared with colonies stimulated by G-CSF alone. Furthermore, IL-3 promotes the survival of CFU-G in vitro, whereas in cultures not supplemented with IL-3, CFU-G extinguish within seven days. We conclude that IL-3, although it does not stimulate granulocytic colony formation by itself, regulates the survival and proliferative rate of granulocytic progenitors.

Interleukin-6 synergizes with M-CSF in the formation of macrophage colonies from purified human marrow progenitor cells.

We examined the in vitro stimulative effects of recombinant human interleukin-6 (IL-6, or interferon-beta 2) on purified human bone marrow progenitor cells. IL-6 alone or in combination with erythropoietin (Epo), IL-3, GM-CSF, or G-CSF did not induce colony formation. However, IL-6 strongly synergized with M-CSF in stimulating macrophage colony formation (colony numbers and size). The magnitude of IL-6 synergism with M-CSF was dose dependent; maximal potentiation of M-colony formation was evident at approximately 100 to 1,000 U/mL IL-6. When the addition of IL-6 to M-CSF-supplemented cultures was delayed for more than one day after the beginning of culture, enhancement of macrophage colony formation was lost. IL-6 stimulation of M-CSF-responsive colony formation was not apparent when nonpurified marrow cells were plated, most likely due to endogenous IL-6 release. These observations suggest that IL-6, in addition to playing a role in B-lymphocyte proliferation can potentiate the human immune defence mechanism by stimulating monocyte-macrophage development as well.

Unilateral multicystic dysplastic kidney: a combined pre- and postnatal assessment.

OBJECTIVE: To review the prenatal assessment of associated renal pathology, non-renal pathology and renal biometry, fetal outcome and postnatal urological management in the presence of unilateral fetal multicystic dysplastic kidney. METHODS: A total of 38 singleton pregnancies with fetal unilateral multicystic dysplastic kidney was studied over a 13-year period. Prenatally, fetal biometry, including head and abdominal circumferences and largest longitudinal diameter of the affected and contralateral kidneys, was performed. The amount of amniotic fluid was assessed. Fetal karyotyping was offered in cases of contralateral renal or non-renal pathology. A MAG 3 scan and voiding cystogram was performed approximately 4 weeks after delivery to establish renal function and to exclude urinary reflux. RESULTS: Unilateral fetal multicystic dysplastic kidney was left-sided in 53% and right-sided in 47% of cases. The fetus was male in 63% and female in 37% of cases. Associated renal and non-renal pathology existed in 21% and 5% of cases, respectively. The fetal karyotype in these subsets was always normal. The longitudinal diameter of the multicystic dysplastic kidney was above the 95th centile in 87%. There was polyhydramnios in three cases and oligohydramnios in two cases. The prematurity rate was 16%. Postnatal examination revealed a non-functional multicystic kidney in 87% (33/38) of cases. Following surgical removal of the affected kidney, these infants progressed normally. Of the remaining five infants, four died because of associated anomalies and one infant developed normally without surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal outcome is determined by associated renal and/or non-renal structural pathology and not by the size/location of the unilateral multicystic dysplastic kidney or amniotic fluid volume.

Optimal collection and storage conditions for catecholamine measurements in human plasma and urine.

Improvements in methodologies for measuring concentrations of catecholamines (CA) have led to an increasing use of these compounds as markers in the screening of patients and in long-term clinical trials. Because of the associated logistical problems, we have investigated the unresolved question of optimal conditions for sample preparation and for storage of plasma and urine samples. Results show that blood should be centrifuged within 1 h after collection; the use of a refrigerated centrifuge is not necessary. Once plasma is prepared, CA are stable for 1 day at 20 degrees C, 2 days at 4 degrees C, 1 month at -20 degrees C (or 6 months with added glutathione), and up to 1 year at -70 degrees C. CA are stable at 4 degrees C for 1 month in unpreserved urine and for 4 months in urine preserved with EDTA and sodium metabisulfite. In acidified urine, CA were nearly unchanged after 1 year at 4 and -20 degrees C.