Evaluation of dental hygiene learning outcomes through smartphone-based educational slides targeting dental hygienists: A pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: Education reflecting fundamental knowledge is required for competent health care providers, but often lectures are not available for this purpose. This study aimed to evaluate the dental hygiene learning outcomes following the presentation of web-based slides on a smartphone to dental hygienists. METHODS: A two-group nonblinded quasi-experimental design was used for this study. Forty-six dental hygienists were assigned to a study (n = 31) or control group (n = 15). The study group viewed 22 slides on fundamental oral health knowledge using smartphones. Pre and postviewing tests (score range: 1-13) and a questionnaire were conducted to evaluate knowledge acquisition and to receive feedback from participants. Differences between the study and control group and intrastudy group differences were statistically evaluated. RESULTS: The fundamental knowledge of dental hygienists improved after viewing the slides: the study group had a significantly higher mean score than the control group (10.87 vs. 6.60; p < 0.001). Study group participants also had substantially higher post-test than pretest knowledge scores (mean 10.87 vs. 6.26, p < 0.001). In the questionnaire, more than 85% of the participants answered that the content of the slides would be useful in their clinical practice. CONCLUSION: Smartphone-based educational slides were beneficial for conveying fundamental and recent oral health knowledge to dental hygienists.

Evaluation of Rhythmic Masseter Muscle Activity during Sleep and Awake in Patients with Dentofacial Deformity.

Objectives: Investigate the activity of rhythmic masseter muscles activity (RMMA) during sleep in patients with dentofacial deformities. Materials and methods: Fifty patients with dentofacial deformities (16 male, 34 female) who required orthognathic surgery. An electrode was attached to the masseter muscle bilaterally, and preoperative polysomnography was performed. The frequency of RMMA onset per hour was measured on the left and the right sides. Values were classified as phasic (grinding: P-RMMA) and tonic (clenching: T-RMMA) to examine the onset of RMMA. Correlation between the RMMA index and various morphological and physical factors were determined including sleep or awake, rapid eye movement (REM), non-rapid eye movement (NREM) phases (NR1-NR4) in the sleep stage, phasic and tonic, gender, and mandibular asymmetry. Results: The RMMA index values at the time of sleep were significantly small than during awake. The values were significantly higher during the NREM sleep than during the REM sleep and were the highest in the NR1 phase. P-RMMA index was significantly higher than the T-RMMA index. The P-RMMA index was also significantly higher than the T-RMMA index for men. In patients with greater asymmetry in the RMMA index values between the left and the right side (more than 30% difference), deviation between the midpoint of the maxillary and the mandibular incisal edges (U1-L1 deviation) was significantly higher. Conclusion: RMMA in patients with dentofacial deformity was statistically higher in awake than sleep, higher in NREM sleep than REM sleep, higher in male than female on grinding, and higher in upper and lower incisor high deviation.

Factors related to oxygen desaturation index during sleep 7 days after bilateral sagittal splitting ramus osteotomy in patients without previous obstructive sleep apnea.

PURPOSE: The incidence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) immediately after surgery in patients with dentofacial deformities without previous OSA remains unknown. We aimed to perioperatively evaluate factors associated with oxygen desaturation index (ODI) during sleep, 7 days after bilateral splitting ramus osteotomy (BSSRO) in patients without previous OSA. METHODS: Fifty-one patients (15 males, 36 females) with dentofacial deformities, scheduled to undergo BSSRO, were included. Polysomnography was performed before orthognathic surgery. Perioperative OSA was evaluated with peripheral arterial tonometry on the day of surgery and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 days postoperatively. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep periods and the ODI were measured. Factors associated with perioperative ODI after surgery were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: REM sleep periods were significantly decreased on the day of surgery and significantly increased at 4 and 7 days postoperatively, compared to the preoperative period. ODI increased on the day of surgery, decreased after 1 day, and increased again at 4 and 7 days postoperatively. ODI on the day of surgery was significantly increased due to increased preoperative ODI, overjet, and SN-MP angle and decreased SNA and SNB angle. ODI at 7 days postoperatively was significantly increased due to increased REM sleep periods and decreased SN-MP and gonial angle. ODI was increased in response to REM sleep periods 7 days after BSSO. CONCLUSION: Airway management in patients with dentofacial deformity should be given more attention by preoperative assessment for OSA, even in the absence of previous OSA, until 7 days postoperatively due to REM rebound.

[Study of Somatosensory Event-Related Potential in Mood Disorder].

There have been a number of inconsistent previous reports indicating that mood disorder patients are relatively sensitive or conversely insensitive to physical pain. However, there have been few such studies examining pain using neurophysiological techniques. The present study was performed to investigate the differences in tactile sense recognition between mood disorder patients and control subjects using a tactile sense recognition P300 measuring system. Tactile stimuli were delivered to the index finger as frequent stimuli and to the ring finger as infrequent stimuli. Subjects were requested to press a button promptly and accurately in response to infrequent stimuli. N140 and P300 were measured in the event-related potential to infrequent stimulus paradigm. The subjects evaluated stimuli on a visual analog scale (VAS). The amplitudes of P300 were smaller for the mood disorder patients than for control subjects. The VAS scores of mood disorder patients were significantly higher than those of control subjects. In mood disorder patients, the amplitude of P300 was negatively correlated with the HAM-D score. These results suggest dysfunction of tactile sense recognition in mood disorder patients. In addition, the amplitude of P300 may be useful as a biological marker for psychological conditions in mood disorder patients.

[Functional Residual Capacity Measurement Based on Lung Structure Model Analysis Using the Helium Gas Dilution Technique].

In the helium gas dilution method, functional residual capacity (FRC) is calculated from a helium concentra- tion equilibrium curve. In this study, we analyzed the helium concentration equilibrium curves of healthy patients, clarified the determinants of the equilibrium concentration, and studied the effects of an uneven lung distribution. We collected data from 200 patients (92 males and 108 females) whose FRC values had been measured at our institution over the past 6 years. Their FRC values ranged from 80% to 120%, and theit other pulmo- nary function values were within the normal range. In the compartmental model analysis, we discovered that the helium concentration equilibrium curve was composed of one compartment, and that it did not have a polyphasic structure. Each 0.25-minute (15-second) segment of the helium concentration equilibrium curve obtained from the patients was evaluated using univariate and multivariate regression analyses. The helium concentration equilibrium curve decreased exponentially over the time course of the analysis, and the multiple correlation coefficient for the relationship between the 0.25-minute to 0.75-minute segments and the 1.00-minute to 1.50-minute segments in the final model was 0.949. Finally, we examined the influence of an uneven peripheral lung distribution. A model based on the con- centration change seen between the initial and middle periods during at rest ventilation indicated that the latter parameter was not affected by the ventilation volume of the peripheral lung. [Original].

Reversibility of the pulmonary function based on the partial flow-volume curve predicts the efficacy of bronchodilator therapy for treating chronic cough.

OBJECTIVE: Partial expiratory flow-volume curves have the potential to detect mild bronchoconstriction because they are not affected by the modulatory effects of deep inspiration. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the efficacy of bronchodilator therapy (BDT) in treating the cough and to assess the increase in the expiratory flow of the partial flow-volume curve at 40% above the residual volume level (PEF40) caused by treatment with a short-acting beta-2 agonist (SABA) in patients with chronic nonproductive cough. METHODS: We measured the reversibility of PEF40 caused by a SABA in 42 patients with chronic nonproductive cough at visit 1 (day 0). The patients received BDT for six days. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess the efficacy of BDT in treating coughing at visit 2 (day 7) (0 mm, 'no cough;' 100 mm, 'no change in coughing'). RESULTS: Reversibility of the PEF40 was correlated (r=0.690, p<0.001) with the VAS score determined at visit 2 and was higher in the patients with cough variant asthma (CVA) (44.9 ± 18.3%) than in those with atopic cough (13.4 ± 10.4%) (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Reversibility of the PEF40 predicted the efficacy of BDT in patients with chronic nonproductive cough and helped to identify patients with CVA.