Association of Physical Performance, Muscle Strength and Body Composition with Self-Assessed Quality of Life in Hemodialyzed Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

(1) Patients on chronic hemodialysis (HD) experience impaired quality of life (QoL). We analyzed HD's relationship with physical performance, body composition, and muscle strength; (2) QoL was assessed with the Short Form-36, composed of physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) health dimensions. Physical performance was assessed with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), body composition (lean tissue mass% (LTM%), fat tissue mass% (FTM%), and skeletal muscle mass% (SMM%)) was assessed with bioelectrical impedance, and lower extremity strength was assessed with a handheld dynamometer; and (3) we enrolled 76 patients (27 F, 49 M), age 62.26 ± 12.81 years, HD vintage 28.45 (8.65−77.49) months. Their QoL score was 53.57 (41.07−70.64); their PCS and MCS scores were 52.14 (38.69−65.95) and 63.39 (44.64−76.79) and strongly correlated (p < 0.0001, R = 0.738). QoL correlated positively with SPPB (R = 0.35, p ≤ 0.001), muscle strength (R from 0.21 to 0.41, p < 0.05), and LTM% (R = 0.38, p < 0.001) and negatively with FTM% (R = −0.32, p = 0.006). PCS correlated positively with SPPB (R = 0.42 p < 0.001), muscle strength (R 0.25−0.44, p < 0.05), and LTM% (R = 0.32, p = 0.006) and negatively with FTM% (R = −0.25, p = 0.031). MCS correlated positively with SPPB (R = 0.23, p = 0.047), SMM% (R = 0.25; p = 0.003), and LTM% (R = 0.39, p < 0.001) and negatively with FTM% (R = −0.34; p = 0.003). QoL was unrelated to sex (p = 0.213), age (p = 0.157), HD vintage (p = 0.156), and BMI (p = 0.202); (4) Better physical performance, leaner body composition, and higher muscle strength are associated with better mental and physical QoL in HD.

Reorganization of language centers in patients with brain tumors located in eloquent speech areas - A pre- and postoperative preliminary fMRI study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine in pre- and postsurgical fMRI studies the rearrangement of the Broca's and Wernicke's areas and the lateralization index for these areas in patients with brain tumors located near speech centers. Impact of the surgical treatment on the brain plasticity was evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pre- and postoperative fMRI examinations were performed in 10 patients with low grade glial, left-sided brain tumors located close to the Broca's (5 patients) or Wernicke's area (5 patients). BOLD signal was recorded in regions of interest: Broca's and Wernicke's areas, and their anatomic right-sided homologues. RESULTS: In the preoperative fMRI study the left Broca's area was activated in all cases. The right Broca's area was activated in all the patients with no speech disorders. In the postoperative fMRI the activation of both Broca's areas increased in two cases. In other two cases activation of one of the Broca's area increased along with the decrease in the contralateral hemisphere. In all patients with temporal lobe tumors, the right Wernicke's area was activated in the pre- and postsurgical fMRI. After the operation, in two patients with speech disorder, the activation of both Broca's areas decreased and the activation of one of the Wernicke's areas increased. CONCLUSIONS: In the cases of tumors localized near the left Broca's area, a transfer of the function to the healthy hemisphere seems to take place. Resection of tumors located near Broca's or Wernicke's areas may lead to relocation of the brain language centers.

Correlates of habitual physical activity in chronic haemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Results of physical performance tests may not reflect the level of habitual physical activity and health status of the dialysis patients. The aim of our study was to assess interdialytic spontaneous physical activity in chronic haemodialysis (HD) patients in relation to their nutritional status, severity of anaemia, inflammation and dialysis adequacy. METHODS: Sixty HD patients [27 female, 33 male; mean age 60+/-13 years, time on dialysis 46.2+/-62.1 months and body mass index (BMI) 25.1+/-4.7 kg/m2] without physical and neurological disabilities and 16 healthy individuals (10 female, six male, mean age 56+/-6 years, BMI 26.6+/-4.9 kg/m2) were enrolled into the study. In all patients, spontaneous daily physical activity was measured during 48 h between mid-week dialysis sessions by pedometers. Nutritional status was estimated by anthropometric methods (BMI and mid-arm muscle circumference) and serum albumin concentration. Additionally, body composition was estimated using a multifrequency phase-sensitive bioimpedance analysis (BIA). Severity of anaemia was determined by blood haemoglobin level and haematocrit value, and the presence of inflammatory state was determined by high sensitivity plasma C-reactive (CRP) protein measurements. RESULTS: The total number of steps during daily activities in dialysis patients and in healthy individuals was 6896+/-2357 vs 14 181+/-5383 per 48 h, respectively (P<0.001). Dialysis patients showed typical signs of malnutrition in the BIA, i.e. high extracellular mass/body cell mass index (1.17+/-0.28 in dialysis patients vs 0.97+/-0.1 in controls; P<0.001), low percentage cell mass (46.7+/-5.6 and 51.0+/-3.6, respectively; P = 0.002) and low phase angle (5.1+/-0.9 and 5.8+/-0.7, respectively; P = 0.006). Dialysis patients also showed lower serum albumin and blood haemoglobin and higher serum CRP levels than healthy controls. In dialysis patients, the number of steps taken positively correlated with body water (R = 0.28, P = 0.03), fat mass (r = 0.29, P = 0.04), BMI (R = 0.25, P = 0.04), lean body mass (R = 0.26, P = 0.04), intracellular water (r = 0.30, P<0.01), phase angle (R = 0.40, P = 0.002), serum albumin (R = 0.32, P = 0.01), haematocrit (R = 0.46, P = 0.001) and haemoglobin (R = 0.44, P = 0.001). Furthermore, the number of steps taken correlated significantly with mid-arm muscle circumference (r = 0.35, P = 0.006). A negative correlation was found between the number of steps and extracellular mass/body cell mass index (R = -0.37; P = 0.004). No significant relationships were found between the measures of physical activity and high sensitivity CRP or adequacy of dialysis. Multiple regression analysis revealed the independent associations between the number of steps taken by the patients and haemoglobin concentration, age, total body water, extracellular mass/body cell mass index and phase angle. CONCLUSIONS: Low habitual physical activity assessed in HD patients with simple portable pedometers is strongly related to several factors of major clinical importance in this population.