On the (in)efficacy of motor imagery training without feedback and event-related desynchronizations considerations.

Motor imagery (MI) constitutes a recurrent strategy for signals generation in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) - systems that aim to control external devices by directly associating brain responses to distinct commands. Although great improvement has been achieved in MI-BCIs performance over recent years, they still suffer from inter- and intra-subject variability issues. As an attempt to cope with this, some studies have suggested that MI training should aid users to appropriately modulate their response for BCI usage: generally, this training is performed based on the sensorimotor rhythms' modulation over the primary sensorimotor cortex (PMC), with the signal being feedbacked to the user. Nonetheless, recent studies have revisited the actual involvement of the PMC into MI, and little to no attention has been devoted to understanding the participation of other cortical areas into training protocols. Therefore, in this work, our aim was to analyze the response induced by hands MI of 10 healthy subjects in the form of event-related desynchronizations (ERDs) and to assess whether features from beyond the PMC might be useful for hands MI classification. We investigated how this response occurs for distinct frequency intervals between 7-30 Hz, and ex0plored changes in their evocation pattern across 12 MI training sessions without feedback. Overall, we found that ERD patterns occur differently for the frequencies encompassed by the µ and ß bands, with its evocation being favored for the first band. Over time, the no-feedback approach was inefficient to aid in enhancing ERD evocation (EO). Moreover, to some extent, EO tends to decrease over blocks within a given run, and runs within an MI session, but remains stable within an MI block. We also found that the C3/C4 pair is not necessarily optimal for data classification, and both spectral and spatial subjects' specificities should be considered when designing training protocols.

[Changes in intraocular pressure with the use of topical nasal mometasone furoate]. / Modificación de la presión intraocular con el uso del furoato de mometasona tópica nasal.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to valuation if the use of topical Mometasone Furoate for the treatment of rhinitis provokes an elevation of the intraocular pressure. MATERIAL AND METHOD: It was comparative, double blind, experimental, prospective and longitudinal. To measure the intraocular pressure of the patients at the third week, sixth week, three month, six month and one year. RESULTS: There were some modifications in the intraocular pressure, but without exceeding the normal parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Mometasone Furoate is safe and does not cause an increment in the intraocular pressure.

Automated perimetry: a study of the glaucoma hemifield test for the detection of early glaucomatous visual field loss.

SUMMARY: In order to verify the ability of the Glaucoma Hemifield Test in detecting early glaucomatous alterations, as well as its sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility, 78 glaucoma patients, glaucoma suspects, and normals were selected. In those eyes who presented alterations of the optic disc suggestive of glaucomatous damage, but with no typical lesions in the visual field, the test was positive in 18.4% of the cases. The sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility of the test were 100, 100, and 83.3%, respectively.

[Efficacy of a rice-based beverage for the management of dehydration caused by acute diarrhea in children]. / Eficacia de una bebida a base de arroz en el manejo de la deshidratación por diarrea aguda en niños.

We tested the clinical efficacy of a rice-powder gruel (RPG) as an oral rehydration solution in a randomized clinical trial, comparing it with oral rehydration salts (ORS) prepared as recommended by WHO. RPG was prepared as mothers do it in a rural area, according to previous ethnographic work. RPG has sugar but no sodium or other electrolytes. Seventy patients under 5 years old with mild to moderate dehydration due to acute diarrhea were included in the trial. Ninety-two percent of children were successfully rehydrated with RPG and 91% of children were successfully rehydrated with ORS. Patients in the study group required less time to rehydrate and presented a reduction in fecal output as compared with the control group. We propose that the rice-powder gruel should find its place as a first line of treatment at the home level, when oral rehydration salts are not available, to prevent dehydration in the child affected with acute diarrhea, and that its use should be closely linked to no suspension or rapid reintroduction of oral feeding to provide an external source of sodium and other nutrients.

[Treatment of diarrheic disease at home. Comparison of 2 forms of oral solutions: liquid and concentrated in small bags]. / Tratamiento de la enfermedad diarreica en el hogar. Comparación de dos presentaciones de suero oral: líquida y concentrada en sobres.

One hundred children, ranging in ages from a month to a year, with acute diarrhea who were treated at home following the basic standard recommendations, were studied. In order to prevent dehydration, half of the children were given oral solution (OS) containing the concentrated official formula in packets (group A), and the remaining half was given a commercially prepared ready-to-use OS (group B). During the treatment period, two house calls were made and the third day the patient was asked to come in for a check-up at the hospital. The clinical and socioeconomic characteristics were similar in both groups. The majority of parents made some reference to the "salty" taste of their OS, while only a few thought it has a sweet taste. In Group B, there were greater numbers of relatives who did not wash their hands before administering the OS and did it through bottles. A reminder was given on suggestive signs of dehydration expected, during the second home visit, although they were few. In both groups the average amount of OS administered was greater than 40 mL/kg/24 hours. The majority of the patients gained weight during the treatment. Four patients showed signs of slight dehydration (three from group A and one from group B). The OS's bacteriologic examination was positive for enteropathogens in 16% of the samples from group A and in 5% from group B. The average time the diarrhea continued was similar for both groups. Sodium concentration ranged from 60 to 120, potassium from 15 to 30 mmol/L, in 85% of those cases in group A and 98% in group B.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)