Balls to the wall: how acoustic information from a ball in motion guides interceptive movement in people with Parkinson's disease.

Previous research has shown that Parkinson's disease (PD) patients can increase the speed of their movement when catching a moving ball compared to when reaching for a static ball (Majsak et al., 1998). A recent model proposed by Redgrave et al. (2010) explains this phenomenon with regard to the dichotomic organization of motor loops in the basal ganglia circuitry and the role of sensory micro-circuitries in the control of goal-directed actions. According to this model, external visual information that is relevant to the required movement can induce a switch from a habitual control of movement toward an externally-paced, goal-directed form of guidance, resulting in augmented motor performance (Bienkiewicz et al., 2013). In the current study, we investigated whether continuous acoustic information generated by an object in motion can enhance motor performance in an arm reaching task in a similar way to that observed in the studies of Majsak et al. (1998, 2008). In addition, we explored whether the kinematic aspects of the movement are regulated in accordance with time to arrival information generated by the ball's motion as it reaches the catching zone. A group of 7 idiopathic PD (6 male, 1 female) patients performed a ball-catching task where the acceleration (and hence ball velocity) was manipulated by adjusting the angle of the ramp. The type of sensory information (visual and/or auditory) specifying the ball's arrival at the catching zone was also manipulated. Our results showed that patients with PD demonstrate improved motor performance when reaching for a ball in motion, compared to when stationary. We observed how PD patients can adjust their movement kinematics in accordance with the speed of a moving target, even if vision of the target is occluded and patients have to rely solely on auditory information. We demonstrate that the availability of dynamic temporal information is crucial for eliciting motor improvements in PD. Furthermore, these effects appear independent from the sensory modality through-which the information is conveyed.

The clinical and neuroimaging studies in Holmes tremor.

AIM: Holmes tremor (HT) is a combination of rest, postural and action tremor. A parallel dysfunction of cerebello-thalamic and nigrostriatal pathways seems necessary to produce this kind of tremor. We present the clinical and neuroimaging study verifying that hypothesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 10 patients: five male, five female, fulfilling consensus criteria were included. Demographic, clinical and neuroimaging data (MRI = 9; CT = 1, SPECT with the use of 123-I-FP CIT: DaTSCAN in six patients to assess the presynaptic dopaminergic nigrostriatal system involvement, indices of asymmetry for ligand uptake for each striatum were calculated) were analyzed. RESULTS: Hemorrhage was the most frequent etiology and thalamus - the most commonly involved structure. Contrary to the previous reports, the visual assessment did not reveal remarkable interhemispheric differences of DaTSCAN uptake. Quantitative measurements showed only minimal differences. CONCLUSIONS: It is open to debate whether nigrostriatal pathway damage is crucial for the phenomenology of HT. Alternative hypothesis is presented that HT represents the heterogeneous spectrum of tremors with similar phenomenology, but different pathophysiology.

Elevated serum levels of visfatin in gestational diabetes: a comparative study across various degrees of glucose tolerance.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Concentrations of visfatin are increased in insulin-resistant conditions, but the relationship between visfatin and insulin and/or insulin resistance indices in pregnancy remains unclear. Insulin resistance in pregnancy is further accentuated in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Thus we assessed serum levels of visfatin in pregnant women with varying degrees of glucose tolerance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fasting visfatin levels were measured at 28 weeks of gestation in 51 women divided according to their response to a 50-g glucose challenge test (GCT) and a 75-g OGTT: control subjects (n = 20) had normal responses to both a GCT and an OGTT; the intermediate group (IG; n = 15) had a false-positive GCT, but a normal OGTT; the GDM group (n = 16) had abnormal GCTs and OGTTs. RESULTS: There were no age or BMI differences between analysed groups. Across the subgroups there was a progressive increase in glucose and insulin at 120 min of the OGTT (p < 0.01). This was accompanied by an increase in visfatin, from 76.8 +/- 14.1 ng/ml in the control subjects, to 84.0 +/- 14.7 ng/ml in the IG group and 93.1 +/- 12.3 ng/ml in the GDM group (p < 0.01 for GDM vs control subjects). There was a positive correlation between visfatin and fasting insulin (r = 0.38, p = 0.007) and insulin at 120 min of the OGTT (r = 0.39, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: An increase in fasting visfatin, the levels of which correlate with both fasting and post-glucose-load insulin concentrations, accompanies worsening glucose tolerance in the third trimester of pregnancy. However, the significance of these findings, and in particular the role of visfatin in the regulation of insulin sensitivity during pregnancy, remains to be elucidated.

Effects of hormone replacement therapy type and route of administration on plasma matrix metalloproteinases and their tissue inhibitors in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are implicated in numerous disease states including cardiovascular disease and cancer. Because recent studies have shown a detrimental effect of hormone replacement therapy on cardiovascular disease and breast cancer, we investigated whether there are any differences in the concentrations of MMPs and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) in women receiving various forms of postmenopausal therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 195 healthy postmenopausal women were assessed: 46 were taking tibolone, 47 were taking transdermal estradiol, 46 were taking conjugated equine estrogens (CEE), and 56 were not taking any menopausal therapy (CTR). Plasma levels of MMP-2 and -9 and TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were measured by ELISA methods. RESULTS: MMP-9 levels were significantly higher in the CEE group in comparison with healthy women not receiving menopausal therapy (P < 0.05). In contrast, MMP-9 levels in the tibolone group were significantly lower than in any other group (P < 0.01, compared with transdermal estradiol and CTR, and P < 0.001, compared with CEE). MMP-9 to TIMP-1 ratio was also significantly higher in the CEE, compared with CTR (P < 0.05), and lower in the tibolone group (P < 0.01, compared with all groups). MMP-2 levels were higher in the CEE group, compared with healthy women not receiving any menopausal therapy, and women taking tibolone (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates differential effects of various forms of postmenopausal therapy on serum levels of MMP-9 and MMP-2. It remains to be established whether these differences might be associated with differences in risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer in these women.

Evaluation of MIB-1 immunoreactivity and nucleolar organizer regions in nonneoplastic and neoplastic thyroid lesions.

Epithelial hyperplastic lesions of the thyroid gland still pose many diagnostic problems, despite considerable progress in the diagnosis of thyroid disorders. Especially borderline lesions are difficult to differentiate. The aims of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic value and compare the number of AgNORs and MIB-1 expression in thyreocytes from various pathological thyroid changes with special emphasis on borderline lesions (hyperplastic nodule-adenoma-follicular carcinoma). Material included 83 sections from 72 thyroid glands (55 women, 17 men, and mean age 45). According to histological examination the sections were divided into 7 groups: parenchymal goiter, nodular goiter, follicular adenoma, follicular carcinoma, papillary carcinoma, oxyphilic carcinoma and anaplastic carcinoma. Statistical analysis of the results revealed a significant correlation between the values of the number of AgNORs or MIB-1 proliferation index and neoplasm malignancy grade as well as a correlation between the number of AgNORs and MIB-1 proliferation index. The results demonstrated that both the number of AgNORs and the proliferative activity marker MIB-1 may be an additional diagnostic criterion in differential diagnosis of borderline thyroid lesions (each feature separately, but better effects are obtained when considering both).

Quantitative assessment of technetium-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile planar perfusion heart studies: application of multivariate analysis to patient classification.

A quantified evaluation of planar cardiac perfusion scintigrams (the objective of the study), obtained using technetium-99m methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) was performed on the basis of an analysis of circumferential profile curves, representing the perfusion as seen in three typical projections. The analysis involved the curves obtained both at rest and after stress, and was based on a comparison of their shape (trend) with the normal trend (normative evaluation). The latter was obtained by means of an original method of iterative fitting of individual curves into the database. The base consisted of curves recorded in 53 patients (separately in males and females) with normal perfusion of the left ventricle (group I, the reference group). A group of 90 patients suspected of having coronary artery disease (group II) was subdivided into two subgroups on the basis of coronary arteriography: (a) those with and (b) those without critical stenosis of at least one artery. Profile curves characterising the LV perfusion were obtained at rest and after stress. Defects of perfusion were quantified by comparison of individual curves with the normal trends. By means of multivariate analysis it was demonstrated that vectors of mean values characterising the scintigraphically assessed defects of LV perfusion in the two subgroups of group II differed very significantly (P < 10(-5)). Applying methods of discriminant analysis, a classification of patients from group II was performed into those with probable defects of perfusion and those free of such defects. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of diagnosis of coronary ischaemia, based on quantified planar 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy, reached 86%, 87% and 87%, respectively.

Experimental toxic liver damage and hepatic plasma clearance of 99mTc-mebrofenin (iminodiacetate derivative). III. Chronic CCl4-induced liver damage with eventual cirrhosis in rabbits.

Chronic damage to liver parenchyma was induced in rabbits by the long-term administration of carbon tetrachloride. The animals were serially sacrificed 3, 6 and 9 months after the start of intoxication, and examined histopathologically. The biological response was qualitatively assessed from results of histological studies, and measured utilizing series of typical biochemical indices of liver damage, 99mTc-mebrofenin (an-IDA-derivative) plasma clearance by the liver, and quantified indices of uptake and organ transfer of the compound. It was found that the plasma clearance and transfer parameters show association with chronic liver damage. The reduction of plasma 99mTc-mebrofenin clearance in intoxicated rabbits was also associated with changes in the biochemical indices of liver function and damage.

Experimental toxic liver damage and hepatic plasma clearance of 99mTc-mebrofenin (iminodiacetate derivative). I. Early, acute CCl4-induced liver damage in rabbits.

Liver damage was induced in rabbits by graded doses of carbon tetrachloride. The damage was assessed by means of quantitative morphometry using necrosis and steatosis of the parenchyma as end points. Biological response was measured utilizing a series of typical biochemical indices of liver damage as well as plasma clearance by the liver 99mTc-mebrofenin (an IDA derivative) and quantified indices of uptake and organ transfer of the compound. No correlation was found between the CCl4 dose and its effect (i.e. degree of necrosis and steatosis of liver). However, a very strong negative correlation was found between the degree of necrosis in individual animals and value of the clearance. The extent of the damage was positively correlated with liver transfer rate of 99mTc-MBF. Plasma activity of ALAT, TG, GGTP and AspAT were higher in the poisoned animals, however, only increments of activity of GGTP, ALAT and LDH showed statistically significant correlation with the individually assessed damage (necrosis).

Experimental toxic liver damage and hepatic plasma clearance of 99mTc-mebrofenin (iminodiacetate derivative). II. Recovery from the acute, CCl4-induced liver damage.

Liver parenchyma damage was induced in rabbits by the administration of carbon tetrachloride. The animals were serially sacrificed 3, 10, 17 and 31 days post intoxication and examined morphometrically for the extent of necrosis, steatosis and balloon degeneration of hepatocytes. Biochemical indices of the liver damage were studied as well as hepatic clearance of blood plasma from Tc-99m complex of an IDA derivative Tc99m complex (99mTc-mebrofenin--99mTc-MBF) and its uptake and liver transfer characterizing parameters. It was found that toxic effects of CCl4 were conspicuous up to 10 days after administration of carbon tetrachloride. In that period elevated activity of AspAT, ALAT, GGTP and elevated cholesterol and triglycerides were found in the plasma. As in the first paper of this series of works there has been a highly significant statistical association between the Tc-MBF plasma clearance, the uptake and liver transfer of the compound and parenchyma damage in the organ.

[Evaluation of pulmonary flow through the aortic and pulmonary valves of the fetus during normal pregnancy from 20 to 41 weeks of gestation with two dimensional doppler (2dd)]. / Ocena wielkosci przeplywu krwi przez zastawke aortalna i plucna u plodu w ciazy prawidlowej od 20 do 41 tygodnia, w prezentacji dwuwymiarowej z dopplerem (2dd).

UNLABELLED: Doppler data have been analysed in 49 cases for aortic valve and 35 cases for pulmonary valve. For both valves V max, V mean, Aortic Flow and Pulmonary Flow were measured and compared with gestational age. RESULTS: V max A = 0.85 +/- 0.23 m/s, V max P = 0.72 +/- 0.14 m/s, (p < 0.01); V mean A = 0.28 +/- 0.08 m/s, V mean P = 0.24 +/- 0.06 m/s, (p < 0.02); A Flow = 699 +/- 285 ml/min, P Flow = 740 +/- 310 ml/min, and 275 +/- 100 ml/min/kg for aortic valve and 322 +/- 120 ml/min/kg for pulmonary valve (p > 0.05). There was statistical significant correlation between aortic and pulmonary flow and gestational age and there was no correlation between max velocity and gestational age for these valves.