Evaluation of the temperament and character properties of patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate temperament and character of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients and to examine the association between these specific temperament and character properties and clinical variables. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study involved 73 AS patients. Temperament properties of patients were evaluated using Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Association between clinical variables and specific temperament features were evaluated using correlation and regression analyses. RESULTS: Forty eight (65.8 %) of the study participants were men and the mean age was 42 ± 11.4 years. There was slight negative correlations between self directedness (S) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) scores (p = 0.01, r = - 0.30), and between the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and reward dependence (RD) scores (p = 0.03, r = - 0.26). Regression analysis showed that correlations between BASDAI and S, and between VAS and RD scores were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the dimensions temperament and character are related to disease activation, and disease course is more severe in patients who have low scores in these TCI dimensions. Therefore, we suggest that evaluating temperament and character properties of AS patients will help clinicians to predict treatment compliance and motivation of patients during disease course.

Reduced olfactory bulb volume in total laryngectomy patients: a magnetic resonance imaging study.

OBJECTIVES: The olfactory bulb (OB) is a remarkably plastic structure with highly active afferent neurons, which is partly reflected by its volume. Although deterioration of olfaction after total laryngectomy is reported by many patients, this problem has not received widespread attention. There has been no study that had addresses this loss olfactory ability as a function of OB volume. The aim of this study was to determine OB volume changes after laryngectomy. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty one patients post-total laryngectomy and 17 subjects with normal olfactory function underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for volumetric measurement of the OB. The history of all participants was taken in detail to exclude other possible causes of smell dysfunction. Volumetric measurement of the OB was performed by manual segmentation of the OB into coronal slices. Olfactory function was assessed with the orthonasal olfaction test. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in volume between the right and left sides of the OB in the study and control groups. However, the study group had smaller OB volumes than the control group. In our assessment of orthonasal olfaction, patients who were post-total laryngectomy had worse orthonasal olfactory function than the control group. There were significant correlations between OB volumes and orthonasal test scores. CONCLUSIONS: Our MRI study showed that post-total laryngectomy patients had higher rates of olfactory bulb atrophy than the control subjects. Laryngectomy is associated with measurable decreases in olfactory function and this study hopes to further clarify this association by demonstrating that patients with total laryngectomy have reduced OB volumes when compared to the normal population.

Design parameters of pulsed wave ultrasonic Doppler blood flowmeter.

Pulse wave Doppler techniques promise the ability to make more effective measurements of dynamic cardiovascular functions. Quantitative measurement of blood flow can be achieved by using the pulse wave Doppler system. This paper discusses the design parameters of the pulse wave Doppler blood flowmeter (PW Doppler) with respect to the physiological system.

Quantization errors of the echoes in ultrasonic pulsed flowmeter employing time domain correlation.

The implementation of Time Domain Correlation Method for blood flow velocity estimation requires the conversion of the reflected ultrasonic signals into digital format in order that the computer can be utilized to investigate the technique. A number of quanitization errors, namely, that the A/D has a finite bit resolution, only a limited number of samples of the waveform may be taken per wavelength and correlation function only exits at discrete points, have an effect on the velocity estimate. This paper discusses the effect of errors associated with A/D conversion process on the accuracy of the velocity estimate. A computer simulation was performed to achieve this goal. A band passed white Gaussian noise segment was used to simulate the reflected ultrasonic signal. The jitters of the velocity estimates corresponding various A/D resolutions were calculated and plotted. Effects of interpolating the correlation function rather than determining the complete function were presented.

The influence of the calcium antagonists flunarizine and verapamil on cerebral blood flow and oxygen tension of anesthetized WFS-rats.

The beneficial influence of calcium antagonists in restoring the disturbed circulation and metabolism towards its normal level has been described for a variety of circulatory disorders (arteriosclerosis, ischemia, hypertension). To date, however, little information exists concerning the physiological effects of the blocking molecules on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygen tension at the organ surface (sPO2). White rats (Wistar-Frömter strain, N = 56, 180-250 g bw) were anesthetized with ketamine-xylazin, and artificially ventilated until normal acid-base status was achieved. Polarographic multi-wire O2 and H2 electrodes (15 microns diameter, 1 g weight) were balanced on the open brain through a cranial window drilled into the skull-cap in order to perform surface PO2 and hydrogen clearance measurements. Two different calcium antagonists, verapamil and flunarizine, were tested in order to verify structural differences of the molecules. Infusion of verapamil (7.5 micrograms/kg.min) and flunarizine (0.3 mg/kg.min) induced an increase in CBF by 55%/h (verap.) and by 62%/h (flun.) respectively while the controls (infusion of equal amounts of ringer-lactate) remained constant, ranging between 0.5 and 2.7 ml/g.min (n = 25 measurements). Surface PO2 improved distinctly in response to verapamil (39% increase) but was uneffected by flunarizine (less than 1%). Both drugs, however, lowered MAP by 18% (verap.) and by 33% (flun.) respectively probably due to peripheral vasodilatation and to the lowering of heart minute volume. In comparison with flunarizine the small MAP change after verapamil has resulted in the rise in CBF and sPO2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)