Co-axial acoustic-based optical coherence vibrometry probe for the quantification of resonance frequency modes in ocular tissue.

We present a co-axial acoustic-based optical coherence vibrometry probe (CoA-OCV) for vibro-acoustic resonance quantification in biological tissues. Sample vibrations were stimulated via a loudspeaker, and pre-compensation was used to calibrate the acoustic spectrum. Sample vibrations were measured via phase-sensitive swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT). Resonance frequencies of corneal phantoms were measured at varying intraocular pressures (IOP), and dependencies on Young´s Modulus (E), phantom thickness and IOP were observed. Cycling IOP revealed hysteresis. For E = 0.3 MPa, resonance frequencies increased with IOP at a rate of 3.9, 3.7 and 3.5 Hz/mmHg for varied thicknesses and 1.7, 2.5 and 2.8 Hz/mmHg for E = 0.16 MPa. Resonance frequencies increased with thickness at a rate of 0.25 Hz/µm for E = 0.3 MPa, and 0.40 Hz/µm for E = 0.16 MPa. E showed the most predominant impact in the shift of the resonance frequencies. Full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the resonance modes increased with increasing thickness and decreased with increasing E. Only thickness and E contributed to the variance of FWHM. In rabbit corneas, resonance frequencies of 360-460 Hz were observed. The results of the current study demonstrate the feasibility of CoA-OCV for use in future OCT-V studies.

Relación entre el riesgo de caídas y deterioro cognitivo en adultos mayores atendidos en el Centro Médico Naval "Cirujano Mayor Santiago Távara" 2010-2015* / Relationship between the risk of falls and cognitive impairment in elderly subjects at the Cirujano Mayor Santiago Tavara Peruvian Navy Medical Center, 2010-2015

Objetivo: Determinar la relación entre el riesgo de caídas y deterioro cognitivo en adultos mayores del Centro Médico Naval "Cirujano Mayor Santiago Távara" 2010-2015. Materiales y métodos: Fue un estudio observacional, analítico, retrospectivo, que consistió en el análisis secundario de una base de datos. Se evaluó el riesgo de caídas mediante los resultados de la prueba de alcance funcional (AF), mientras que para determinar el deterioro cognitivo se utilizó el cuestionario de Pfeiffer. Adicionalmente, se estudiaron factores socio-demográficos como la edad, sexo, nivel educativo; y clínicos como la presencia de comorbilidades, polifarmacia o antecedentes de caídas. Resultados: La muestra estuvo conformada por 1786 adultos mayores. El 45,1% tenían entre 71 y 80 años, de sexo masculino (58,9%), con nivel educativo técnico/superior (70,9%), tenían 2 o más comorbilidades (48,9%). Se encontró asociación estadística (p<0,05) entre AF alterado y la edad, el nivel educativo, la presencia de comorbilidades, y el deterioro cognitivo. Al realizar el modelo multivariado, se encontró que el deterioro cognitivo se asoció al riesgo de caídas con un PR ajustado de 3,05 (IC 95%: 2,45-3,79). Conclusión: Se encontró que el deterioro cognitivo estuvo asociado a un riesgo tres veces mayor de caídas en adultos mayores del Centro Médico Naval "Cirujano Mayor Santiago Távara" durante los años 2010-2015.

Objective: To determine the relationship between the risk of falls and cognitive impairment in elderly subjects at Cirujano Mayor Santiago Tavara Peruvian Navy Medical Center for the 2010-2015 period. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective observational and analytical study, which consisted in a secondary analysis of a database. The risk of falls was assessed using the results of the functional scope test (FS), while cognitive impairment was assessed with the Pfeiffer score. Additionally, socio-demographic factors, such as age, sex, and educational level were studied; also, clinical factors, such as comorbidities, polypharmacy or previous falls were assessed. Results: Nearly eighteen hundred (1786) elderly subjects were included. Nearly half of all subjects (45.1%) were between 71 and 80 years old; most of them were male (58.9%); and the majority had technical/higher education level (70.9%). Nearly half of all subjects (48.9%) had 2 or more comorbidities. A statistical association (p<0.05) was found between an altered FS and age, educational level, presence of comorbidities, and cognitive impairment. The multivariate analysis showed that cognitive impairment was associated with a high risk of falls (adjusted PR: 3.05; 95% CI: 2.45-3.79). Conclusion: It was found that cognitive impairment was associated with a threefold risk of falls in elderly subjects from Cirujano Mayor Santiago Tavara Peruvian Navy Medical Center during 2010-2015.

Intermittent versus continuous androgen deprivation therapy to biochemical recurrence after external beam radiotherapy: a phase 3 GICOR study

Purpose. We compared biochemical control and quality of life with intermittent (6 months) versus continuous (36 months) androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in a non-inferiority randomized phase 3 trial in patients with biochemical failure (BF) after external beam radical radiotherapy (EBRT). Materials and methods. Patients were stratified according to the Gleason score (GS) and were classified as low risk with a GS < 6 and 7 (3 + 4) and high risk with a GS of 7 (4 + 3) and >7. Patients were followed with PSA determinations and quality-of-life assessments (QLQ C-30 and QLQ PR-25) every 6 months for a period of 3 years. BF after radiation was defined as a PSA level of nadir +2 ng/ml. Disease progression (DP) after ADT was defined as PSA ≥4 ng/ml (BF) and/or metastases. Results. Seventy-seven patients were included in this multicenter phase 3 trial from 2005 to 2009. Thirty-eight and 39 patients were included in the intermittent and continuous groups, respectively. The median follow-up for both groups was 48 months (40-68). DP after ADT in the intermittent group was seen in three patients (distant metastases in one patient) versus 0 in the continuous group. The QLQ-C30 and QLQ PR-25 scores did not show any statistically difference between the two ADT groups. Conclusions. No significant differences were seen in DP and QLQ between intermittent (6 months) and continuous (36 months) ADT in patients with BF after EBRT (AU)

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Intermittent versus continuous androgen deprivation therapy to biochemical recurrence after external beam radiotherapy: a phase 3 GICOR study.

PURPOSE: We compared biochemical control and quality of life with intermittent (6 months) versus continuous (36 months) androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in a non-inferiority randomized phase 3 trial in patients with biochemical failure (BF) after external beam radical radiotherapy (EBRT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were stratified according to the Gleason score (GS) and were classified as low risk with a GS < 6 and 7 (3 + 4) and high risk with a GS of 7 (4 + 3) and >7. Patients were followed with PSA determinations and quality-of-life assessments (QLQ C-30 and QLQ PR-25) every 6 months for a period of 3 years. BF after radiation was defined as a PSA level of nadir +2 ng/ml. Disease progression (DP) after ADT was defined as PSA ≥4 ng/ml (BF) and/or metastases. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients were included in this multicenter phase 3 trial from 2005 to 2009. Thirty-eight and 39 patients were included in the intermittent and continuous groups, respectively. The median follow-up for both groups was 48 months (40-68). DP after ADT in the intermittent group was seen in three patients (distant metastases in one patient) versus 0 in the continuous group. The QLQ-C30 and QLQ PR-25 scores did not show any statistically difference between the two ADT groups. CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences were seen in DP and QLQ between intermittent (6 months) and continuous (36 months) ADT in patients with BF after EBRT.

Aceclofenac vs paracetamol in the management of symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee: a double-blind 6-week randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of aceclofenac, 200 mg/day, and paracetamol, 3000 mg/day, in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. METHODS: This was a double-blind, parallel-group, multicentre clinical trial involving patients with symptomatic OA of the knee, conducted in Spain. Patients were randomly allocated to aceclofenac 100 mg twice daily (n=82) or paracetamol 1000 mg three times daily (n=86). Patients were assessed at baseline and 6 weeks. Primary efficacy measures were severity of pain (visual analogue scale, VAS), Lequesne OA knee index, and patient's and physician's global assessment of disease activity. Severity of knee pain at rest or walking, stiffness, knee swelling and tenderness, and assessment of health-related quality of life (Health Assessment Questionnaire, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and Short Form 36) were included as secondary endpoints. RESULTS: Both treatment groups showed significant improvement compared with their baseline values in the four primary endpoints. Mean between-treatment differences favoured aceclofenac over paracetamol on pain (VAS, 7.64 mm [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.44-14.85 mm]), Lequesne OA index (1.41 [95% CI, 0.45-2.36]), and patient's (0.33 [95% CI, 0.06-0.61]) and physician's (0.23 [95% CI, 0.01-0.47]) global assessments. Adverse events were similar for both drugs (paracetamol, 29% patients vs aceclofenac, 32%; P=0.71). Four patients withdrew in each group due to adverse events. Patients tended to prefer aceclofenac to paracetamol (P=0.001), and more treated with paracetamol withdrew from the study due to lack of efficacy (n=8 vs n=1, P=0.035, for paracetamol and aceclofenac, respectively). CONCLUSION: At 6 weeks, patients with symptomatic OA of the knee showed a greater improvement in pain and functional capacity with aceclofenac than paracetamol with no difference in tolerability.

[Primary care physicians behaviour in inadequate blood pressure control]. / Conducta del médico de atención primaria ante el mal control de la presión arterial.

PURPOSE: To investigate the behaviour of primary care (PC) physicians on inadequate hypertension control. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and multicentric study. SETTING: PC clinics in the whole of Spain. PATIENTS: Patients > or =18 years old who followed pharmacological antihypertensive treatment since at least 3 months before, selected by a consecutive sampling. MEASUREMENTS: Blood pressure measured by family doctors. The therapeutic diagram used before and after the visit was registered, and in those cases in which some kind of modification was adopted, the reasons why. RESULTS: 12,754 hypertensive patients were included. The average age was 63.3+/-10.9 years (57.3% women). A 65% lived in urban areas and the 35% in semi-urban o rural areas. The 63.9% (95% confidence interval, 63.1%-64.8%) showed a bad control of hypertension. The majority of the patients followed a therapeutic regimen of monotherapy (56%) being the ACE inhibitors the most prescribed drug (34.8%), followed by the calcium antagonist (21.3%), and angiotensin II antagonists (17.4%). The percentage of patients with inadequate control of the blood pressure, in which the therapeutic behaviour was modified was 18.3% (95% confidence interval, 17.5%-19.1%) (a change of drug in 47%, association in 34.7% and an increase in the dose in 18.3%). The main reasons for which the therapeutic behaviour was modified was because no drug efficacy (63.7%) and the presence of adverse events (5.5%). The price of the therapy originated 1.2% of the modifications. CONCLUSIONS: PC physicians behaviour was conservative in uncontrolled hypertension cases. Amongst the doctors who modified their behaviour, by inadequate blood pressure control, the change of drug was the decision most adopted.

Conducta del médico de atención primaria ante el mal control de la presión arterial / Primary care physicians behaviour in inadecuate blood pressure control

Objetivos. Conocer la conducta del médico de atención primaria (AP) ante la falta de control de la hipertensión arterial. Diseño. Estudio descriptivo, multicéntrico. Emplazamiento. Consultas de AP del conjunto de España. Participantes. Hipertensos mayores de 18 años que seguían tratamiento farmacológico antihipertensivo desde al menos 3 meses antes, reclutados mediante muestreo no probabilístico de casos consecutivos. Mediciones principales. Presión arterial medida por los médicos de familia. Se registró el esquema terapéutico utilizado antes y después de la visita, y en los casos en los cuales se adoptó alguna modificación, los motivos de ésta. Resultados. Se incluyó a 12.754 pacientes hipertensos. La edad media fue de 63,3 ± 10,9 años (un 57,3% mujeres). El 65% habitaba en medio urbano y el 35% en medio semiurbano o rural. El 63,9% (intervalo de confianza del 95%, 63,1-64,8%) presentó mal control de la hipertensión arterial. La mayoría de los pacientes seguía un régimen terapéutico de monoterapia (56%). Los fármacos más prescritos fueron los inhibidores de la enzima de conversión de la angiotensina (34,8%), seguidos de los antagonistas del calcio (21,3%) y los antagonistas de los receptores de la angiotensina (17,4%). El porcentaje de pacientes con inadecuado control de la presión arterial en quienes se modificó la pauta terapéutica fue del 18,3% (intervalo de confianza del 95%, 17,5-19,1%) (cambio de fármaco en un 47%, asociación en el 34,7% y aumento de dosis en un 18,3%). Los principales motivos por los que se modificó la pauta terapéutica fueron la falta de eficacia del tratamiento (63,7%) y la presencia de acontecimientos adversos (5,5%). El precio del medicamento originó el 1,2% de las modificaciones en la pauta. Conclusiones. La conducta terapéutica del médico de AP fue conservadora en los hipertensos no controlados. En los médicos que modificaron su conducta ante el mal control, el cambio de fármaco fue la decisión más adoptada

Purpose. To investigate the behaviour of primary care (PC) physicians on inadequate hypertension control. Design. Cross-sectional and multicentric study. Setting. PC clinics in the whole of Spain. Patients. Patients >=18 years old who followed pharmacological antihypertensive treatment since at least 3 months before, selected by a consecutive sampling. Measurements. Blood pressure measured by family doctors. The therapeutic diagram used before and after the visit was registered, and in those cases in which some kind of modification was adopted, the reasons why. Results. 12 754 hypertensive patients were included. The average age was 63.3±10.9 years (57.3% women). A 65% lived in urban areas and the 35% in semi-urban o rural areas. The 63.9% (95% confidence interval, 63.1%-64.8%) showed a bad control of hypertension. The majority of the patients followed a therapeutic regimen of monotherapy (56%) being the ACE inhibitors the most prescribed drug (34.8%), followed by the calcium antagonist (21.3%), and angiotensin II antagonists (17.4%). The percentage of patients with inadequate control of the blood pressure, in which the therapeutic behaviour was modified was 18.3% (95% confidence interval, 17.5%-19.1%) (a change of drug in 47%, association in 34.7% and an increase in the dose in 18.3%). The main reasons for which the therapeutic behaviour was modified was because no drug efficacy (63.7%) and the presence of adverse events (5.5%). The price of the therapy originated 1.2% of the modifications. Conclusions. PC physicians behaviour was conservative in uncontrolled hypertension cases. Amongst the doctors who modified their behaviour, by inadequate blood pressure control, the change of drug was the decision most adopted

Efecto del tratamiento antihipertensivo con candesartán sobre la presión de pulso / Effect of antihypertensive treatment with candesartan on pulse pressure

Objetivos. Candesartán es un fármaco antihipertensivo, antagonista de los receptores AT1 de la angiotensina II (ARA) que ha demostrado una alta eficacia y seguridad en ensayos clínicos. El presente estudio pretende evaluar la efectividad y tolerabilidad de candesartán en condiciones de práctica clínica real y el efecto sobre la presión arterial (PA) y la presión de pulso (PP) en pacientes con hipertensión arterial (HTA) esencial leve-moderada no controlada. Material y métodos. Estudio prospectivo observacional realizado en una cohorte de 9.013 pacientes afectos de HTA esencial (54 por ciento mujeres), con una edad media de 60,7 ñ 11,5 años, en tratamiento con candesartán y un seguimiento de 12 semanas. Todos los pacientes fueron tratados en régimen ambulatorio y recibieron candesartán durante 12 semanas. Las variables de eficacia analizadas fueron el descenso absoluto de la PA y PP y el porcentaje de pacientes que alcanzaron cifras inferiores a 140/90 mmHg. La variable de seguridad fue la tasa de reacciones adversas aparecidas durante el tratamiento con candesartán. Resultados. Después de 12 semanas de tratamiento candesartán produjo un descenso significativo (p < 0,001) de la PAS (23,9 mmHg), de la PAD (14,3 mmHg) y de la PP (9,7 mmHg). Este último parámetro descendió de forma significativa más marcada en las mujeres respecto a los varones (10,4 mmHg frente a 9,3 mmHg; p < 0,05), en los pacientes diabéticos respecto a los no diabéticos (10,7 mmHg frente a 9,5 mmHg; p<0,05) y en aquellos con factores asociados de riesgo cardiovascular respecto a los que no tenían (10,1 mmHg frente a 9,4 mmHg; p<0,05). La tasa de control estricto (cifras inferiores a 140/90 mmHg) con candesartán fue del 30,4 por ciento. En los pacientes con HTA sistólica aislada los descensos de PA observados después del tratamiento con candesartán fueron de 20,5 mmHg para la PAS, de 3 mmHg para la PAD y de 17,5 mmHg para la PP. La tasa de reacciones adversas al fármaco fue del 2,1 por ciento. Conclusiones. Candesartán es un fármaco efectivo y bien tolerado capaz de reducir la PP, especialmente en los pacientes diabéticos, con factores asociados de riesgo vascular o con HTA sistólica aislada. En estos últimos además la modificación de la PAD es insignificante, lo que otorgaría al fármaco un mejor perfil de seguridad (AU)

[Awareness of the illness, and positive/negative syndrome in schizophrenia]. / Conciencia de enfermedad y síndrome positivo/negativo en la esquizofrenia.

In recent years evidence has accumulated to implicate a poor awareness of illness in schizophrenia. This study employed two clinical scales to assess both the psychopathology of 41 schizophrenic patients and the intensity of their awareness of illness. The results show the existence of a close relationship between these two clinical dimensions. Nevertheless, awareness of illness did not appear as a constant and isolated factor. In the authors' opinion, the findings derivated from the study support the idea that a poor awareness of illness could be a nuclear symptom of schizophrenia.

Pericardial tamponade and coronary sinus thrombosis associated with central venus catheterization.

We report the rare occurrence of fatal cardiac tamponade due to coronary sinus and right atrial thrombosis associated with central venous catheterization. The clinical course was extremely rapid, with death occurring a few minutes after the acute clinical event. Other causes of acute cardiac tamponade were ruled out by the postmortem studies.

Different effect of methylazoxymethanol on mouse cerebellar development depending on the age of injection.

Methylazoxymethanol (MAM), a powerful antimitotic, has been extensively used to affect rodent CNS development. Here we show that MAM causes different effects on mouse cerebellum depending on the age of the injected pup. Sublethal doses were determined for each age. A single injection at birth permanently reduces the number of cells. In addition, the cytoarchitecture was greatly perturbed: Purkinje cells retained an immature aspect and were dispersed through the cerebellar cortex. A single dose of MAM injected into 5 day old mice also affected the number of cells but, at the level of light microscopy, the cytoarchitecture of the cerebellar cortex appeared not to be altered. Purkinje cells, however, showed some immaturity and degenerated around the 22nd postnatal day. This modulation of MAM effect appears to provide a good model for studying cerebellar ontogeny and neuronal plasticity.