Effects of a walking orthosis on the walking ability of patients with spinal cord injury at L 2 / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To compare the effect of a knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO) and a paraplegic walking orthosis (WO) on the walking ability and the physiological cost index (PCI) of persons suffering from AIS A-B spinal cord injury (SCI) at the L 2 level. Methods:Thirty subjects with AIS A-B SCI at L 2, aged 20 to 45, were assigned randomly into a KAFO group ( n=15) or a WO group ( n=15). All received muscle strength, range of motion, standing, balance and weight shifting training and training in the activities of daily life. Electrotherapy and acupuncture were also administered. Both groups underwent 60 minutes of walking training 6 times per week for 12 weeks, wearing either a KAFO or a WO. Step length, gait speed, step frequency, 10-metre walk time, 6-minute walk distance and PCI were compared after 2 and 12 weeks. Results:The average step length, gait speed, step frequency, 10-metre walk time, 6-minute walk distance and PCI of both groups had improved significantly between the 2-week and 12-week evaluations, with significantly greater average improvement among the WO group at both time points.Conclusion:A WO or KAFO facilitates better walking after an AIS A-B spinal cord injury at L 2. Wearing a WO is more effective than wearing a KAFO, on average.

Prevalence and influencing factors of post-stroke depression among middle aged and elderly stroke patients in Mongolia and Han nationality / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the prevalence and analyze the related risk factors for post-stroke depression among middle-aged and elderly stroke patients of Mongolia and Han nationality in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.Methods A stratified multistage random cluster sampling method was used to investigate the prevalence of stroke in the population aged ≥45 years in different areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.A total of 11 088 people were investigated and 498 were stroke patients among them.A set of scale assessment and the general situation were used to investigate stroke patients and 443 patients completed the whole survey.Results The total prevalence of post-stroke depression (PSD) was 41.08％ in 443 stroke patients,among which the prevalence rate was 40.57％ for Mongolian population and 41.85％ for Han population,and no significant difference was found between Mongolian and Han nationality(x2=1.372,P=0.504).There were significant differences in the types of stroke between the Mongolian and Han nationality (x2 =7.347,P=0.025).The age (t=4.321,P=0.000),educational level (x2 =27.036,P=0.001) and economic burden (x2=27.877,P=0.000) were statistically significant between Mongolian and Han nationality.The differences of frequency of stroke (x2 =6.545,P=0.011),economic burden (x2 =16.148,P=0.001),cognitive dysfunction (x2 =9.065,P=0.003),daily living ability (x2 =34.466,P =0.000),alcohol consumption history(x2=4.516,P=0.034)were statistically significant.Logistic regression analysis showed that alcohol consumption history,economic burden,the frequency of stroke,and cognitive dysfunction were the influencing factors of PSD.Conclusion PSD is one of the important factors affecting the post-stroke psychological burden in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.There is no national difference in the prevalence of PSD among Mongolian and Han people,which provides a theoretical basis for the treatment and intervention of PSD.

Blood oxygenation changes resulting from subthreshold high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Effects of high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with a subthreshold intensity on hemodynamic response in brain cortices (both motor and prefrontal cortices) was investigated using the functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technique. FNIRS signals of the motor and prefrontal cortices were acquired in healthy volunteers (n=7) at rest and during rTMS intervention. A significant reduction in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) concentration during the entire stimulation process was observed from both motor and prefrontal cortices. Results showed that the fNIRS technique can provide a reliable measure of regional cortical brain activation that could be valuable in studying cortical excitability connectivity in combination with rTMS.

Determination and Significance of Telomerase Activation in Different Parts of Colorectal Canceration Adenoma / 医学研究杂志

Objective To explore relationship between telomerase and canceration of colorectal adenoma.Methods Telomerase activity was measured by hybridization-in-situ in 30 colorectal adenoma,30 normal colorectal mucosa ,30 colorectal adenoma canceration tissues and normal close adenoma.Results The expression of telomerase in colorectal adenoma canceration was 86.6%(strong positive 73.3%, weak positive 13.3%);60% in close adenoma tissues(strong positive 6.7%, weak positive 53.3%),10% in normal colorectal adenoma(strong positive 3.3%, weak positive6.7%),0% in normal colorectal mucosa.Conclusions Telomerase plays a critical role in colorectal adenoma canceration and is a internal factor.It is a sign of canceration tendency(not malignant transformation) in canceration.