Search results for "Reference value"
showing 10 items of 536 documents
Polymorphonuclear leukocyte membrane fluidity, at baseline and after in vitro activation, in obesity with or without diabetes mellitus
2002
We studied a group of 28 obese subjects (mean age 38.2+/-13.5 years, body mass index 35.0+/-5.6 kg/m2) with insulin resistance demonstrated employing an euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp, subdivided into a subgroup with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and a subgroup with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). We examined the polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) membrane fluidity at baseline and after activation with 4-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or N-formyl-methionyl-leucylphenylalanine (fMLP). At baseline, PMN membrane fluidity was significantly decreased in both subgroups compared to normals. In obese subjects with NGT no correlation was found between this PMN determinant and the parameters…
Substance-P-induced protein extravasation is bilaterally increased in complex regional pain syndrome.
2003
Pain, mechanical hyperalgesia, edema, increased skin temperature, and skin reddening are characteristic symptoms of acute complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). We have recently demonstrated facilitated neurogenic inflammation on the affected limb. To further elucidate the underlying mechanisms, exogenous substance P (SP) in ascending concentrations (10(-9), 10(-8), 10(-7), 10(-6) M) was intradermally applied to the affected and the unaffected limbs, respectively, in two groups of 11 CRPS patients each using the microdialysis technique. Fourteen healthy volunteers served as controls for SP application, and 9 volunteers and 10 patients served as controls for saline perfusion. Dialysate prote…
The role of anticipatory postural adjustments during whole body forward reaching movements
1998
THE purpose of this study was to examine the role of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) in the execution of forward oriented whole body reaching movements. From the standing position, eight healthy subjects were asked to reach an object placed at 45 cm from the feet, at both naturally paced and fast speeds. Electromyographic signals of six antagonistic muscles were analysed in conjunction with centre of mass (CM) displacements, centre of foot pressure displacements and resultant ground reaction forces. Results revealed that APAs created necessary angular momentum of body segments for effective task execution. These results suggest that APAs can initiate movements conducted from a fixe…
Differential association of default mode network connectivity and rumination in healthy individuals and remitted MDD patients
2016
Rumination is associated with increased default-mode network (DMN) activity and functional connectivity (FC) in depressed and healthy individuals. In this study, we sought to examine the relationship between self-reported rumination and resting-state FC in the DMN and cognitive control networks in 25 remitted depressed patients and 25 matched healthy controls using independent component and seed-based analyses. We also explored potential group differences in the global pattern of resting-state FC. Healthy subjects with increased levels of rumination exhibited increased anterior DMN connectivity with the posterior DMN and the dorsal attention network and low connectivity within the anterior …
MRS SHOWS ABNORMALITIES BEFORE SYMPTOMS IN FAMILIAL ALZHEIMER DISEASE
2006
Background: Pathologic change in Alzheimer disease (AD) begins some years before symptoms. MRS has the potential to detect metabolic abnormalities reflecting this early pathologic change. Presenilin 1 (PS1) and amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutation carriers have a nearly 100% risk of developing AD and may be studied prior to symptom onset. Methods: Short echo time proton MR spectra were acquired from a midline posterior cingulate voxel in presymptomatic carriers of PS1 or APP mutations (“presymptomatic mutation carriers” [PMCs]; n = 7) and age- and sex-matched control subjects (n = 6). Ratios of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), myo-inositol (MI), and choline-containing compounds (Cho) to creati…
Defining normality in a European multinational cohort: Critical factors influencing the 99th percentile upper reference limit for high sensitivity ca…
2015
To establish and critically evaluate the 99th percentile upper reference limit (URL) for high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) in a large healthy European cohort using different selection criteria.1368 presumably healthy individuals from 9 countries were evaluated with surrogate biomarkers for diabetes (glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c]48 mmol/mol), myocardial (B-type natriuretic peptide [BNP]35 pg/mL) and renal dysfunction (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR]60 mL/min/1.73 m(2)), and dyslipidemia to refine the healthy cohort. The 99th percentile URLs were independently determined by the non-parametric and robust methods.The use of biomarker selection criteria resulted in a decrea…
Electrical and mechanical H(max)-to-M(max) ratio in power- and endurance-trained athletes.
2001
The aim of this study was to compare the mechanical and electromyographic (EMG) characteristics of soleus motor units activated during maximal H reflex and direct M response among subjects with different histories of physical activity. Power-trained athletes produced stronger twitches, with a higher rate of twitch tension buildup and relaxation, than their endurance counterparts for both maximal H-reflex and maximal M-wave responses. The maximal H-reflex-to-maximal M-wave ratios for both force output (twitch) and EMG wave amplitude were significantly lower in power-trained than endurance-trained athletes. However, power-trained athletes exhibited a significantly greater twitch-to-EMG ratio…
Skeletal muscle blood flow and flow heterogeneity during dynamic and isometric exercise in humans
2002
The effects of dynamic and intermittent isometric knee extension exercises on skeletal muscle blood flow and flow heterogeneity were studied in seven healthy endurance-trained men. Regional muscle blood flow was measured using positron emission tomography (PET) and an [15O]H2O tracer, and electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded in the quadriceps femoris (QF) muscle during submaximal intermittent isometric and dynamic exercises. QF blood flow was 61% ( P = 0.002) higher during dynamic exercise. Interestingly, flow heterogeneity was 13% ( P = 0.024) lower during dynamic compared with intermittent isometric exercise. EMG activity was significantly higher ( P < 0.001) during dynamic e…
Elevated peripheral visfatin levels in narcoleptic patients.
2008
OBJECTIVE: Narcolepsy is a severe sleep disorder that is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexies and a tendency towards obesity. Recent discoveries indicate that the major pathophysiology is a loss of hypocretin (orexin) producing neurons due to immunologically mediated degeneration. Visfatin is a recently described proinflammatory adipokine. It is identical to the immune modulating pre-B-cell colony enhancing factor (PBEF). Our study examines the hypothesis that visfatin levels are altered in narcoleptic patients. METHODS: For the analysis, a total of n = 54 patients (n = 18 males and n = 36 females) with the diagnosis of narcolepsy according to DSM-IV and the Internatio…
Fast increase of motor cortical inhibition following postural changes in healthy subjects.
2012
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Postural reactions are associated with changes in the excitability of the motor system. In the present study we investigated the presence of neurophysiological changes of motor cortical areas targeting muscles of the inferior limbs following treatment with a physiotherapy technique aimed to treat postural dysfunctions by stretching postural muscles, global postural reeducation (GPR). METHODS: Twenty healthy subjects were evaluated with paired-transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex and recording of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from peripheral muscles of the inferior limb before and after two GPR manoeuvres applied in different experiments (1 and 2)…