Ultrasonography is widely used to diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), a common peripheral neuropathy, but the reported diagnostic accuracy varies. This meta-analysis focused on the diagnostic test ...accuracy of ultrasonography for diagnosing CTS. Structured searches of PubMed for 1990-2010 were done and the data were extracted and meta-analyzed by pooling estimates of sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios and diagnostic odds ratios. Diagnostic performance was also judged by using a summary receiver operating characteristic curve. Twenty-eight trials involving 3995 wrists were included. A greater cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel inlet (CSA-I) and a greater flattening ratio at the level of the hamate were seen in CTS wrists than in control wrists. A CSA-I ≥9 mm(2) is the best single diagnostic criterion, with a diagnostic odds ratio of 40.4 (sensitivity 87.3%, specificity 83.3%).
Inflammatory response after peripheral nerve injury is required for clearance of tissue debris and effective regeneration. Studies have revealed that hyaluronic acid (HA) may exert different ...properties depending on their molecular size. High molecular weight HA (>>1,000 kDa; HMW‐HA) displays immunosuppressive properties, whereas low molecular weight HA (<800 kDa; LMW‐HA) induces proinflammatory responses. The role of HMW‐HA interaction with CD44, a major HA receptor, in neuroinflammatory responses has not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate the effects of topical applications of HMW‐HA on the sciatic nerve injury in an adult rat model. At the crush site on the sciatic nerve, the recordings of compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and the levels of several proteins related to inflammatory response were assessed at time intervals of 2, 4, and 6 weeks postsurgery. Here, we show that the recovery effect of HMW‐HA treatment had significantly shortened latency and increased amplitude of CMAP compared with crushed alone, crushed plus γ‐secretase inhibitor with or without HA treatment at 6 weeks after surgery. Our data reveal that HMW‐HA could downregulate the expression of IL1‐β, TLR4, and MMP‐9, whereas these proteins expression were increased when the CD44‐ICD activity was inhibited using γ‐secretase inhibitor. Our findings demonstrated a novel role of CD44‐ICD in HA‐mediated recovery of peripheral nerve injury. Clinical relevance: an alternative for the regeneration of peripheral nerve injury.
Objective
Visual perception is a skill that contributes to the performance of self-care and important development tasks in early childhood. The relationship between self-care and visual perception is ...especially significant for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who have been described as visual learners. However, this relationship is not clearly understood among young children with ASD. We investigated the role of motor-free visual perception on the relationship between self-care and visual-motor integration in young children with ASD.
Methods
A sample of 66 children with ASD aged 48 to 83 months were recruited. Measurements included the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills, the Developmental Test of Visual Perception—Third Edition, and Test of Visual-Perceptual Skills—Third Edition.
Results
The results indicated that self-care performance had significant positive correlations with visual-motor integration, visual discrimination, visual memory, visual spatial relationships, and visual sequential memory. Of these, visual sequential memory and visual spatial relationships were the main factors related to self-care performance. Sequential memory was a mediator of the relationship between visual-motor integration and self-care performance.
Conclusion
This study establishes a deeper understanding of self-care and motor-free visual perception among young children with ASD. Understanding the relationship between visual perception and self-care in young children with ASD may aid professionals in providing self-care interventions for this population.
Cigarette smoking has a negative impact on the skeletal system, causes a decrease in bone mass in both young and old patients, and is considered a risk factor for the development of osteoporosis. In ...addition, it disturbs the bone healing process and prolongs the healing time after fractures. The mechanisms by which cigarette smoking impairs fracture healing are not fully understood. There are few studies reporting the effects of cigarette smoking on new blood vessel formation during the early stage of fracture healing. We tested the hypothesis that cigarette smoke inhalation may suppress angiogenesis and delay fracture healing.
We established a custom-made chamber with airflow for rats to inhale cigarette smoke continuously, and tested our hypothesis using a femoral osteotomy model, radiograph and microCT imaging, and various biomechanical and biological tests.
In the smoking group, Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining revealed less expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and von Willebrand factor (vWF). The smoking group also had a lower microvessel density than the control group. Image and biochemical analysis also demonstrated delayed bone healing.
Cigarette smoke inhalation was associated with decreased expression of angiogenic markers in the early bone healing phase and with impaired bone healing.
2020;9(3):99-107.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, affecting approximately 15% of the population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of sesame oil in controlling OA pain in ...rats. Rat joint pain was induced by medial meniscal transection in Sprague–Dawley rats and assessed by using hindlimb weight distribution method. Muscular oxidative stress was assessed by determining lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species and circulating antioxidants. Sesame oil significantly decreased joint pain compared with positive control group in a dose-dependent manner. Sesame oil decreased lipid peroxidation in muscle but not in serum. Further, sesame oil significantly decreased muscular superoxide anion and peroxynitrite generations but increased muscular glutathione and glutathione peroxidase levels. Further, sesame oil significantly increased nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf2) expression compared with positive control group. We concluded that daily sesame oil supplement may attenuate early joint pain by inhibiting Nrf2-associated muscular oxidative stress in OA rat model.
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