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Biomedical subjects

B Reed

Publications and source records attributed to B Reed.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Magnetic resonance imaging of the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVES: To explore volume changes of the entorhinal cortex (ERC) and hippocampus in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared with normal cognition (NC); to determine the powers of the ERC and the hippocampus for discrimination between these groups. METHODS: This study included 40 subjects with NC, 36 patients with MCI, and 29 patients with AD. Volumes of the ERC and hippocampus were manually measured based on coronal T1 weighted MR images. Global cerebral changes were assessed using semiautomatic image segmentation. RESULTS: Both ERC and hippocampal volumes were reduced in MCI (ERC 13%, hippocampus 11%, p<0.05) and AD (ERC 39%, hippocampus 27%, p<0.01) compared with NC. Furthermore, AD showed greater volume losses in the ERC than in the hippocampus (p<0.01). In addition, AD and MCI also had cortical grey matter loss (p< 0.01) and ventricular enlargement (p<0.01) when compared with NC. There was a significant correlation between ERC and hippocampal volumes in MCI and AD (both p<0.001), but not in NC. Using ERC and hippocampus together improved discrimination between AD and CN but did not improve discrimination between MCI and NC. The ERC was better than the hippocampus for distinguishing MCI from AD. In addition, loss of cortical grey matter significantly contributed to the hippocampus for discriminating MCI and AD from NC. CONCLUSIONS: Volume reductions in the ERC and hippocampus may be early signs of AD pathology that can be measured using MRI.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Method to correlate 1H MRSI and 18FDG-PET.

The in vivo neuronal contribution to human cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CMRglc), measured by 18FDG-PET, is unknown. Examining the effect of 1H MRSI-derived N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) concentration on positron emission tomography (PET) measures of metabolic activity might indicate the relationship of CMRglc to neuron density. In a population of 19 demented, cognitively impaired, and control subjects, the Miller-Gartner algorithm was applied to whole-brain PET data to isolate the PET signal originating in cortical gray matter alone (GMPET). An analogous procedure applied to multislice proton MRSI data yielded the N-acetyl aspartate concentration in cortical gray matter (GMNAA). In 18 of 19 subjects, a significant linear regression (P < 0.05) resulted when GMPET was plotted against GMNAA, whereby GMPET was higher for higher GMNAA. This suggests that CMRglc rises linearly with increasing neuron density in gray matter. This method may be used to investigate the relationship of CMRglc to neurons in various conditions.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Affective behavioural disturbances in Alzheimer's disease and ischaemic vascular disease.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate affective change in Alzheimer's disease and ischaemic vascular disease and examine the contribution of white matter disease to psychopathology in these dementias. Based on earlier studies, it was predicted that: (1) depression would be more prevalent and severe in ischaemic vascular disease; (2) psychomotor slowing would be more prevalent in ischaemic vascular disease; (3) apathy would be more prevalent in ischaemic vascular disease; and (4) The degree of white matter disease would be positively correlated with the severity of psychomotor slowing. METHODS: Ratings of affective/behavioural states and white matter disease were compared in 256 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 36 patients with ischaemic vascular disease or mixed dementia with an ischaemic vascular component using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear regression models. RESULTS: The findings were: (1) decreased affect/withdrawal was more prevalent and severe in patients with ischaemic vascular disease and patients with white matter disease; (2) psychomotor slowing was more severe in patients with ischaemic vascular disease and patients with white matter disease; and (3) differences between Alzheimer's disease and ischaemic vascular dementia groups in the degree of psychomotor slowing were independent of the severity of white matter disease. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies using structural and functional neuroimaging techniques would be helpful for examining the relation between neurobiological factors and affective/behavioural disturbances in dementia.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Depressive syndromes and functional disability in dementia.

The goals of this study were to assess (1) the prevalence of major and minor depression in Alzheimer's disease (AD), ischemic vascular dementia (IVD), and mixed dementia (AD/IVD); (2) demographic and clinical variables that may be associated with depression; and (3) the relationship between depression severity and the level of functional impairment and cognitive decline. Demographic variables, depression diagnoses, Mini-Mental State Examination scores, and Blessed Roth Dementia Rating Scale scores were compared in patients with AD (N = 582), IVD (N = 48), and mixed dementia (N = 61) using analysis of variance and linear regression models. Data were collected using standardized rating instruments at the time of the patients' initial evaluations at the University dementia clinics. The results were that (1) depression was related to lower education, (2) major depression was more prevalent in IVD compared to probable AD, and (3) functional impairment was greater in patients with minor or major depression compared to patients without depression. Our data suggest that the level of functional disability in dementia may be related to severity of depression. Additional studies are needed to validate our results and examine the contribution of additional neurobiologic factors to the pathophysiology of depression in dementia.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Clinical aspects of dementia in African-American, Hispanic, and white patients.

This article examines the relationship between ethnicity, cognitive deficits, functional impairment, and psychiatric symptoms in patients with dementia. The data are from a cross-sectional study of patients evaluated at the Northern California Alzheimer's Disease Center (ADC). Using the ADC database of patient information, the authors compared sociodemographic and clinical variables in 187 African-American patients, 69 Hispanic patients, and 1317 white patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), ischemic vascular dementia (IVD), and mixed dementia (AD/IVD). Multivariate analysis indicated the following results: 1. African-American patients and Hispanic AD patients had lower risk of depressed mood compared to white patients; 2. African-American patients had lower risk for anxiety than whites; 3. Hispanic patients with mixed dementia had lower rates of apathy compared to whites. Future studies are needed to examine how ethnic group differences in dementia are based on the interaction of cultural differences; effects of age, education, and psychosocial variables; and biological differences in the course of dementia.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1999

Access to family planning clinics--a local experience.

Teenage pregnancy is unacceptably high in the UK. The family planning services in the London borough of Harrow dramatically increased access to teenagers during a period of financial constraints and difficult political and ideological changes in the 5 years from 1992/93 to 1996/97. This was carried out through reconfiguration of clinical services, retraining the multidisciplinary staff, development of clinical guidelines and proformas, outreach activities, reducing wastage, and income generation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

On-farm quality assurance programs: a survey of producer and industry leader opinions.

To assess interest in implementing a California dairy quality assurance program, practices and opinions of dairy producers and industry leaders were surveyed by a mailed questionnaire and by focus groups. The majority of the 55 participants in the focus group were dairy producers; processor marketing executives, extension dairy advisors, packinghouse executives, and dairy veterinarians were represented. The consensus among the focus groups was that a quality assurance program should be voluntary, be managed by creameries, and confer an economic advantage to participants. Focus group members listed chemical and microbial food safety (in both meat and milk), environmental health, and animal welfare as issues that should be addressed. Of the 1440 questionnaires mailed with producers' milk checks, 413 were returned. Information was collected regarding opinions and practices pertaining to administration of drugs to animals, medical records and animal identification, culling practices, manure management, cow welfare, and feeding of animal protein. An overwhelming 99% of producers believed they were responsible for the safety of meat and milk leaving the farm. Sixty percent of producers said that they would consider joining a California-specific quality assurance program, whereas 9% indicated that they would not. Producers would be more likely to join if their processor believed it would impart a market advantage and if the program standards were controlled by producers.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Men and women holding hands: whose hand is uppermost?

This study explored the issue of whether status and power differences are expressed in the way men and women hold hands. It was hypothesized that men's hands would be upper in heterosexual handholding couples significantly more often than women's. Also, to explore the possibility that height differences of handholding partners might affect handholding position, all handholding couples observed in this study were classified as couples with men and women of equal height or couples where either the men or women were taller. A total of 1,006 handholing couples were observed, and men's hands were significantly more likely to be the upper one in couples when men were taller than women and in couples where men and women were of equal height, suggesting that, while height does matter, it is less important for this handholding pattern than sex differences.

Body Height↗
PubMed1998

Clinical aspects of Alzheimer's disease in black and white patients.

This article examines the association between ethnicity and psychiatric symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Data from a cross-sectional study of patients evaluated at nine California Department of Health Alzheimer's Disease Diagnostic and Treatment Centers (ADDTCs) were used. Using the ADDTC patient database, sociodemographic and clinical variables in 207 black patients and 1818 white patients with probable and possible Alzheimer's disease were compared. Logistic and linear regression analysis indicated the following results: 1) black patients had fewer years of education and more often had hypertension, 2) black patients reported shorter duration of illness at the time of initial diagnosis of dementia, 3) black patients had lower Mini-Mental State Examination scores and higher Blessed Roth Dementia Rating Scale scores at the time of initial diagnosis, and 4) black patients more frequently reported insomnia and less frequently reported anxiety. Additional studies are needed to validate these findings and to generate hypotheses about the role of cardiovascular disease and pathophysiology of psychiatric symptoms in ethnic populations with Alzheimer's disease.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1997

The effects of heating with ultrasound on knee joint displacement.

UNLABELLED: Heating with continuous wattage ultrasound combined with mobilization procedures is often used to treat ligament "tightness," but the effects of heat on ligament extensibility have not previously been studied in vivo. To address this problem, 25 young adults underwent knee joint displacement tests on a Genucom arthrometer before and after continuous wattage ultrasound (1 MHZ, 1.5 W/cm2 x 8 min). Preultrasound intrarater reliability (ICC; N = 11) was 0.87-0.98 for varus/valgus and recurvatum tests and 0.70-0.73 for anterior-posterior drawer tests. RESULTS: Continuous wattage ultrasound was associated with small increases in mean varus/valgus excursion at 0 degree and 20 degrees of knee flexion (p < or = .04) and in recurvatum excursion (p < or = .04) but not in anterior-posterior drawer excursion. The magnitude of the changes was 1.3 degrees or less and represented relative changes of 6.1-9.8%. CONCLUSION: Continuous wattage ultrasound at common clinical intensities made some knee ligaments slightly more extensible in normal subjects, although the magnitude of the effect was not deemed clinically significant.

Adult↗