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Biomedical subjects

I Story

Publications and source records attributed to I Story.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Clinical tests of musculoskeletal dysfunction in the diagnosis of cervicogenic headache.

Persistent intermittent headache is a common disorder and is often accompanied by neck aching or stiffness, which could infer a cervical contribution to headache. However, the incidence of cervicogenic headache is estimated to be 14-18% of all chronic headaches, highlighting the need for clear criterion of cervical musculoskeletal impairment to identify cervicogenic headache sufferers who may benefit from treatments such as manual therapy. This study examined the presence of cervical musculoskeletal impairment in 77 subjects, 27 with cervicogenic headache, 25 with migraine with aura and 25 control subjects. Assessments included a photographic measure of posture, range of movement, cervical manual examination, pressure pain thresholds, muscle length, performance in the cranio-cervical flexion test and cervical kinaesthetic sense. The results indicated that when compared to the migraine with aura and control groups who scored similarly in the tests, the cervicogenic headache group had less range of cervical flexion/extension (P=0.048) and significantly higher incidences of painful upper cervical joint dysfunction assessed by manual examination (all P<0.05) and muscle tightness (P<0.05). Sternocleidomastoid normalized EMG values were higher in the latter three stages of the cranio-cervical flexion test although they failed to reach significance. There were no between group differences for other measures. A discriminant analysis revealed that manual examination could discriminate the cervicogenic headache group from the other subjects (migraine with aura and control subjects combined) with an 80% sensitivity.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The experience of back pain in young Australians.

The usual activity level and history of low back pain was determined by questionnaire in 614 young Australians (9-27 years); dancers (25%), gymnasts (5%) and a control group who did not participate in dance or gymnastics for > or =6 hours/week during the previous three months (70%). These groups demonstrated significantly different activity levels (dancers >gymnasts >controls). Of all respondents, 34% experienced pain of more than two days duration in the previous year, and 50% in all previous years. The incidence and magnitude of pain in the previous year was significantly greater in the dancers and gymnasts (P<0.05) compared to the controls. The incidence of pain was not linked to the average total hours of activity until this exceeded 30 hours per week. There was no significant difference in the incidence of pain in the previous year between control group respondents who did and did not undertake regular activity. The average hours of activity per incident was approximately 20 hours for the dancers and approximately 5 hours for the other groups. This study has demonstrated that back pain in active and inactive adolescents presents a significant challenge for health-care practitioners involved in the management and prevention of symptomatic spinal disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

The effects of knee extensor and flexor muscle training on the timed-up-and-go test in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Rheumatoid arthritis frequently results in functional impairment. This study investigated the effect of a specific exercise regimen on function. METHOD: A randomized controlled assessor-blinded (N = 36) compared the effect of knee extensor and flexor muscle training on pain, the timed up and go (TUG) test and the Health Assessment Questionnaire in subjects with non-acute rheumatoid arthritis. RESULTS: Knee extensor and flexor muscle training increased isokinetic torques at speeds of 60 degrees/sec-1 and 120 degrees/sec-1 as measured by an isokinetic dynamometer (p = 0.02-0.003). The experimental group experienced a reduction in pain (p = 0.03), an improvement in TUG time (p = 0.01) and in function as measured by the Health Assessment Questionnaire (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Specific knee muscle training can be administered safely in people with non-acute rheumatoid arthritis, and may produce functional benefits.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1999

The Melbourne Acuity Screening Test (MAST).

The Melbourne Acuity Screening Test (MAST) is a vision screening technique which combines the features of a linear presentation, incorporating a crowding effect with a pass/fail test protocol. It is a simple, quick screening test which can be used for both literate and illiterate people. This paper reports on the preliminary results of a comparison of the pass/fail method with that of the measurement of threshold linear acuity. The evaluation consisted of four parts: (1) test-retest and reliability of the MAST and Sheridan Gardiner (SG) linear test; (2) concurrent validity of the MAST compared with the SG linear test; (3) a limited negative predictive study, and (4) a comparison of the time taken to perform the MAST versus the measurement of threshold acuity. The test-retest reliability for both tests was high. The agreement, determined by Cohenthorn s kappa, ranged between 0.71 and 0.79. The agreement between the MAST and the SG linear test was also high, ranging between 0.88 and 0.89. The negative predictive value was 100%. The positive predictive value was 85.7%. The MAST was also significantly quicker to perform, taking approximately half the time of the SG linear test.

Child↗
PubMed1998

A new approach to visual acuity screening for pre-school children.

The Melbourne Initial Screening Test (MIST) is a vision screening technique which combines the features of an established procedure, the five-letter Sheridan Gardiner Single (SGS) test, with a pass/fail method of assessment. It is a simple screening test for children aged 3.5-4.5 years, which is designed to be easy to use. This paper reports on the preliminary results of a comparison of threshold acuity using the 5-letter single-optotype Sheridan Gardiner (SG) test and the MIST results obtained by orthoptists, and a comparison of MIST results obtained by orthoptists and child health nurses. The orthoptists tested 225 children and the nurses tested 868 children. The MIST results obtained by the orthoptists were similar to the SGS in that there was agreement between the test results in 202 (94%) cases. The MIST has a similar rate of subject compliance (95%) as the SGS test (96%). The rate of compliance for orthoptists' and nurses' use of the MIST was similar, with 97% of children being compliant for the nurses and 96% for the orthoptists. The results suggest that the MIST, using a pass/fail method of assessing visual acuity compared to an assessment of threshold visual acuity, may be useful as part of pre-school vision screening since it is easier than the traditional testing of threshold visual acuity and gives similar results to the SG single-optotype test.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1996

Influence of diurnal variation on the intraocular pressure measurement of treated primary open-angle glaucoma during office hours.

PURPOSE: Intraocular pressure has been shown in past studies to vary diurnally. The purpose of this study was to establish whether patients treated with timolol maleate for primary open-angle glaucoma should be reviewed at a specific time of day, within normal clinical hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). It is normal practice to schedule review appointments into either morning or afternoon clinic sessions. This may result in abnormally high intraocular pressure values being missed. METHODS: The intraocular pressure of 28 people with primary open-angle glaucoma was measured by means of a Goldmann applanator on an hourly basis between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. All subjects continued their antiglaucoma therapy of timolol maleate throughout the measurement period. RESULTS: The intraocular pressure increased significantly (p = 0.0008) throughout the measurement period, with maximal intraocular pressure values occurring at 5 p.m. in the afternoon. CONCLUSION: Although monitoring intraocular pressure values should not be the only consideration in glaucoma management, undetected rises in pressure may precede the development of optic disc cupping or visual field loss. The variability of intraocular pressure values has important implications in the scheduling of glaucoma intraocular pressure review measurements for the purposes of continuing treatment.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Frozen shoulder: a 12-month clinical outcome trial.

A prospective study was undertaken of 73 patients with frozen shoulder syndrome who were treated with an arthroscopic capsulotomy. All of the patients were assessed for pain, function, and range of motion before surgery and were monitored through to 1-year follow up. Improvement in all parameters was achieved, with pain taking an average of 2.24 weeks to diminish and range of motion improving to within 10% of the other side at an average of 5.5 weeks after surgery. Patients were discharged with a full range of motion and without pain at an average of 8.9 weeks. There was, however, some mild reaggravation of most patients' pain within the postoperative period (mean 4.5 weeks). This pain usually settled with appropriate massage within a 2-week period. In 37% of cases, however, an injection of corticosteroid was required as part of the postoperative management. These cases were usually in that subgroup of patients who still had significant night pain and were in stage 2 or 3 of the disease process at the time of surgery. The postoperative results continued to the 12-month follow-up, with 11% of patients having a recurrence of pain or stiffness. This study has demonstrated that arthroscopic capsulotomy is an effective technique in the management of the frozen shoulder. It also has enabled the authors to document postoperative recovery times, which has given prospective patients realistic time frames of functional expectation in their postoperative recovery.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Anorexia nervosa and the psychotherapeutic hospital.

This paper illustrates psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapeutic work with persons suffering from severe anorexia nervosa who reside in a psychotherapeutic hospital. Anorexia nervosa in its more drastic forms is here viewed as a circumscribed or "spot" manifestation of borderline and schizophrenic pathology; thus these observations also fall within the framework of the psychotherapeutically committed hospital treatment of a wider range of other severe disorders. An exposition of the following elements is included: (1) individual psychoanalytically informed therapy in a therapeutically conceived milieu; (2) firm encouragement to gain weight and modify vomiting by collaborative and voluntary means, if possible, with emphasis on clarifying the contractual boundaries of responsibility; (3) encouragement of the therapeutic alliance and deemphasis of a static symptom-centered approach; (4) coordinated nursing, medical, laboratory, and dietary staffs in an integrative "holding environment;" (5) limited use of pharmacotherapy, with attention focused consistently on the interactional meanings of prescribed medication; (6) physical separation of patient from family. An integrated framework for addressing and pursuing the multiple issues, dimensions, and layerings inherent in intensive psychotherapy with severely anorexic patients in an open hospital environment is presented and is intended as a paradigm for the treatment of other severe disorders.

Adult↗