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Biomedical subjects

K Dodd

Publications and source records attributed to K Dodd.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Changes in gait and fatigue from morning to afternoon in people with multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to measure changes in walking patterns and self rated fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with age matched control subjects, from the morning to the afternoon within a single day. METHODS: Fourteen patients with MS and the same number of matched control subjects performed four 10 m gait trials at their preferred walking speed at 10 00 am and then again at 3 00 pm on the same day. Gait speed, stride length, cadence, and the percentage of the gait cycle spent in double limb support were measured using a foot switch stride analyzer. Patients with MS also self rated their fatigue levels in the morning and afternoon using an 11 point scale. RESULTS: Compared with control subjects, patients walked very slowly, with reduced stride length and around twice as much variability in gait performance. Although self rated fatigue significantly increased from the morning to the afternoon, walking patterns remained consistent in both groups over the course of the day. CONCLUSIONS: These findings imply that mechanisms controlling locomotion are separate from those regulating perceived fatigue. Objective measures of performance, rather than self report, should be used to monitor change in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The biomechanics and motor control of gait in Parkinson disease.

Parkinson disease is a progressive neurological condition characterised by hypokinesia (reduced movement), akinesia (absent movement), tremor, rigidity and postural instability. These movement disorders are associated with a slow short-stepped, shuffling gait pattern. Analysis of the biomechanics of gait in response to medication, visual cues, attentional strategies and neurosurgery provides insight into the nature of the motor control deficit in Parkinson disease and the efficacy of current therapeutic interventions. In this article we supplement a critical evaluation of the Parkinson disease gait literature with two case examples. The first case describes the kinematic gait response of an individual with Parkinson disease to visual cues in the "off" phase of the levodopa medication cycle. The second case investigates the biomechanics and motor control of turning during walking in a patient with Parkinson disease compared with elderly and young control subjects. The results are interpreted in light of the need for gait analysis to investigate complex functional walking tasks rather than confining assessment to straight line walking, which has been the trend to date.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗
PubMed2001

Supporting parents of children with communication difficulties: a model.

The project focuses on 'shared listening' from a structured developmental framework of 'sound/no sound awareness' to basic 'phonological awareness' linking it to the Foundation Curriculum: Early Years Goals (Department for Education and Employment 2000) and National Literacy Framework (Department for Education and Employment 1998). The project is based around parents borrowing topic bags where their children have been identified by speech and language therapy/specialist language and communication support teachers as having listening/phonological difficulties. Following a simple screening assessment parents borrow the bags weekly for a potential 30 weeks. These have been shown to have an effect on both parental attitudes to helping listening (practically-based and focused) and their children's listening skills.

Communication Disorders↗
PubMed2000

Variations in the low levels of cyclin D1/BCL1 have prognostic value in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Cyclin D1 (CyD1)/BCL1 (PRAD1) is expressed at high levels in almost all cases of mantle cell leukemia/lymphoma (MCL) and in rare cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The CyD1/BCL1 protein plays an important role in the progression of cells through the G1 phase of cell cycle. Most of the CyD1/BCL1 protein expression studies are performed using immunohistochemistry. We used a sensitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) to quantify CyD1 protein expression in 199 patients with CLL. Of these 137 patients were previously untreated with the rest having had standard chemotherapeutic regimens including alkylating agents and fludarabine before being referred to our center. Median white cell count in these patients was 49x10(3) /microl (range 3.0-438.5x10(3)/microl), hemoglobin level 13.1 g/dl (range 5.2-17.3 g/dl), platelet count 157x10(3) /microl (range 10-377x10(3) /microl), age 58 (range 26-89), and beta2-microglobulin 2.75 mg/dl (range 1.1-14.3). The median radioactivity (CPM) of mononuclear cells obtained from 56 normal individuals was assigned a value of 1. There was no significant variation in CyD1 levels among normal individuals (SD=0. 12). While most CyD1 levels in MCL varied from 6.5 to 15.6, the median CyD1/BCL1 in CLL was 1.4 with 75th percentile under 2.12. Rare CLL cases (3.5%) showed levels between 4 and 8.83. When divided into two groups at the median level, patients with higher CyD1/BCL1 expression had shorter survival (P = 0.03). This remained true when applied only to the previously untreated patients (P=0.05). Despite the relatively low expression, the CyD1/BCL1 levels in univariate analysis were as good or better predictors of survival than Binet (P = 0.03) or Rai (P = 0.05) staging. Furthermore, CyD1/BCL1 levels correlated with serum beta2-microglobulin (P = 0.001), white blood cell count (P = 0.004) and hemoglobin levels at the time of collection (P = 0.0003) but not with lymphocyte count, platelet count or age. The data demonstrate that CyD1/BCL1 is likely to play a significant role in the biology of CLL and can be used as a prognostic indicator. Further studies to clarify the role of CyD1 in the biology of CLL and its value as a prognostic indicator at the time of diagnosis are encouraged.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

The continuing fall in incidence of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy in term infants.

OBJECTIVE: To examine trends in incidence of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy in term infants over a twenty-one year period. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of medical records of all term infants admitted to a neonatal unit with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy during the years 1992-1996 (period C) and a comparison with data from the years 1976-1980 (period A) and 1984-1988 (period B) from the same unit (previously published). SETTING: A District Health Authority in Central England serving a population of about 450,000. SAMPLE: All term infants admitted with clinical features of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Incidence of three grades of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, disability and mortality. RESULTS: In each five year period there were similar numbers of births. Over the time-span of this study the stillbirth rate and neonatal mortality rate has consistently fallen. The overall incidence of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy in term infants was significantly lower (P < 0.001; OR 0.42 CI 0.29-0.59) in the present study period (C) compared with the earlier study period B (1.9 vs 4.6 per 1,000 total live births). The fall in moderately and severely affected infants between the present and the first study period was significant (1.2 vs 2.6 per 1,000 total live births, P < 0.001: OR 0.46 CI 0.29-0.72). The number of deaths and the incidence of cerebral palsy in survivors fell progressively over the 21 years spanned by this study. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the incidence of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy and its sequelae in term infants has fallen significantly. The use of cardiotocography and caesarean section rates have risen but the relative contributions of changes in clinical practice are uncertain.

England↗
PubMed1994

Virulence for mice of Staphylococcus aureus strains from bovine mastitis related to colonial morphology and serological types in serum-soft agar.

Six Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from bovine mastitic milk representing the typical growth types in soft agar media were injected into mice via the intraperitoneal route. Strains showing diffuse colony morphology (DCM) in serum-soft agar (SSA) as a permanent characteristic which reacted against anti-capsular sera types A, B, and D were virulent for mice. A strain showing DCM in SSA that reacted only against anti-capsular serum D behaved as a compact-colony-morphology-type strain in the peritoneal cavity of the mouse. Diffuse-type colony morphology and presence of capsular antigens type A, B, and D correlated with increased virulence for mice, but a capsule could not be demonstrated.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Home care & managed care--prospective partners.

Health care reform will soon be upon both home care and managed care. Can the two industries meet and accomplish their mutual goal of providing cost-effective, high-quality care?

Health Care Reform↗
PubMed1993

Effect of partially purified Staphylococcus aureus beta-haemolysin on the mammary gland of the mouse.

Partially purified Staphylococcus aureus Beta-haemolysin and a S. aureus strain (FGH28), isolated from a clinical case of bovine mastitis, known to produce in vitro Beta-, but neither Alpha- nor Delta-haemolysins were each injected separately into the mammary gland of mice. Relative purity and in vitro biological activities of this preparation were assessed. The effects of both the partially purified preparation and the S. aureus strain injected were assessed in terms of mortality, clinical appearance, macroscopic and microscopic changes, recovery of organisms from the inoculated glands and biological activity in supernatants from ground mammary glands. When injected alone, partially purified Beta-Haemolysin was not found to be an important virulence factor, being a diffuse infiltration of neutrophils into the alveoli the pathological effect observed following its inoculation. Vascular lesions were observed, in the most severe cases, following injection of S. aureus FGH28.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Tuberculosis in free-living deer.

Tissues from 130 wild deer shot by hunters in County Wicklow, Ireland in 1983-1984 were examined for evidence of tuberculosis. The tissues examined included the lymph nodes of the head, the lung substances and associated lymph nodes, the hepatic lymph nodes and kidneys. Gross lesions were found in five deer. Mycobacteria isolated from the tissues were classified as Mycobacterium bovis on the basis of cultural, biochemical and biological tests in guinea pigs and rabbits.

Animals↗