Biomedical subjects

K Eberhardt

Publications and source records attributed to K Eberhardt.

60 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

The development of emotional distress in 158 patients with recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis: a prospective 5-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the development of emotional distress among patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to explore for early predictors of elevated distress over time. METHODS: The study group consisted of 158 early RA patients (64% females) with mean age of 51.4 (SD = 12.7) years at disease onset. The patients were evaluated once a year for up to at least 4 years after baseline. Emotional distress was measured with the Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), disability with the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), pain with a visual analogue scale (VAS), and disease activity by an active joint count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Questions concerning social support were also included. RESULTS: Emotional distress decreased slowly for a majority of the patients. The change reached statistical significance in the third year from study start. A minority (12%) showed continuously high and increasing levels of distress. Measures of disease activity were poor predictors of distress. The best predictor of distress over time was distress at baseline. Other predictors were gender, age, civil status, and social support. CONCLUSIONS: Emotional distress tended to decrease for most patients in this cohort, but a minority showed continuously high levels. Patients at higher risk of developing emotional distress over time had higher levels of distress at baseline, were younger, more often female, and cohabiting, and experienced less social support.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Peripheral nerve stimulation by time-varying magnetic fields.

PURPOSE: A study was performed to assess the stimulation threshold for healthy adults using sinusoidally oscillating gradients. METHOD: One hundred thirteen healthy adults were examined in the study. ECG and physiological parameters were measured. All measurements were performed of both the head and the abdomen. The subjects were measured in the supine position with the region of interest positioned in the center of the gradient coils. The measurement was performed for three orthogonal, four oblique, and double oblique orientations. RESULTS: No volunteer reported painful, severe stimulation. The mean thresholds for peripheral stimulation in head and body measurement were similar: 85.5% of stimulation during examination of the head and 87.6% during measurements of the abdomen were reported when the y-gradient was used. CONCLUSION: The greatest frequency of reported stimulations occurs when the y-gradient is used. This was confirmed by the results and supports the hypothesis that orthogonal to the y-axis the body has its largest conductive loop, resulting in the strongest peripheral stimulation.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Factors influencing entry-level occupational therapists' attitudes toward persons with disabilities.

Negative attitudes exhibited by rehabilitation professionals could have adverse consequences for persons with disabilities in their achievement of desired outcomes. Because occupational therapists are in a position to exert considerable influence in the therapeutic relationship, this study explored entry-level occupational therapy practitioners' equal status contact with and attitudes toward persons with disabilities. METHOD. Questionnaires were sent to 402 entry-level occupational therapists. These questionnaires consisted of: a demographic scale, the Disability Social Distance Scale, the Contact With Disabled Persons Scale, and a Similarity Scale (constructed for this study to evaluate the concept of equal status). Data analysis explored the relationship between 172 respondents' equal status perception and contact with persons with disabilities and their attitudes toward persons with disabilities. RESULTS. Respondents exhibited generally positive attitudes toward persons with disabilities. Perceived equality, personal and professional contact, and the majority of demographic factors were not significantly correlated with their attitudes toward persons with disabilities. Respondents who specified working with persons without disabilities in the wellness capacity exhibited more positive attitudes than those working with persons with biomechanical and neurological disabilities. In addition, respondents who had a greater frequency of professional contact with persons with disabilities also appeared to experience more personal contact with persons with disabilities. CONCLUSION. Entry-level occupational therapists' attitudes toward persons with disabilities may not only be influenced by parameters of the contact variable but also by the profession's holistic philosophy, the occupational therapy educational curricula, and the personal characteristics of those who choose to pursue a career in occupational therapy.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Serum aminoterminal type III procollagen peptide in early rheumatoid arthritis: relation to disease activity and progression of joint damage.

Serum levels of the aminoterminal type III procollagen peptide (S-PIIINP) have been used as markers of proliferative inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and a prognostic significance has been suggested. To test this further we have measured S-PIIINP longitudinally for 2 years in 66 patients with definite RA and a disease duration of less than 2 years, and related the levels to clinical, biochemical, and radiographic findings. In this patient group the correlations between S-PIIINP and ESR and CRP, respectively, were higher than those obtained between S-PIIINP and articular indices, and markedly higher than in patients with RA of longer duration. Patients with normal mean levels of S-PIIINP during the study period had a significantly slower rate of radiographic progression than patients with elevated mean levels of S-PIIINP. ESR yielded in general higher correlations with the joint damage process than did S-PIIINP. The correlations between S-PIIINP and the joint damage scores increased with time. A multiple regression analysis showed that ESR explained most of the variance in joint damage progression over 2 years, but S-PIIINP added independent information. About one third of the variance could be explained by the two variables.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

PubMedDate not supplied

D-penicillamine in early rheumatoid arthritis: experience from a 2-year double blind placebo controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of early treatment with D-Penicillamine (DPA) in rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: The patients were recruited from a Swedish early RA cohort comprising 180 patients. All patients experiencing active and/or erosive disease 2 years from onset were asked to participate in a 2-year placebo-controlled DPA trial. Previous treatment with slow-acting anti-rheumatic drugs (SAARDs) or oral corticosteroids was not allowed. The main outcome variable was radiographic progression in the hands and feet evaluated according to Larsen. Clinical assessment including the Ritchie index, active joint count, and the HAQ-disability index was performed every 6th month. Patients were included in the analyses of efficacy until the endpoint of therapy. RESULTS: 111/180 patients were eligible for treatment, and 74 agreed to participate in the trial. 21/33 patients on DPA and 22/41 on placebo completed the study. More patients taking placebo stopped due to lack of response (p < 0.01). 27% of the patients on DPA were withdrawn due to side effects. Radiographic deterioration increased but most clinical variables improved in both trial arms. A large inter-individual variation was observed. The only significant difference in trend over 2 years between DPA and placebo was found for joint tenderness. However, the median trends for most clinical variables showed a more positive effect for DPA. The 37 patients who refused to participate in the trial in general fared somewhat worse than patients taking DPA and somewhat better than patients taking placebo. The remission rate was about the same in all 3 groups (12-13.5%). CONCLUSIONS: About two-thirds of all early definite RA patients were eligible for treatment using current criteria. Psychological readiness for early therapy was fairly modest with a high refusal rate. The difference in efficacy between DPA and placebo was small, but was in favour of DPA for most clinical variables. However, only joint tenderness showed a significantly better trend. No significant slowing of radiographic progression by DPA was found.

Antirheumatic Agents↗

PubMedDate not supplied

HMGIC expression patterns in non-small lung cancer and surrounding tissue.

BACKGROUND: So far no powerful molecular markers have been found allowing an early detection of lung cancer enabling a higher rate of curative cancer therapy. Based on its expression patterns in other malignant tumors the expression of the high mobility group protein gene HMGIC is a possible new candidate for such a diagnostic marker. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The HMGIC expression patterns were determined in samples from 19 non-SCLC, 14 corresponding non-malignant adjacent lung, and 7 pleural tissues by hemi-nested RT-PCR followed by the detection of HMGIC specific amplification products by Southern blot hybridization. RESULTS: HMGIC expression was found in 14/19 non-SCLC samples. In contrast, expression was not detectable in any of the non-malignant adjacent lung or pleural tissues. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that HMGIC expression may be a potential new and powerful indicator for lung cancer. An HMGIC expression assay may be applicable to sputum or broncho-alveolar lavage fluid samples facilitating early detection of lung cancer.

Aged↗