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Biomedical subjects

Kazuo Abe

Publications and source records attributed to Kazuo Abe.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Magnetic resonance spectroscopic study of Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia/Pick complex.

Disease-specific metabolic changes in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia/Pick complex were examined by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3.0 T. Spectra were acquired from posterior and anterior cingulate cortices and the parieto-occipital and frontal white matter. This study included eight Alzheimer's disease patients, 10 frontotemporal dementia/Pick complex patients and 14 healthy volunteers. N-acetylaspartate/creatine+phosphocreatine ratio was reduced in the posterior cingulate cortex in the Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia/Pick complex patients. The Alzheimer's disease patients, however, showed a posterior dominant decrease, whereas the frontotemporal dementia/Pick complex patients showed a frontal predominant decrease. These different distributions of metabolic changes may represent the underlying pathological processes in each disease. Our standardized protocol of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurement may be helpful in differentiating these dementia subtypes.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Effect of high-frequency jet ventilation on oxygenation during one-lung ventilation in patients undergoing thoracic aneurysm surgery.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of high-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on oxygenation and the shunt fraction (Qs/Qt) during one-lung ventilation (OLV). METHODS: Twenty-five patients who were undergoing resection of a descending aortic aneurysm were studied. Arterial oxygenation, Qs/Qt, and hemodynamics were evaluated just before the initiation of OLV (T1), 15 min after OLV (T2), and 15 min (T3) and 30 min (T4) after the application of HFJV or CPAP to the nondependent lung. RESULTS: There were no significant changes in the mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), central venous pressure (CVP), or mixed venous partial pressure of oxygen throughout this study. The arterial partial pressure of oxygen (Pa(O2)) values after the application of HFJV or CPAP increased significantly, from 173.8 +/- 39.6 mmHg (T2) to 344.1 +/- 87.9 mmHg (T3) and 359.9 +/- 82.4 mmHg (T4) in the HFJV group (P < 0.05), and from 153 +/- 38.5 mmHg (T2) to 243 +/- 48.5 mmHg (T3) and 249.7 +/- 55.0 mmHg (T4) in the CPAP group (P < 0.05). The shunt fraction decreased significantly after the initiation of HFJV or CPAP, from 38.7% +/- 8.9% (T2) to 27.0% +/- 8.0% (T3) and 25.9% +/- 8.7% (T4) in the HFJV group (P < 0.05), and from 44.6% +/- 8.6% (T2) to 34.3% +/- 10.2% (T3) and 32.6% +/- 8.5% (T4) in the CPAP group (P < 0.05). The arterial saturation of oxygen (Sa(O) (2)) increased significantly after the application of either HFJV or CPAP (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both HFJV and CPAP can improve oxygenation during OLV.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

The "cross" signs in patients with multiple system atrophy: a quantitative study.

Patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) may show the "cross" sign in the pontine base that has been considered as an expression of the degeneration of pontine neurons and transverse pontocerebellar fibers. However, correlations between pontine base atrophy and existence of "cross" sign have not been fully investigated. The authors studied 68 patients with MSA (47 MSA-C [predominantly cerebellar ataxia], 21 MSA-P [predominantly parkinsonism], mean [+/-SD ] 58.7 +/- 10.9 years). T1-weighted (T1W) sagittal and axial images and T2-weighted (T2W) axial images were obtained for all patients and controls. To measure the areas of pontine basis and cerebellar vermis, the authors used midsagittal T1W images and analyzed a bit map transformed on a computer. They classified atrophy in the pontine base into 3 grades. There is significant correlation between atrophies of pontine base and existence of the cross sign. All patients with a smaller area of pontine base 2 standard deviations below those of normal controls had the cross sign. This supports that existence of the cross sign depends only on the extent of pontine base atrophies.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

[Rehabilitation method for churg-strauss syndrome from early stage: considering functional prognosis of mononeuritis multiplex].

We report our rehabilitation experience for two patients with Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS). To improve their functional prognoses, we started rehabilitation program compensating for their activity of daily livings from their early stage. Also, we paid special attention to prescribed drug effect and adverse effect. Since patients with the mononeuritis multiplex have restricted weakness in the muscles ruled by a specific nerve, rehabilitation approaches including orthoses should start to improve the compensatory ability of normal adjacent muscles even in their early stages. In addition, since functional improvement may be gradual and take some years from onset, we should start rehabilitation in their early stage to improve their functional prognoses.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

The effects of external cues on ankle control during gait initiation in Parkinson's disease.

The present study investigated the effects of external cues on motor control of the ankle joint during gait initiation in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and in age-matched healthy subjects. The soleus H-reflexes were recorded during self-generated and cue-triggered gait initiation. The tibialis anterior muscle burst during cue-triggered gait initiation was found to be significantly larger than that during self-generated gait initiation in both groups. External cues significantly increased soleus H-reflex depression during gait initiation in PD patients, although this significant increase was not present in healthy subjects. These findings indicate that external cues affect motor control of the extensor muscle of the ankle joint during gait initiation in PD patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Sleep disturbances in Japanese patients with Parkinson's disease--comparing with patients in the UK.

Sleep disorders are common in the general population and occur more frequently with advancing age. However, patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have been known to have various sleep disturbances beyond those to be expected from the effect of aging alone. We tried to quantify the various aspects of nocturnal sleep problems in PD using the PD sleep scale (PDSS). 64 patients with PD and 60 age- and sex-matched controls completed the PDSS. After neurological examinations, we assessed the degree of sleep disorder by the PDSS. We evaluated the severity of PD by the Hoehn and Yahr Scale and the unified PD rating scale (UPDRS). To compare the various aspects of nocturnal sleep problems in PD between in Japan and in the United Kingdom (UK), we referenced and compared our results with those by Chaudhui et al. The PDSS scores in PD group were significantly different from those in controls. Individual items of the scale showed good discriminatory power between PD and controls. Overall tendencies were the same in Japan and in the UK, but there were some different points, especially absence of refreshing quality of sleep in Japan. We believe that the PDSS provides an objective method for targeted therapeutic approaches for the treatment of disturbed sleep in PD even among countries with different cultures, such as Japan and the UK.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Soleus H-reflex inhibition during gait initiation in Parkinson's disease.

The soleus H-reflex excitability during gait initiation was investigated in Parkinson's disease. Eleven patients participated in this study. Patients stepped forward as soon as the start signal flashed. Soleus H-reflex was evoked from the trailing leg 100, 300, or 600 msec after the start signal. The electromyographic activity in the soleus muscle immediately before evoking the H-reflex and the ankle joint motion were recorded. The soleus H-reflex was inhibited 300 msec after the start signal. The amount of the soleus H-reflex inhibition was inversely correlated with the Hoehn and Yahr stage; Items 14, 29, and 31 of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale; and the delay of the onset of the ankle dorsiflexion from the start signal. In contrast, the amount of electromyographic activity immediately before evoking the H-reflex was not significantly correlated with those measures but was significantly correlated with Item 22 of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale. Those findings indicate that the amount of soleus H-reflex inhibition during gait initiation depends on the severity of the disease. Abnormality of descending command may be related to the severity-dependent H-reflex inhibition.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Determination of transverse relaxation rate for estimating iron deposits in central nervous system.

To determine the amount of iron deposits in the basal ganglia, we examined 13 healthy volunteers with a 1.5 T MRI system using three transverse relaxation rates measured with two sequences. The transverse relaxation rates comprise the reversible contribution (R2') and irreversible contribution (R2) to a phase-reversal 180 degrees -pulse sequence. The transverse relaxation rates with the estimated iron indicated that both R2 and R2' had a robust relationship with brain iron level as determined from published post mortem data. This was the case only when the analyses are limited to the subcortical gray matter regions, however. R2' was affected by macroscopic magnetic field inhomogeneity arising from the skull bases, so that it was less robust for estimating the amount of iron deposits in the basal ganglia.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[A hypnotic drug for sleep disturbances in patients with Parkinson's disease].

Patients with Parkinson's disease have been known to have sleep disturbances of various types. Zolpidem tartrate, an imidazopyrimidine short-acting hypnotic drug used treat insominia and several patients with PD have described a significant improvement of parkinsonian symptoms after administration of zolpidem tartrate. We tried to evaluate effect of zolpidem tartrate for sleep disturbances in patients with PD by a Japanese version of Chaudhuri's Parkinson's disease Sleep Scale (PDSS) and Unified Parkinson's disease rating Scale (UPDRS) motor scale. Twelve patients with PD (mean age 67.4 years old, range 40-77 years old) were evaluated by PDSS and UPDRS before and two weeks after prescribed zolpidem tartrate 5 mg per day. Patients showed improvement in items relating overall sleep disturbances, sleep refreshment and morning stiffness. Disabilities remained unchanged before and two weeks after prescribing zolipdem tartrate. Zolpidem tartrate may be useful for sleep disturbances in patients with PD and for improving their quality of daily livings.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Rehabilitation for gait and activity of daily livings at home: an informed form for Parkinson's disease patients].

Rehabilitation aims to provide patients and their supporters with the knowledge, skills and support necessary to maintain their autonomy, minimize disability and maximize the level of participation of individual. This may be the case in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. However, to our knowledge, previous papers concerning rehabilitation for PD patients have been not easily to understand and not suit for usage in clinical activities. In this review, we provide comprehensive explanations for daily rehabilitation in their habitation for PD patients and doctors.

Activities of Daily Living↗