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Biomedical subjects

P Bracke

Publications and source records attributed to P Bracke.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Sex differences in the course of depression: evidence from a longitudinal study of a representative sample of the Belgian population.

Outcome studies of major depression indicate high rates of relapse and chronicity, and social role theories imply that chronicity should be greater for women, together suggesting that the well-known sex difference in depression is, at least partially, the result of differences in chronicity. Due to a lack of prospective longitudinal research answers to this empirical question are missing. Furthermore, the results of the few available surveys of the general population are inconsistent, showing either higher chronicity for older women or a lack of sex differences in the overall course of depression. Using data from three waves of the Panel Study of Belgian Households (complete data for 3204 women and 2907 men, aged 16 years and older) sex differences in the persistence of depressive behavior are estimated. Depression is measured using a self-report inventory on three occasions separated by intervals of 1 year (1992, 1993, 1994). Results show a significant influence of sex, other sociodemographic characteristics, and depression severity at baseline on depression persistence. Women experience more symptoms for a longer period of time, a difference that can be partially ascribed to sex differences in employment status, education and marital status. The findings are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Imaging of primary tumors and tumor-like conditions of the lumbosacral osseous spine.

Primary tumors of the osseous spine are rare. This article illustrates some aspects of imaging of tumoral pathology of the osseous spine. Plain film and CT scan still remain the initial imaging modalities in the work-up of tumoral pathology of the osseous spine. MR imaging however has proven its potentials in the detection of lesions in areas with superimposing structures which hamper reliable reading of the plain films or in areas with a complex bony anatomy such as the sacrum. MR imaging is exquisite in determining the local extent of tumoral lesions and in defining the relationship to adjacent central nervous system structures. In some tumors or tumor-like lesions, MR imaging allows to make a correct tissue-related diagnosis or to strengthen the diagnosis made on plain film/CT observations. In other case MR imaging only has a role in staging or may have definitely no role at all.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Mediastinal lipoma.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Diagnostic Imaging↗
PubMed1987

Developing measures of type A behavior in children and adolescents.

Development of measures of Type A behavior in children and adolescents is described and the results of two studies to validate these measures are given. Children in the fifth, seventh, and ninth grades (n = 120 in Study I; n = 652 in Study II) were given five measures of the Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP): the Student Type A Behavior Scale (STABS); Student Structured Interviews (SSI), scored separately for content and behavior; Matthews Youth Test for Health (MYTH); and Parent Observation Checklist, as well as measures of state anxiety, trait anxiety, and depression. Descriptive statistics from the two samples were very similar and indicated that boys scored significantly higher than girls on the MYTH, while seventh and ninth grade girls scored significantly higher than fifth grade girls or boys of any grade on Structured Interview Behavior (SSI-Behavior). Correlations suggested separate self-reported perceptual and behavioral components of Type A behavior in children. In both studies, STABS and SSI-Content correlated moderately well (.48 to .49) but had little relationship with SI-Behavior and the MYTH. Measures of anxiety and depression included to assess discriminant validity were correlated with the self-report measures of TABP (.22 to .56), but showed little relationship with the behavioral measures, especially in the larger cross-validation study. Parallels between these results and those of adult studies are discussed, and the use of multiple measures in classifying subjects is suggested.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Physical health correlates of type A behavior in children and adolescents.

A physical examination including resting blood pressure, heart rate, Tanner scales, height, and weight was administered to 184 students in the fifth, seventh, and ninth grades. They completed the Physical Symptoms of Stress Inventory, Health Habits Inventory, and two self-monitoring logs of physical symptoms. School absenteeism, medical records, physician ratings, and family health history data were collected. No significant differences between high- and low-Type A behavior pattern (TABP) subjects were found on any of the physical measurements. However, retrospective and prospective reports of physical symptoms revealed a consistent pattern: high TABP subjects reported significantly more physical symptoms than low-TABP subjects. Self-ratings of stress and tension were significantly higher for high-TABP subjects. High-TABP subjects, however, neither missed more school because of illness nor used physician services more often than low subjects. Further, expected relationships between physical symptoms and illness behavior, including school absence, were evident only for low subjects.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1981

Clinical and biochemical findings before and after portacaval shunt in a girl with type Ib glycogen storage disease.

A girl presented with an important growth retardation, hepatomegaly, fasting hypoglycemia, lactic acidosis, increased serum cholesterol, triglycerides and uric acid, and increased liver glycogen (7.5%). There was no rise in blood glucose after IV galactose or fructose, but glucagon gave a delayed response. Type Ib glycogen storage disease was suggested by the low normal activity of glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase) which reached 1.8 units/g (normal, 2 to 10 units/g) and the normal activity of other glycogenolytic enzymes, measured in homogenates prepared in H2O (mean +/- S.E. in control subjects: 59% +/- 7; in type Ia GSD: 92% +/- 3). The activity of G-6-Pase measured as described above increased to 3.8 units/g of liver 1 year after PCS and 7.85 units/g of liver after 3 years. At that time, a simultaneous assay of the enzyme in a fresh, previously not frozen liver biopsy, homogenized in 0.25 M sucrose, revealed only about 29% of the activity of the same sample prepared in H2O (mean +/- S.E. in three controls: 95.8% +/- 8.9.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Laparoscopic splenectomy after arterial embolisation.

Laparoscopic splenectomy remains a challenging procedure, as haemorrhage causes the most complications. In order to reduce this risk, preoperative selective embolisation of the splicing artery has been performed in a series of six successful laparoscopic splenectomies in one male and five female patients with a mean age of 34.6 years (range 17-53 yrs). Indications for surgery were immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)(n = 3), non-Hodgkin lymphoma with secondary haemolytic anaemia (n = 1), autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (n = 1) and congenital spherocytosis (n = 1). The mean splenic length was 12.3 cm (range 9-16 cm) and no accessory spleens were identified. Mean operative time was 96.7 min (range 90-150 min). There were no deaths nor haemorrhagic or septic complications. Recovery after surgery was excellent with a mean hospital stay of 5.2 days (range 2-10 days). We conclude that selective embolisation of the splenic artery, just prior to laparoscopic splenectomy adds to the safety, and operating time may be shortened.

Adolescent↗