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Y Osaki

Publications and source records attributed to Y Osaki.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Auditory and tactile processing in a postmeningitic deaf-blind patient with a cochlear implant.

The authors examined the neural function of a postmeningitic deaf-blind patient who regained his hearing with a multichannel cochlear implant. Auditory stimuli activated the temporal cortices of both sides in a manner similar to that of controls, reflecting the successful recruitment of the auditory cortex after implantation. The patient's occipital lobes were deactivated during the tactile language task, the results of which were completely different from those before cochlear implantation.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Is the pattern of solid-phase gastric emptying different between genders?

BACKGROUND: In the 13C-octanoate breath test, the shape of the 13CO2 excretion curve in the ascending portion reflects a pattern of gastric emptying (GE). Recent scintigraphic studies have revealed an overall delay in solid GE in fertile women compared with men. However, it remains unknown whether women have a different GE pattern compared with men. As a symptomatic delay in solid GE is specific to the female gender, it could be hypothesized that the 13CO2 excretion curve is different in shape between genders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Because the ascending gradient of the 13CO2 excretion curve is often biphasic, the dual function of y(t) = ( a1 . tb1 + a2 . tb2) e(-K.t) was applied to fit the breath data, where a1, b1, a2, b2, and K are constants. Assessed on the 4 h-based breath samples obtained after ingestion of a 320-kcal muffin containing 100 mg 13C-octanoate, the time versus 13CO2 excretion curve was created from 31 adult volunteers (15 men and 16 women). The curve shape was characterized by the dual function, and was compared between genders. RESULTS: In both genders, the ascending gradient exhibited the biphasic feature, characterized by an initial steep rise and the subsequent blunted increase, while the descending gradient followed the monotonous decay. The initial rise was steeper and the subsequent increase was more blunted in women than in men. CONCLUSION: Women exhibit a gender-specific pattern of the 13CO2 excretion profile. A possible explanation for this gender difference is that the post-gastric feedback regulation is more potent in women than in men.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Adolescent smoking behaviour and cigarette brand preference in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: As part of efforts to develop a smoking control strategy for Japanese adolescents, the results of two nationwide surveys on adolescent smoking behaviour were compared. DESIGN: Descriptive study on smoking behaviour among high school students was conducted. Self-reporting anonymous questionnaires were administered to 115,814 students in 1996 and 106,297 in 2000 through randomly sampled junior and senior high schools throughout Japan. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Smoking prevalence, proportion of smokers by usual sources of cigarettes, national estimated cigarettes consumed by minors, share of cigarette brands smoked by high school students. RESULTS: The experiment rate among junior high school boys decreased in 2000 compared with that in 1996, whereas current and daily smoking rates did not. Although prevalence among Japanese girls was much lower than that among boys, prevalence among girls increased in 2000. The main source of cigarettes among high school smokers was vending machines. The proportion of smokers who usually purchased cigarettes from vending machines increased in 2000, in spite of the 1998 introduction of restrictions on night-time operations. Japanese adolescents were more likely than adults to smoke American cigarette brands, and the adolescent market share of American brands has increased rapidly, especially for menthol brands. CONCLUSIONS: This survey revealed the seriousness of the problem of smoking behaviour among Japanese high school students, and suggested that this behaviour may be influenced by social environmental factors, including the marketing strategies of the tobacco industry. Action should be taken to reduce the prevalence and impact of pro-tobacco marketing messages and to abolish cigarette vending machines.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Chronic active VZV infection manifesting as zoster sine herpete, zoster paresis and myelopathy.

After lumbar-distribution zoster, an HTLV-1-seropositive woman developed chronic radicular sacral-distribution pain (zoster sine herpete), cervical-distribution zoster paresis and thoracic-distribution myelopathy. Detection of anti-varicella zoster virus (VZV) IgM and VZV IgG antibody in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), with reduced serum/CSF ratios of anti-VZV IgG compared to normal serum/CSF ratios for albumin and total IgG, proved that VZV caused the protracted neurological complications. Diagnosis by antibody testing led to aggressive antiviral treatment and a favorable outcome.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed2003

Tau exon 10 +16 mutation FTDP-17 presenting clinically as sporadic young onset PSP.

The authors describe a case of clinically diagnosed young onset progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) with symptom onset at 40 years of age and no family history of neurodegenerative disease. There was no history of falls during the first year of symptoms. Genetic analysis identified this patient as having a tau exon 10 +16 mutation (MAPT, IVS10, C-U, +16). Neuropathologic examination confirmed the genetic diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia. An age at onset younger than 50 years combined with the absence of early falls may indicate the possibility of a tau mutation in clinically diagnosed PSP.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Do published criteria improve clinical diagnostic accuracy in multiple system atrophy?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of a clinical diagnosis of multiple system atrophy (MSA) and compare it to the Quinn and Consensus criteria for MSA using neuropathologically examined cases from the Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological Disorders. METHODS: Fifty-nine cases with a neurologic diagnosis of MSA when last assessed prior to death were studied. RESULTS: In 51 (86%) of these cases, the diagnosis of MSA was confirmed pathologically. False positive diagnoses included PD (n = 6), progressive supranuclear palsy (n = 1), and cerebrovascular disease (n = 1). When applying either set of diagnostic criteria, a diagnosis of probable MSA gave lower sensitivity but higher positive predictive value than one of possible MSA. Application of either set of diagnostic criteria was superior to actual clinical diagnosis made early in the disease, but there was little difference by the last clinic visit. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows a high diagnostic accuracy for the clinical diagnosis of MSA by neurologists, with PD accounting for most of the false positive diagnoses. Application of either Quinn or Consensus criteria was superior to actual clinical diagnosis made early in the disease, but there was little difference by last clinic visit.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Asymmetric pharyngeal-cervical-brachial weakness associated with anti-GT1a IgG antibody.

We report a case of markedly asymmetric pharyngeal-cervical-brachial weakness. Acute progression of symptoms, albuminocytologic dissociation in cerebrospinal fluid, electrophysiologic evidence of demyelination and elevation of IgG anti-GT1 a antibody titer paralleled the clinical course, support the diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome. Guillain-Barré syndrome should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cranial neuropathy, even in cases where there is marked asymmetry.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2002

Protruding atherosclerotic aortic plaques and dyslipidaemia: correlation to subtypes of ischaemic stroke.

AIMS: To evaluate whether thoracic aortic plaques together with dyslipidaemia are related to ischaemic stroke, and if so, to which of the subtypes of stroke. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed transoesophageal echocardiography in 50 patients with acute ischaemic stroke and in 401 controls. The aorta was divided into two segments: (1) the proximal, proximal to the left subclavian artery, and (2) the distal aorta. Protruding plaques (Intima > or =4 mm in thickness) in the proximal aorta were detected in 14 of the 50 patients (28%) with stroke, and in 53 of the 401 controls (13%) (P<0.01). Plaque score in the proximal aorta (2.1 +/- 1.8 vs 0.9 +/- 0.7; P<0.05), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (3.60 +/- 0.85 vs 2.87 +/- 0.72 mmol/l; P<0.05), and apolipoprotein B/A-I ratio (0.98 +/-0.17 vs 0.73 +/- 0.16; P<0.005) were higher in patients with athero-thrombotic than in cardioembolic stroke. The score in the proximal aorta correlated with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (r=0.44, P<0.005) and apolipoprotein B/A-I ratio (r=0.40, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Severe plaques in the proximal aorta together with dyslipidaemia are seen more frequently in patients with atherothrombotic stroke. Lipid analysis may contribute to the prediction and the treatment of the patients who are at high risk for atherothrombotic stroke.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2001

Factors associated with earthquake deaths in the great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake, 1995.

The authors conducted descriptive and case-control studies to find factors associated with earthquake deaths due to the Great Hanshin-Awaji earthquake on January 17, 1995, in Nishinomiya, Japan. In the case-control study, cases included all 1,104 deaths. Controls were randomly selected from survivors. Earthquake mortality increased for people over age 50 years. Mortality among people who had lived in dwellings that were completely destroyed was much higher. One risk factor was physical disabilities (odds ratio = 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0, 3.4). When the analysis was limited to the people who had lived in intact or partially destroyed dwellings, the odds ratio rose to 5.6 (95% CI: 1.6, 19.8).

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Multicenter prospective analysis of newly diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma with respect to the percentage of Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP-L3) has been reported to be a highly useful marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared with a conventional serum AFP concentration, which allows earlier detection of HCC compared with using other imaging modalities and predicting prognosis after therapy. A collaborative prospective study involving nine Japanese hospitals was conducted to analyze the relationships between the tumor characteristics of a HCC patient and the percentage of AFP-L3/AFP total at the initial detection. METHODS: Between 1 October 1996 and 30 September 1997, a total of 388 patients with newly diagnosed HCC were registered. RESULTS: The cut-off level of the percentage of AFP-L3 was altered from 15 to 10%. The AFP-L3-positive HCC patients demonstrated the characteristics of having an advanced tumor, such as the number of tumors, maximum diameter, tumor spread, portal vein invasion, tumor stage, and tumor classification. With the conventional cut-off level of 15% of the percentage of AFP-L3, the malignant characteristics were more definite than that of 10%. However, no significant differences of serum AFP concentration were observed for malignant characteristics such as maximum diameter and histopathological grading. CONCLUSION: Serum AFP concentration does not reveal a malignancy of HCC, however, the AFP-L3-positive HCC has biologically malignant characteristics, especially portal vein invasion and lower tumor classification, and is an advanced tumor regardless of small tumor size and lower serum AFP concentration. As AFP-L3 shows the tumor characteristics, its presence should be an important factor in the determination of therapy and prognosis of patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Angiotensinogen gene variation and hypertension in a cohort study in Japanese.

Many recent case-control studies have suggested a significant relationship between M235T (the substitution of threonine for methionine at position 235 codon) polymorphism of the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene and hypertension. To investigate whether the M235T polymorphism of AGT gene affects the incidence of hypertension, a retrospective cohort study was performed among Japanese workers. The subjects were Japanese workers at an occupational site in Shimane Prefecture in Japan. The baseline data were set at the received regular health examination in 1992, and a retrospective cohort study was performed for analyzing the incidence of hypertension in 1998. The rates of M235M (MM), M235T (MT) and T235T (TT) genotypes were 4%, 32% and 64%, respectively. The relative risks of MT and TT against MM for the incidence of hypertension by single variance analysis were 1.47 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.50 - 4.33] and 1.35 (95% CI 0.47 - 3.90), respectively. The relative risks of MT and TT against MM for the incidence of hypertension, adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, fasting glucose and cigarette smoking, drinking and exercise in 1992, were 1.49 (95% CI 0.49 - 4.53) and 1.25 (95% CI 0.42 3.74), respectively. The data from this study suggest that the M235T polymorphism of AGT gene has a weak role in the manifestation of hypertension. Further comprehensive studies are needed to resolve this issue.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[Drinking behaviors of Japanese adolescents' problem drinker--report of 1996 national survey].

The first national survey of Japanese adolescent drinking behaviors was conducted in 1996. Based on the survey results, this study focused on high risk drinking behaviors of Japanese adolescent problem drinkers. The subjects were 42,183 junior high school students and 72,396 senior high school students who responded to questions on drinking frequency and drinking quantity among the national survey subjects. The subject students were divided into three groups: normal adolescents, drinkers and problem drinkers by the QF scale. The problem drinkers according to the QF scale accounted for 3% of the junior high school students and 14% of senior high school students. Problem drinkers among both junior and senior high school students had characteristic drinking behaviors such as various drinking occasions, obtaining alcoholic drinks by various methods, drinking hard liquor, and many instances of vomiting or blackouts due to drinking. Many problem drinkers considered that the national law prohibiting minors from drinking was unnecessary because they have the right to decide whether to drink. Both junior and senior high school problem drinkers showed high risk drinking behaviors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

[Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) for hepatocellular carcinoma].

Percutaneous local treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma is minimally invasive. Moreover, since local radical cure may be possible, the procedure has become widely performed. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (PRFA) was recently introduced in Japan. Excellent results are expected. PRFA was conducted on 244 tumor nodules found in 177 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (a total of 349 procedures), and the usefulness was examined. 1. Tumor markers significantly decreased after PRFA and a favorable necrotic effect was obtained on CT images. 2. Mild post-operative inflammatory reaction and exacerbation of liver dysfunction was noted, but recovery was achieved in one week. There were no major complications. 3. The cumulative local recurrence in 1 year was 5.4%, which is lower than that with percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy. 4. PRFA is a safe and handy procedure for hepatocellular carcinoma, which promises the favorable effect of coagulation necrosis. PRFA will likely become a key method among local ablation therapies.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Smoking behaviors among medical doctors in Fukui, Japan].

This study was conducted in order to identify the smoking prevalence among all doctors (N = 874) belonging to the medical associations in Fukui Prefecture and factors that might possibly indicate causal smoking habits. A survey was conducted from December of 1996 to February of 1997, using a self-administered questionnaire, and the response rate for the survey was 91%. The main results of this survey were as follows: The prevalence of smoking among male and female medical doctors was 28% and 8% respectively, which was lower than that of adults in the general population, but higher than that of doctors in the developed countries. The prevalence of smoking among doctors was almost highest when they were 20 to 29 years old, and that among medical practitioners with their own institution was higher than doctors employed by an institution. In particular, medical practitioners who did not smoke were more likely to restrict or ban smoking in their hospitals or clinics.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Study of the smoking behavior of medical doctors in Fukui, Japan and their antismoking measures.

We conducted a survey on smoking among all members of the medical association in Fukui Prefecture, using a questionnaire to be filled in by the subjects. The survey was conducted from December of 1996 to February of 1997, and the return rate was 90.8%. The main results of this survey were as follows: the prevalence of current smoking among medical doctors was 26.0% (male: 27.8%, female: 5.2%), which was lower than that of adults in the general population. The prevalence of past smoking among doctors 20 to 34 years old by age cohort was highest and that among doctors 35 years old and higher declines as age cohort increased. Doctors' participation in activities for the prevention of smoking in the general society was also found to be at a low level.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Smoking behaviors and attitudes among school teachers in Mie, Japan.

We conducted a questionnaire survey of public kindergarten, elementary and high school teachers in Mie Prefecture, concerning smoking habits and attitudes from November 1995 to February 1996. A self-reporting questionnaire was sent to approximately 16,000 teachers and school employees. The questionnaires were collected in a way which took into consideration the privacy of the respondents. A total of 13,998 questionnaires were returned. The percentages of smokers among the teachers were 44.7% for males and 3.1% for females, percentages which are lower than those for the general Japanese population. Almost all of the men and women agreed that anti-smoking education is needed. Most of those who did not feel anti-smoking education was needed were smokers themselves. Seventy percent of both men and women responded that anti-smoking education was a teachers' duty, however, only thirty-six percent of the male and twenty-one percent of the female teachers had actual experience at such education. Finally, almost all teachers wish wish that schools were totally smoke-free or had a partial ban on smoking and believe that school anti-smoking policies in Japan should be introduced.

Adult↗