Validation of the Mandarin Version of the LittlEARS(®) Auditory Questionnaire.

Validation of the Mandarin version of the LittlEARS(®) Auditory Questionnaire.

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2013 Jun 24;
Wang L, Sun X, Liang W, Chen J, Zheng W

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Mandarin version of the LittlEARS(®)Auditory Questionnaire and to compare the parameters with those of the original German version of the questionnaire. The results would indicate whether the Mandarin version of the questionnaire can be applied in Mandarin speaking children or not.A “back-translation” method was used to translate and adapt the LittlEARS(®) Auditory Questionnaire into Mandarin. A group of 157 Mandarin speaking parents of children below 24 months of age with normal hearing completed the LittlEARS(®) Auditory Questionnaire. Various psychometric analyses (scale analysis and item analysis) were conducted and compared with the original German version.The following scale characteristics were found with the above sample: internal consistency: Cronbach’s alpha=0.945; reliability: split-half r=0.914; predictive accuracy: Guttman’s lambda=0.882; correlation between overall score and age of the children: r=0.841. Several parameters (correlation between age and item score, index of difficulty, discrimination coefficient) of each item were also calculated. The regression curve, which reflects the age-dependence of auditory behavior, was produced. All parameters above had no significant differences with the corresponding ones of the original German version. Standardized values (expected and minimum values) of the Mandarin LittlEARS(®) Auditory Questionnaire were provided.The Mandarin version of the LittlEARS(®) Auditory Questionnaire is reliable and valid as a sensitive tool to assess the development of auditory behavior in Mandarin speaking children up to 24 months of age. The Mandarin standardized values are helpful for clinicians to reach a preliminary judgment in children’s hearing screening or for parents to monitor the auditory development of their hearing-impaired children. HubMed – rehab

Effects of Pilates Exercises on Health-Related Quality of Life in Individuals with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2013 Jun 24;
Mendonça TM, Terreri MT, Silva CH, Neto MB, Pinto RM, Natour J, Len CA

To determine the effects of Pilates exercises on health-related quality of life (HRQL) in individuals with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).A randomized, prospective, single-blind trial.Outpatient clinic of pediatric rheumatology and the rehabilitation department.Children (N=50) with JIA according to the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR) criteria.The participants were randomly assigned into 2 groups. In Group I (N=25), the participants were given a conventional exercise program for 6 months. Patients in Group II (N=25) participated in a Pilates exercise program for 6 months.The primary outcome measure was HRQL, as measured by the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL 4.0). The secondary outcome measures provided an estimate of the clinical relevance of the primary outcome results and included joint pain intensity [according to a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS Joint Pain)], disability [according to the Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ)], joint status [using the pediatric Escola Paulista de Medicina Range of Motion Scale (pEPM-ROM)] and the total PedsQL 4.0 score.All of the participants completed the study. The scores of the PedsQL 4.0 differed significantly between the groups, indicating that the Pilates exercises increased these scores when compared to the conventional exercise program. The Group II participants showed significant improvements in the 10-cm VAS-Joint Pain, CHAQ and pEPM-ROM.The use of Pilates exercises had a positive physical and psychosocial impact on the HRQL of individuals with JIA. Future multicenter studies with a follow-up beyond the period of treatment using more objective parameters will be useful to support the results of the present study. HubMed – rehab

Postural Control and Functional Strength in Patients with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus with or without Peripheral Neuropathy.

Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2013 Jun 24;
Vaz MM, da Costa GD, Reis JG, Junior WM, Albuquerque de Paula FJ, Carvalho de Abreu DC

To assess the influence of diabetic neuropathy (DN) on balance and functional strength in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2).Cross-sectional study.Diabetes outpatient unit of the Ribeirão Preto, School of Medicine at the University Hospital/FMRP-USP-Brazil.Sixty-two adults: 32 with DM2 [19 subjects without DN and 13 with DN] and 30 without DM2 (control group), aged between 40 and 65 years.Not applicable.1. Upright balance, evaluated in 4 situations [fixed platform (FP), unstable platform (UP), with the eyes open (EO) or eyes closed (EC)] and 2. Functional strength assessed with a Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test (FTSST) were analyzed using the Polhemus system with a sensor placed over the 7(th) cervical vertebra to allow maximum trunk displacements in the anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) directions. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Timed Up and Go test (TUG) were also used.The subjects with DM2 had greater AP displacement (p<0.05) in the UPEC condition compared to those without DM2, whereas no difference in ML displacement was observed between these groups. A difference in time was observed in the FTSST (p<0.05), with subjects in the control group performing the tasks faster than either group of subjects with DM2. Additionally, subjects in the control group showed a higher score in the BBS and performed the TUG in less time compared to subjects in other groups.Subjects with DM2, with or without DN, showed deficits in postural control and functional strength compared to normal individuals of the same age group. HubMed – rehab

Neural connectivity of the posterior body of the fornix in the human brain: diffusion tensor imaging study.

Neurosci Lett. 2013 Jun 24;
Jang SH, Kwon HG

Little is known about the neural connectivity of the fornix in the human brain. In the current study, using diffusion tensor imaging, we attempted to investigate the neural connectivity of the posterior body of the fornix in the normal human brain.A total of 43 healthy subjects were recruited for this study. DTIs were acquired using a sensitivity-encoding head coil at 1.5 Tesla. For connectivity of the posterior body of the fornix, a seed region of interest was used on the posterior body of the fornix. Connectivity was defined as the incidence of connection between the posterior body of the fornix and any neural structure of the brain at the threshold of 5, 25, and 50 streamline.At the threshold of 5, 25, and 50, the posterior body of the fornix showed connectivity to the precentral gyrus (37%, 19%, and 15%), the postcentral gyrus (25%, 11.5%, and 7%), the posterior parietal cortex (16.5%, 5%, and 5%), the brainstem (12%, 4.5%, and 3.5%), the crus of the fornix (34%, 10.5%, and 7%), the contralateral splenium of the corpus callosum (12.5%, 5%, and 0%), and the ipsilateral splenium of the CC (69.8%%, 33.7% and 23.3%), respectively.Findings of this study showed that the posterior body of the fornix had connectivity with the cerebral cortex, the brainstem, the fornical crus, and the contralateral splenium through the splenium of the corpus callosum in normal subjects. We believe that the results of this study would be helpful in investigation of the neural network related to memory and recovery mechanisms following fornical injury in the human brain. HubMed – rehab

Zinc in Depression: A Meta-Analysis.

Biol Psychiatry. 2013 Jun 24;
Swardfager W, Herrmann N, Mazereeuw G, Goldberger K, Harimoto T, Lanctôt KL

Zinc is an essential micronutrient with diverse biological roles in cell growth, apoptosis and metabolism, and in the regulation of endocrine, immune, and neuronal functions implicated in the pathophysiology of depression. This study sought to quantitatively summarize the clinical data comparing peripheral blood zinc concentrations between depressed and nondepressed subjects.PubMed, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsycINFO were searched for original peer-reviewed studies (to June 2012) measuring zinc concentrations in serum or plasma from depressed subjects (identified by either screening or clinical criteria) and nondepressed control subjects. Mean (±SD) zinc concentrations were extracted, combined quantitatively in random-effects meta-analysis, and summarized as a weighted mean difference (WMD).Seventeen studies, measuring peripheral blood zinc concentrations in 1643 depressed and 804 control subjects, were included. Zinc concentrations were approximately -1.85 µmol/L lower in depressed subjects than control subjects (95% confidence interval: [CI]: -2.51 to -1.19 µmol/L, Z17 = 5.45, p < .00001). Heterogeneity was detected (?(2)17 = 142.81, p < .00001, I(2) = 88%) and explored; in studies that quantified depressive symptoms, greater depression severity was associated with greater relative zinc deficiency (B = -1.503, t9 = -2.82, p = .026). Effect sizes were numerically larger in studies of inpatients (WMD -2.543, 95% CI: -3.522 to -1.564, Z9 = 5.09, p < .0001) versus community samples (WMD -.943, 95% CI: -1.563 to -.323, Z7 = 2.98, p = .003) and in studies of higher methodological quality (WMD -2.354, 95% CI: -2.901 to -1.807, Z7 = 8.43, p < .0001).Depression is associated with a lower concentration of zinc in peripheral blood. The pathophysiological relationships between zinc status and depression, and the potential benefits of zinc supplementation in depressed patients, warrant further investigation. HubMed – rehab