61 |
The relation between human hair follicle density and touch perceptionBendas, Johanna, Jönsson, Emma H., Weidner, Kerstin, Wessberg, Johan, Olausson, Håkan, Backlund Wasling, Helena, Croy, Ilona 10 November 2017 (has links) (PDF)
Unmyelinated low threshold C-tactile fibers moderate pleasant aspects of touch. These fibers respond optimally to stroking stimulation of the skin with slow velocities (1–10 cm/s). Low threshold mechanoreceptors are arranged around hair follicles in rodent skin. If valid also in humans, hair follicle density (HFD) may relate to the perceived pleasantness of stroking tactile stimulation. We conducted two studies that examined the relation between HFD and affective touch perception in humans. In total, 138 healthy volunteers were stroked on the forearm and rated the pleasantness and intensity. Stimulation was performed by a robotic tactile stimulator delivering C-tactile optimal (1, 3, 10 cm/s) and non-optimal (0.1, 0.3, 30 cm/s) stroking velocities. Additionally, a measure of discriminative touch was applied in study 2. HFD of the same forearm was determined using the Cyanoacrylate Skin Stripping Method (CSSM), which we validated in a pretest. Women had higher HFD than men, which was explained by body size and weight. Furthermore, women rated affective touch stimuli as more pleasant and had higher tactile acuity. Depilation did not affect touch perception. A weak relationship was found between the C-tactile specific aspects of affective touch perception and HFD, and the hypothesis of HFD relating to pleasant aspects of stroking only received weak support.
|
62 |
Sulfated Hyaluronan Derivatives Modulate TGF-β1:Receptor Complex Formation: Possible Consequences for TGF-β1 SignalingHintze, Vera, Samsonov, Sergey, Rother, Sandra, Vogel, Sarah, Köhling, Sebastian, Moeller, Stephanie, Schnabelrauch, Matthias, Rademann, Jörg, Hempel, Ute, Pisabarro, M. Teresa, Scharnweber, Dieter 10 November 2017 (has links) (PDF)
Glycosaminoglycans are known to bind biological mediators thereby modulating their biological activity. Sulfated hyaluronans (sHA) were reported to strongly interact with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 leading to impaired bioactivity in fibroblasts. The underlying mechanism is not fully elucidated yet. Examining the interaction of all components of the TGF-β1:receptor complex with sHA by surface plasmon resonance, we could show that highly sulfated HA (sHA3) blocks binding of TGF-β1 to its TGF-β receptor-I (TβR-I) and -II (TβR-II). However, sequential addition of sHA3 to the TβR-II/TGF-β1 complex led to a significantly stronger recruitment of TβR-I compared to a complex lacking sHA3, indicating that the order of binding events is very important. Molecular modeling suggested a possible molecular mechanism in which sHA3 could potentially favor the association of TβR-I when added sequentially. For the first time bioactivity of TGF-β1 in conjunction with sHA was investigated at the receptor level. TβR-I and, furthermore, Smad2 phosphorylation were decreased in the presence of sHA3 indicating the formation of an inactive signaling complex. The results contribute to an improved understanding of the interference of sHA3 with TGF-β1:receptor complex formation and will help to further improve the design of functional biomaterials that interfere with TGF-β1-driven skin fibrosis.
|
63 |
Effects of perceptions of care, medical advice, and hospital quality on patient satisfaction after primary total knee replacement: A cross-sectional studySchaal, Tom, Schoenfelder, Tonio, Klewer, Joerg, Kugler, Joachim 10 November 2017 (has links) (PDF)
Introduction: The increase in the number of patients presenting with osteoarthritis in the past decade has led to a 32% increase in knee replacement surgeries designed to reduce restrictions on patient movement and improve their quality of life. Patient satisfaction is becoming an increasingly important indicator of quality of care. This study was designed to identify predictors of various service components in the treatment process and hospital key performance indicators significantly associated with patient satisfaction.
Materials and methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted with 856 patients having their primary total knee replacements at 41 hospitals. Patient satisfaction was queried via a validated, multidimensional questionnaire mainly using a six-point scale. In addition to bivariate calculations, patient satisfaction was the dependent variable in a binary logistic regression model.
Results: The bivariate analysis showed a strong association between satisfaction and sex (male or female), the patients’ health before admission, and the length of stay. The number of cases treated at each hospital did not reveal any impact on satisfaction. The multivariate analysis identified three predictors associated with overall satisfaction. The strongest factor was the treatment outcome and the weakest was the quality of food. It became apparent that the statutory procedure minimums were not being met.
Conclusions: The relevant factors influencing patient satisfaction were partially the same as previous study results and allowed more detailed conclusions. The results provide suggestions across hospitals that could help health care providers better meet needs of patients after knee arthroplasties.
|
64 |
Cutaneous Autonomic Pilomotor Testing to Unveil the Role of Neuropathy Progression in Early Parkinson’s Disease (CAPTURE PD): Protocol for a Multicenter StudySiepmann, Timo, Pintér, Alexandra, Buchmann, Sylvia J., Stibal, Leonie, Arndt, Martin, Kubasch, Anne Sophie, Kubasch, Marie Luise, Penzlin, Ana Isabel, Frenz, Elka, Zago, Wagner, Horváth, Tamás, Szatmári Jr., Szabolcs, Bereczki, Dániel, Takáts, Annamária, Ziemssen, Tjalf, Lipp, Axel, Freeman, Roy, Reichmann, Heinz, Barlinn, Kristian, Illigens, Ben Min-Woo 10 November 2017 (has links) (PDF)
Background: In Parkinson’s disease (PD), alpha-synuclein accumulation in cutaneous autonomic pilomotor and sudomotor nerve fibers has been linked to autonomic nervous system disturbances even in the early stages of the disease. This study aims to assess the association between alpha-synuclein-mediated structural autonomic nerve fiber damage and function in PD, elucidate the role of neuropathy progression during the early disease stages, and test reproducibility and external validity of pilomotor function assessment using quantitative pilomotor axon-reflex test and sudomotor function via quantitative direct and indirect test of sudomotor function.
Methods/design: A prospective controlled study will be conducted at four study sites in Europe and the USA. Fifty-two male and female patients with idiopathic PD (Hoehn and Yahr 1–2) and 52 age- and sex-matched healthy controls will be recruited. Axon-reflex-mediated pilomotor erection will be induced by iontophoresis of phenylephrine on the dorsal forearm. Silicone impressions of the response will be obtained, scanned, and quantified for pilomotor muscle impressions by number, impression size, and area of axon-reflex spread. Axon-reflex-mediated sweating following acetylcholine iontophoresis will be quantified for number and size of droplets and axon-reflex spread. Sympathetic skin responses, autonomic and motor symptoms will be evaluated. Tests will be performed at baseline, after 2 weeks, 1, 2, and 3 years. Skin biopsies will be obtained at baseline and after 3 years and will be analyzed for nerve fiber density and alpha-synuclein accumulation.
Discussion: We anticipate that progression of autonomic nerve dysfunction assessed via pilomotor and sudomotor axon-reflex tests is related to progression of autonomic symptom severity and alpha-synuclein deposition. Potential applications of the techniques include interventional studies evaluating disease-modifying approaches and clinical assessment of autonomic dysfunction in patients with PD.
|
65 |
Response inhibition in Attention deficit disorder and neurofibromatosis type 1 – clinically similar, neurophysiologically differentBluschke, Annet, von der Hagen, Maja, Papenhagen, Katharina, Roessner, Veit, Beste, Christian 15 November 2017 (has links) (PDF)
There are large overlaps in cognitive deficits occurring in attention deficit disorder (ADD) and neurodevelopmental disorders like neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). This overlap is mostly based on clinical measures and not on in-depth analyses of neuronal mechanisms. However, the consideration of such neuronal underpinnings is crucial when aiming to integrate measures that can lead to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Inhibitory control deficits, for example, are a hallmark in ADD, but it is unclear how far there are similar deficits in NF1. We thus compared adolescent ADD and NF1 patients to healthy controls in a Go/Nogo task using behavioural and neurophysiological measures. Clinical measures of ADD-symptoms were not different between ADD and NF1. Only patients with ADD showed increased Nogo errors and reductions in components reflecting response inhibition (i.e. Nogo-P3). Early perceptual processes (P1) were changed in ADD and NF1. Clinically, patients with ADD and NF1 thus show strong similarities. This is not the case in regard to underlying cognitive control processes. This shows that in-depth analyses of neurophysiological processes are needed to determine whether the overlap between ADD and NF1 is as strong as assumed and to develop appropriate treatment strategies.
|
66 |
The peripheral and Central Humphrey visual field – morphological changes during agingRutkowski, Paul, May, Christian Albrecht 09 November 2017 (has links) (PDF)
Background: To define age-related changes in the visual field by comparing "standard" central and unique peripheral visual field measurements in healthy volunteers.
Methods:
In a single center, retrospective, Cross-sectional, observational study, 20 volunteers with no retinal diseases or risk factors, ranging in age between 30 and 94 years (four age groups: 30’s, 50’s, 70’s, 90’s) were measured in one eye (preferentially the right one) using a Humphrey visual field 24–2 and 60–4.
Results:
While the central visual field remained relatively well preserved during aging showing only a mild reduction in sensitivity, a profound loss of the peripheral visual field was observed beginning in the fifth decade of life and decreasing continuously up to the 90ies.
Conclusions:
The peripheral visual field declined substantially from the 4th decade onward while the central visual field remained quite stable.
|
67 |
Reliability in adolescent fMRI within two years – a comparison of three tasksVetter, Nora C., Steding, Julius, Jurk, Sarah, Ripke, Stephan, Mennigen, Eva, Smolka, Michael N. 16 November 2017 (has links) (PDF)
Longitudinal developmental fMRI studies just recently began to focus on within-subject reliability using the intraclass coefficient (ICC). It remains largely unclear which degree of reliability can be achieved in developmental studies and whether this depends on the type of task used. Therefore, we aimed to systematically investigate the reliability of three well-classified tasks: an emotional attention, a cognitive control, and an intertemporal choice paradigm. We hypothesized to find higher reliability in the cognitive task than in the emotional or reward-related task. 104 healthy mid-adolescents were scanned at age 14 and again at age 16 within M = 1.8 years using the same paradigms, scanner, and scanning protocols. Overall, we found both variability and stability (i.e. poor to excellent ICCs) depending largely on the region of interest (ROI) and task. Contrary to our hypothesis, whole brain reliability was fair for the cognitive control task but good for the emotional attention and intertemporal choice task. Subcortical ROIs (ventral striatum, amygdala) resulted in lower ICCs than visual ROIs. Current results add to the yet sparse overall ICC literature in both developing samples and adults. This study shows that analyses of stability, i.e. reliability, are helpful benchmarks for longitudinal studies and their implications for adolescent development.
|
68 |
Site-Specific Variations in Bone Mineral Density under Systemic Conditions Inducing Osteoporosis in MinipigsSchulz, Matthias C., Kowald, Jan, Estenfelder, Sven, Jung, Roland, Kuhlisch, Eberhard, Eckelt, Uwe, Mai, Ronald, Hofbauer, Lorenz C., Stroszczynski, Christian, Stadlinger, Bernd 16 November 2017 (has links) (PDF)
Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease with an increasing prevalence in the elderly population. There is conflicting opinion about whether osteoporosis affects the alveolar bone of the jaws and whether it poses a risk to the osseointegration of dental implants. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of systemic glucocorticoid administration on the jaw bone density of minipigs. Thirty-seven adult female minipigs were randomly divided into two groups. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) was used to assess bone mineral density BMD of the lumbar spine as well as the mandible and maxilla, and blood was drawn. One group of minipigs initially received 1.0 mg prednisolone per kg body weight daily for 2 months. The dose was tapered to 0.5 mg per kg body weight per day thereafter. The animals in the other group served as controls and received placebo. QCT and blood analysis were repeated after 6 and 9 months. BMD was compared between the two groups by measuring Hounsfield units, and serum levels of several bone metabolic markers were also assessed. A decrease in BMD was observed in the jaws from baseline to 9 months. This was more pronounced in the prednisolone group. Statistically significant differences were reached for the mandible (p < 0.001) and the maxilla (p < 0.001). The administration of glucocorticoids reduced the BMD in the jaws of minipigs. The described model shows promise in the evaluation of osseointegration of dental implants in bone that is compromised by osteoporosis.
|
69 |
Tuning the Sensitivity of the PDR5 Promoter-Based Detection of Diclofenac in Yeast BiosensorsSchuller, Astrid, Rödel, Gerhard, Ostermann, Kai 15 November 2017 (has links) (PDF)
The commonly used drug diclofenac is an important environmental anthropogenic pollutant. Currently, detection of diclofenac is mainly based on chemical and physical methods. Here we describe a yeast biosensor that drives the diclofenac-dependent expression of a recombinant fluorescent protein from the authentic promoter of the PDR5 gene. This key component of the pleiotropic drug response encodes a multidrug transporter that is involved in cellular detoxification. We analyse the effects on diclofenac sensitivity of artificial PDR5 promoter derivatives in wild-type and various yeast mutant strains. This approach enabled us to generate sensor strains with elevated drug sensitivity.
|
70 |
The Aging of the Social Mind - Differential Effects on Components of Social UnderstandingReiter, Andrea M. F., Kanske, Philipp, Eppinger, Ben, Li, Shu-Chen 07 December 2017 (has links) (PDF)
Research in younger adults dissociates cognitive from affective facets of social information processing, rather than promoting a monolithic view of social intelligence. An influential theory on adult development suggests differential effects of aging on cognitive and affective functions. However, this dissociation has not been directly tested in the social domain. Employing a newly developed naturalistic paradigm that disentangles facets of the social mind within an individual, we show multi-directionality of age-related differences. Specifically, components of the socio-cognitive route – Theory of Mind and metacognition – are impaired in older relative to younger adults. Nevertheless, these social capacities are still less affected by aging than factual reasoning and metacognition regarding non-social content. Importantly, the socio-affective route is well-functioning, with no decline in empathy and elevated compassion in the elderly. These findings contribute to an integrated theory of age-related change in social functioning and inform interventions tailored to specifically reinstate socio-cognitive skills in old age.
|
Page generated in 0.0709 seconds