Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association Between Intensity of Pain and Impairment in Onset and Activation of the Deep Cervical Flexors in Patients With Persistent Neck Pain

ObjectivesThis study evaluates the relationship between clinical symptoms and the function of the deep cervical flexor muscles in women with persistent neck pain. MethodsThirty-two women with a history of neck pain more than 6 months participated in the study. Measures for neck pain area, intensity, duration, and perceived disability were taken. Electromyography was acquired from the deep cervical flexor muscles by a nasopharyngeal electrode suctioned over the posterior oropharyngeal wall as the patients performed 2 tasks: rapid arm movements (shoulder flexion and extension) and isometric craniocervical flexion contractions. ResultsThe patients' average score for the Neck Disability Index (0 to 50) was 11.0±2.6 and their average pain intensity rated on a visual analog scale (0 to 10) was 4.7±1.8. A correlation was observed between the average intensity of pain rated on the visual analog scale and the normalized electromyography amplitude recorded from the deep cervical flexors during the craniocervical flexion contractions (r=−0.36; P<0.05). Furthermore, the relative onset of the deep cervical flexors during rapid shoulder flexion was positively correlated with the average intensity of pain (r=0.50; P<0.01). No significant correlations were identified between the amplitude and the onset of activation of the deep cervical flexors and the duration of pain, area of pain, or Neck Disability Index score of the patient. DiscussionThis study shows a relationship between the levels of neck pain intensity and the function of the deep cervical flexor muscles in women with persistent neck pain but not in other clinical features, such as location or duration of the disorder. These findings may partially explain the heterogeneity in motor control impairments in patients with neck pain.
Profile of occupational therapy practice in rural and remote South Australia.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this report is to discuss the results of a questionnaire conducted with occupational therapists providing services in rural and remote South Australia. It is envisaged that the results will be of interest to health professionals working in country areas of Australia. The questionnaire aimed at capturing descriptive information from these therapists in regards to the type of services they deliver and the strategies they employ to deliver services, including information on human resources and staff retention. DESIGN AND METHODS A questionnaire sent to occupational therapy managers and yielded a 44% response rate. RESULTS Results provide descriptive information on the services provided, for example, the vast geographical areas covered. Respondents described the challenges they face in service delivery and these include the wide range of services to diverse client groups, high client-therapist ratio and limited human resources. Examples of strategies used are less labour-intensive service delivery models, multi-skilling of staff, networking and use of problem-solving techniques. Most perceived their services to be addressing client needs and they felt supported in their roles by other occupational therapists and their organisations. CONCLUSIONS Occupational therapists working in rural and remote South Australia are overcoming the challenges identified in this questionnaire by implementing innovative strategies.
Increased Pain Sensitivity Is Not Associated With Electrodiagnostic Findings in Women With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

ObjectiveTo determine the differences in widespread pressure pain and thermal hypersensitivity in women with minimal, moderate, and severe carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and healthy controls. MethodsA total of 72 women with CTS (19 with minimal, 18 with moderate, and 35 with severe) and 19 healthy age-matched women participated. Pressure pain thresholds were bilaterally assessed over the median, ulnar, and radial nerves, the C5 to C6 zygapophyseal joint, the carpal tunnel, and the tibialis anterior muscle. In addition, warm and cold detection thresholds and heat and cold pain thresholds were bilaterally assessed over the carpal tunnel and the thenar eminence. All outcome parameters were assessed by an assessor blinded to the participant's condition. ResultsNo significant differences in pain parameters among patients with minimal, moderate, and severe CTS were found. The results showed that PPT were significantly decreased bilaterally over the median, ulnar, and radial nerve trunks, the carpal tunnel, C5 to C6 zygapophyseal joint, and the tibialis anterior muscle in patients with minimal, moderate, or severe CTS as compared with healthy controls (all, P<0.001). In addition, patients with CTS also showed lower heat pain threshold and reduced cold pain threshold compared with controls (P<0.001). No significant sensory differences between minimal, moderate, or severe CTS were found. ConclusionsThe similar widespread pressure and thermal hypersensitivity in patients with minimal, moderate, or severe CTS and pain intensity suggests that increased pain sensitivity is not related to electrodiagnostic findings.
Serotonin Hypothesis of Autism: Implications for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Use during Pregnancy

Serotonin, a neurotransmitter found throughout the brain and body, has long been of interest in autism. Repeated findings of elevated platelet serotonin levels in approximately one third of children with autism has led some to believe that dysfunctional serotonin signaling may be a causal mechanism for the disorder. Because serotonin is critical to fetal brain development, concerns have arisen regarding prenatal exposure to substances that manipulate serotonin levels, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This review examines evidence regarding the serotonin system and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), as well as what the literature has reported thus far on developmental effects of prenatal exposure to SSRIs. Possible mechanisms by which SSRIs could affect the fetus during pregnancy and clinical implications are also discussed. Though the majority of studies conducted in infants and children suggest prenatal exposure to SSRIs does not affect neurodevelopment, interpretation must be tempered given small sample sizes. The only published study that focused on prenatal SSRI exposure and ASD found an increased risk with exposure to SSRIs, especially during the first trimester. Obstacles that will be faced in future research are isolating medication effects from maternal depression and, given the infrequent occurrence of exposure and outcome, obtaining an adequate sample size. Whether serotonin is an etiologic factor in ASD, and what it points to as a marker for subgrouping, remains unclear. Understanding how the development of ASD might be affected by prenatal factors that influence serotonin levels, such as SSRIs, could identify modifiable targets for prevention. Autism Res 2013, 6: 149–168. © 2013 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Base of the skull giant cell tumor: Rare presenting features of a rare tumor

An 18-years old girl presented with progressive diminution of vision and trismus for 3 months. On examination, light perception was absent in the right eye along with decreased vision and lateral ophthalmoplegia in the left eye and Grade 2 trismus. On magnetic resonance image, a large mass, isointense on T1 weighted image with contrast enhancement, hyperintense on T2 weighted image, was seen to be arising from the base of the skull with the surrounding bone and soft tissue destruction. She was initially treated with partial decompression of mass. Histopathological examination showed giant cell tumor. Patient was then treated with radiotherapy. The case is described along with a review of the literature.
Negative emotion does not enhance recall skills in adults with autistic spectrum disorders

Recent empirical findings suggest a significant influence of emotion on memory processes. Surprisingly, although emotion‐processing difficulties appear to be a hallmark feature in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), their impact on higher‐level cognitive functions, such as memory, has not been directly studied in this population. The aim of this study was to address this issue by assessing whether the emotional valence of visual scenes affects recall skills in high‐functioning individuals with ASD. To this purpose, their recall performance of neutral and emotional pictures was compared with that of typically developing adults (control group). Results revealed that while typically developing individuals showed enhanced recall skills for negative relative to positive and neutral pictures, individuals with ASD recalled the neutral pictures as well as the emotional ones. Findings of this study thus point to reduced influence of emotion on memory processes in ASD than in typically developing individuals, possibly owing to amygdala dysfunctions.
Is Pain Catastrophizing a Stable Trait or Dynamic State in Patients Scheduled for Knee Arthroplasty?

ObjectivesThis study sought to clarify whether pain-related catastrophizing is a response that varies given a specific situational circumstance (state) or an enduring personality construct (trait). MethodsWe conducted a cohort study of 150 patients undergoing total knee arthroscopy at 2 hospitals. Patients completed a battery of psychological measures, provided various sociodemographic data, and were followed for 6 months. We hypothesized that associated total knee arthroscopy surgery and recovery would predict future catastrophizing severity. ResultsAfter controlling for baseline covariates of age, sex, ethnicity, depression, and anxiety, we found that current pain sensation intensity predicted future catastrophizing severity. Change in pain intensity was associated with the change in catastrophizing for the baseline to 6 months postsurgery, but not between the baseline to 2 months postsurgery. DiscussionThese data provide preliminary support for the notion that pain-related catastrophizing is a dynamic construct that is related to pain intensity.
IL-1β and IL-8, matrix metalloproteinase 3, and pepsinogen secretion before and after H. pylori eradication in gastroduodenal phenotypes

Objective. Relations between host genetic factors and clinical outcomes of Helicobacter pylori infection are variable among ethnicities. The aim of this study was to examine gastric mucosal cytokines, matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3), and serum pepsinogen levels before and after eradication of H. pylori according to IL-1B genotypes and benign gastroduodenal phenotypes in a Korean population. Material and methods. A total of 349 Koreans including H. pylori-infected subjects (n=230) and H. pylori-negative controls (n=119) were enrolled. The former subjects were classified into groups according to the presence of non-atrophic gastritis (n=74), atrophic gastritis (n=56), gastric ulcer (n=37), and duodenal ulcer (n=63). IL-1B polymorphisms were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Gastric mucosal IL-1β, IL-8, and MMP-3, and serum pepsinogen I and II levels were measured by ELISA and radioimmunoassay, respectively. Results. There were no significant differences between the IL-1B–31/–511 haplotype (TT/CC, CT/CT, and CC/TT) frequencies among the H. pylori-positive and −negative groups. The genotypes of IL-1B–31/–511 polymorphisms did not affect clinical phenotypes, inflammatory cytokines, MMP-3, and pepsinogen secretion. Subjects with H. pylori-infected atrophic gastritis exhibited significantly higher basal levels of cytokines and a lower pepsinogen I/II ratio than those of other groups. Following H. pylori eradication, inflammatory cytokines significantly decreased and the pepsinogen I/II ratio increased in all groups. Conclusions. Mucosal inflammatory cytokines, MMP-3, and pepsinogen secretion are related to gastroduodenal phenotypes but not to IL-1B genotypes. Eradication of H. pylori can reduce mucosal inflammation and restore pepsinogen secretion.
Parental Broader Autism Subphenotypes in ASD Affected Families: Relationship to Gender, Child's Symptoms, SSRI Treatment, and Platelet Serotonin

Relationships between parental broader autism phenotype (BAP) scores, gender, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment, serotonin (5HT) levels, and the child's symptoms were investigated in a family study of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Broader Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) was used to measure the BAP of 275 parents. Fathers not taking SSRIs (F‐SSRI; n = 115) scored significantly higher on BAP Total and Aloof subscales compared to mothers not receiving treatment (M‐SSRI; n = 136.) However, mothers taking SSRIs (M + SSRI; n = 19) scored higher than those not taking medication on BAP Total and Rigid subscales, and they were more likely to be BAPQ Total, Aloof, and Rigid positive. Significant correlations were noted between proband autism symptoms and parental BAPQ scores such that Total, Aloof, and Rigid subscale scores of F‐SSRI correlated with proband restricted repetitive behavior (RRB) measures on the ADOS, CRI, and RBS‐R. However, only the Aloof subscale score of M + SSRI correlated with proband RRB on the ADOS. The correlation between the BAPQ scores of mothers taking SSRIs and child scores, as well as the increase in BAPQ scores of this group of mothers, requires careful interpretation and further study because correlations would not withstand multiple corrections. As expected by previous research, significant parent–child correlations were observed for 5HT levels. However, 5HT levels were not correlated with behavioral measures. Study results suggest that the expression of the BAP varies not only across parental gender, but also across individuals using psychotropic medication and those who do not. Autism Res 2013, 6: 621–630. © 2013 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of the effectiveness of the novel serotonin type 3 receptor antagonist ramosetron in both male and female Japanese patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome

Objective. Irritable bowel syndrome is characterized by abdominal discomfort and/or pain associated with altered bowel habits. The neurotransmitter serotonin and serotonin type 3 receptors that are extensively distributed on enteric neurons in the human gastrointestinal tract play a role in increasing the sensation of pain and affecting bowel habits in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the serotonin type 3 receptor antagonist ramosetron hydrochloride in Japanese patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. Material and methods. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group-comparative study with a 1-week run-in period, 539 patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome meeting the Rome II diagnostic criteria received either 5 µg ramosetron hydrochloride (n=270) or placebo (n=269) once daily for 12 weeks. Results. Forty-seven percent of ramosetron hydrochloride-treated patients were monthly responders in the primary end-point, “Patient-reported global assessment of relief of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms”, compared with 27% for placebos (p<0.001). The most frequently reported adverse event in the ramosetron hydrochloride-treated group compared with the placebo group was hard stool. Conclusions. Ramosetron hydrochloride 5 µg once daily is effective and well tolerated in the treatment of abdominal pain, discomfort and bowel habits in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.
Availability of antidotes for the treatment of acute poisoning in Queensland public hospitals.

OBJECTIVE To determine the sufficiency of stock levels of 13 antidotes in Queensland hospitals. DESIGN A self-report survey was sent to 128 Queensland hospitals with acute care facilities. The stock level of the following antidotes was determined: acetylcysteine, anti-digoxin Fab antibodies (digibind), atropine, calcium gluconate, cyanokit, desferrioxamine, flumazenil, glucagon, intravenous ethanol, methylene blue, naloxone, pralidoxime and pyridoxine. Other factors sampled were bed capacity, rural, remote and metropolitan areas classification, use of formal stock reviews by pharmacists or nurses, existence of formal borrowing agreements with other facilities for non-stocked antidotes, distance to the nearest referral hospital and time taken to transfer antidotes from another hospital. PARTICIPANTS Pharmacists or nurses responsible for maintaining antidote stocks in Queensland hospitals. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Proportions of hospitals with sufficient antidote stock to treat a 70-kg adult for four or more hours using previously published guidelines. RESULTS Survey response rate was 73.4%. No hospital had sufficient stock of all 13 antidotes. The proportion of hospitals with sufficient stocks varied from 0% (pyridoxine) to 68.1% (acetylcysteine). Larger hospitals had a higher frequency of sufficient antidote stocks. Only 16% of hospitals claimed to be able to acquire an antidote from another facility within 30 min. CONCLUSIONS Most Queensland hospitals stocked some important antidotes, but few had sufficient stock to treat a 70-kg patient or acquire an antidote within the recommended time frame of 30 min. Specific antidote stocking guidelines might be required for Queensland hospitals. A formalised program for stock rotation with rural facilities should be explored.
Susceptibility to Distraction in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Probing the Integrity of Oscillatory Alpha‐Band Suppression Mechanisms

When attention is directed to one information stream over another, the brain can be configured in advance to selectively process the relevant stream and suppress potentially distracting inputs. One key mechanism of suppression is through the deployment of anticipatory alpha‐band (∼10 Hz) oscillatory activity, with greater alpha‐band power observed in cortical regions that will ultimately process the distracting stream. Atypical attention has been implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including greater interference by distracting task‐irrelevant inputs. Here we tested the integrity of these alpha‐band mechanisms in ASD using an intersensory attention task. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded while participants were cued on a trial‐by‐trial basis to selectively deploy attention to the visual or auditory modality in anticipation of a target within the cued modality. Whereas typically developing (TD) children showed the predicted alpha‐band modulation, with increased alpha‐band power over parieto‐occipital scalp when attention was deployed to the auditory compared with the visual modality, this differential pattern was entirely absent at the group level in the ASD cohort. Further, only the ASD group showed impaired performance due to the presence of task‐irrelevant sensory information. These data suggest that impaired modulation of alpha‐band activity plays a role in increased distraction from extraneous sensory inputs in ASD. Autism Res 2014, 7: 442–458. © 2014 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Are Urinary Porphyrins a Valid Diagnostic Biomarker of Autism Spectrum Disorder?

A fundamental challenge to the timely diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the reliance on the observation of a set of aberrant behavior. Consequently, the diagnostic process requires that the child reach an age where the behaviors would typically be exhibited. The identification of a reliable biological marker (biomarker) could be of considerable benefit to the diagnostic process. As a diagnostic biomarker, porphyrins present an attractive prospect as previous studies have reported consistent findings of children with ASD showing significant elevations in porphyrin levels in contrast to controls. Furthermore, there is some evidence that ASD severity may be associated with porphyrins, which would be a valuable characteristic of any ASD biomarker. Importantly, for practical use, porphyrins can be tested non‐invasively via a sample of urine. The present study sought to investigate whether porphyrin profiles can reliably be used to (a) differentiate ASD cases from healthy controls; and (b) predict ASD severity. The study compared the porphyrin levels of three groups of children aged 2–6 years: Group 1—children diagnosed with ASD (n = 70); Group 2—healthy, normally developing siblings of children diagnosed with ASD (n = 36); and Group 3—healthy, normally developing children with no known blood relative diagnosed with ASD (n = 54). The results of logistic regression analyses failed to find support for the hypotheses that porphyrin levels could be used as a valid tool to detect ASD cases or predict severity. Autism Res 2014, 7: 535–542. © 2014 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Risperidone and the 5‐HT2A Receptor Antagonist M100907 Improve Probabilistic Reversal Learning in BTBR T + tf/J Mice

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interactions with restricted interests and repetitive behaviors (RRBs). RRBs can severely limit daily living and be particularly stressful to family members. To date, there are limited options for treating this feature in ASD. Risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic, is approved to treat irritability in ASD, but less is known about whether it is effective in treating “higher order” RRBs, for example cognitive inflexibility. Risperidone also has multiple receptor targets in which only a subset may be procognitive and others induce cognitive impairment. 5HT2A receptor blockade represents one promising and more targeted approach, as various preclinical studies have shown that 5HT2A receptor antagonists improve cognition. The present study investigated whether risperidone and/or M100907, a 5HT2A receptor antagonist, improved probabilistic reversal learning performance in the BTBR T + tf/J (BTBR) mouse model of autism. The effects of these treatments were also investigated in C57BL/6J (B6) mice as a comparison strain. Using a spatial reversal learning test with 80/20 probabilistic feedback, similar to one in which ASD individuals exhibit impairments, both risperidone (0.125 mg) and M100907 (0.01 and 0.1 mg) improved reversal learning in BTBR mice. Risperidone (0.125 mg) impaired reversal learning in B6 mice. Improvement in probabilistic reversal learning performance resulted from treatments enhancing the maintenance of the newly correct choice pattern. Because risperidone can lead to unwanted side effects, treatment with a specific 5HT2A receptor antagonist may improve cognitive flexibility in individuals with ASD while also minimizing unwanted side effects. Autism Res 2014, 7: 555–567. © 2014 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.