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Evaluation Tests (evaluation + test)
Selected AbstractsImproved sacral neuromodulation in the treatment of the hyperactive detrusor: signal modification in an animal modelBJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 7 2003C. Seif OBJECTIVE To investigate different stimulation signals for the peripheral nerve evaluation test (PNE, carried out before implanting a sacral neuromodulator for functional voiding dysfunction) in an animal model and to determine their efficacy, as up to 80% of patients do not respond to the PNE test. MATERIALS AND METHODS PNE foramen electrodes were placed in the S3 of 12 anaesthetized Göttingen minipigs. First, detrusor instabilities were induced by the intravesical instillation of formalin. A 10-min stimulation phase with both a quasi-trapezoidal (QT) signal and a rectangular signal followed. An interval of 30 min elapsed between the series of stimulations. The attained bladder pressure values were registered on a urodynamic unit and evaluated as contractions and amplitudes per minute. Six minipigs were treated in the same way but were not stimulated and served as a control group. RESULTS After formalin instillation, the mean (sd) number of involuntary detrusor contractions was 3.5 (0.8)/min and the sum of amplitudes 7.2 (1.1) cmH2O/min. Subsequent NaCl instillation and QT-stimulation reduced the contractions to 0.3 (0.3)/min and the sum of amplitudes to 0.8 (0.4) cmH2O/min. Stimulation with a rectangular signal, as used in the PNE test, followed after an interval of 10 min, giving 1.1 (0.1) contractions/min and a sum of amplitudes of 5.1 (2.4) cmH2O/min. Within the control group there was no significant reduction. CONCLUSIONS These results show that QT-stimulation suppresses uncontrollable detrusor contractions in the minipig more effectively than the conventional rectangular stimulation presently applied in sacral neuromodulation. [source] Sacral nerve stimulation for faecal incontinence alters colorectal transport,,BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 6 2008H. B. Michelsen Background: Sacral nerve stimulation reduces the frequency of defaecation in patients with faecal incontinence. The aim of this study was to examine the mechanism behind the reduced number of bowel movements in incontinent patients treated with sacral nerve stimulation. Methods: The study included 20 patients with faecal incontinence and a positive percutaneous nerve evaluation test: 19 women and one man, with a median age of 63 (range 28,78) years. Colorectal scintigraphy was performed to assess colorectal emptying at defaecation before and after implantation. Segmental colorectal transit times were determined using radio-opaque markers. Results: The median frequency of defaecation per 3 weeks decreased from 56 (range 19,136) to 26 (range 12,78) (P < 0·002). At defaecation, antegrade transport from the ascending colon decreased from a median score of 8 (range 0,23) to 0 (range 0,11) per cent (P = 0·001), while retrograde transport from the descending colon increased from a median score of 0 (range 0,14) to 2 (range 0,30) per cent (P = 0·039). The median defaecation score was unchanged. There was a non-significant increase in median total gastrointestinal transit time from 2·5 (range 0·9,6·2) to 3·3 (range 0·8,6·2) days (P = 0·079). Conclusion: Sacral nerve stimulation reduces antegrade transport from the ascending colon and increases retrograde transport from the descending colon at defaecation. This may prolong colonic transit time and increase the storage capacity of the colon. Copyright © 2008 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Development of a gait rehabilitation system using a locomotion interfaceCOMPUTER ANIMATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS (PREV: JNL OF VISUALISATION & COMPUTER ANIMATION), Issue 5 2003Hiroaki Yano Abstract A locomotion interface (LI) is a piece of equipment that can give a user the sense that he/she is walking while his/her actual position remains localized in the real world. We developed an LI system (GaitMaster2) that has two footpads, which can move to represent a virtual terrain for each user's foot. In this research, we applied our LI to gait rehabilitation. The footpads on our LI follow a pre-recorded motion sequence to move the user's feet. We conducted evaluation tests with the assistance of hemiplegic patients. The effectiveness of our system was verified through EMG, video analysis and the measurement of physical values such as average velocity. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AND MEASURING GUSTATORY REACTION TIMESJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 4 2000MIGUELINA GUIRAO ABSTRACT Reaction Time (RT) procedures are widely used in cognitive and behavioral experiments. In the sensory realm RT has been traditionally applied to measure visual, auditory or motor responses. The application of the RT method to gustatory stimuli has proved to be difficult. Attempts to develop automatic control techniques have been restrained by difficulties related to the control of variables, e.g. physiochemical characteristics of chemical solutions and the procedure for stimulus presentation. In this report we describe a computer based system that was designed to measure the reaction time to taste solutions dropped on the tongue. The equipment consists of a pumping system, an interface between the computer and the pumping system, the software required to control the interface and to measure reaction time, and a push button to detect the subject's response. The system can be used as a tool for both research and evaluation tests. [source] Standardizing evaluation of on-line continuing medical education: Physician knowledge, attitudes, and reflection on practiceTHE JOURNAL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONS, Issue 2 2004Associate Director, Dr. Linda Casebeer PhD Associate Professor Abstract Introduction: Physicians increasingly earn continuing medical education (CME) credits through on-line courses, but there have been few rigorous evaluations to determine their effects. The present study explores the feasibility of implementing standardized evaluation templates and tests them to evaluate 30 on-line CME courses. Methods: A time series design was used to compare the knowledge, attitudes, and reported changes in practice of physician participants who completed any of 30 on-line CME courses that were hosted on an academic CME Web site and a CME Web portal during the period from August 1, 2002, through March 31, 2003. Data were collected at baseline, at course completion, and 4 weeks later. Paired t tests were used to compare the means of responses across time. Results: U.S. physicians completed 720 post-tests. Quality of content was the characteristic of most importance to participants; too little interaction was the largest source of dissatis-faction. Overall mean knowledge scores increased from 58.1% to 75.6% at post-test and then decreased to 68.2% at 4 weeks following the course. Effect sizes of increased knowledge immediately following the course were larger for case-based than for text-based courses. Nearly all physicians reported making changes in practice following course completion, although reported changes differed from expected changes. Conclusions: Increases in physician knowledge and knowledge retention were demonstrated following participation in on-line CME courses. The implementation of standardized evaluation tests proved to be feasible and allowed longitudinal evaluation analyses across CME providers and content areas. [source] Improvement of Hemocompatibility in Centrifugal Blood Pump With Hydrodynamic Bearings and Semi-open Impeller: In Vitro EvaluationARTIFICIAL ORGANS, Issue 10 2009Ryo Kosaka Abstract We have developed a noncontact-type centrifugal blood pump with hydrodynamic bearings and a semi-open impeller for mechanical circulatory assist. The impeller is levitated by an original spiral-groove thrust bearing and a herringbone-groove journal bearing, without any additional displacement-sensing module or additional complex control circuits. The pump was improved by optimizing the groove direction of the spiral-groove thrust bearing and the pull-up magnetic force between the rotor magnet and the stator coil against the impeller. To evaluate hemocompatibility, we conducted a levitation performance test and in vitro hemocompatibility tests by means of a mock-up circulation loop. In the hemolysis test, the normalized index of hemolysis was reduced from 0.721 to 0.0335 g/100 L corresponding to an expansion of the bearing gap from 1.1 to 56.1 µm. In the in vitro antithrombogenic test, blood pumps with a wide thrust bearing gap were effective in preventing thrombus formation. Through in vitro evaluation tests, we confirmed that hemocompatibility was improved by balancing the hydrodynamic fluid dynamics and magnetic forces. [source] | ||||||||||