BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The atherosclerotic plaque in the thoracic aorta has been considered as potential source of cerebral embolization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation of atherosclerotic plaque burden and aortic distensibility by combined transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) and acoustic quantification(AQ) in patients with cerebral infarction without cardiac origin of emboli. METHODS: The maximal intimal-medial thickness and distensibility of descending thoracic aorta using TEE (a 7.5 MHz multiplane transducer, Hewlett Packard Sonos 2500) and AQ were prospectively measured in 36 patients(mean age ; 61+/-9 years) with cerebral infarction without cardiac origin of emboli and compared with 87 controls(mean age ; 56+/-11 years) without history of cerebral infarction. After the quality of the short-axis images of the aorta was optimized, a software of AQ was activated and gain controls were adjusted. A region of interest was mannually traced around the descending thoracic aorta and then integrated software was used to compute and instantaneously display arotic lumen area as a function of time. Maximal and minimal cross sectional area and fraction area change were calculated as an average from five consecutive heart cycle. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between two groups in gender, hyperlipidemia and smoking, but hypertension and diabetes were more common in the cerebral infarction group. The atherosclerotic intimal-medial thickness above grade 3 was found in 13(36.1 %) out of 36 patients with cerebral infarction and 15(17.2%) out of 87 controls(p<0.05). Aortic areas normalized for body surface area were not statistically different between patients and normal controls, but there were significant differences for elastic indices except compliance. Patients with cerebral infarction had a lower fractional area change(5.7+/-3.2% vs. 7.8+/-4.1%, p<0.05) and higher stiffness index(12.2+/-7.7 vs. 8.0+/-5.1, p<0.05) compared with control group. There was an inverse relationship between the aortic intimal-medial thickness and the fractional area change of descending aorta(r=-0.380, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The data suggest that the aortic distensibility noninvasively measured by TEE and AQ predicts the atherosclerotic burden. Thus the aortic distensibility may be an additive risk factor for cerebral infarction.
Acoustics* ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Body Surface Area ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Compliance ; Heart ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Transducers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The atherosclerotic plaque in the thoracic aorta has been considered as potential source of cerebral embolization. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation of atherosclerotic plaque burden and aortic distensibility by combined transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) and acoustic quantification(AQ) in patients with cerebral infarction without cardiac origin of emboli. METHODS: The maximal intimal-medial thickness and distensibility of descending thoracic aorta using TEE (a 7.5 MHz multiplane transducer, Hewlett Packard Sonos 2500) and AQ were prospectively measured in 36 patients(mean age ; 61+/-9 years) with cerebral infarction without cardiac origin of emboli and compared with 87 controls(mean age ; 56+/-11 years) without history of cerebral infarction. After the quality of the short-axis images of the aorta was optimized, a software of AQ was activated and gain controls were adjusted. A region of interest was mannually traced around the descending thoracic aorta and then integrated software was used to compute and instantaneously display arotic lumen area as a function of time. Maximal and minimal cross sectional area and fraction area change were calculated as an average from five consecutive heart cycle. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between two groups in gender, hyperlipidemia and smoking, but hypertension and diabetes were more common in the cerebral infarction group. The atherosclerotic intimal-medial thickness above grade 3 was found in 13(36.1 %) out of 36 patients with cerebral infarction and 15(17.2%) out of 87 controls(p<0.05). Aortic areas normalized for body surface area were not statistically different between patients and normal controls, but there were significant differences for elastic indices except compliance. Patients with cerebral infarction had a lower fractional area change(5.7+/-3.2% vs. 7.8+/-4.1%, p<0.05) and higher stiffness index(12.2+/-7.7 vs. 8.0+/-5.1, p<0.05) compared with control group. There was an inverse relationship between the aortic intimal-medial thickness and the fractional area change of descending aorta(r=-0.380, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The data suggest that the aortic distensibility noninvasively measured by TEE and AQ predicts the atherosclerotic burden. Thus the aortic distensibility may be an additive risk factor for cerebral infarction.
Acoustics* ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Body Surface Area ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Compliance ; Heart ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Transducers

No abstract available.
Pharmacy*

No abstract available.
Pharmacy*

No abstract available.
Antiviral Agents*

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Student Health Services*

No abstract available.
Nutrition Policy*

No abstract available.

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Stomatognathic Diseases*

This study was carried out to develop a Korean language version of Zung's self-rating anxiety scale(SAS) from august, 1994 to September, 1996. The subjects consisted of 205 normal control subjects from the general population group, and 97 subjects with anxiety disorders. These 97 subjects were chosen from a group by the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV of in patients and out patients. Both normal control subjects and anxiety disorder subjects were drawn utilizing a cluster of sampling methods. In order to analyze the data on anxiety scores, Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient method was carried out, as well as reliability, factor analysis and discrimina;it function analysis, utilizing the SPSS/PC+ program. The results obtained were - as follows: The mean average of the total anxiety scores were 32.36 + 6.35 for the normal control subjects and 50.53 + 7.67 for anxiety disorder subjects. Test-retest reliability(coefficient r=0.98, p < 0.001), and internal consistency(coefficient r=0.96, p < 0.001) were satisfactory. Factor analysis using oblique technique rotation yielded four factors. _ The . normal control subjects scored higher concerning the symptoms such as sweating, restlessness, apprehension, insomnia and dyspnea, and lower for faintness, mental disintegration, paresthesia, dizziness and .tremor. On the other hand, for the anxiety disorders, apprehension, restlessness, sweating, dyspnea and insomnia scored higher, and lower for faintness, paresthesia, nightmare, dizziness and tremor.
Anxiety Disorders ; Anxiety* ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Dizziness ; Dreams ; Dyspnea ; Hand ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Paresthesia ; Population Groups ; Psychomotor Agitation ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Sweat ; Sweating ; Tremor