OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes of shoulder proprioception in normal subjects, according to the direction of the evoked fatigue on the shoulder muscle group. METHOD: 20 healthy volunteers (14 males and 6 females, age 20~35 years) with entirely normal shoulders participated in this study. Before fatigue exercises, the proprioception tests were performed during active reposition (ARP) and passive reposition (PRP) of dominant shoulder, using isokinetic dynamometer, System 3 Pro (Biodex medical system, New York, USA). Three trials each of active and passive repositioning (2degrees/sec) were recorded. We also estimated the results of the peak torque shoulder movements. The subjects performed maximal efforts with five repetitions on the direction of flexion, abduction, internal rotation and external rotation. The mean values of maximal concentric voluntary contraction (MVC: peak torque of each muscle group contraction) were recorded. We repeated fatigue exercises until the peak torque dropped to 30% three times consistently, then retested the proprioception of shoulder joints. We compared the proprioceptive changes of the shoulder with pre-fatigue test and post-fatigue test on the direction of shoulder movements. RESULTS: There were significant differences of shoulder proprioception between pre-fatigue test and post-fatigue test of ARP in shoulder abduction and external rotation (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In our study, the proprioception of shoulder joint decreased more prominently on external rotation and abduction movements under severely provoked muscle fatigue around the shoulder joint.
Contracts ; Exercise ; Fatigue ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Muscle Fatigue ; Muscles ; New York ; Proprioception ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Joint ; Torque

OBJECTIVE: To compare the radiological corrective effect for shoulder subluxation among GivMohr & other slings in hemiplegic patients. METHOD: Fifteen hemiplegic patients with flaccid upper limb were included. The vertical distance (VD), horizontal distance (HD) & joint distance (JD) on the plain AP views of the shoulders were measured. GivMohr sling was compared with 2 conventional slings, which were forearm cuff type extension sling and Bobath sling, in the effects of correction. RESULTS: The mean values of VD and JD of hemiplegic shoulder increased compared to unaffected side, but those of HD was not different between them. In Bobath sling, VD was significantly reduced and HD was not changed. However, JD was increased as other studies. GivMohr sling and forearm cuff type extension sling showed corrective effect in VD and JD (p<0.05). When compared with these two slings, there were no significant differences in VD and JD. CONCLUSION: The results show that GivMohr sling reduces shoulder subluxation as other slings. This new sling is helpful for patients with flaccid upper limbs to reduce shoulder subluxation.
Forearm ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Joints ; Radiography ; Shoulder* ; Upper Extremity

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) on balance. METHOD: Fifteen patients with bilateral knee OA and fifteen patients with unilateral TKA and fifteen healthy adults were assessed by computerized dynamic posturography. The posturography test was performed 3 times at 6 different simulated conditions. We evaluated anteroposterior sway of center of gravity and strategy score of OA group, TKA group and healthy adults group. We compared the equilibrium scores of each group with normal data reported previously. We also compared strategy scores of each group. RESULTS: Patients with bilateral knee OA and unilateral TKA showed lower equilibrium scores than normal one at the condition 4, 5, 6. But patients with unilateral TKA did not show significant equilibrium score difference as compared with bilateral knee OA patients. Patients with bilateral knee OA and unilateral TKA showed significantly lower strategy scores than normal one at the condition 4, 5, 6 (p<0.05). But patients with unilateral TKA did not show significant strategy score difference as compared with bilateral knee OA patients. CONCLUSION: Patients with bilateral knee OA showed deficit of dynamic postural control due to proprioceptive dysfunction. And TKA did not affect proprioceptive change in knee osteoarthritis.
Adult ; Arthroplasty* ; Gravitation ; Humans ; Knee* ; Osteoarthritis, Knee* ; Proprioception

OBJECTIVE: While many factors contribute to aging, changes in calcium homeostasis and calcium related neuronal processes are likely to be important. High intracellular calcium is toxic to cells and alterations in calcium homeostasis are associated with changes in calcium-binding proteins, which confine free Ca2+. We therefore assayed the expression of the calcium binding proteins calretinin and calbindin in the central auditory nervous system of rats. METHODS: Using antibodies to calretinin and calbindin, we assayed their expression in the cochlear nucleus, superior olivary nucleus, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body and auditory cortex of young (4 months old) and aged (24 months old) rats. RESULTS: Calretinin and calbindin staining intensity in neurons of the cochlear nucleus was significantly higher in aged than in young rats (p<0.05) The number and staining intensity of calretinin-positive neurons in the inferior colliculus, and of calbindin-positive neurons in the superior olivary nucleus were greater in aged than in young rats (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that auditory processing is altered during aging, which may be due to increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration, consequently leading to increased immunoreactivity toward calcium-binding proteins.
Aged ; Aging ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Auditory Cortex ; Auditory Pathways ; Calcium ; Calcium-Binding Protein, Vitamin D-Dependent ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; Cochlear Nucleus ; Geniculate Bodies ; Homeostasis ; Humans ; Inferior Colliculi ; Nervous System ; Neurons ; Olivary Nucleus ; Rats

Fulminant type 1 diabetes (T1DM) is a distinct subtype of T1DM that is characterized by rapid onset hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, absolute insulin deficiency, and near normal levels of glycated hemoglobin at initial presentation. Although it has been reported that class II human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotype is associated with fulminant T1DM, the genetic predisposition is not fully understood. In this study we investigated the HLA genotype and haplotype in 11 Korean cases of fulminant T1DM using imputation of whole exome sequencing data and compared its frequencies with 413 participants of the Korean Reference Panel. The HLA-DRB1*04:05-HLA-DQB1*04:01 haplotype was significantly associated with increased risk of fulminant T1DM in Fisher's exact test (odds ratio [OR], 4.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.56 to 10.86; p = 0.009). A histidine residue at HLA-DRbeta1 position 13 was marginally associated with increased risk of fulminant T1DM (OR, 2.45; 95% CI ,1.01 to 5.94; p = 0.054). Although we had limited statistical power, we provide evidence that HLA haplotype and amino acid change can be a genetic risk factor of fulminant T1DM in Koreans. Further large-scale research is required to confirm these findings.
Autoimmunity ; Exome ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype* ; Haplotypes ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Histidine ; HLA Antigens ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Insulin ; Ketosis ; Leukocytes ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is well-established that neurogenesis continues to occur during life in the restricted brain areas, such as the glomerular and granule cell layers of the olfactory bulb. Doublecortin is a protein required for neuronal migration in the developing brian and olfactrory bulb, and is expressed in postmitotic migrating and differentiating neurons during embryonic and postnatal development periods. We investigated age-related changes of doublecortin positive cells in the olfactory bulb of aged rat compared with new born rat. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Four months old (control group, n=7) and 24 months old (aged group, n=7) male Fischer 344 rats were used in this study. Olfactory bulbs of the rats were cut into 40 micro m-thick coronal sections and immunostained. We counted the doublecortin positive cells and neurofibrils, and measured the optical density of doublecortin by layer. We compared the results between the aged group and the control group. RESULTS: In the olfactory bulbs of aged group, we observed less doublecortin positive cells, neurofibrils and lower optical density than the control group. Doublecortin is expressed during life in migratory neuroblasts of the olfactory bulb of the rats. This expression is reduced in the aged group and the reduced degree is variable according to the layer. CONCLUSION: Age-related changes of the olfactory bulb are associated with the reduction of postnatal neurogenesis, especially during the migration and differentiaion stages. This changes result in reduction of interneurons of the olfactory bulb, and may be responsible for the decreased olfactory function.
Aging ; Animals ; Brain ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Interneurons ; Male ; Neurofibrils ; Neurogenesis ; Neurons ; Olfactory Bulb* ; Rats*