AIM: To study the language characteristics and origins of subcortical aphasia. METHODS: One hundred and five patients with unilateral subcortical lesions were confirmed by CT scans. Aphasia examinations, brain electrical activity mapping (BEAM) and CT image standardization were performed at the end of two weeks, one month and two months after onset. RESULTS: Most aphasia patients had lesions in the lateral, front and upper part of basal ganglion. BEAM is largely abnormal in the aphasia patients of lateral type and thalamic aphasia who had serious auditory comprehension disturbance. Prominent dysarthria and dysprosody occurred in aphasia patients with lesions in caudate nucleus. CONCLUSION: Subcortical aphasia has its language characteristics. It is mostly due to the damage of language related zone of hemisphere caused directly or indirectly by subcortical lesions. Thalamus serves as a subcortical center in controlling language and its disturbance causes aphasia in some patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy of fire needling plus filiform needles in treating knee osteoarthritis and its effect on the patients’ quality of life.MethodOne hundred and one patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly allocated to fire needling, filiform needle and combination groups. They were treated with fire needling, filiform needles and fire needling plus filiform needles, respectively. An assessment was made using the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) in the 101 patients with knee osteoarthritis before and after treatment.ResultFire needling, filiform needles and fire needling plus filiform needles all had a marked therapeutic effect on knee osteoarthritis. The effect of fire needling plus filiform needles was better than those of fire needling and filiform needles (P<0.05,P<0.01). After four weeks of treatment, SF-36 quality of life item sub-scores increased in all the three groups of patients compared with before treatment (P<0.01); SF-36 role physical and general health scores were higher in the combination group than in the fire needling group (P<0.05, P<0.01); SF-36 physical functioning, role physical, general health, social functioning and mental health scores were higher in the combination group than in the filiform needle group (P<0.01).ConclusionFire needling plus filiform needles can effectively treat knee osteoarthritis and improve the patients’ quality of life. Its effects are superior to those of fire needling and filiform needles.

Objective To observe and compare the clinical efficacy of fire needling versus electroacupuncture in treating knee osteoarthritis of kidney and marrow deficiency type.Methods One hundred and ten patients with knee osteoarthritis of kidney and marrow deficiency type were randomly allocated to two groups, a fire needling group of 56 cases and an electroacupuncture group of 54 cases. The fire needling group received filiform needle acupuncture and fire needle pricking and the electroacupuncture group, electroacupuncture. Treatment was given once every other day, for a total of four weeks as one course. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score were recorded in the two groups before and after treatment. The clinical therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups.Results The VAS score and the WOMAC subscores significantly decreased in both groups after treatment compared with those before treatment (P<0.01). There were no statistically significant post-treatment differences in the VAS score and the WOMAC subscores between the two groups (P>0.05). The VAS score and the WOMAC subscores decreased further in both groups at four weeks after treatment compared with those at the end of treatment (P<0.01). In the electroacupuncture group, there were statistically significant differences in the VAS score and the WOMAC pain and stiffness subscores between eight weeks and four weeks after treatment (P<0.01) and in the WOMAC pain, stiffness and joint function subscores between at eight weeks after treatment and at the end of treatment (P<0.01). In the fire needling group, there were statistically significant differences in the VAS score and the WOMAC pain, stiffness and joint function subscores between at eight weeks after treatment and at the end of treatment (P<0.01). At four weeks after treatment, the VAS score and the WOMAC pain, stiffness and joint function subscores were significantly lower in the fire needling group than in the electroacupuncture group (P<0.05,P<0.01). At eight weeks after treatment, the VAS score and the WOMAC pain and stiffness subscores were still significantly lower in the fire needling group than in the electroacupuncture group (P<0.01). The total efficacy rate was 94.6% in the fire needling group and 90.7% in the electroacupuncture group; there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05).Conclusions Both filiform needle acupuncture plus fire needle pricking and electroacupuncture can markedly relieve the pain and stiffness and improve joint function in knee osteoarthritis of kidney and marrow deficiency type. Both have an equivalent short-term therapeutic effect. Filiform needle acupuncture plus fire needle pricking has a better long-term therapeutic effect than electroacupuncture.

Objective Using Meta-analysis method to evaluate the effect of multimedia video education and traditional education for hip replacement patients.Methods Databases including Elsevier, PubMed,EMbase,Medline,SCI,CNKI,CBM and WanFang Data were searched to collect the randomized controlled trails (RCTs) and non-RCTs regarding multimedia video education versus traditional education for hip replacement surgery patients. The retrieval time was from early available time to July 1st 2016.The data were collected and evaluated by two orthopedic nurses independently. The Meta-analysis was conducted by using RevMan5.2 software.Results A total of six RCTs and four non-RCTs involving 1197 patients were included. The results of Meta analysis showed that,the multimedia video education can improve the harris scores of one month [MD=6.95,95%CI(5.77,8.13),P<0.05],three months [MD=9.71,95%CI(7.53,11.89),P<0.05] and six months [MD=8.32,95%CI(4.46,12.17),P<0.05] after surgery,reduce the incidence of complications [OR=0.25,95%CI(0.15,0.42),P<0.05],decrease the hospital stays of patients [MD=-0.75,95%CI (-1.42,-0.08),P<0.05] and increase patients' awareness rate of rehabilitation knowledge [OR=2.55,95%CI (1.36,4.79),P<0.05].Conclusions Multimedia video education is superior to traditional education for hip replacement surgery patients,and with shorter hospital stays,lower complication rate postsurgery,multimedia video education should be promoted in clinic.

Objective:To explore the effects of online and offline peer support on the quality of life in middle-aged and elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the community.Methods:Two sub-communities were selected from a community health service center in Hengyang, Hunan province, and randomly divided into the control community and the intervention community by coin tossing. From November 2018 to March 2019, totally 40 middle-aged and elderly T2DM patients who met inclusion criteria were enrolled from the control and intervention communities and included into the control group and the intervention group, respectively. Patients in the control group received routine community care, while patients in the intervention group received online and offline peer support for 6 months on the basis of routine care. The quality of life, body mass index (BMI) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were compared between the two groups before intervention, 3 months and 6 months after intervention.Results:After 3 months of intervention, the psychological function, social relationship, quality of life scores of the intervention group were lower than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant ( P< 0.05) ; after 6 months of intervention, the psychological function, social relationship, quality of life, BMI and FBG of the intervention group were lower than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant ( P< 0.01) . Conclusions:Online and offline peer support can decrease the FBG, improve psychological function and social relationship of middle-aged and elderly T2DM patients in the community, and improve their quality of life.

OBJECTIVETo observe the differences in the clinical therapeutic effects on insomnia of spleen and stomach disharmony pattern in comparison of the combination of acupoint catgut-embedding therapy and auricular point pressure with the simple application of auricular point pressure.

METHODSOne hundred and eighty patients of insomnia of spleen and stomach disharmony pattern were randomized into an observation group (93 cases) and a control group (87 cases). In the observation group, the combination of acupoint catgut-embedding therapy and auricular point pressure was adopted. The acupoint catgut-embedding therapy was applied at Zhongwan (CV 12), Anmian (Extra), Xinshu (BL 15), Pishu (BL 20), Weishu (BL 21), Zusanli (ST 36), Yinlingquan (SP 9) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6), once every two weeks. The auricular point pressure was applied to Shenmen (TF), Pizhixia (AT), Xin (CO), Pi (CO), Wei (CO) on both sides alternatively, twice a week. The duration of treatment was 2 months for the two groups. In the control group, the auricular point pressure was simply used with the same points, manipulation and treatment duration as the observation group. After treatment, the clinical therapeutic effects were observed in the patients of the two groups. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) score was compared before and after treatment in the two groups. The recurrence was followed up in 3 months after the end of treatment.

RESULTSIt was observed that 2 cases were dropped out in the observation group, 4 cases in the control group. The dropped out cases were considered to be ineffective. After treatment, the total effective rate was 92.5% (86/93) in the observation group and was 80.5% (70/87) in the control group. The result in the observation group was better than that in the control group (<0.05). After treatment, PSQI scores were all reduced apparently in the two groups as compared with those before treatment (both<0.05). The score after treatment and the different value before and after treatment in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (both<0.05). In 3-month follow-up after treatment, the recurrence rate was 3.2% (3/93) in the observation group, which was lower than 13.8% (12/87) in the control group (<0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn the treatment of insomnia of spleen and stomach disharmony pattern, the acupoint catgut-embedding therapy combined with auricular point pressure are superior to the simple application of auricular point pressure in the clinical therapeutic effects, improving sleep quality and reducing the recurrence rate.