Objective:To evaluate the impact of implementing a regional hierarchical medical management model based on the medical internet of things (medical IoT) on the frequency of emergency department visits and hospitalizations, as well as related medical expenses, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods:This retrospective study included COPD patients enrolled in the regional hierarchical medical management system based on Medical IoT across 21 community health service centers in Songjiang District, Shanghai, between July 2017 and May 2018. Utilizing patient data from the year prior to enrollment as the baseline, changes in the number of emergency visits, hospitalizations, and associated medical costs during the first and second years of management were compared. Changes for patients receiving drug treatment were also analyzed.Results:A total of 973 COPD patients were enrolled. The mean age was 75.2±17.0 years, and 64.34% (626/973) were male. Compared to baseline, all COPD patients in the first year of management showed significant reductions: emergency visits decreased by 33.67%, total emergency costs by 45.60%, hospitalizations by 27.15%, and total hospitalization costs by 25.42%. In the second year, reductions were: emergency visits by 28.08%, total emergency costs by 36.10%, hospitalizations by 35.26%, and total hospitalization costs by 18.13% (all P<0.05). Among patients receiving drug therapy, reductions in the first year were: emergency visits by 39.66%, total emergency costs by 47.54%, hospitalizations by 25.19%, and total hospitalization costs by 28.40%. In the second year, reductions were: emergency visits by 46.98%, total emergency costs by 45.99%, hospitalizations by 41.98%, and total hospitalization costs by 24.94% (all P<0.05). No significant differences were observed before and after management for patients without drug treatment. Conclusion:The implementation of the regional hierarchical medical management model based on Medical IoT significantly reduced the frequency of emergency visits and hospitalizations, as well as related costs, for COPD patients.

Objective:To evaluate the impact of implementing a regional hierarchical medical management model based on the medical internet of things (medical IoT) on the frequency of emergency department visits and hospitalizations, as well as related medical expenses, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods:This retrospective study included COPD patients enrolled in the regional hierarchical medical management system based on Medical IoT across 21 community health service centers in Songjiang District, Shanghai, between July 2017 and May 2018. Utilizing patient data from the year prior to enrollment as the baseline, changes in the number of emergency visits, hospitalizations, and associated medical costs during the first and second years of management were compared. Changes for patients receiving drug treatment were also analyzed.Results:A total of 973 COPD patients were enrolled. The mean age was 75.2±17.0 years, and 64.34% (626/973) were male. Compared to baseline, all COPD patients in the first year of management showed significant reductions: emergency visits decreased by 33.67%, total emergency costs by 45.60%, hospitalizations by 27.15%, and total hospitalization costs by 25.42%. In the second year, reductions were: emergency visits by 28.08%, total emergency costs by 36.10%, hospitalizations by 35.26%, and total hospitalization costs by 18.13% (all P<0.05). Among patients receiving drug therapy, reductions in the first year were: emergency visits by 39.66%, total emergency costs by 47.54%, hospitalizations by 25.19%, and total hospitalization costs by 28.40%. In the second year, reductions were: emergency visits by 46.98%, total emergency costs by 45.99%, hospitalizations by 41.98%, and total hospitalization costs by 24.94% (all P<0.05). No significant differences were observed before and after management for patients without drug treatment. Conclusion:The implementation of the regional hierarchical medical management model based on Medical IoT significantly reduced the frequency of emergency visits and hospitalizations, as well as related costs, for COPD patients.

Objective:To explore the correlation between transcranial sonography (TCS) combined with serum homocysteine (Hcy), blood glucose, blood lipids, the cognitive status of Parkinson′s disease (PD) patients, and to analyze the clinical application value of these parameters in assessing the cognitive status of PD patients.Methods:A total of 152 PD patients admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2020 to June 2023 were retrospectively collected as the PD group, and 101 healthy examinees matched for age and gender during the same period were selected as control group. Clinical data [age, gender, duration of illness, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score, Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale Part Ⅲ (UPDRS-Ⅲ) score, Hoehn-Yahr (H-Y) stage, etc.], serum tests (Hcy, blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein concentration), and TCS examination results (third ventricular width, midbrain area, peak systolic velocity of bilateral middle cerebral arteries, bilateral middle cerebral artery resistance index, bilateral substantia nigra hyperechoic area) were collected. The two groups were divided into pure PD group and PD group with elevated Hcy, pure control group and control group with elevated Hcy, based on an Hcy concentration threshold of ≥15 μmol/L. The differences in the above parameters among the four groups were compared. The correlation between Hcy and cognitive status (MoCA score, MMSE score) of PD patients and the above parameters were analyzed.Results:The MoCA score and MMSE score of the PD group with elevated Hcy were lower than those of the pure PD group, and the UPDRS-Ⅲ score and H-Y stage were higher than those of the pure PD group (all P<0.001). The order of Hcy concentration from high to low was PD group with elevated Hcy, pure Hcy elevation group, pure PD group, and pure control group. The differences in serum data and TCS data among the four groups were statistically significant (all P<0.001). Spearman correlation analysis showed: ①In the PD group, the concentration of Hcy was positively correlated with glucose concentration, H-Y stage, low-density lipoprotein concentration, right middle cerebral artery resistance index, UPDRS-Ⅲ score, total cholesterol concentration, triglyceride concentration, left middle cerebral artery resistance index, third ventricular width, and age ( rs=0.422, 0.350, 0.348, 0.334, 0.325, 0.300, 0.293, 0.283, 0.221, 0.164, all P<0.05); Hcy concentration was negatively correlated with midbrain area, MMSE score, MoCA score, peak systolic velocity of right middle cerebral artery, peak systolic velocity of left middle cerebral artery, and high-density lipoprotein concentration ( rs=-0.328, -0.282, -0.245, -0.229, -0.224, -0.192, all P<0.05). ②Clinical data, serum data, and TCS data of PD patients were all correlated with MoCA score and MMSE score, with midbrain area showing the largest positive correlation ( rs=0.524, 0.516; both P<0.05) and H-Y stage showing the largest negative correlation( rs=-0.490, -0.468; both P<0.05). Conclusions:PD patients with elevated Hcy have lower cognitive scores than pure PD patients. The correlation between Hcy concentration and blood glucose concentration is the highest in PD patients, followed by H-Y stage. The cognitive scores of PD patients are most correlated with midbrain area and unrelated to substantia nigra hyperechoic area. Lowering serum Hcy concentration in PD patients may be one of the ways to delay cognitive impairment.

Background::Studies suggest seasonal fluctuations of symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients in Western countries. However, the association between seasonal change and variation in nonmotor symptoms (NMS) in Chinese PD patients is unclear. Here, we studied whether there is a change rule with annual cycle with severity of NMS for patients with PD in Southeast China.Methods::We studied 1005 PD patients between April 2008 and October 2020. Patients were classified into four seasons according to the 24 Chinese solar terms, based on assessment date. We compared comprehensive NMS scales and polysomnography parameters among groups and conducted further analysis of disease severity.Results::Among the 1005 patients studied, the mean age was 64.2 ± 9.7 years and 569 (56.6%) of them were men. Relative to the summer group, patients assessed during winter had higher Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson’s disease-Autonomic Dysfunction (SCOPA-AUT) scores ( P = 0.045). The sleep efficiency factor scores of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in patients were higher during spring than summer ( P = 0.009). Among patients who completed polysomnography during the same period ( n = 135), compared with summer follow-ups, we observed a higher percentage of NREMS1 in winter and spring follow-ups ( P = 0.042, P = 0.011), a higher NREMS1 time in spring follow-ups ( P = 0.0024), a lower NREMS2 time in winter follow-ups ( P = 0.007), and a higher percentage of phasic rapid eye movement (REM)-sleep without atonia in autumn and winter follow-ups ( P = 0.026 and P = 0.020, respectively). In a subset of patients with PD and REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD; n = 182), those visited during winter had higher scores for RBD questionnaire-Hong Kong and its factor 1 (dream-related sub-score) than those visited during summer ( P = 0.034, P = 0.020). We observed similar findings for SCOPA-AUT and sleep efficiency factor scores in early stage patients in subgroup analysis. Conclusions::PD patients assessed for follow-up during summer showed less severe symptoms of autonomic dysfunction and RBD symptoms than those assessed in winter, and less sleep disturbance than those in spring and winter, suggesting that seasonal change and NMS fluctuation are related, especially in patients with early stage PD.

Objective:To explore the pathological mechanism of SN hyperechogenicity by investigating the characteristics of substantia nigra (SN) hyperechogenicity on transcranial sonography (TCS) and serum iron metabolism parameters in the postural instability gait difficulty and tremor dominant subtypes of Parkinson′s disease (PD), and the correlation between them.Methods:A total of 155 PD patients recruited in Parkinson′s Disease Specialty in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2019 to December 2021 were divided into postural instability gait difficulty group( n=95) and tremor dominant group( n=60). Meanwhile, 49 healthy gender- and age-matched healthy individuals who sought for physical examination during the same period were included as the control group. All subjects underwent TCS and blood test, and the echo of SN between the postural instability gait difficulty group and tremor dominant group, serum iron metabolism parameters among the three groups were compared. The postural instability gait difficulty group and tremor dominant group were subdivided into with SN hyperechogenicity (SN+ )subgroup and without SN hyperechogenicity (SN-) subgroup respectively according to TCS results, and the differences in serum iron metabolism parameters between the subgroups were further compared. The association between SN hyperechogenicity and serum iron metabolism parameters of the postural instability gait difficulty group and tremor dominant group were further analyzed. Results:The total area of bilateral SN+ , the area of SN+ on the larger side, and the ratio of the total area of SN+ to the midbrain area (S/M) in postural instability gait difficulty group were larger than those in tremor dominant group (all P<0.001). The value of serum ceruloplasmin and transferrin in both postural instability gait difficulty group and tremor dominant group were lower than those in control group (all P<0.001), and compared with tremor dominant group and control group, the postural instability gait difficulty group had lower serum ferritin(all P<0.01). In both postural instability gait difficulty group and tremor dominant group, serum ceruloplasmin in SN+ subgroup was lower than that in SN-subgroup ( P=0.001, 0.032). Moreover, there was a negative correlation between serum transferrin and the area of SN hyperechogenicity in two subgroups(postural instability gait difficulty group: rs=-0.454, P<0.001; tremor dominant group: rs=-0.494, P<0.001). Conclusions:Compared with the tremor dominant patients, the postural instability gait difficulty patients have larger area of SN hyperechogenicity and lower serum ferritin level. The area of SN hyperechogenicity is significantly negatively correlated with serum transferrin level, indicating that the production of this imaging characteristics is related to iron metabolism.

Objective:To explore the adjunctive diagnostic value of transcranial sonography (TCS) combined with olfactory test in early Parkinson′s disease (PD) and the clinical value of both in the cognitive function of PD patients.Methods:TCS and olfactory test were performed in 157 early PD patients(PD group) and 157 healthy controls(control group) in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2018 to January 2022. The differences in clinical characteristics, TCS, and olfactory test results between the two groups were analyzed. The values of TCS, olfactory test, and their combination in diagnosing early PD were evaluated using clinical diagnosis as the gold standard. The correlations of the midbrain area, the midbrain substantia nigra hyperechoic area, and the third ventricle width in TCS examination with the cognitive score were analyzed in the PD group. According to the olfactory test scores, 157 patients with early PD were divided into two groups: 110 cases of PD with olfactory dysfunction (PD-OD) and 47 cases of PD without olfactory dysfunction (PD-NOD). The differences in clinical scores and TCS results between the two groups were compared.Results:The midbrain substantia nigra hyperechoic area, substantia nigra hyperechoic positivity rate, third ventricle width, and olfactory dysfunction rate were higher in the PD group compared to the control group, while the midbrain area and olfactory test scores were lower than those in the control group (all P<0.001). The sensitivity and the coincidence rate of TCS combined with the olfactory test for early PD diagnosis (90.0%, 77.1%) were higher than those of TCS alone (60.0%, 71.3%) and olfactory test alone (70.1%, 72.3%), but the specificity (63.7%) was lower than that of both alone (82.8% for TCS and 75.2% for olfactory test), (all P<0.001). MoCA score, visual space and executive ability, memory, attention, and language were positively correlated with the area of the midbrain ( rs=0.38, 0.32, 0.27, 0.25, 0.23; all P<0.05) and negatively correlated with the width of the third ventricle ( rs=-0.39, -0.22, -0.39, -0.22, -0.32; all P<0.05), and orientation was negatively correlated only with the width of the third ventricle ( rs=-0.24, P<0.05). The MoCA score of PD-OD group[22(18, 25)] was lower than that of PD-NOD group[24(20, 26)]( P=0.040). Conclusions:The combination of TCS and olfactory test can enhance the sensitivity and diagnostic agreement rate for early PD diagnosis, providing some auxiliary value. The cognitive function of PD patients is positively correlated with the midbrain area and negatively correlated with the width of the third ventricle. The cognitive function of PD patients with olfactory dysfunction is lower than that of PD patients without olfactory dysfunction. TCS and olfactory test may help assess cognitive function in PD patients.

Restless legs syndrome is one of the common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson′s disease. Previous studies on Parkinson′s disease with comorbid restless legs syndrome generated mixed results. This article reviews the studies on Parkinson′s disease with restless legs syndrome on aspects of its pathophysiology, epidemiology, clinical symptoms, genetics and biomarkers, radiology and treatment, aiming to provide physicians a comprehensive understanding on the characteristics of two entities.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of the combination of amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method in fast detection of clarithromycin resistance of Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) in gastric mucosa.Methods A total of 150 gastric mucosal specimens with positive H.pylori culture were collected from the H.pylori positive patients who failed in H.pylori eradication from January to August in 2013.The drug resistant gene mutation types of H.pylori in these samples were detected by quantitative real-time PCR based on ARMS.And the accuracy was confirmed by sequencing.The clarithromycin resistance of H.pylori was determined by E-assay.Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.Results Among 149 gastric mucosal specimens (one specimens without wild type or mutation type had been eliminated),the results of quantitative real-time PCR based on ARMS of two samples were not consistent with the results of sequencing;the consistent rate was 98.7％ (147/149).Among 149 specimens with positive H.pylori culture,104 samples (69.8％) were clarithromycin resistance.In 101 samples the clarithromycin resistance was detected by quantitative real-time PCR based on ARMS;the consistent rate was 97.1％ (101/104).Both E-assay and clarithromycin resistant rate detected by E-assay or quantitative real-time PCR based on ARMS was 69.8％ (104/149) and 67.8％ (101/149),respectively,and the difference was not significant (x2 =0.141,P=0.932).Conclusion The combination of ARMS and quantitative real-time PCR method in fast detection of clarithromycin resistance of H.pylori in gastric mucosa is strongly feasible and highly consistent has high consistent rate with sequencing and E-assay.

Objective To investigate the substantia nigra (SN) and brainstem raphe (BR) echogenic features of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with musculoskeletal pain.Methods A total of 115 PD patients recruited in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from October 2014 to May 2016 were assessed with the following rating scales:Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS),Hoehn and Yahr Staging Scale (H/Y),Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD),Beck Depression Inventory Ⅱ (BDI-Ⅱ) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).All the subjects underwent transcranial sonography during the clinical evaluation.And the patients were divided into PD with musculoskeletal pain (n =54) and PD without musculoskeletal pain (n =61) groups,or PD with depression(n =74) and PD without depression(n =41) groups.Results Compared with PD patients without pain,PD patients with musculoskeletal pain had higher scores of UPDRS-Ⅱ,-Ⅲ,HRSD,BDI,NMSQ and H/Y (UPDRS-Ⅱ score:12.56 ±6.01 vs 8.79 ±4.38,t =-3.801,P ＜0.01;UPDRS-Ⅲ score:24.43 ± 12.43 vs 20.07 ± 11.12,t=-1.986,P=0.049;HRSD score:11.65-±6.94 vs 8.38-±5.36,t=-2.844,P=0.005;BDI score:14.09 ±6.20 vs 9.74 ±6.00,t =-3.826,P ＜0.01;NMSQ score:8.57 ± 4.06 vs 5.60 ± 3.38,t=4.193,P＜0.01;H/Y:2.0(1.5,2.6) vs 1.5(1.0,2.0),Z=-3.011,P=0.003).Positive BR was more frequent in depressed than in non-depressed PD patients without pain (63.6％ vs 14.3％;x2 =15.25,P ＜0.01).Positive BR was positively associated with sex(r =0.228,P =0.014),age(r =0.184,P =0.049),disease duration (r =0.196,P =0.035),and depression (r =0.396,P ＜ 0.01).However,positive BR did not correlate with musculoskeletal pain.No correlation was found between positive SN and clinical characteristics of PD patients.Conclusions PD patients with musculoskeletal pain have worse activity of daily living,more severe motor symptoms,more non-motor symptoms,and are more depressed.SN and BR echogenecity do not correlate with musculoskeletal pain,however,hypoechogenic or interrupted BR is associated with depression in PD patients.

Objective To discuss the neuroimaging characteristics of transcranial ultrasound in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with or without depression.Methods Transcranial sonography (TCS) was performed in PD patients with depression (PDD +,n =50),PD patients without depression (PDD-,n =50),depression patients (D,n =50) and healthy controls (n =50),who were enrolled in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from September 2010 to July 2016.The differences of the neuroimaging characteristics of TCS in brainstem raphe (BR) and substantia nigra (SN) in four groups were analyzed.According to the degree of depression,PDD + and D groups were divided into three subgroups:mild,moderate and severe depression,and the differences of echo characteristics in BR were analyzed among the subgroups.Results The rate of abnormal BR echogenicity was significantly higher in PDD + (78.0％,39/50) and D (82.0％,41/50) groups than that in PDD-(18.0％,9/50) and healthy control (10.0％,5/50) groups (x2 =87.80,P ＜0.01),and there was no statistically significant difference among the subgroups (PDD + group,P =0.98;D group,P =0.57).The rate of SN hyperechogenicity was significantly higher in PDD + (80.0％,40/50) and PDD-(86.0％,43/50) groups than that in D (8.0％,4/50) and healthy control (10.0％,5/50) groups (x2 =110.07,P＜ 0.01).Conclusion The echogenicity changes of BR and SN on TCS could provide some useful neuroimaging information for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PDD-from PDD +.