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Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2018Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental illness which involves three groups of symptoms, i.e., positive, negative and cognitive, and has major public health implications.... (Review)
Review
Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental illness which involves three groups of symptoms, i.e., positive, negative and cognitive, and has major public health implications. According to various sources, it affects up to 1% of the population. The pathomechanism of schizophrenia is not fully understood and current antipsychotics are characterized by severe limitations. Firstly, these treatments are efficient for about half of patients only. Secondly, they ameliorate mainly positive symptoms (e.g., hallucinations and thought disorders which are the core of the disease) but negative (e.g., flat affect and social withdrawal) and cognitive (e.g., learning and attention disorders) symptoms remain untreated. Thirdly, they involve severe neurological and metabolic side effects and may lead to sexual dysfunction or agranulocytosis (clozapine). It is generally agreed that the interactions of antipsychotics with various neurotransmitter receptors are responsible for their effects to treat schizophrenia symptoms. In particular, several G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), mainly dopamine, serotonin and adrenaline receptors, are traditional molecular targets for antipsychotics. Comprehensive research on GPCRs resulted in the exploration of novel important signaling mechanisms of GPCRs which are crucial for drug discovery: intentionally non-selective multi-target compounds, allosteric modulators, functionally selective compounds and receptor oligomerization. In this review, we cover current hypotheses of schizophrenia, involving different neurotransmitter systems, discuss available treatments and present novel concepts in schizophrenia and its treatment, involving mainly novel mechanisms of GPCRs signaling.
Topics: Antipsychotic Agents; Drug Design; Humans; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; Schizophrenia; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 30127324
DOI: 10.3390/molecules23082087 -
Australian Journal of General Practice May 2020Flat foot (pes planus) describes a reduction or absence of the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) of the foot, with or without additional deformities of the foot and ankle....
BACKGROUND
Flat foot (pes planus) describes a reduction or absence of the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) of the foot, with or without additional deformities of the foot and ankle. Flat feet are relatively common in childhood, affecting up to 14% of children. Flexible flat feet can be part of a normal developmental profile, and foot arches usually develop with age, although there is a wide range of normal variation. Up to 25% of the total population has a deficient MLA in at least one foot; therefore, it is likely a general practitioner (GP) will encounter this issue relatively frequently in their practice.
OBJECTIVE
This article outlines a method for paediatric pes planus assessment and management. A multidisciplinary approach involving GPs, rehabilitation physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists, orthotists and podiatrists is discussed.
DISCUSSION
Paediatric pes planus treatment has long been a contentious topic, with a lack of clarity in the literature regarding which children require treatment and the efficacy of intervention. However, there is increasing evidence that non-surgical interventions, such as orthoses and physiotherapy, may be beneficial for certain groups of children.
Topics: Disease Management; Flatfoot; Foot Orthoses; Humans; Pediatrics; Physical Therapy Modalities
PubMed: 32416653
DOI: 10.31128/AJGP-09-19-5089 -
World Journal of Clinical Cases Dec 2023Accessory navicular (AN) is a developmental variation of the secondary ossification center of the navicular tuberosity. Ten percent of patients with AN will have pain... (Review)
Review
Accessory navicular (AN) is a developmental variation of the secondary ossification center of the navicular tuberosity. Ten percent of patients with AN will have pain symptoms that affect walking and life. As the AN changes the position of the posterior tibial tendon insertion, children with AN often have posterior tibial tendon function insufficiency and flexible flat foot. Surgical treatment is often required after failure of conservative treatment. This article reviewed the etiology, clinical manifestations, complications, and treatment methods of AN.
PubMed: 38130606
DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i35.8256 -
BMJ Case Reports Oct 2011Binder syndrome or maxillonasal dysplasia is an uncommon developmental anomaly affecting primarily the anterior part of the maxilla and nasal complex. The characteristic... (Review)
Review
Binder syndrome or maxillonasal dysplasia is an uncommon developmental anomaly affecting primarily the anterior part of the maxilla and nasal complex. The characteristic findings are a failure of development in the premaxillary area with associated deformities of the nasal skeleton and the overlying soft tissues. Affected individuals typically have an unusually flat, underdeveloped midface (midfacial hypoplasia), with an abnormally short nose and flat nasal bridge, underdeveloped upper jaw, relatively protruding lower jaw and/or a 'reverse overbite' (or class III malocclusion). A 16-year-old female reported to clinic with chief complaint of facial deformity, on examination patient had classical feature of maxillonasal dysplasia. A brief review of the condition and the proposed multi-disciplinary treatment plan is discussed.
Topics: Adolescent; Female; Humans; Maxilla; Maxillofacial Abnormalities; Nose; Orthodontics, Corrective; Orthognathic Surgical Procedures
PubMed: 22675013
DOI: 10.1136/bcr.08.2011.4665 -
PloS One 2018Due to inconclusive evidence on the effects of foot orthoses treatment on lower limb kinematics and kinetics in children, studies are needed that particularly evaluate... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Due to inconclusive evidence on the effects of foot orthoses treatment on lower limb kinematics and kinetics in children, studies are needed that particularly evaluate the long-term use of foot orthoses on lower limb alignment during walking. Thus, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of long-term treatment with arch support foot orthoses versus a sham condition on lower extremity kinematics and kinetics during walking in children with flexible flat feet.
METHODS
Thirty boys aged 8-12 years with flexible flat feet participated in this study. While the experimental group (n = 15) used medial arch support foot orthoses during everyday activities over a period of four months, the control group (n = 15) received flat 2-mm-thick insoles (i.e., sham condition) for the same time period. Before and after the intervention period, walking kinematics and ground reaction forces were collected.
RESULTS
Significant group by time interactions were observed during walking at preferred gait speed for maximum ankle eversion, maximum ankle internal rotation angle, minimum knee abduction angle, maximum knee abduction angle, maximum knee external rotation angle, maximum knee internal rotation angle, maximum hip extension angle, and maximum hip external rotation angle in favor of the foot orthoses group. In addition, statistically significant group by time interactions were detected for maximum posterior, and vertical ground reaction forces in favor of the foot orthoses group.
CONCLUSIONS
The long-term use of arch support foot orthoses proved to be feasible and effective in boys with flexible flat feet to improve lower limb alignment during walking.
Topics: Ankle Joint; Child; Feasibility Studies; Flatfoot; Foot; Foot Orthoses; Humans; Knee Joint; Long-Term Care; Male; Range of Motion, Articular; Rotation; Treatment Outcome; Walking
PubMed: 30300405
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205187 -
American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine 2014Suicide is a public health problem affecting people across the lifespan. It is currently the 10th leading cause of death, with rates having remained relatively flat for...
Suicide is a public health problem affecting people across the lifespan. It is currently the 10th leading cause of death, with rates having remained relatively flat for the past century. This article summarizes the problem of suicide and suicidal behavior along with suicide prevention efforts in the United States. Part 1 provides an overview of the epidemiology of suicide, including groups most at risk of suicide and suicidal behavior. Part 2 provides a review of common risk factors, organized by developmental life stage. A brief discussion of the lesser well-researched area of protective factors follows. Part 3 provides an overview of suicide prevention today, including the major types of prevention strategies, their successes, including means restriction, quality improvement in behavioral services, and comprehensive programs; and limitations to date, such as a lack of evidence for impact on actual deaths or behavior, small sample sizes, and low base rates. Finally, part 4 discusses challenges and future directions with an eye toward the great many opportunities that exist for prevention.
PubMed: 30166972
DOI: 10.1177/1559827614551130 -
I-Perception 2021In nature, sensory and physical characteristics of the environment tend to match; for example, a surface that looks bumpy is bumpy. In human-built environments, they...
In nature, sensory and physical characteristics of the environment tend to match; for example, a surface that looks bumpy is bumpy. In human-built environments, they often don't. Here, we report observations from people exploring if mismatch between visual and physical characteristics affected their perceived walking experience. Participants walked across four flat floors, each comprising of a visual illusion: two patterns perceived as alternating 3D "furrows and ridges," the illusion, and a variant of the illusion as a control pattern without perceived 3D effects. Participants found all patterns intriguing to look at; some describing them as "playful" or "gentle." More than half found some of the patterns uncomfortable to walk on, aversive, affecting walking stability, and occasionally even evoking fear of falling. These experiences raise crucial research questions for the vision sciences into the impact of architectural design on well-being and walkability.
PubMed: 33680419
DOI: 10.1177/2041669520981101 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2022Consumption of plants in the juvenile stage becomes popular because sprouts are easy to grow, and they can be a tasty source of micro- and macro-nutrients and various...
Consumption of plants in the juvenile stage becomes popular because sprouts are easy to grow, and they can be a tasty source of micro- and macro-nutrients and various phytochemicals. However, some environmental factors during sprout growth can affect their characteristics. In this article, we investigated how low temperatures during cultivation (8 °C) and additional exposure to freezing temperatures (-8 °C) affect the physiological status and phytochemical content of kale ( var. ) sprouts compared to the control grown at 21 °C. We conducted five independent laboratory experiments and found that low temperature significantly increased proline content and decreased sprouts yield. In addition, low temperature caused a significant decrease in carotenoid and flavonoid content, while phenolic acid content and total glucosinolates content increased, but individual glucosinolates were differentially affected. Our results indicate that low temperatures affect the physiological status of kale sprouts and affect the content of phytochemicals.
PubMed: 35159416
DOI: 10.3390/foods11030264