Dependablity study on near-infrared parameters of blood oxygen and microvessel density of mammary gland phyma

Objective:To detect the reliability of near-infrared parameters of blood oxygen of mammary gland phyma from the microvessel density of tumor.Methods:181 cases of mammary gland phyma who had accepted the examination of the near-infrared TBO-I dual-wave length mammary gland phyma detector were classified by near-infrared parameters of blood oxygen,and were performed the pathologic examination to ascertain whether the tumor was benign or malignant.Among these cases,intratumoral microvessel density of 20 cases of malignant phyma and 20 cases of benign phyma were confirmed by S-P immunohistochemical method,then the relationship between near-infrared parameters and microvessel density were analyzed by medical statistics.Results:(1)The microvessel density and blood concentration of 28 cases of the"high blood" tumor were 24.56±8.110 and 1.891±0.850 respectively.The microvessel density and blood concentration of 12 cases of the"low blood"tumor were 17.98±8.729 and 0.698±0.283 respectively.There was significant difference between the"high blood"and"low blood"tumors(P<0.05).(2)The intratumoral microvessel density and blood concentration were linearly correlated respectively,and the linear correlation coefficient r=0.4208(P<0.05)in 40 cases of mammary gland phyma. Conclusion:The intratumoral microvessel density and blood concentration of benign or malignant mammary gland phyma were linearly correlated.Blood concentration(one of near-infrared parameters)is reliable to be used as diagnosis criterion of malignant mammary gland phyma.

The Cross-talk between ROS and p38MAPKα in the Ex Vivo Expanded Human Umbilical Cord Blood CD133^+ Cells

This study investigated the correlation between and compared the effects of reactive oxygen species（ROS） and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase α（p38MAPKα） in the ex vivo expanded umbilical cord blood（hUCB） CD133＋ cells.hUCB CD133＋ cells were cultured in the hematopoietic stem cells（HSCs） culture medium with N-acetylcysteine（NAC,an anti-oxidant）,p38MAPKα-specific inhibitor（SB203580） or their combination.The levels of ROS and expression of phosphorylated p38MAPKα（p-p38） in CD133＋ cells were flow cytometrically detected.The efficacy of ex vivo expansion was evaluated by the density of CD133＋ cell sub-group colony-forming cells（CFC） and cobblestone area-forming cells（CAFC） assay.Our results showed decreased ROS levels in NAC,SB203580,and their combination treatment groups were almost 37%,48%,and 85%,respectively.Furthermore,SB203580 abrogated the activation of p38MAPKα more obviously than NAC.Moreover,the CD133＋ cells in SB203580 treatment group had a 21.93±1.36-fold increase,and 14.50±1.19-fold increase in NAC treatment group,but only 10.13±0.57-fold increase in control group.In addition,SB203580 treatment led a higher level increase in the number of CFU and CAFC than NAC did.These findings suggested that,in expanded CD133＋ cells,ROS activates p38MAPKα,which,in turn,induces ROS production,and p38MAPKα might be the most suitable regulator in ROS-p38MAPKα pathway for the promotion of HSCs ex vivo expansion.

Changes and significance of retinal blood oxygen saturation and oxidative stress indexes in patients with diabetic retinopathy

BACKGROUND Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is a diabetic complication that can severely affect the patients’vision,eventually leading to blindness.DR is the most important manifestation of diabetic micro-vasculopathy and is mainly related to the course of diabetes and the degree of blood glucose control,while the age of diabetes onset,sex,and type of diabetes have little influence on it.AIM To explore the changes in blood oxygen saturation and oxidative stress indices of retinal vessels in patients with DR.METHODS In total,94 patients(94 eyes)with DR(DR group)diagnosed at Jianyang people’s Hospital between March 2019 and June 2020,and 100 volunteers(100 eyes)(control group)without eye diseases,were included in this study.Arterial and venous blood oxygen saturation,retinal arteriovenous vessel diameter,and serum oxidative stress indicators in the two groups were compared.Based on the stage of the disease,the DR group was divided into the simple DR and proliferative DR groups for stratified analysis.RESULTS The oxygen saturation of the retinal vessels in the DR group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).The retinal vessel diameters between the DR and control groups were not significantly different.The serum malondialdehyde(MDA)and 8-hydroxydehydroguanosine(8-OHdG)levels in the DR group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).The serum superoxide dismutase(SOD)and reduced glutathione(GSH)levels in the DR group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The oxygensaturation of the retinal vessels in the patients with proliferative DR was significantly higher thanthat in the patients with simple DR (P < 0.05). The retinal vessel diameter in patients with proliferativeDR was not significantly different from that of patients with simple DR (P > 0.05). SerumMDA and 8-OHdG levels in patients with proliferative DR were significantly higher than those inpatients with simple DR (P < 0.05). Serum SOD and GSH levels in patients with proliferative DRwere significantly lower than those in patients with simple DR (P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONIncreased blood oxygen saturation of retinal arteries and veins and increased oxidative stressdamage in patients with DR may be associated with decreased retinal capillary permeability andarterial oxygen dispersion, possibly reflecting the patient’s condition.

Effect of ultraviolet blood irradiation and oxygenation on nerve function and function of the red blood cell membrane pump in patients with acute cerebral infarction

BACKGROUND： Ultraviolet blood irradiation and oxygenation （UBIO） has obtained better clinical effect in treating acute cerebral infarction, but the mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. OBJECTIVE： To observe the effect of UBIO on the nerve function and activities of K^＋-Na^＋-ATPase and Ca2^＋-Mg2^＋-ATPase activities on the red blood cell （RBC） membrane of patients with acute cerebral infarction. DESIGN： A randomized and controlled study.SETTING： Department of Neurology, Xiangfan Central Hospital.PARTICIPANTS： From January 2000 to December 2001, excluding those above 70 years old, 58 cases of 700 patients with acute cerebral infarction admitted in the Department of Neurology, Xiangfan Central Hospital, were recruited and divided into two groups according to the random number table： UBIO treated group （n=28）, including 17 males and 11 females, aged 40-68 years; and control group （n=30）, including 20 males and 10 females, aged 44-69 years. All the patients agreed to participate in the therapeutic program and detected items. The general informations were comparable without obvious differences between the two groups （P 〉 0.05）.METHODS： ① The patients in both groups received routine treatments, besides, those in the UBIO treated group were given UBIO treatment by using the XL-200 type therapeutic apparatus produced in Shijiazhuang, whose ultraviolet wave was set at 253.7 nm with the energy density of 0.568 J/m^2 per second, UBIO treatment started from the second day after admission, once every other day, with a single course consisting of 5-7 treatments. ② In the UBIO treated group, the venous blood was sampled before and after the first, third and the completion of the treatment course respectively, the venous blood was taken at each corresponding time point in the control group. After centrifugation of the blood at 10 000 rounds per minute, the RBC membrane was separated and then the activities of K^＋-Na^＋-ATPase and Ca2^＋-Mg2^＋-ATPase were detected by means of phosphorus determination.③ The nerve function was scored before and after treatment in both groups with European stroke scale, which included 13 items, the total score was 0-100 points, the higher the score, the better the nerve function. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES ：①Score of European stroke scale before and after treatment in both groups.② Comparison of the activities of K^＋-Na^＋-ATPase and Ca2^＋-Mg2^＋-ATPase on RBC membrane between the two groups before treatment and after the first, third and the completion of the treatment. RESULTS： All the 58 patients with cerebral infarction were involved in the analysis of results.① The score of European stroke scale had no obvious difference between the two groups [（49.31±11.48）, （50.58±12.63）, P 〉 0.05], and it was obviously higher in the UBIO treated group than in the control group after treatment [84.66±13.75）, （77.05±11.17）, P 〈 0.05].②The activity of K^＋-Na^＋-ATPase on RBC membrane in the UBIO treated group was significantly increased after the first and third treatment as compared with before treatment [（31.56±19.25）, （27.64±15.83）, （17.67±13.83）, P 〈 0.01], it was still higher after the completion of the treatment than before treatment without obvious difference [（20.86±14.53）, P 〉 0.05]. After the first and third treatment, it was obviously higher in the UBIO treated group than in the control group [19.31±11.88）, （17.44±10.42）, P 〈 0.01]. ③ In the UBIO treated group, Ca2^＋-Mg2^＋-ATPase activity on RBC membrane significantly increased after the first treatment and remained higher than the pre-treatment level throughout the treatment [（27.49±14.72）, （17.41±4.82）, P 〈 0.01]. The activity of Ca2^＋-Mg2^＋-ATPase on RBC membrane was markedly higher in the UBIO treated group than in the control group after after the first, third and the completion of treatment respectively [（24.83±12.88）, （17.70±5.69）; （28.08±13.44）, （16.32±5.29）; （17.42±6.04）, P〈 0.05-0.01]. CONCLUSION： The effect of UBIO treatment against acute cerebral infarction may be mediated by the increased K^＋-Na^＋ ATPase and Ca2^＋-Mg2^＋-ATPase activities on RBC membrane, which enhances the RBC transformation ability so as to lower RBC aggregation and correct high blood viscosity.

Experimental study on therapy of ultraviolet blood irradiation and oxygenation in acute soman intoxication in rabbits

Objective:To study the therapy effect of ultraviolet blood irradiation and oxygenation （UBIO） on blood AChe activity and lung injury due to acute soman intoxication in rabbits. Methods:Forty rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups: normal control group, intoxication group, routine therapy group and UBIO therapy group. Blood AChe activity and artery blood gas were analyzed 2 h after intoxication. ACP and AKP activities in BALF were determined respectively. Results:Blood AChe activity in intoxication group was lower than that in normal control group （P<0.05）. BALF ACP and AKP activities in intoxication group were higher than that in normal control group. Blood AChe activities in UBIO therapy group increased and were higher than that in intoxication and routine therapy groups. Compared with intoxication group, BALF ACP and AKP activities were decreased （P<0.05） in UBIO therapy group, while artery blood pH, PaO2 and SaO2 increased （P<0.05）. Conclusion: UBIO therapy can elevate blood AChe activity and alleviate lung injury induced by soman intoxication. So it may be a new way to treat acute soman intoxication.

The influence of ultraviolet blood irradiation and oxygenation on oxygen free radicals metabolism in rabbits with soman intoxication

Objective: To investigate the effect of ultraviolet blood irradiation and oxygenation (UBIO) on the metabolism of oxygen free radicals in rabbits with acute soman intoxication. Methods: One hundred rabbits were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal control group, intoxication group, routine therapy group. UBIO therapy group and combined therapy group. After 14 d, the concentration of malondiadehyde(MDA) and activity of superoxide dismutase(SOD), glutathionperoxidase(GSH-Px), catalase (CAT) and total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) in serum were determined respectively. Results: Compared with the normal control group, the concentration of MDA and activity of CAT in the intoxication group were significantly higher (P < 0. 05). but SOD. GSH-Px activity and T-AOC were significantly lower (P<0. 05). After UBIO or combined therapy, serum MDA level was significantly lower in comparison with intoxication group (P<0. 05). but the activity of SOD. GSH-Px, CAT and T-AOC were higher than intoxication group(P<0. 05). Conclusion: There is an obvious oxygen free radical injury in rabbits with a-cute soman intoxication. UBIO can improve the antioxidation ability of rabbits and may be applied to treat acute soman intoxication as adjunctive therapy.

Speed-resolved blood perfusion and oxygen saturation in human skin response to thermal stimulation

The functional status of vessels can be determined by assessing blood perfusion.By integrating diffuse reflectance spectroscopy(DRS)and Laser Doppler Flowmetry(LDF),the speed-resolved blood perfusion and blood oxygen saturation can be measured simultaneously by Enhanced Perfusion and Oxygen Saturation(EPOS).The dataset presented in this descriptor contains EPOS data recorded from a forearm point exposed to different levels of thermal stimulation,the classical LDF at control points,the R-R time series and data regarding the subjects’characteristics.All data were recorded from 60 recruited healthy subjects.Half of the subjects received different levels of thermal stimulation,and half of them were blank controls.We believe that this dataset will lead to the development of local blood perfusion methods that can be used to index vessel function assessments.This publicly available dataset will be beneficial to the microcirculation evaluation.

Research on Driver’s Fatigue Detection Based on Information Fusion

Driving fatigue is a physiological phenomenon that often occurs during driving.After the driver enters a fatigued state,the attentionis lax,the response is slow,and the ability todeal with emergencies is significantly reduced,which can easily cause traffic accidents.Therefore,studying driver fatigue detectionmethods is significant in ensuring safe driving.However,the fatigue state of actual drivers is easily interfered with by the external environment(glasses and light),which leads to many problems,such as weak reliability of fatigue driving detection.Moreover,fatigue is a slow process,first manifested in physiological signals and then reflected in human face images.To improve the accuracy and stability of fatigue detection,this paper proposed a driver fatigue detection method based on image information and physiological information,designed a fatigue driving detection device,built a simulation driving experiment platform,and collected facial as well as physiological information of drivers during driving.Finally,the effectiveness of the fatigue detection method was evaluated.Eye movement feature parameters and physiological signal features of drivers’fatigue levels were extracted.The driver fatigue detection model was trained to classify fatigue and non-fatigue states based on the extracted features.Accuracy rates of the image,electroencephalogram(EEG),and blood oxygen signals were 86%,82%,and 71%,separately.Information fusion theory was presented to facilitate the fatigue detection effect;the fatigue features were fused using multiple kernel learning and typical correlation analysis methods to increase the detection accuracy to 94%.It can be seen that the fatigue driving detectionmethod based onmulti-source feature fusion effectively detected driver fatigue state,and the accuracy rate was higher than that of a single information source.In summary,fatigue drivingmonitoring has broad development prospects and can be used in traffic accident prevention and wearable driver fatigue recognition.

Advanced imaging techniques in the therapeutic response of transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with chronic liver disease. Transarterial chemoembolization(TACE) can significantly improve the survival rate of patients with HCC and is the first treatment choice for patients who are not suitable for surgical resections. The evaluation of the response to TACE treatment affects not only the assessment of the therapy efficacy but also the development of the next step in the treatment plan. The use of imaging to examine changes in tumor volume to assess the response of solid tumors to treatment has been controversial. In recent years, the emergence of new imaging technology has made it possible to observe the response of tumors to treatment prior to any morphological changes. In this article, the advances in studies reporting the use of computed tomography perfusion imaging, diffusionweighted magnetic resonance imaging(MRI), intravoxel incoherent motion, diffusion kurtosis imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, magnetic resonance perfusionweighted imaging, blood oxygen level-dependent MRI, positron emission tomography(PET)/computed tomography and PET/MRI to assess the TACE treatment response are reviewed.

Abnormal characterization of dynamic functional connectivity in Alzheimer’s disease

Numerous studies have shown abnormal brain functional connectivity in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease(AD)or amnestic mild cognitive impairment(aMCI).However,most studies examined traditional resting state functional connections,ignoring the instantaneous connection mode of the whole brain.In this case-control study,we used a new method called dynamic functional connectivity(DFC)to look for abnormalities in patients with AD and aMCI.We calculated dynamic functional connectivity strength from functional magnetic resonance imaging data for each participant,and then used a support vector machine to classify AD patients and normal controls.Finally,we highlighted brain regions and brain networks that made the largest contributions to the classification.We found differences in dynamic function connectivity strength in the left precuneus,default mode network,and dorsal attention network among normal controls,aMCI patients,and AD patients.These abnormalities are potential imaging markers for the early diagnosis of AD.

Compensatory recombination phenomena of neurological functions in central dysphagia patients

We speculate that cortical reactions evoked by swallowing activity may be abnormal in patients with central infarction with dysphagia. The present study aimed to detect functional imaging features of cerebral cortex in central dysphagia patients by using blood oxygen level-depen- dent functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques. The results showed that when normal controls swallowed, primary motor cortex （BA4）, insula （BA13）, premotor cortex （BA6/8）, supramarginal gyrus （BA40）, and anterior cingulate cortex （BA24/32） were activated, and that the size of the activated areas were larger in the left hemisphere compared with the right. In re- current cerebral infarction patients with central dysphagia, BA4, BA13, BA40 aild BA6/8 areas were activated, while the degree of activation in BA24/32 was decreased. Additionally, more areas were activated, including posterior cingulate cortex （BA23/31）, visual association cortex （BA18/19）, primary auditory cortex （BA41） and parahippocampal cortex （BA36）. Somatosen- sory association cortex （BA7） and left cerebellum in patients with recurrent cerebral infarction with central dysphagia were also activated. Experimental findings suggest that the cerebral cortex has obvious hemisphere lateralization in response to swallowing, and patients with recurrent cerebral infarction with central dysphagia show compensatory recombination phenomena of neurological functions. In rehabilitative treatment, using the favorite food of patients can stimu- late swallowing through visual, auditory, and other nerve conduction pathways, thus promoting compensatory recombination of the central cortex functions.

FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING STUDY OF THE BRAIN IN PATIENTS WITH AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS

Objective To study the activation changes of the brain in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis （ALS） while executing sequential finger tapping movement using the method of blood oxygenation level dependent （BOLD） functional magnetic resonance imaging （tMRI）. Methods Fifteen patients with definite or probable ALS and fifteen age and gender matched normal controls were enrolled. MRI was performed on a 3.0 Tesla scanner with standard headcoiL The functional images were acquired using a gradient echo single shot echo planar imaging （EPI） sequence. All patients and normal subjects executed sequential finger tapping movement at the frequency of 1-2 Hz during a block-design motor task. Structural MRI was acquired using a three-dimensional fast spoiled gradient echo （3D-FSPGR） sequence. The tMRI data were analyzed by statistical parametric mapping （SPM）. Results Bilateral primary sensorimotor cortex （ PSM）, bilateral premotor area （ PA）, bilateral supplementary motor area （SMA）, bilateral parietal region （ PAR）, contralateral inferior lateral premotor area （ ILPA）, and ipsilateral cerebellum showed activation in both ALS patients and normal controls when executing the same motor task. The activation areas in bilateral PSM, bilateral PA, bilateral SMA, and ipsilateral cerebellum were significantly larger in ALS patients than those in normal controls （ P 〈 0.05 ）. Extra activation areas including ipsilateral ILPA, bilateral posterior limb of internal capsule, and contralateral cerebellum were only detected in ALS patients. Conclusions Similar activation areas are activated in ALS patients and normal subjects while executing the same motor task. The increased activation areas in ALS patients may represent neural reorganization, while the extra activation areas in ALS patients may indicate functional compensation.

Multimodality magnetic resonance imaging in hepatic encephalopathy: An update

Hepatic encephalopathy(HE) is a neuropsychiatric complication of cirrhosis or acute liver failure. Currently, HE is regarded as a continuous cognitive impairment ranging from the mildest stage, minimal HE to overt HE. Hyperammonaemia and neuroinflammation are two main underlying factors which contribute to the neurological alterations in HE. Both structural and functional impairments are found in the white mater and grey mater involved in HE. Although the investigations into HE pathophysiological mechanism are enormous, the exact pathophysiological causes underlying HE remain controversial. Multimodality magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) plays an important role in helping to understand the pathological process of HE. This paper reviews the up-to-date multimodality MRI methods and predominant findings in HE patients with a highlight ofthe increasingly important role of blood oxygen level dependent functional MRI.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging and the brain: A brief review

Functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) is em-ployed in many behavior analysis studies, with blood oxygen level dependent-(BOLD-) contrast imaging being the main method used to generate images. The use of BOLD-contrast imaging in f MRI has been refined over the years, for example, the inclusion of a spin echo pulse and increased magnetic strength were shown to produce better recorded images. Taking careful precautions to control variables during measurement, comparisons between different specimen groups can be illustrated by f MRI imaging using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Differences have been observed in comparisons of active and resting, developing and aging, and defective and damaged brains in various studies. However, cognitive studies using f MRI still face a number of challenges in interpretation that can only be overcome by imaging large numbers of samples. Furthermore, f MRI studies of brain cancer, lesions and other brain pathologies of both humans and animals are still to be explored.

Effects of oxygen concentration and flow rate on cognitive ability and physiological responses in the elderly

The supply of highly concentrated oxygen positively affects cognitive processing in normal young adults. However, there have been few reports on changes in cognitive ability in elderly subjects following highly concentrated oxygen administration. This study investigated changes in cognitive ability, blood oxygen saturation （%）, and heart rate （beats/min） in normal elderly subjects at three different levels of oxygen [21% （1 L/min）, 93% （1 L/min）, and 93% （5 L/min）] administered during a 1-back task. Eight elderly male （75.3 ＋ 4.3 years old） and 10 female （71.1 ＋ 3.9 years old） subjects, who were normal in cognitive ability as shown by a score of more than 24 points in the Mini-Mental State Examination-Korea, participated in the experiment. The experiment consisted of an adaptation phase after the start of oxygen administration （3 minutes）, a control phase to obtain stable baseline measurements of heart rate and blood oxygen saturation before the task （2 minutes） and a task phase during which the 1-back task was performed （2 minutes）. Three levels of oxygen were administered throughout the three phases （7 minutes）. Blood oxygen saturation and heart rate were measured during each phase. Our results show that blood oxygen saturation increased, heart rate decreased, and response time in the 1-back task decreased as the concentration and amount of administered oxygen increased. This shows that administration of sufficient oxygen for optimal cognitive functioning increases blood oxygen saturation and decreases heart rate.

BOLD-fMRI study of auditory cortex in patients with tinnitus

Objective Blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) was used to study activation signals in the brain cortex evoked by tone stimulation in patients with tinnitus for its potential utility as an objective indicator of tinnitus. Methods BOLD-fMRI examination was conducted in 7 patients with chronic tinnitus and 15 control subjects. The activation signal in the brain cortex was recorded. Results Significant activation was found in temporal lobe in control subjects, with greater signal volume and intensity on the contralateral than ipsilateral auditory cortex (P < 0.01). However, there was no discernable patterns in the anatomical location, volume and intensity of cortical activation signals in patients with chronic tinnitus. Conclusions Patients with chronic tinnitus may have abnormal neural activities in the auditory cortex.

Cerebrovascular reactivity mapping for brain tumor presurgical planning

This article provides a review of Blood Oxygen Level Dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging(BOLD fMRI)applications for presurgical mapping in patients with brain tumors who are being considered for lesion resection.Initially,the physical principle of the BOLD effect is discussed,followed by a general overview of the aims of presurgical planning.Subsequently,a review of sensorimotor,language and visual paradigms that are typically utilized in clinical fMRI is provided,followed by a brief description of studies demonstrating the clinical impact of preoperative BOLD fMRI.After this thorough introduction to presurgical fMRI,a detailed explanation of the phenomenon of neurovascular uncoupling(NVU),a major limitation of fMRI,is provided,followed by a discussion of the different approaches taken for BOLD cerebrovascular reactivity(CVR)mapping,which is an effective method of detecting NVU.We then include one clinical case which demonstrates the value of CVR mapping in clinical preoperative fMRI interpretation.The paper then concludes with a brief review of applications of CVR mapping other than for presurgical mapping.

NEAR-INFRARED MONITORING OF THE LUMBAR ERECTOR SPINAE MUSCLE IN HEALTHY MEN AND WOMEN DURING STATIC AND DYNAMIC ENDURANCE WORK

Understanding muscle hemodynamics using near-infrared spectroscopy is increasingly evident in the recent spinal disorders-related literature.However,none of these human studies addressed the issue of physiological limits for the lumbar muscle within the same participants during various exercise modes.The purpose of this study is to evaluate physiological limits for the lumbar muscle during dynamic and static endurance tests.On three separate days,22 healthy men and women performed three endurance protocols(static prone trunk extension,arm cranking,and pushing
pulling)until volitional exhaustion.For each protocol,minimum and maximum oxygenation and blood volume responses from the right lumbar erector spinae were obtained using a continuous dual wavelength near-infrared spectroscopy(Micro-Runman,NIM Inc.,PA,USA).Statistical analysis showed that greatest reduction in oxygenation(minimum)were obtained during dynamic exercises:pushing
pulling(2.1 times)and arm cranking(2.03 times)versus static test (P<0:05).Physiological change(calculated as the difference between maximum during recovery and minimum at the point of volitional exhaustion)during static test was lower[(66-75%for oxygenation)and(34-46%for blood volume)]than dynamic exercises (P<0:05).Contrary to the theory that sufficient occlusion of bloodflow to the lumbar muscle is possible with static trunk extension,it was concluded that a dynamic protocol until volitional exhaustion might be a good alternative in establishing near-infrared spectroscopy-derived physiological limits to the lumbar muscle.Further research is essential to identify an optimal calibration procedure for establishing true hypoxic values for the human lumbar muscle.

Central swallowing in normal adults using functional magnetic resonance imaging

BACKGROUND： While brain-imaging studies in healthy adults have indicated that multiple cortical regions are involved in swallowing, these functional imaging techniques have not been extensively applied to the complete understand neurophysiology of swallowing in China. A full understanding of normal swallowing neurophysiology is important for improving functional outcomes for dysphagia due to neurologic disorders or damage with increasing age. Thus the interpretations of the functional contributions of various brain areas in swallowing should be scientifically researched. OBJECTIVE： To identify the activation and characteristic of swallowing center in healthy adults using functional magnetic resonance imaging. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： An uncontrolled neuroimaging study was performed at the Outpatient Clinic, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University between March and November 2008. PARTICIPANTS： Ten healthy right-handed volunteers, aged over 20 years with a mean age of （34.2 ＋ 8.1） years, a range of 25-45 years and including five males and five females participated. A medical history was obtained from all potential subjects and all subjects were free of systemic diseases and neurological disorders. METHODS： The healthy volunteers were examined with event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging of blood oxygenation level-dependent while laryngeal swallow-related movements were recorded. Subjects were scanned during voluntary saliva swallowing and water bolus swallowing activation tasks. Data was processed using the General Linear Model. A voxel by voxel group comparison was performed using random effect analysis. Any cluster with a corrected P 〈 0.05 for spatial extent was considered significant. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： The cerebral cortical activation maps of voluntary swallowing of saliva and swallowing of water bolus in healthy adults were observed. RESULTS： A multifocal cortical representation of swallowing was in the precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, insula, anterior cingulate gyrus, thalamus, basal ganglia and cerebellum, in a bilateral and asymmetrical manner, predominantly on the left hemisphere in the volunteers （P 〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION： Activation of the cortex during normal swallowing tasks may be functionally linked to basal nuclei, thalamus, and cerebellum, greatly appearing in the left hemisphere.