Literature search from ms 29/4/2010

Mo, F., B. C. K. Choi, et al. (2004). "Using Health Utility Index (HUI) for measuring the impact on health-related quality of Life (HRQL) among individuals with chronic diseases." Thescientificworldjournal 4: 746-57.

Quality of life is an important indicator in assessing the burden of disease, especially for chronic conditions. The Health Utilities Index (HUI) is a recently developed system for measuring the overall health status and health-related quality of life (HRQL) of individuals, clinical groups, and general populations. Using the HUI (constructed based on eight attributes: vision, hearing, speech, mobility, dexterity, cognition, emotion, and pain/discomfort) to measure the HRQL for chronic disease patients and to detect possible associations between HUI system and various chronic conditions, this study provides information to improve the management of chronic diseases. This study is of interest to data analysts, policy makers, and public health practitioners involved in descriptive clinical studies, clinical trials, program evaluation, population health planning, and assessments. Based on the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) for 2000-01, the HUI was used to measure the quality of life for individuals living with various chronic conditions (Alzheimer/other dementia, effects of stroke, urinary incontinence, arthritis/rheumatism, bowel disorder, cataracts, back problems, stomach/intestinal ulcers, emphysema/COPD, chronic bronchitis, epilepsy, heart disease, diabetes, migraine headaches, glaucoma, asthma, fibromyalgia, cancers, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, thyroid condition, and other remaining chronic diseases). Logistic Regression Model was employed to estimate the associations between the overall HUI scores and various chronic conditions. The HUI scores ranged from 0.00 (corresponding to a state close to death) to 1.00 (corresponding to perfect health); negative scores reflect health states considered worse than death. The mean HUI score by sex and age group indicated the typical quality of life for persons with various chronic conditions. Logistic Regression results showed a strong relationship between low HUI scores (< or = 0.5 and 0.06-1.0) and certain chronic conditions. Age- and sex-adjusted Odds Ratio (OR) and p values showed an effect among individuals diagnosed with each chronic disease on the overall HUI score. Results of this study showed that arthritis/rheumatism, heart disease, high blood pressure, cataracts, and diabetes had a severe impact on HRQL. Urinary incontinence, Alzheimer/other dementia, effects of stroke, cancers, thyroid condition, and back problems have a moderate impact. Food allergy, allergy other than food, asthma, migraine headaches, and other remaining chronic diseases have a relatively mild effect. It is concluded that major chronic diseases with significant health burden were associated with poor HRQL. The HUI scores facilitate the measurement and interpretation of results of health burden and the HRQL for individuals with chronic diseases and can be useful for development of strategies for the prevention and control of chronic diseases.

Mo, F., L. M. Pogany, et al. (2006). "Prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular comorbidity in the Canadian Community Health Survey 2002-2003." Thescientificworldjournal 6: 96-105.

Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for heart disease (heart attack, angina, and heart failure), stroke, and hypertension, which shorten the average life expectancy. The main objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of heart disease, hypertension, and stroke among Canadians with diabetes compared to those without diabetes in the Canadian general population aged 12 years and over. It also estimated the strength of association between diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and other factors such as age, gender, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, education status, body mass index (BMI), and other socioeconomic factors. Descriptive statistics were used initially to estimate the prevalence of related comorbidities by age and gender. Logistic regression was then employed to determine the potential strength of association between various effects. Data included 127,610 individuals who participated in the 2.1 cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) in 2002-2003. The prevalence of self-reported hypertension, heart disease, and stroke among individuals with diabetes were 51.9, 21.7, and 4.8%, respectively. By comparison, prevalence among those without diabetes was 12.7, 4.2, and 0.9%. Adjusted Odds Ratios (OR) were 4.15, 5.04, and 6.75 for males', and 4.10, 5.29, and 4.56 for females' hypertension, heart disease, and stroke, respectively. Lower income (OR from 1.27-1.94) and lower education (OR from 1.23-1.86) were independently associated with a high prevalence of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke among diabetics. Alcohol consumption (OR from 1.06-1.38), high BMI (OR from 1.17-1.40), physical inactivity (OR from 1.21-2.45), ethnicity, and immigration status were also strongly associated with hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. The adjusted prevalence of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke in the CCHS-2003 health survey in Canada was significantly higher among those with diabetes compared to those without. Other factors such as age, gender, BMI, lifestyle, family incomes, physical activity levels, and socioeconomic status also affected the strength of association between diabetes and resulting comorbidities.

Mo, F., T. Wong, et al. (2007). "Adolescent lifestyle, sexual behavior and sexually transmitted infections (STI) in Canada." International Journal on Disability and Human Development 6(1): 53-60.

We selected 44,430 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years old from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), who participated in the second cycle survey in 2003 to examine adolescent sexual behavior and other risk factors that may influence sexual health and sexually transmitted infections (STI). Descriptive and multivariate statistics revealed that STI is associated with the following: female gender; Canadian-born status; less than secondary education level; low annual family income; having multiple sexual partners; not using a condom at last sexual encounter; and a history of alcohol, tobacco and drug use (P<0.001). The sexual behaviors and STI history of the adolescents were significantly influenced by gender; use of alcohol, drug, and cigarettes; family income; education level, and Canadian-born status. Interventions should be targeted at these factors. Copyright copyright Freund Publishing House Limited.

Mo, F., T. Wong, et al. (2005). "Promoting sexual health and reducing Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) through adolescents' lifestyle and sexual behaviour changes and socio-economic amelioration." Italian Journal of Pediatrics 31(4): 220-227.

Objectives. To examine adolescent sexual behavior in Canada according to age, sex and other risk factors that could influence the incidence of sexually transmitted disease (STD) and sexual health and to address the behavioural and socio-economic status changes that may lead to promising interventions for the amelioration of sexuality related problems. Methods. The data from adolescents aged 10-19 years old (n = 130,880) participating in the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) in 2003 were analyzed by appropriate biostatistic methods. Results. The self-reported age at first sexual intercourse was 1.80%, 19.26%, 27.39% and 3.19%, 23.20%, 25.16% at age 10-13 years, 14-16 years and 17-19 years respectively for females and males. The rates of first sexual intercourse in 10-13-year and 14-16-year age groups of males were higher than among females. Results were reversed in the 17-19-year age group, where the rates were higher in females. The association of the effects of STD and age at first sexual intercourse showed that female adolescents have higher STD rates than males in all three age groups. The percentage of sexual partners for female adolescents is relatively higher than for males in the 10-13-year age group, but in the 14-16-year and 17-19-year age groups, males had more partners than females. Sexual behaviors were significantly influenced by lifestyle; socioeconomic status, and no school attendance. Conclusion. The adolescents having first intercourse increased with age. Lifestyle and socioeconomic status strongly affect the adolescent sexual behaviors. STD are correlated to adolescent sexual behaviours.

Molgat, C. V. and S. B. Patten (2005). "Comorbidity of major depression and migraine--a Canadian population-based study." Canadian Journal of Psychiatry - Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie 50(13): 832-7.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of major depressive episodes (MDEs) in patients with migraine and to compare the strength of association with that of other long-term medical conditions. METHODS: This study used a large-scale probability sample (over 130,000 sample) from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), a cross-sectional survey conducted by Statistics Canada. The CCHS screened for a broad set of medical conditions. Major depression was evaluated with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form for Major Depression, and the diagnosis of migraine was self-reported. The annual prevalence of major depression was calculated in the general population, in subjects with migraine, and in those with chronic conditions other than migraine. RESULTS: The prevalence of major depression in subjects reporting migraine was higher than that in the general population or in subjects with other chronic medical conditions (17.6%, compared with 7.4% and 7.8%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong association between major depression and migraine. The migraine-MDE association may account for a large fraction of the chronic condition-MDE association. The association between migraines and MDE differs from that of other chronic conditions, as the association persists into older age groups.

Montirosso, R., F. Morandi, et al. (2009). "International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in children with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome." Disability & Rehabilitation 31 Suppl 1: S144-52.

PURPOSE: The main aim of this study is to examine the functioning of children with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), a rare disorder of respiratory control associated with physiological and anatomical manifestations of a generalised autonomic nervous system dysfunction, using WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, Children and Youth version (ICF-CY). METHOD: The data of 26 children, (F = 17) aged 1.5-17.5 years, were collected. Data were analysed in the following four age groups: <3, 3-6, 7-12 and 13-18 years, using only the ICF-CY questionnaires' cross-age items. RESULTS: In the body functions, component breathing and paying attention were common problems for four age groups. In the activity and participation component, all children, except adolescents, showed problems with language. Furthermore, problems in social interaction were evident for all age ranges, except the youngest. Finally, in the environmental factors component, parents reported limitations concerning the natural environment and human-made changes to the environment that were common to all ages. CONCLUSIONS: The study supports the usefulness of supplementing diagnostic classifications with functional classifications to obtain complete information on health-related conditions in children with CCHS.

Moreira, T. S., A. C. Takakura, et al. (2007). "Inhibitory input from slowly adapting lung stretch receptors to retrotrapezoid nucleus chemoreceptors." JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY 580(1): 285-300.

The retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) contains CO₂-activated interneurons with properties consistent with central respiratory chemoreceptors. These neurons are glutamatergic and express the transcription factor Phox2b. Here we tested whether RTN neurons receive an input from slowly adapting pulmonary stretch receptors (SARs) in halothane-anaesthetized ventilated rats. In vagotomized rats, RTN neurons were inhibited to a variable extent by stimulating myelinated vagal afferents using the lowest intensity needed to inhibit the phrenic nerve discharge (PND). In rats with intact vagus nerves, RTN neurons were inhibited, also to a variable extent, by increasing positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP; 2-6 cmH₂O). The cells most sensitive to PEEP were inhibited during each lung inflation at rest and were instantly activated by stopping ventilation. Muscimol (GABA-A agonist) injection in or next to the solitary tract at area postrema level desynchronized PND from ventilation, eliminated the lung inflation-synchronous inhibition of RTN neurons and their steady inhibition by PEEP but did not change their CO₂ sensitivity. Muscimol injection into the rostral ventral respiratory group eliminated PND but did not change RTN neuron response to either lung inflation, PEEP increases, vagal stimulation or CO₂. Generalized glutamate receptor blockade with intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) kynurenate eliminated PND and the response of RTN neurons to lung inflation but did not change their CO₂ sensitivity. PEEP-sensitive RTN neurons expressed Phox2b. In conclusion, RTN chemoreceptors receive an inhibitory input from myelinated lung stretch receptors, presumably SARs. The lung input to RTN may be di-synaptic with inhibitory pump cells as sole interneurons. copyright 2007 The Authors. Journal compilation copyright 2007 The Physiological Society.

Moriguchi, T., N. Takako, et al. (2006). "Gata3 participates in a complex transcriptional feedback network to regulate sympathoadrenal differentiation." DEVELOPMENT 133(19): 3871-81.

Gata3 mutant mice expire of noradrenergic deficiency by embryonic day (E) 11 and can be rescued pharmacologically or, as shown here, by restoring Gata3 function specifically in sympathoadrenal (SA) lineages using the human DBH promoter to direct Gata3 transgenic expression. In Gata3-null embryos, there was significant impairment of SA differentiation and increased apoptosis in adrenal chromaffin cells and sympathetic neurons. Additionally, mRNA analyses of purified chromaffin cells from Gata3 mutants show that levels of Mash1, Hand2 and Phox2b (postulated upstream regulators of Gata3) as well as terminally differentiated SA lineage products (tyrosine hydroxylase, Th, and dopamine beta-hydroxylase, Dbh) are markedly altered. However, SA lineage-specific restoration of Gata3 function in the Gata3 mutant background rescues the expression phenotypes of the downstream, as well as the putative upstream genes. These data not only underscore the hypothesis that Gata3 is essential for the differentiation and survival of SA cells, but also suggest that their differentiation is controlled by mutually reinforcing feedback transcriptional interactions between Gata3, Mash1, Hand2 and Phox2b in the SA lineage.

Morikawa, Y., Y. S. Dai, et al. (2005). "The basic helix-loop-helix factor Hand2 regulates autonomic nervous system development." DEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMICS 234(3): 613-621.

Mammalian autonomic nervous system (ANS) development requires the combinatorial action of a number of transcription factors, which include Mash1, Phox2b, and GATA3. Here we show that the bHLH transcription factor, Hand2 (dHAND), is expressed concurrently with Mash1 during sympathetic nervous system (SNS) development and that the expression of Hand2 is not dependent on Mash1. This suggests that these two bHLH factors work in parallel during SNS development. We also show that ectopic expression of Hand2 activates the neuronal program and promotes the acquisition of a phenotype corresponding to peripheral neurons including neurons of the SNS lineage in P19 embryonic carcinoma cells. We propose that Hand2 works in parallel with other members of the transcriptional network to regulate ANS developmental but can ectopically activate the program by a cross-regulatory mechanism that includes the activation of Mash1. We show that this function is dependent on its interaction with the histone acetyltransferase p300/CBP, indicating that Hand2 functions to promote ANS development as part of a larger transcriptional complex. copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Morikawa, Y., A. Zehir, et al. (2009). "BMP signaling regulates sympathetic nervous system development through Smad4-dependent and -independent pathways." DEVELOPMENT 136(21): 3575-84.

Induction of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) from its neural crest (NC) precursors is dependent on BMP signaling from the dorsal aorta. To determine the roles of BMP signaling and the pathways involved in SNS development, we conditionally knocked out components of the BMP pathways. To determine if BMP signaling is a cell-autonomous requirement of SNS development, the Alk3 (BMP receptor IA) was deleted in the NC lineage. The loss of Alk3 does not prevent NC cell migration, but the cells die immediately after reaching the dorsal aorta. The paired homeodomain factor Phox2b, known to be essential for survival of SNS precursors, is downregulated, suggesting that Phox2b is a target of BMP signaling. To determine if Alk3 signals through the canonical BMP pathway, Smad4 was deleted in the NC lineage. Loss of Smad4 does not affect neurogenesis and ganglia formation; however, proliferation and noradrenergic differentiation are reduced. Analysis of transcription factors regulating SNS development shows that the basic helix-loop-helix factor Ascl1 is downregulated by loss of Smad4 and that Ascl1 regulates SNS proliferation but not noradrenergic differentiation. To determine if the BMP-activated Tak1 (Map3k7) pathway plays a role in SNS development, Tak1 was deleted in the NC lineage. We show that Tak1 is not involved in SNS development. Taken together, our results suggest multiple roles for BMP signaling during SNS development. The Smad4-independent pathway acts through the activation of Phox2b to regulate survival of SNS precursors, whereas the Smad4-dependent pathway controls noradrenergic differentiation and regulates proliferation by maintaining Ascl1 expression.

Morimoto, T., H. Nagao, et al. (1983). "Ondine's curse: therapeutic trial of dimefline." Brain & Development 5(6): 567-71.

Ondine's curse is a rare disorder characterized by primary failure of central regulation of breathing, resulting in severe hypoventilation during sleep. This report describes a 14-year-old girl with both this disorder and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. As a therapeutic trial, dimefline was administered orally, which was effective in deepening respiration for certain periods of sleep, during which time blood gas levels improved significantly.

Morooka, K. and S. Tanaka (2002). "Correlation analysis of signal flow in a model prefrontal cortical circuit representing multiple target locations." Neurocomputing 44-46: 541-548.

In spite of the recent cross-correlation analyses of the monkey prefrontal cortical neurons performing spatial working memory tasks (J. Neurosci. 21 (2001) 3646; Cerebr. Cortex 10 (2000) 535), it is uncertain as to how much degree the correlation data reflect the circuitry of highly recurrent networks. We did a computer simulation of a model cortical circuit, whose connectivity is fully known, and analyzed the cross-correlations of the spikes of pairs of neurons in the model. The result shows that cross-correlation histograms (CCHs) of pyramidal-pyramidal pairs tend to mask higher-order synaptic interactions, yielding CCHs with central peaks or almost flat CCHs. However, CCHs of pyramidal-interneuron pairs show displaced positive and/or negative peaks, depending on the connectivity of these neurons. copyright 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

Moseley, A. M. (1997). "The effect of casting combined with stretching on passive ankle dorsiflexion in adults with traumatic head injuries." PHYSICAL THERAPY(3): 240-7; discussion 248-59.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Ankle plantar-flexion contractures are a common problem following traumatic head injury. Although serial casting is used to correct and prevent ankle plantar-flexion contractures, treatment efficacy has not been evaluated using an experimental design. The aim of this research was to establish the effect of a regimen of casting combined with stretching on passive ankle dorsiflexion motion. SUBJECTS: Nine people who had sustained traumatic closed head injuries and had limited dorsiflexion motion participated in the study. METHODS: A crossover design was used in the study. Subjects were assigned to both experimental and control groups. Torque-controlled measurements of passive ankle dorsiflexion motion were obtained for all subjects before and after 1 week of casting combined with stretching, as well as before and after a 1-week control period. The order of the experimental and control conditions was randomized. RESULTS: Passive ankle dorsiflexion increased by a mean of 13.5 degrees (SD = 9.3) during the experimental condition, as compared with a mean decrease of 1.9 degrees (SD = 10.2) during the control condition. The difference between the experimental and control conditions was statistically significant. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that casting combined with stretching is an effective method of correcting ankle plantar-flexion contractures in patients with traumatic head injuries.

Moss, I. R. (2005). "Canadian Association of Neuroscience Review: Respiratory control and behavior in humans: lessons from imaging and experiments of nature." CANADIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES 32(3): 287-97.

The purpose of this review is to demonstrate that respiration is a complex behavior comprising both brainstem autonomic control and supramedullary influences, including volition. Whereas some fundamental mechanisms had to be established using animal models, this review focuses on clinical cases and physiological studies in humans to illustrate normal and abnormal respiratory behavior. To summarize, central respiratory drive is generated in the rostroventrolateral medulla, and transmitted to both the upper airway and to the main and accessory respiratory muscles. Afferent feedback is provided from lung and muscle mechnoreceptors, peripheral carotid and aortic chemoreceptors, and multiple central chemoreceptors. Supramedullary regions, including cortex and subcortex, modulate or initiate breathing with volition, emotion and at the onset of exercise. Autonomic breathing control can be perturbed by brainstem pathology including space occupying lesions, compression, congenital central hypoventilation syndrome and sudden infant death syndrome. Sleep-wake states are important in regulating breathing. Thus, respiratory control abnormalities are most often evident during sleep, or during transition from sleep to wakefulness. Previously undiagnosed structural brainstem pathology may be revealed by abnormal breathing during sleep. Ondine's curse and 'the locked-in syndrome' serve to distinguish brainstem from supramedullary regulatory mechanisms in humans: The former comprises loss of autonomic respiratory control and requires volitional breathing for survival, and the latter entails loss of corticospinal or corticobulbar tracts required for volitional breathing, but preserves autonomic respiratory control. [References: 49]

Mosse, Y. P., M. Laudenslager, et al. (2004). "Germline PHOX2B mutation in hereditary neuroblastoma." AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS 75(4): 727-30.

Movahed, M.-R., M. Jalili, et al. (2005). "Absence of device-device interaction (DDI) in a patient with cardiac and diaphragmatic pacemakers for congenital central hypoventilation syndrome." Pacing & Clinical Electrophysiology 28(11): 1238-9.

Autonomic control of ventilation is impaired in patients with Ondine's curse or congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), but voluntary control remains intact. Bradyarrhythmias can be life threatening. In a patient with CCHS and long sinus pause requiring cardiac pacemaker insertion, a diaphragmatic pacemaker inserted in early childhood caused diaphragmatic pacer spikes observed during the interrogation of the cardiac pacemaker. Diaphragmatic pacing did not interfere with the cardiac pacemaker function.