In a cost-effectiveness analysis, the costs of 55 demented patients in day care (DC) and 45 patients on a waiting list were related to the effects on indices measuring quality of life. Based on one year's study, the costs per patient per day, was USD 55 for the DC-group and USD 63 for the controls (p > 0.05). Both groups deteriorated in the indices during the study year. The trend was that DC was both cheaper and better in the indices, and some of the underlying variables for the used indices also showed significantly better results in favour of DC. However, since the changes between the groups were not significant regarding the basic question at issue, it cannot be stated that DC is more cost-effective than a care organisation without DC. Different interpretations of the results are presented.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Neuronal and fibre organization in neocortical grafts placed in post-ischaemic adult rat brain: a three-dimensional confocal microscopy study.

The dendritic morphology in neocortical grafts was studied with three-dimensional confocal laser scanning microscopy after microinjection of Lucifer Yellow into individual cells. The grafts had been implanted into infarct cavities in the neocortex of hypertensive rats 46 weeks earlier. The carbocyanine dye method was used to identify afferent (host to transplant) and efferent (transplant to host) connections. Pyramidal, nonpyramidal and glial cells were present in the transplants. Some dendrites had an almost normal appearance, but abnormalities (atypical orientation of apical, basal or oblique apical dendrites) were observed. Some bi-apical pyramidal neurons and pyramidal neurons with obliquely oriented apical dendrites were also observed. Carbocyanine dye-labelled fibres of different diameter formed a dense network in the transplant, enabling the border between transplant and host tissue to be clearly recognized. No labelled fibres were observed to enter the host brain. Fibres with "boutons en passant" and no preferential orientation were noted. It is proposed that Lucifer Yellow microinjection may be a useful method in studies aimed at improving graft morphology. Failure to demonstrate host to transplant connections with the carbocyanine dye method was contrary to earlier studies in which tracers were applied in vivo. A combined use of in-vivo and post-mortem tracer techniques is needed to establish the reason for the discrepancy.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison between diagnoses in the Stockholm Regional Cancer Register and certified underlying causes of death.

Data in the Stockholm Regional Cancer Register were compared with death certificates for persons who died of carcinoma in 1978 and were domiciled in Stockholm County. Concordance between cancer register diagnosis and certified underlying cause of death was 87 per cent. Many malignant tumours in organs which often show metastases were unspecified by one of the registers. In many other cases of discordance, differing site codes denoted anatomically close-lying organs. Age distribution did not differ between concordant and discordant diagnostic groups. Coordination of the cancer register and the mortality statistics as regards coding routines and disease classification presumably would enhance inter-register comparability.

Biliary Tract Neoplasms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Geographic variations of breast carcinoma incidence in Sweden. Are the differences real?

The validity of the reported geographic variations of breast carcinoma incidence in Sweden was assessed by examination of two possible sources of bias: non-notification to the Cancer Registry of diagnosed carcinoma cases and 'biologically benign' breast carcinoma, i.e. with a low disease-specific lethality, e.g. detected accidentally at autopsy. No significant geographic differences in registration deficit were found even though non-notification tended to be slightly higher for old patients in low-incidence areas. Autopsy cases were estimated to account for less than one per cent of all cases and tended to be more frequent in high-incidence areas but the regional differences were generally small and not significant. An analysis of the relationship between 10-year relative survival and age-standardized incidence in 27 different regions revealed no significant correlation, whereas there was a significant positive correlation between age-standardized incidence and mortality. These findings indicate that non-lethal breast carcinoma cases do not explain the variations of incidence. In conclusion, no evidence was found suggesting that the geographic differences were artifactual. Registration deficit and autopsy cases, however, may have slightly increased the variations among elderly women.

Adult↗