Biomedical subjects

G J Badger

Publications and source records attributed to G J Badger.

67 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1991

The effects of long-term non-fatiguing resistance exercise in subjects with post-polio syndrome.

Measures of torque were used to evaluate changes in muscle strength and endurance in 17 patients with post-polio syndrome who did prescribed resistance exercise for up to 2 years. Exercise compliance averaged 75%, with 16 subjects increasing the weight lifted in training. Maximum torque was significantly increased in the exercised muscle compared to the control muscle; no difference was seen in muscle endurance. Individuals with post-polio syndrome can increase muscle strength by doing non-fatiguing resistance exercise, but they should undergo quantitative testing of muscle strength a minimum of every 3 months to guard against overwork weakness.

Exercise Therapy↗

PubMed1991

Progesterone production in early pregnancy.

Before and after elective abortion, progesterone (P) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels were determined to describe the origin of P and to investigate the relationship between levels of hCG and luteal steroidogenesis. After abortion, P levels initially fell rapidly, followed by a slower decline. The initial fall in P levels and the remaining level of P 3 hours after abortion were taken to represent the removal of P that originated from the trophoblast and the continuing P contribution by the corpus luteum (CL), respectively. Using this analysis, we conclude: (1) P production by the CL is sustained well into the second trimester of pregnancy and (2) increasing trophoblastic production of P allows the pregnancy progressive independence from the CL.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Serum albumin: its relationship to marrow and renal toxicity from platinum-based combination chemotherapy.

One hundred and three patients treated with CAP chemotherapy were evaluated to determine the relationship between low prechemotherapy serum albumin (less than 3 g/dl) and low WBC nadir (less than 2000 cells/mm3). Additionally, the relationship of serum albumin to renal toxicity (delta serum creatinine) was examined. Low prechemotherapy serum albumin appears to be a marker for advanced disease, but does not appear to predict marrow or renal toxicity.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

PubMed1990

A randomized, controlled trial of clomiphene citrate and intrauterine insemination in couples with unexplained infertility or surgically corrected endometriosis.

This study was initiated to test the hypothesis that treatment with clomiphene citrate (CC) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) results in increased fecundity when compared with periovulatory intercourse in couples with either unexplained infertility or surgically corrected endometriosis. Sixty-seven couples entered a randomized, prospective trial comparing CC/IUI with observation. During the study, there were 14 pregnancies in 148 treated cycles (fecundity = 0.095) compared with 5 pregnancies in 150 untreated cycles (fecundity = 0.033). Using life-table analysis and the log-rank test, the difference in fecundities was statistically significant. Pregnancy outcome was not significantly different between the two groups. When comparing conception with nonconception cycles during treatment, no differences between the size of the lead follicle or the number of dominant follicles was detected. We conclude that treatment with CC/IUI improves fecundity in couples with unexplained infertility or surgically corrected endometriosis.

Clomiphene↗

PubMed1989

Quantitative measures of neurological function in chronic neuromuscular diseases and ataxia.

Interexaminer and intraexaminer reliability were determined for 30 quantitative measures of neurological function, including sensory threshold, tendon reflexes, maximum isometric strength, and timed tests and coded ratings of functional ability, in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (n = 30), idiopathic polyneuropathy (n = 16) and spinocerebellar degeneration (n = 30). Five of 6 sensory and reflex measures had interexaminer reliability greater than 0.80 when the neurologists' examinations were 1 h apart; 2 of 7 achieved this level when the examinations were separated by 1 month. Interexaminer reliability between physical therapists was greater than 0.80 for 19 of 20 measures of strength and functional ability. Intraexaminer reliability coefficients greater than 0.80 were found for 13 of 24 sensory and reflex measures, 28 of 30 isometric strength measures, 24 of 30 timed tests and 5 of 6 coded ratings of functional ability. Electro-oculography, oral diadochokinetic syllable rates, hand and foot accelerometry, and tracings of sine and square waves were examined as quantitative indices of ataxia for patients with spinocerebellar degeneration. Of 11 measures of ataxia, only the oral diadochokinetic syllable rate test had acceptable reliability.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1988

Double-blind controlled trials of Cronassial in chronic neuromuscular diseases and ataxia.

We report three 12-month, double-blind, three-phase studies comparing the effect of placebo and 40 mg and 100 mg IM daily of purified bovine brain gangliosides (Cronassial) in chronic neuromuscular diseases. Thirty patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, 16 with idiopathic polyneuropathy, and 30 with spinocerebellar degeneration had neuromuscular function measured monthly by quantitative testing of motor and sensory function, coordination, and electrophysiologic factors. Analysis of these studies, and of longer term (up to 2 years) open studies of 100 mg daily of Cronassial in 67 patients failed to show therapeutic efficacy of Cronassial. Statistical power calculations indicated that five of the 37 measures had greater than a 70% chance of detecting a 20% difference in the rate of progression of the active-drug and placebo groups. A number of measures significantly improved during prolonged placebo treatment, suggesting that the placebo effect has a strong influence on "objective" measures of neuromuscular function.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

A Markov model for a clinical episode of recurrent genital herpes.

A time-homogeneous Markov process is proposed for modeling the clinical course of recurrent genital herpes and is used to obtain estimators for various characteristics of the disease episode. The model has a finite, discrete time parameter and discrete state space, with six transient states corresponding to the six stages a herpes lesion may enter. The healed condition is represented as an absorbing state. The number of lesions present at the onset of the clinical episode and the number of lesions appearing during the course of the episode are assumed to have negative binomial distributions. Clinical trial data are used to examine the assumptions of the model and to estimate its parameters. Estimates of clinical variables based on the model are computed and are compared with those calculated directly to assess how well the model represents the biological process of the disease.

Herpes Genitalis↗

PubMed1984

Treatment of recurrent genital herpes simplex infections with oral acyclovir. A controlled trial.

Two hundred fifty patients were entered into a multicenter trial to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of orally administered acyclovir for treatment of recurrent genital herpes. The study consisted of part A, in which patients entered the study within 48 hours of the onset of lesions, and part B, in which patients self-initiated therapy as soon as possible after the onset of a recurrent episode. In both parts, patients received either acyclovir (200 mg) or placebo, five times daily for five days. In both parts, the duration of virus shedding and the time to crusting and healing of lesions were shorter among acyclovir recipients than among placebo recipients. In part B, fewer acyclovir recipients formed new lesions during the study medication period than did placebo recipients. When parts A and B were compared directly, the duration of virus shedding and the times required for crusting and healing of lesions were significantly shorter among acyclovir recipients in part B than among acyclovir recipients in part A. No significant differences in the duration of itching and pain or in the times of subsequent recurrence were noted between acyclovir and placebo groups in either part A or part B. No significant toxic or adverse reactions were seen in acyclovir recipients. Oral acyclovir shortens the duration of virus shedding and the duration of lesions in patients with recurrent genital herpes. These effects are more pronounced when therapy is self-initiated by patients early in the course of a recurrent episode.

Acyclovir↗

PubMed1983

Topically administered acyclovir in the treatment of recurrent herpes simplex genitalis: a controlled trial.

Eighty-eight patients with culture-proven recurrent herpes simplex genitalis were entered into a collaborative, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of a topical formulation of acyclovir. Patients entered the study within 48 hr of the onset of lesions, and the study medication was applied six times daily for five days. The duration of virus shedding from lesions present at the time of entry into the study was significantly reduced for men who received acyclovir compared with men who received placebo (P less than 0.05). There were no significant differences between the acyclovir- and placebo-treated groups of either sex in time to crusting of lesions, time required for lesions to heal, time to cessation of pain, or in frequency with which new lesions developed during the course of therapy. Mild, transient burning or pain associated with application of the study medication was a common complaint.

Acyclovir↗

PubMed1982

Controlled trial of oral acyclovir in the therapy of recurrent herpes simplex genitalis. A preliminary report.

A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of orally administered acyclovir in the treatment of patients with recurrent herpes simplex genitalis (HSG). A total of 107 patients from centers in Burlington, Vermont, and San Diego, California, were entered into the study within 48 hours of the onset of lesions. Patients who received acyclovir shed virus for 1.8 +/- 0.6 days (mean +/- SEM) compared with 2.8 +/- 1.2 days for those who received placebo. The duration of shedding from genital lesions of patients in the acyclovir-treated group was significantly less than from lesions of patients who received placebo (p = 0.016 by a logrank test). An analysis of the toxicity of the drug was performed in 52 of the study participants. Acyclovir was well-tolerated and no alterations were observed in measurements of bone marrow, liver, or kidney function. Orally administered acyclovir is a promising antiviral compound for the treatment of recurrent HSG.

Acyclovir↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Case for hybrid "fetal growth curves": a population-based estimation of normal fetal size across gestational age.

We hypothesized that normal fetal size would be most appropriately characterized by a hybrid cross-sectional growth chart combining preterm (< 37 weeks) ultrasound-estimated fetal weights and full-term (> or = 37 weeks) birthweights. Concurrent cross-sectional charts defining fetal size were constructed from 1,331 ultrasound-estimated fetal weights (US) (24-40 weeks) and 9,553 birthweights (BW) (24-43 weeks) from a population of singleton offspring without anomalies. Percentile ranks (10th-90th) were established for both charts. Best-fit third-order equations generated by least-squares regression analysis were compared between the two growth charts. Weight distributions (percentile ranks) were compared separately across gestational age, and for preterm and term gestation. Statistical analysis was performed by chi-square analysis where appropriate with P < .05 accepted for significance. The BW standard failed to appropriately characterize ultrasound-estimated fetal weight across gestational age. (US: < 10th%, n = 42 [3.1%]; 10-90th%, n = 978 [73.5%]; > 90th%, n = 311 [23.4%], P < .001). The characterization of both preterm and term weights was significantly different between fetal size curves. The birthweight growth curve limited the designation of fetal growth restriction (< 10th%) in the preterm ultrasound group to 1.6% of subjects examined (n = 17, P < .001). In contrast, at term the ultrasound estimation of normal fetal weight (between the 10th and 90th percentiles) included 84% of the term birthweights (P < .05). Cross-sectional sonographically defined fetal size curves provide optimal characterization of preterm fetal weight as estimated by ultrasound. In term gestation, a normative size chart derived from ultrasound estimated fetal weight appears to broaden or overrepresent the tails of the distribution. Hybrid size curves, combining preterm ultrasound estimated fetal weight and term birthweight, provide the best estimate of the normal range of fetal weight across gestational age.

Birth Weight↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Long-term responses of higher and lower risk youths to smoking prevention interventions.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents at risk for cigarette smoking are difficult to reach with conventional interventions but have substantial exposure to the mass media. This study is the first to show that smoking prevention messages presented through the mass media can have large and durable effects on higher risk adolescents. METHODS: Students in two communities received media and school interventions beginning in grades 5-7; those in matched comparison communities received school interventions. Media interventions were targeted to higher risk youths. School surveys were conducted before and after the interventions, in grades 4-6 and grades 8-10. Two years after interventions ended, when participants were in grades 10-12, school and telephone surveys were conducted to assess smoking status. Survey participants (n = 2,860) were classified at baseline as having higher or lower risk for becoming a smoker. RESULTS: Smoking prevalence within the higher risk sample was significantly lower for those receiving media-school interventions than for those receiving school interventions only (odds ratio = 0.71). Effects on the lower risk sample were similar in magnitude but marginally significant. CONCLUSIONS: Mass media and school interventions achieved lower smoking rates among higher risk youngsters 2 years following completion of the interventions. This strategy represents a uniquely effective method for communicating with a high-priority group.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Preferences for clinic privileges, retail items and social activities in an outpatient buprenorphine treatment program.

This study evaluated preferences for various clinic privileges, retail items, and social activities for use in an outpatient opioid dependence treatment program. Fifty-three opioid-dependent patients who received treatment with buprenorphine for at least 30 days rank ordered 11 clinic privileges, 19 retail items, and 8 social activities from the most desirable (a rank of 1) to the least desirable (a rank equal to the number of items in that category). Additional questions determined preference for counseling frequency and dosing levels. The top three mean rankings for clinic privileges were $50 cash for opioid-negative urines (2.8), take-home doses of buprenorphine (3.6), and voucher points for opioid-negative urines (4.7). The top three mean rankings for retail items were restaurant gift certificates (4.1), movie passes (4.9), and videotape movie and player rentals (6.8). The top three mean rankings for social activities were movies (2.4), barbecues (3.8), and hiking trips (4.3). There was no preference reported for increases or decreases in counseling frequency. Seventy-four percent of subjects preferred to increase their buprenorphine dose by an average of 60.84% independent of their present dose. Consistent with previous findings from methadone treatment, cash payments for opioid-negative urines and take-home medication were the highest ranked clinic privileges. These results suggest that various retail items and social activities may also be useful for reinforcing positive treatment outcomes during outpatient opioid treatment.

Administration, Sublingual↗