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Biomedical subjects

H Levin

Publications and source records attributed to H Levin.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Biliopancreatic Diversion in Prader-Willi Syndrome Associated with Obesity.

BACKGROUND: Prader-Willi Syndrome (PRWS) is an uncommon neuroendocrine disorder of genetic origin, described in 1956 by Prader, Labhart and Willi. The main clinical manifestations in the adult are mental retardation, hyperphagia with gross obesity, hypogonadismcriptorhismus and short stature. The life expectancy of the affected individual ranges between 20 and 30 years rarely beyond - due to complications related to excessive obesity. Sustained dieting combined with behavior modification programs, as well as gastric restrictive surgery for obesity, proved to have a high failure rate in PRWS, due to the patients' inability to cooperate in changing their eating habits. METHODS: Biliopancreatic Diversion (BPD), which does not require the patient's cooperation in changing eating habits after surgery, was performed in two PRWS patients (13- and 22-years-old), both with excessive obesity, severe respiratory distress, day sleepiness and limited mobility. RESULTS: Two years after surgery, the 13-year-old had lost 80% of her overweight, while the 22-year-old, after 1 year, had lost 34%. Recent laboratory tests showed normal data in both patients. Their respiratory distress had subsided completely, their mobility improved dramatically, and their self-image and alertness enhanced. CONCLUSION: BPD resulted in an improved quality of life in these patients.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1995

Classification of brain compartments and head injury lesions by neural networks applied to MRI.

An automatic, neural network-based approach was applied to segment normal brain compartments and lesions on MR images. Two supervised networks, backpropagation (BPN) and counterpropagation, and two unsupervised networks, Kohonen learning vector quantizer and analog adaptive resonance theory, were trained on registered T2-weighted and proton density images. The classes of interest were background, gray matter, white matter, cerebrospinal fluid, macrocystic encephalomalacia, gliosis, and "unknown." A comprehensive feature vector was chosen to discriminate these classes. The BPN combined with feature conditioning, multiple discriminant analysis followed by Hotelling transform, produced the most accurate and consistent classification results. Classification of normal brain compartments were generally in agreement with expert interpretation of the images. Macrocystic encephalomalacia and gliosis were recognized and, except around the periphery, classified in agreement with the clinician's report used to train the neural network.

Artificial Intelligence↗
PubMed1995

Personality traits in schizophrenia.

In recent years there has been a renewed interest in the integration of descriptive and interpersonal approaches to mental illness. Much of the impetus for this stems from the introduction in 1980 of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd edition (DSM-III) (American Psychiatric Association 1980), with subsequent research and clinical reports documenting important interactions between Axis I syndromes and Axis II personality trait factors. While many research efforts have described comorbidity in affective and anxiety disorders, less attention has been directed toward clarifying the relationships between stable and enduring character traits and Axis I symptoms in schizophrenia. In this paper we propose that schizophrenic patients display both adaptive and pathological personality traits throughout the illness, and that clinical and research efforts to address the interactions between syndromic and personality factors ("trait-state" interactions) will further our understanding of patterns of symptom presentation and treatment response in these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Improved mortality and rehabilitation of transplant candidates treated with a long-term implantable left ventricular assist system.

OBJECTIVE: This nonrandomized study using concurrent controls was performed to determine whether the HeartMate implantable pneumatic (IP) left ventricular assist system (LVAS) could provide sufficient hemodynamic support to allow rehabilitation of severely debilitated transplant candidates and to evaluate whether such support reduced mortality before and after transplantation. METHODS: Outcomes of 75 LVAS patients were compared with outcomes of 33 control patients (not treated with an LVAS) at 17 centers in the United States. All patients were transplant candidates who met the following hemodynamic criteria: pulmonary capillary wedge pressure > or = 20 mm Hg with a systolic blood pressure < or = 80 mm Hg or a cardiac index < or = 2.0 L/minute/m2. In addition, none of the patients met predetermined exclusion criteria. RESULTS: More LVAS patients than control patients survived to transplantation: 53 (71%) versus 12 (36%) (p = 0.001); and more LVAS patients were alive at 1 year: 48 (91%) versus 8 (67%) (p = 0.0001). The time to transplantation was longer in the group supported with the LVAS (average, 76 days; range, < 1-344 days) than in the control group (average, 12 days; range, 1-72 days). In the LVAS group, the average pump index (2.77 L/minute/m2) throughout support was 50% greater than the corresponding cardiac index (1.86 L/minute/m2) at implantation (p = 0.0001). In addition, 58% of LVAS patients with renal dysfunction survived, compared with 16% of the control patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The LVAS provided adequate hemodynamic support and was effective in rehabilitating patients based on improved renal, hepatic, and physical capacity assessments over time. In the LVAS group, pretransplant mortality decreased by 55%, and the probability of surviving 1 year after transplant was significantly greater than in the control group (90% vs. 67%, p = 0.03). Thus, the HeartMate IP LVAS proved safe and effective as a bridge to transplant and decreased the risk of death for patients waiting for transplantation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Renal cell carcinoma arising in a regressed multicystic dysplastic kidney.

Controversy surrounds the management of multicystic dysplastic kidney. Recent advances in radiological imaging have resulted in a higher incidence of its detection, and they provide an accurate noninvasive means of diagnosis and followup. Consequently, the need for surgical removal of these lesions is being reevaluated. We report a case of renal cell carcinoma arising from solid renal dysplasia associated with a regressed multicystic dysplastic kidney. We emphasize the potential risk of nonoperative management of these lesions and further define the spectrum of malignant degeneration associated with renal dysplasia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Impact of bladder neck preservation during radical prostatectomy on continence and cancer control.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of preservation of the bladder neck and other factors on the rate of postoperative urinary continence and cancer control after radical prostatectomy. METHODS: Prospective analysis of clinical and pathologic findings in 206 consecutive patients undergoing radical prostatectomy with a surgical technique that emphasizes preservation of periurethral supporting tissue, urethral length, incorporation of the posterior periurethral fascia into the vesicourethral anastomosis, and preservation of the bladder neck. RESULTS: Uni- and multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that patient age (p = 0.033) and vesical neck contracture (p = 0.047) were predictive of incomplete return of urinary control. Preservation of the vesical neck had no impact on return of continence, but was associated with a trend to a lower incidence of vesical neck contractures. A positive bladder neck margin occurred in 6.8% of surgical specimens and was associated with a higher grade, more advanced local stage, and other positive margins in all cases. The rate of local recurrence or prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-only failure was similarly independent of whether the vesical neck was preserved or resected and reconstructed. CONCLUSIONS: Age greater than 65 and occurrence of a vesical neck contracture are adverse predictors for return of urinary continence after radical prostatectomy. Preservation of the bladder neck does not have an impact on return of urinary control but may be associated with a lower risk of vesical neck contracture. Preservation of the bladder neck does not compromise cancer control as assessed by local or PSA-only failure rates.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The frontal lobes and traumatic brain injury.

The authors review 1) the pathophysiological, neuroimaging, and neurobehavioral evidence for frontal lobe involvement in closed head injury; 2) studies elucidating the cognitive deficits and behavioral disturbance related to frontal lobe lesions associated with head injury; and 3) pharmacologic treatment of the neuropsychiatric manifestations of frontal lobe injury, including emerging therapies.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Volatile organic compounds and indoor air.

Volatile organic compounds represent one of the two major pollutant categories implicated in the sick-building syndrome. This article reviews measurement and analytic methods, presents a summary of the etiologic considerations, and presents newer, nonregulatory intervention strategies that can be used to prevent complaints resulting from this pollutant category.

Aerosols↗
PubMed1993

A retrospective study of the effects of edentulism on the severity rating of tardive dyskinesia.

Edentulism has been reported to be a risk factor in the development of spontaneous orofacial dyskinesia. This study aimed to determine whether edentulism increases the severity rating of tardive dyskinesia in psychiatric subjects treated with neuroleptic medication. The filed Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale reports of 84 edentulous and 109 dentate outpatients with schizophrenic or schizoaffective disorder were examined retrospectively. To compare dyskinesia ratings in different body areas with dental status and gender, 2 x 2 multivariate analysis of variance was used. Results show that edentulous subjects had significantly higher dyskinesia ratings in the orofacial categories but not in other body areas. Gender had no influence on dyskinesia ratings. These results indicate that tooth loss may considerably increase the severity of tardive dyskinesia, a finding that suggests a possible role of preventive and prosthetic dentistry in the health care of patients at risk for this condition.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1992

Hypertension as a complication of multicystic dysplastic kidney.

The detection of multicystic dysplastic kidney in utero using prenatal ultrasound is becoming a more frequent occurrence. An accurate diagnosis of multicystic dysplastic kidney usually can be made radiographically, and therefore the main indication for surgery in the asymptomatic patient may be the potential risk of complications developing later in life. We report hypertension as a complication of multicystic dysplastic kidney and review the literature.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1992

Should chronic treatment-refractory akathisia be an indication for the use of clozapine in schizophrenic patients?

BACKGROUND: Clozapine, an atypical neuroleptic, is an effective medication in a subgroup of schizophrenic patients who have either failed to respond to the typical neuroleptics or experienced intolerable side effects such as neuroleptic malignant syndrome and disabling tardive dyskinesia. Its efficacy for persistent and disabling akathisia is less clear. Akathisia, especially the chronic and disabling form, can be a treatment dilemma for the clinician and the patient. METHOD: We describe three representative case illustrations of schizophrenic patients who had severe, persistent treatment-resistant akathisia. Two of them had refractory psychoses and the third had multiple disabling side effects during treatment with typical neuroleptics. Two had tardive dyskinesia. These patients were treated with clozapine while other neuroleptics were discontinued. RESULTS: During a 2-year follow-up, these patients made impressive social and vocational strides coinciding with a fairly rapid remission of akathisia (under 3 months) and a lesser though notable improvement in the psychoses. Tardive dyskinesia also remitted, though over a period of 6 to 12 months. CONCLUSION: Our experience leads us to suggest a trial of clozapine in a subgroup of schizophrenic patients, who in addition to refractory psychoses have persistent disabling akathisia. However, given the risk of agranulocytosis with clozapine, we suggest that the usual treatment strategies for akathisia be tried before clozapine is initiated in the approved manner. Future controlled trials of clozapine that specifically investigate persistent akathisia may answer this question more conclusively.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Phase II study of homoharringtonine in patients with recurrent primary malignant central nervous system tumors.

A phase II trial of Homoharringtonine (HHT) was performed in 15 patients with recurrent or progressive malignant glioma. The drug was administered at a initial dose of 4 mg/m2/day by continuous 5 day intravenous infusion (3 mg/m2/day x 5 days for heavily pretreated patients). Courses were repeated every 3-4 weeks upon recovery from toxicity. No objective antitumor regressions occurred. Two patients had no change in their CT brain scans for 2-3 months and one patient had stable disease for 6 months. Toxicity was tolerable and included myelosuppression and occasionally mild hypotension. Chemosensitivity testing with HHT and several other chemotherapy drugs was performed in glioma cell lines, including cell lines derived from these patients. The results suggest that HHT is an inactive drug in malignant glioma using this dose schedule.

Adult↗