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Biomedical subjects

J M Carlson

Publications and source records attributed to J M Carlson.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Effectiveness of occupational therapy for reducing restraint use in a psychiatric setting.

Patients who received occupational therapy services (OT Group) and those who did not (NOT Group) were compared in a retrospective record review to determine the efficacy of occupational therapy in reducing the need for restraint in a state psychiatric hospital. There were 60 subjects with an Axis I diagnosis in each group who met the qualifications of a continuous 90-day minimum inpatient status during 1990. The amount of time each subject spent in restraint, seclusion, or restraint and seclusion, and free from confinement served as the dependent variables. Results showed no differences between the OT Group and the NOT Group for time spent in confinement. A major limitation in this study was the lack of specificity in the documentation of occupational therapy services.

Adult

Intestinal metallothionein gene expression and zinc absorption in rats are zinc-responsive but refractory to dexamethasone and interleukin 1 alpha.

The effects of dexamethasone and interleukin 1 alpha on intestinal metallothionein gene expression and zinc absorption were studied. Rats given parenteral zinc served as positive controls. A single intraperitoneal or intravenous dose of dexamethasone, interleukin 1 alpha or zinc markedly increased liver metallothionein synthesis 3-9 h after injection. Intestinal metallothionein mRNA and metallothionein protein were not affected by dexamethasone or interleukin 1 alpha, but were markedly increased by parenteral zinc. Absorption of 65Zn from isolated duodenal segments was inversely related to intestinal metallothionein concentration in rats given zinc, but was not affected by dexamethasone or interleukin 1 alpha. Plasma zinc concentrations decreased in rats given dexamethasone or interleukin 1 alpha and increased in those given zinc, but they were not related to 65Zn absorption. Similarly, multiple intraperitoneal administration of either dexamethasone or interleukin 1 alpha, or oral administration of dexamethasone, for 7 d markedly increased liver metallothionein synthesis but did not affect intestinal metallothionein concentration or 65Zn absorption. These results suggest that intestinal metallothionein gene expression and 65Zn absorption are refractory to glucocorticoid hormone and interleukin 1 alpha.

Animals

Knee orthoses for valgus protection. Experiments on 11 designs with related analyses of orthosis length and rigidity.

Recent years have seen the introduction of a great many knee orthosis designs prescribed for protection against ligamentous injury or reinjury of the knee. The configurations and materials incorporated in these designs vary greatly, but all claim to be very effective. A leg model and 11 different commercially available knee orthoses were tested with static loading to obtain objective data on the relative effectiveness of the 11 designs to protect the knee from externally applied valgus moments. From these data, the effectiveness of each orthosis was calculated in terms of the rigidity contributed to the leg/orthosis combination. At a static valgus loading of 78 Nm, there was an eightfold variation in the rigidities contributed by the various knee orthoses, ranging from a low of 0.9 Nm per degree valgus to a maximum of 7.2 Nm per degree. The authors related analyses of two aspects of knee orthosis design (orthosis length and orthosis rigidity) to effectiveness in protecting against knee valgus overload injuries. Correlations were found between design inadequacies noted theoretically and efficacy problems evident from the laboratory tests. Orthosis length and orthosis rigidity must both be adequate, or the orthosis will not be biomechanically effective.

Humans

Maternal position during parturition in normal labor.

While controversy exists as to the relationship between maternal position in labor and such measures as the labor duration, subjective discomfort, and fetal outcome, little appears to be known about the positions women assume in labor when they are permitted to do so without coercion or instruction. To learn more about maternal position in labor, we observed 80 consecutive patients with uncomplicated normal spontaneous vaginal delivery over the course of labor to ascertain the positions volitionally chosen by each. Data were collected on position preferences and phase of labor. All labors were analyzed; a codified lexicon was established to describe the position pattern in each phase and the principal positions the patient assumed over the course of labor. The frequencies and distributions were determined for nulliparas and multiparas separately and rates of position change were assessed. It was found that gravidas chose a number of different principal positions in the early phases of labor, but that they became more narrowly selective in the deceleration phase and second stage; at the same time, they tended to change position more often in late labor.

Adolescent

The transmission of racial attitudes from fathers to sons: a study of blacks and whites.

This study examines relationships between racial attitudes of fathers and sons. The sample includes one hundred white fathers and sons and an equal number of black fathers and sons. Three measurements of social distance were undertaken. The fathers indicated their own racial attitudes, while sons indicated their perceptions of their fathers' racial attitudes, as well as their own. The findings indicated that sons of both races perceive their fathers to be more prejudiced than they actually are. There is a relationship between fathers' perceived racial attitudes and sons' attitudes in the white sample, but black fathers appear to have no influence on the racial attitudes of their sons. It appears that adolescents' perception of parental attitudes is more relevant to socialization than actual attitudes. With regard to racial attitudes, black families appear to be less influential in the socialization process.

Adolescent

The prediction of curve progression in untreated idiopathic scoliosis during growth.

We reviewed the cases of 727 patients with idiopathic scoliosis in whom the initial curve measured from 5 to 29 degrees. The patients were followed either to the end of skeletal growth or until the curve progressed. One hundred and sixty-nine patients (23.2 per cent) showed progression of the curve. The incidence of curve progression was found to be related to the pattern and magnitude of the curve, the patient's age at presentation, the Risser sign, and the patient's menarchal status. We found no correlation between progression of the curve and the patient's sex, Harrington factor, rotational prominence, family history, or radiographic measurements. A progression factor was calculated using the three strongest correlations available at initial examination: the magnitude of the curve, the Risser sign, and the patient's chronological age. A graph and nomogram are presented that can serve as a guide for advising patients' families and for planning continuing care.

Adolescent

Modern orthotics for spinal deformities.

Four basic types of orthoses are now being used at the Twin Cities Scoliosis Center for the treatment of spinal curvatures. The Milwaukee Brace, either custom-made or using a prefabricated pelvic section is the orthosis of choice for thoracic scoliosis and kyphosis in the ambulatory child. For lumbar and thoracolumbar curves, the one-piece "TLSO" has proven the most effective design. For the collapsing spine of myelomeningocele, childhood paraplegia, and spinal muscular atrophy, the 2-piece bivalved polypropylene body jacket is excellent. For the severely involved cerebral palsy or Duchenne Dystrophy patient, the Chair Insert type Sitting Support Orthodosis is preferable.

Braces