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Biomedical subjects

N Nilsson

Publications and source records attributed to N Nilsson.

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

The interexaminer reliability of measuring passive cervical range of motion, revisited.

PURPOSE: To study the interexaminer reliability of measuring passive cervical range of motion (ROM). DESIGN: Repeated blind measures of passive cervical ROM by two different examiners. SETTING: Ambulatory outpatient facility in an independent National Health Service of Denmark funded chiropractic research institution. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-five asymptomatic volunteers (17 men and 18 women) aged 20-28 yr. INTERVENTION: Measurement of passive cervical ROM with the use of a strap-on head goniometer by two blind examiners. Each subject was measured twice with 15-min intervals, using a mean-of-five-measurements protocol. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The reliability of measuring passive cervical ROM in six separate directions of movement from "neutral zero" and from one extreme to the other in three planes. RESULTS: The inter- and intra-examiner reliability was evaluated using a paired t test and Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (supplemented by a scatterplot). Intraclass Correlation Coefficients were also calculated. Interexaminer reliability was found to be acceptable (Pearson's r = .61 - .88) for measuring in three planes. Interexaminer reliability was less than acceptable (Pearson's r = .39 - .70) for measuring passive ROM in 6 directions from neutral zero. CONCLUSION: Passive cervical ROM could be measured reliably by different examiners for measurements in three planes. Measurements from neutral zero in six directions were unreliable when measured by different examiners.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Normal ranges of passive cervical motion for women and men 20-60 years old.

OBJECTIVE: To define normal ranges of passive cervical motion for 20-60-yr-olds. DESIGN: A survey of 90 asymptomatic white-collar workers. SETTING: A local government administrative headquarters. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety healthy volunteers, recruited through in-house advertisements among the employees at the Funen County Hall (Denmark). INTERVENTION: Measurement of range of motion using a strap-on head goniometer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Passive range of cervical motion from one extreme to the other in three planes: frontal, sagittal and horizontal. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found between the two genders; normal ranges for both women and men are therefore given. We also found that increasing age meant decreasing passive range of motion and that this decrease in motion was well described by a simple linear regression. As a result, normal passive range of motion was described as an interval of +/- 2 SD around the regression means for passive cervical motion in three planes (sagittal, frontal and horizontal) for men and for women in the age range of 20-60 yr. CONCLUSIONS: Normal ranges of passive cervical motion have been generated. The importance of following the appropriated measurement protocols when using such normal ranges is stressed.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The prevalence of cervicogenic headache in a random population sample of 20-59 year olds.

STUDY DESIGN: From a random population sample, those experiencing frequent headaches were identified. They were examined to determine how many fulfilled the 1990 International Headache Society classification criteria for cervicogenic headache. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of cervicogenic headache in the general population and in the group experiencing frequent headaches. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Only with the publication of the 1990 headache classification criteria did a generally accepted clinical definition of cervicogenic headache emerge. The prevalence of this form of headache has been estimated only in two highly selected in-clinic patient populations. No data exist regarding the prevalence in representative unselected populations. METHODS: A short questionnaire on headaches was mailed to 826 randomly selected residents of a midsized Danish town. A group of 57 individuals in the age range 20-59 years who reported having headache episodes on 5 or more days in the previous month were identified. Forty-five of the 57 were eventually interviewed and examined with respect to the IHS criteria for cervicogenic headache (the radiological criteria were omitted on ethical grounds). RESULTS: Of the 45 persons examined, eight fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for cervicogenic headache, equivalent to a prevalence in the headache group of 17.8% (95% confidence interval = 8%-32%). CONCLUSIONS: Cervicogenic headache appears to be a relatively common form of headache, similar to migraine in prevalence.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Measuring passive cervical motion: a study of reliability.

PURPOSE: To study the inter- and intraexaminer reliability of assessing passive cervical range of motion. DESIGN: Blind, repeated measures of passive cervical range of motion by two different examiners. SETTING: Ambulatory outpatient facility in an independent NHS funded chiropractic research institution. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen asymptomatic volunteers, 7 men and 7 women, aged 23-45 years. INTERVENTION: Measurement of passive cervical range of motion using a strap-on head goniometer by two blinded examiners. Each subject was measured three times with 20-min intervals between each measurement, using a mean-of-five-measurements protocol. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Passive cervical range of motion in 6 separate directions of movement from "neutral zero"--right and left lateral flexion, right and left rotation and flexion and extension. RESULTS: The inter- and intraexaminer reliability was evaluated using a paired t test and Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (supplemented by a scatterplot). Intraexaminer reliability was found to be acceptable (Pearson's r = 0.61-0.86), whereas interexaminer reliability was less than acceptable (Pearson's r = 0.29-0.66). CONCLUSION: Passive cervical range of motion could be measured reliably on different occasions by the same examiner but not by different examiners. It is unclear whether low interexaminer reliability in the present study was because of inherent methodological problems or because of insufficient training of examiners before the study.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Measuring cervical muscle tenderness: a study of reliability.

PURPOSE: To study the inter- and intraexaminer reliability of assessing palpatory cervical muscle tenderness using a Total Tenderness Score System. DESIGN: Blinded, repeated measures of cervical muscle Total Tenderness Score. SETTING: Primary contact ambulatory outpatient facility in a publicly (National Health Service) funded chiropractic research institution. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen asymptomatic volunteers, seven male and seven female, aged 23-45 yr. INTERVENTION: Palpatory assessment of cervical muscle tenderness by two blinded examiners, three times in all per subject. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total Tenderness Score (TTS), measured on a rank/ordinal scale. RESULTS: The inter- and intraexaminer reliability of TTS was evaluated using a Spearman rank correlation coefficient (r = .88 and r = .85, respectively), and using a Wilcoxon paired rank sum test (p = .85 and p = .07, respectively) and by visual inspection of a scatter-plot. CONCLUSION: The Total Tenderness Score system was deemed to possess acceptable reliability for use in the cervical muscles.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

A randomized controlled trial of the effect of spinal manipulation in the treatment of cervicogenic headache.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the isolated intervention of high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation in the cervical spine has any effect on cervicogenic headache. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial with a blind observer. SETTING: Ambulatory outpatient facility in an independent NHS-funded chiropractic research institution. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-nine subjects suffering from frequent headaches who fulfilled the IHS criteria for cervicogenic headache (excluding radiological criteria). These subjects were recruited from among some 400 headache sufferers who responded to newspaper advertisements. INTERVENTION: Half of the group received high-velocity, low-amplitude cervical manipulation twice/wk for 3 wk. The other half received low-level laser in the upper cervical region and deep friction massage (including trigger points) in the lower cervical/upper thoracic region, also twice/wk for 3 wk. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The change from week 2 to week 6 in analgesics use per day, headache intensity per episode and number of headache hr per day. RESULTS: Despite a significant reduction in the manipulation group on all three outcome measures, differences between the two treatment groups failed to reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The results suggest a possible effect of manipulation on cervicogenic headache, but because of methodological problems, such an effect could not be unequivocally demonstrated.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Estrogen induces suppression of natural killer cell cytotoxicity and augmentation of polyclonal B cell activation.

Estrogen displays potent immunoregulatory properties. In the present study we investigated the in vivo effect of estrogen on natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxic activity in several mouse strains. After castration, 17 beta-estradiol was administered in low or high doses. After 3-6 weeks of hormone administration an in vivo 51Cr-release assay with YAC-1 cells as target cells was performed. In all mouse strains, estradiol reduced NK cell cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. However, some mouse strains displayed a high (> 50%) degree of estrogen-mediated suppression of NK cells (C3H/N, DBA/1, and NZB/W mice), whereas others displayed low (< 30%) susceptibility (C57BL/6 and MRLlpr/lpr mice). We also quantitated the frequency of Ig-producing spleen cells in mice receiving 17 beta-estradiol subcutaneously and/or antibodies to NK cells (anti-asialo GM1) intraperitoneally. Here, administration of estrogen for 31 weeks but not for 4 weeks significantly increased the frequency of IgG and IgM-producing cells. Repeated injections of anti-asialo GM1 for 4 weeks raised the frequency of IgG producing cells several-fold. We hypothesize that estrogen-mediated suppression of NK cells downregulates the inhibitory signals from these cells on B cells thus resulting in increased frequency of Ig-producing cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Estrogen accelerates immune complex glomerulonephritis but ameliorates T cell-mediated vasculitis and sialadenitis in autoimmune MRL lpr/lpr mice.

Estrogen is known to influence immune responses in healthy subjects in a dichotomous fashion. Thus, in number of previous studies we and others have demonstrated that B cell activities are augmented after exposure to estrogen whereas T cell reactivity is suppressed. Furthermore, it has been shown that this hormone has significant impact on the course of certain human and experimental autoimmune diseases. In this study we report that treatment with physiological doses of estradiol exerts dichotomous effects on different manifestations of the lupus disease in MRL/l mice. On one hand immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis was significantly accelerated. This outcome was due to polyclonal B cell activation with increased production of antibodies to double-stranded DNA and formation of circulating immune complexes. In contrast, T cell-mediated lesions such as focal sialadenitis, renal vasculitis, and periarticular inflammation were all significantly ameliorated in MRL/l mice exposed to estrogen. Thus, we were able to demonstrate that, within one subject and even within one organ, administration of estrogen leads to differential outcome of SLE morbidity. We propose that the differential effect of estrogen on the manifestations of the autoimmune disease of MRL/l mice is due to its dichotomous effects on B and T cell-mediated immune responses.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Differential effects of oestrogen in murine lupus: acceleration of glomerulonephritis and amelioration of T cell-mediated lesions.

Oestrogen is known to accelerate glomerulonephritis and autoantibody production in human and murine systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this study we demonstrate that treatment of castrated autoimmune MRL +/+ mice with physiological doses of oestrogen results in enhanced immunoglobulin and autoantibody production as well as increased deposition of IgG in renal glomeruli. Accelerated development of glomerulonephritis was also evident from the increase of albuminuria. Interestingly, in contrast to these deteriorative effects of oestrogen on immune complex-mediated disease we now show that the lymphocytic infiltrations in the submandibular glands and perivascular lesions in the kidneys were significantly diminished after exposure to oestrogen. This remarkable impact of physiological oestrogen levels on the outcome of SLE in MRL +/+ mice is postulated to be the result of a differential effect on T and B cell-mediated immune responses.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Infantile colic treated by chiropractors: a prospective study of 316 cases.

A prospective, uncontrolled study of 316 infants suffering from infantile colic and selected according to well-defined criteria shows a satisfactory result of spinal manipulative therapy in 94% of the cases. The median age of the infants was 5.7 wk at the beginning of the treatment. The results were evaluated by analysis of a diary continuously kept by the mother and an assessment file comprised by interview. The study was carried out as a multicenter study lasting 3 months and involving 73 chiropractors in 50 clinics. The results occurred within 2 wk and after an average of three treatments.

Child Behavior↗
PubMed1987

The effect of fungal toxins on the sexual behaviour of rabbits.

Feeding rabbits with mycelium from Fusarium roseum is shown to produce infertility, the disappearance of aggressivity, and homosexual behaviour in males, while the effect of the females is only infertility. This mycelium contains the mycotoxin zearalenon which has effects similar to those of the female hormone. This fungus willingly grows on common crops and is consumed both by people and animals-although normally in very low doses. It cannot be ruled out that an increased growth of fungus, due to artificial fertilization, which then can be demonstrated to be found in food and consumed, can be a factor which increases the incidence of homosexual behavior in people.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The effect of nitrogen fertilization on forest blueberries.

In a randomized prospective trial with hens it is shown that artificially fertilized forest blueberries are toxic. In a high dose (1.7 1/hens) the birds died within 72 hours (p less than 0.01). In a lower dose (0.33 1/hens) all survived but a lifelong change in the egg production occurred implying defects of the shells (p less than 0.0000001). It seems that fertilizers change the microflora in the ground, which releases soluble aluminiumnitrate which is absorbed in the berries. Aluminium poisoning has been found to have clinical significance in dialysis patients and probably also in senile dementia. In smaller doses it can be difficult to establish this relation as the symptoms can have a latency period of more than 10 years.

Aluminum↗