Biomedical subjects

S Agostinelli

Publications and source records attributed to S Agostinelli.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

An object oriented fully 3D tomography visual toolkit.

In this paper we present a modern object oriented component object model (COMM) C + + toolkit dedicated to fully 3D cone-beam tomography. The toolkit allows the display and visual manipulation of analytical phantoms, projection sets and volumetric data through a standard Windows graphical user interface. Data input/output is performed using proprietary file formats but import/export of industry standard file formats, including raw binary, Windows bitmap and AVI, ACR/NEMA DICOMM 3 and NCSA HDF is available. At the time of writing built-in implemented data manipulators include a basic phantom ray-tracer and a Matrox Genesis frame grabbing facility. A COMM plug-in interface is provided for user-defined custom backprojector algorithms: a simple Feldkamp ActiveX control, including source code, is provided as an example; our fast Feldkamp plug-in is also available.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2001

Is acupuncture effective in treating chronic pain after spinal cord injury?

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture as a treatment for chronic pain and secondary symptoms after spinal cord injury (SCI) and to identify disease-specific variables associated with response to treatment. DESIGN: A within-subjects design consisting of a 7(1/2)-week no-acupuncture baseline period followed by a 7(1/2)-week treatment period and a follow-up assessment 3 months posttreatment. SETTING: Medical rehabilitation research center. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-two people with SCI who experienced moderate to severe pain of at least 6 months' duration. INTERVENTION: A course of 15 acupuncture treatments was administered over a 7(1/2)-week period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Numeric Rating Scale of pain intensity; ratings of interference with activity, individualized symptom rating, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale; Speilberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory, and General Well-Being Schedule. RESULTS: Ten patients (46%) showed improvement in pain intensity and pain sequelae after treatment. However, 6 patients (27%) reported an increase in pain that was still present 3 months after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: About 50% of the study sample reported substantial pain relief after acupuncture treatment, suggesting that acupuncture may provide pain relief for at least a subgroup of individuals with SCI. Future research is needed to determine what part of this effect is because of acupuncture versus nonspecific effects such as placebo effects and regression to the mean.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed2001

The use of complementary and alternative therapies for chronic pain following spinal cord injury: a pilot survey.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the patterns and reasons for the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as a treatment for chronic pain among individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI). METHODS: Telephone surveys were conducted in a sample of 77 people with SCI and chronic pain. RESULTS: Of those surveyed, 40.3% had used at least one CAM technique to manage chronic pain. The most common reason was dissatisfaction with conventional medicine. Acupuncture was the most frequently used modality, followed by massage, chiropractic manipulation, and herbal medicine. Acupuncture was rated lowest for satisfaction with pain relief, and massage was rated highest. Individuals not using conventional pain medication or who desired greater control over their health care practices tended to use more CAM techniques than others. Income, insurance coverage, and duration of pain were related to use of CAM. In general, CAM methods were effective for some and totally ineffective for others, indicating selective utility in this population. CONCLUSIONS: Despite this small opportunistic sample, the prevalence of CAM among individuals with SCI appears similar to that in the general population. A placebo-controlled trial is needed to evaluate the efficacy of various therapies in the SCI population. The fact that the most effective therapy, massage, was not frequently used suggests the need for more awareness of and research into this technique.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A prototype 3D CT extension for radiotherapy simulators.

In this paper we present a report on our custom 3D CT extension capable of producing fully 3D tomographic studies from conventional radiotherapy simulator cone-beam fluoro output. The extension consists of a common PC system on which a proprietary software toolkit provides the appropriate environment for reconstruction and acquisition of cone-beam data provided by commercial simulator fluoro video chains. The extension may compare favorably with CT options offered by simulator manufacturers: in particular, multi-slice single-scan reconstruction seems to be achievable while the current commercial solutions are based on single-slice single-scan. Radiotherapy applications include on-line treatment planning, patient treatment verification and registration.

Animals↗