Recovery of facial expressions using functional electrical stimulation after full-face transplantation.

Background: We assessed the recovery of 2 face transplantation patients with measures of complexity during neuromuscular rehabilitation. Cognitive rehabilitation methods and functional electrical stimulation were used to improve facial emotional expressions of full-face transplantation patients for 5 months. Rehabilitation and analyses were conducted at approximately 3 years after full facial transplantation in the patient group.

Image-based Analysis of Emotional Facial Expressions in Full Face Transplants.

In this study, it is aimed to determine the degree of the development in emotional expression of full face transplant patients from photographs. Hence, a rehabilitation process can be planned according to the determination of degrees as a later work. As envisaged, in full face transplant cases, the determination of expressions can be confused or cannot be achieved as the healthy control group.

Assessment of Emotional Expressions after Full-Face Transplantation.

We assessed clinical features as well as sensory and motor recoveries in 3 full-face transplantation patients. A frequency analysis was performed on facial surface electromyography data collected during 6 basic emotional expressions and 4 primary facial movements. Motor progress was assessed using the wavelet packet method by comparison against the mean results obtained from 10 healthy subjects.

Factors related to silent myocardial damage in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Both traditional and non-traditional risk factors play a role for the development of cardiovascular disease in hemodialysis patients. However, a specific relationship between these risk factors and silent myocardial damage is unknown.

Methods: Demographic, anthropometric, clinical, and laboratory data were collected.

Early assessment of renal resistance index and long-term renal function in renal transplant recipients.

Background: The effect of the intrarenal arterial resistance index (RI) on long-term renal functions is not well known. We examined the predictive value of intrarenal RI on long-term allograft outcomes.

Methods: We retrospectively investigated 121 stable renal transplant recipients, followed for a mean of 63.

Low total plasma homocysteine level in relation to malnutrition, inflammation, and outcome in hemodialysis patients.

Objective: We examined the association between nutritional status and total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) level, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Design: This prospective study consisted of 124 HD patients. A number of baseline parameters were measured, including tHcy level and laboratory markers of nutrition and inflammation.

Nutritional status and depression, sleep disorder, and quality of life in hemodialysis patients.

Objective: The malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS) is a scoring system that measures malnutrition and inflammation. We sought to explore its associations with depression, sleep disturbance, and quality of life.

Design: This was a cross-sectional study.

Effect of protein-energy malnutrition on erythropoietin requirement in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Possible interactions between inflammatory and nutritional markers and their impact on recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) hyporesponsiveness are not well understood. We investigated the role of nutritional status in rHuEPO requirement in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients without evidence of inflammation. This cross-sectional study included 88 MHD patients.

Acute renal failure in intensive care unit: which factors predict future dialysis dependency?

Management of acute renal failure (ARF) in an intensive care unit (ICU) is difficult. The aim of this study was to identify prognostic factors determining ARF outcome in the ICU in terms of dialysis dependency or independency. We included 35 patients who turned out to be dialysis dependent (DD) and 11 patients who turned out to be dialysis independent (DI) after ARF in the ICU, which necessitated renal replacement therapy.

Clinical outcome after transfer from peritoneal dialysis to hemodialysis.

Guidelines for the clinical care and management of intra-abdominal complications in patients transferred from peritoneal dialysis (PD) to hemodialysis (HD) are not well established. In this study, we analyzed the indications for transfer, presence of abdominal complications, and clinical outcome on HD of 26 patients who were followed up between 1996 and 2004. Laboratory and radiology data for the patients (computerized tomographic and ultrasonographic examinations performed during the transfer and annually thereafter) were collected retrospectively.

Ewing sarcoma in a geriatric patient.

Ewing Sarcoma has been the second most common primary osseous malignancy in childhood and adolescence. It has been described as a highly aggressive neoplasm. This is the oldest case report in the literature with Ewing Sarcoma.