Adherence to CPAP therapy improves quality of life and reduces symptoms among obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to asses quality of life and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients after adhering to 6 months of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment.

Methods: A group of 50 patients (41 men and 9 women) were diagnosed by polysomnography and treated with CPAP therapy for 6 months. Their symptoms and health-related quality of life were assessed by administering a validated and translated version of the sleep apnea quality of life index (SAQLI).

Use of chloral hydrate as a sedative for auditory brainstem response testing in a pediatric population.

Objective: Chloral hydrate (CH) is an oral sedative widely used to sedate infants and young children during auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing. The aim of this study was to record effectiveness, complications and safety of CH as a sedative for ABR.

Methods: From January of 2003 until December of 2007, 1903 children were tested for ABR, 568 of them being under the age of 6 months.

Estimation of body composition in competitive swimmers by means of three different techniques.

Up to now controversial reports have been published in regard to the beneficial effects of swimming, a non-weight-bearing activity, on bone mass (BM). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of competitive swimming practice on the bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) as well as on the different factors of body composition. For this purpose, competitive swimmers (16 males and 16 females) were selected as subjects in order to investigate the influence of swimming on the three main factors of body composition (BMC, lean body mass [LBM] and body fat [BF]) of the human body.

Maximal lactate values following competitive performance varying according to age, sex and swimming style.

Peak blood lactate concentration for a given individual in a given event could be considered as indicator of exercise effort, especially if the race is fast as it occurs following competitive swimming events. The present study attempts to describe the postcompetition lactate profile across all the swimming distances and strokes according to the age and sex of the swimmer. Blood samples (100 micro lambda) were taken from an arterialized fingertip of a total of 337 swimmers (171 males and 166 females) at the end of 3rd and 6th minutes of competition over 50 to 1500 meter distances and for the following 3 age group divisions: AGE1 = > 18 years of age, AGE2 = 16-17 years of age and AGE3 = 14-15 years of age.

Somatometric variables for preadolescent swimmers.

The present study comprises one facet of a research program focused on describing and seeking implications of different physiques among preadolescent swimmers specialized in different swimming events. The subjects were 231 swimmers of both sexes aged 12 and 13 years. On each subject data were collected for 13 measures of body size, 4 indices of body form and measures of body composition.