Preparation, characterization, and scale-up of ketoconazole with enhanced dissolution and bioavailability.

Many new molecular entities targeted for pharmaceutical applications face serious development challenges because of poor water solubility. Although particle engineering technologies such as controlled precipitation have been shown to enhance aqueous dissolution and bioavailability of poorly water soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients, the data available are the results of laboratory-scale experiments. These technologies must be evaluated at larger scale to ensure that the property enhancement is scalable and that the modified drugs can be processed on conventional equipment.

Novel ultra-rapid freezing particle engineering process for enhancement of dissolution rates of poorly water-soluble drugs.

An ultra-rapid freezing (URF) technology has been developed to produce high surface area powders composed of solid solutions of an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and a polymer stabilizer. A solution of API and polymer excipient(s) is spread on a cold solid surface to form a thin film that freezes in 50 ms to 1s. This study provides an understanding of how the solvent's physical properties and the thin film geometry influence the freezing rate and consequently the final physico-chemical properties of URF-processed powders.

Perception and production of facial and prosodic emotions by chronic CVA patients.

Variable etiology, limited testing of emotions and inclusion of patients in acute and chronic phases have made it difficult to specify the extent of right hemisphere involvement in the processing of emotional material. In addition, there is an absence of data concerning CVA patients' long-term abilities to process emotional information. Two groups of subjects with unilateral brain damage (15 RBD, 17 LBD), matched for chronicity (minimum 12 months post-CVA), etiology (ischemic CVA), duration of hospitalization and other variables, and an appropriate control group participated in two experiments to address these concerns.

Abstract thinking following severe traumatic brain injury.

Abstract abilities were studied in a sample of 34 individuals with severe TBI and a control group. The results indicate that TBI interferes with performance on tests requiring individuals to process information into new categories. There appears to be a dissociation between verbal abstract abilities and visual-perceptual abstract abilities.

Some guidelines for family therapists working with the traumatically brain injured and their families.

A summary is presented of the major sequelae of traumatic brain injury and of the effects of these on the individual and the family. A series of guidelines is offered for use by family therapists when working with this population. The therapists must be directive, informed and informing.

Rehabilitation following severe head trauma: results of a three-year program.

Rehabilitation of the adult with severe head-injury is of great interest in the clinical community. However, a dearth of data in the literature makes it difficult to evaluate existing rehabilitation programs. This paper provides a cross-cultural validation of one of the most widely cited rehabilitation programs, Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University.