Smell and taste in idiopathic blepharospasm.

The pathophysiology of blepharospasm is incompletely understood. Current concepts suggest that blepharospasm is a network disorder, involving basal ganglia, thalamus, cortex, and, possibly, the cerebellum. Tracing, imaging, and clinical studies revealed that these structures are also concerned with olfaction and taste.

Olfaction as a Marker for Dystonia: Background, Current State and Directions.

Dystonia is a heterogeneous group of hyperkinetic movement disorders. The unifying descriptor of dystonia is the motor manifestation, characterized by continuous or intermittent contractions of muscles that cause abnormal movements and postures. Additionally, there are psychiatric, cognitive, and sensory alterations that are possible or putative non-motor manifestations of dystonia.

Al-doped FeO as a support for molybdenum oxide methanol oxidation catalysts.

We have made high surface area catalysts for the selective oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde. This is done in two ways - (i) by doping haematite with Al ions, to increase the surface area of the material, but which itself is unselective and (ii) by surface coating with Mo which induces high selectivity. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of methanol shows little difference in surface chemistry of the doped haematite from the undoped material, with the main products being CO and CO, but shifted to somewhat higher desorption temperature.

Smell and taste in cervical dystonia.

The pathophysiology of cervical dystonia is not completely understood. Current concepts of the pathophysiology propose that it is a network disorder involving the basal ganglia, cerebellum and sensorimotor cortex. These structures are primarily concerned with sensorimotor control but are also involved in non-motor functioning such as the processing of information related to the chemical senses.

Is there still a role of macular laser treatment in branch retinal vein occlusion in the era of intravitreal injections?

We aimed to evaluate whether macular laser still has a role in the treatment of macular oedema (MO) caused by branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and provide an overview of recent studies on commonly available treatment options. A literature search was last conducted in PubMed on 26 February 2019, limited to human randomized controlled trials published in English since 2008. Seventeen articles addressing 13 trials were included in this assessment.

Loevinger on Unidimensional Tests with Reference to Guttman, Rasch, and Wright.

Loevinger's specifications for a unidimensional test are discussed. The implications are reviewed using commentary from Guttman's and Rasch's specification for specific objectivity. A large population is sampled to evaluate the implications of this approach in light of Wright's early presentation regarding data analysis.

Effectiveness of botulinum neurotoxin type A injections in naïve and previously-treated patients suffering from Torti- or Laterocollis or -caput: Results from a German-Austrian open-label prospective post-marketing surveillance study.

AbobotulinumtoxinA (aboBoNT-A; Dysport®) is an effective treatment for cervical dystonia (CD) with a well-established safety profile. In this prospective, multicentre, non-interventional study (NCT01840462) the primary objective was effectiveness (Tsui score) of aboBoNT-A in botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) treatment-naïve and previously-treated (>2 yrs) patients after two injection cycles (at visit 3). Secondary objectives included the effectiveness of aboBoNT-A overall visits and quality of life (CDQ-24) in different CD subtypes.

Measurement of patient-reported outcomes. 1: The search for the Holy Grail.

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are used to collect information directly from patients. They may cover several different types of outcomes ranging from symptoms, functioning, utility, satisfaction, through to quality-of-life (QoL). They generally consist of self-completed questionnaires that can be administered by means of hard copies or in a range of electronic formats.

[Prophylaxis of recurring low-flow priapism : Experimental botulinum neurotoxin injection into the ischiocavernosus muscle].

The treatment of recurring low-flow priapism with the usual medications is still unsatisfactory. The case of an otherwise healthy young man experiencing low-flow priapism at the age of 31 is presented. A reason for his condition could not be identified.

Theory-based metrological traceability in education: A reading measurement network.

Huge resources are invested in metrology and standards in the natural sciences, engineering, and across a wide range of commercial technologies. Significant positive returns of human, social, environmental, and economic value on these investments have been sustained for decades. Proven methods for calibrating test and survey instruments in linear units are readily available, as are data- and theory-based methods for equating those instruments to a shared unit.

Toward a theory relating text complexity, reader ability, and reading comprehension.

Validity of specification equations used by auto-text processors to estimate theoretical text complexity have increased importance because of the Common Core State Standards. Theoretical estimates of text complexity will inform (a) setting standards for college and career readiness, (b) grade-level standards, matching readers to text, and (d) creating a daily diet of stretch and targeted text designed to grow reading ability and content knowledge. The purpose of this research was to investigate the specification equation used in the Lexile Framework for Reading to measure text complexity.

Comparison is key.

Several concepts from Georg Rasch's last papers are discussed. The key one is comparison because Rasch considered the method of comparison fundamental to science. From the role of comparison stems scientific inference made operational by a properly developed frame of reference producing specific objectivity.

Spasticity treatment with onabotulinumtoxin A: data from a prospective German real-life patient registry.

This study aimed at providing real-life baseline, injection and outcome data for the treatment of various forms of spasticity with onabotulinumtoxin A in Germany. Prospective data were collected in an open multicenter patient registry from 2005 until 2010, encompassing the experience of ten specialized German centers in the treatment of spasticity using onabotulinumtoxin A in 508 patients with a total of 2005 treatment sessions. Disease entities comprised spasticity following stroke (both ischemic and hemorrhagic), traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and anoxia.

Causal Rasch models.

Rasch's unidimensional models for measurement show how to connect object measures (e.g., reader abilities), measurement mechanisms (e.

Rating scales for cervical dystonia: a critical evaluation of tools for outcome assessment of botulinum toxin therapy.

Botulinum neurotoxin is the therapy of choice for all forms of cervical dystonia (CD), but treatment regimens still vary considerably. The interpretation of treatment outcome is mainly based on the clinical experience and on the scientific value of the rating scales applied. The aim of this review is to describe the historical development of rating scales for the assessment of CD and to provide an appraisal of their advantages and drawbacks.

[Cervical dystonia: clinical-radiological correlations and recommendations for the correction of botulinum therapy].

Seventy-eight patients with confirmed primary cervical dystonia CD were studied. All patients underwent CT of the soft tissues of the neck using slices at cervical vertebrae and MRI images of the cervical spine and of soft tissues. MRI images of 50 patients who did not have CD were used for comparison.

A botulinum toxin A treatment algorithm for de novo management of torticollis and laterocollis.

Objectives: Few studies have investigated the injection patterns for botulinum toxin type A for the treatment of heterogeneous forms of cervical dystonia (CD). This large, prospective, open-label, multicentre study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of 500 U botulinum toxin A for the initial treatment according to a standardised algorithm of the two most frequent forms of CD, predominantly torticollis and laterocollis.

Design: Patients (aged ≥ 18 years) with CD not previously treated with botulinum neurotoxin therapy were given one treatment with 500 U Dysport, according to a defined intramuscular injection algorithm based on clinical assessment of direction of head deviation, occurrence of shoulder elevation, occurrence of tremor (all evaluated using the Tsui rating scale) and hypertrophy of the sternocleidomastoid muscle.

[Botulinum toxin in the treatment of adult spasticity. An interdisciplinary German 10-point consensus 2010].

Spasticity is one of the major causes of functional impairment in adults with lesions of the central nervous system. For instance, approximately 30% of post-stroke patients suffer from different degrees of spasticity with possible consecutive impairments. Numerous studies or meta-analyses showed that local injections of botulinum toxin in spastic muscles lead to dose-dependent reduction in muscle tone and improvement of passive movements (e.

Generally objective measurement of human temperature and reading ability: some corollaries.

We argue that a goal of measurement is general objectivity: point estimates of a person's measure (height, temperature, and reader ability) should be independent of the instrument and independent of the sample in which the person happens to find herself. In contrast, Rasch's concept of specific objectivity requires only differences (i.e.

Rasch-derived latent trait measurement of outcomes: insightful use leads to precision case management and evidence-based practices in functional healthcare.

The use of Rasch-derived latent trait measurement of outcomes for persons with chronic disease and disablement evolved from other fields, particularly education. Person-metrics is the measurement of how much chronic disease and disablement affects an individual's daily activities physically, cognitively, and through vocational and social role participation. The ability of the Rasch model to assume that the probability of a given person/item interaction is governed by the difficulty of the item and the ability of the person is invaluable to disability measurement.

From model to measurement with dichotomous items.

Psychometric models typically represent encounters between persons and dichotomous items as a random variable with two possible outcomes, one of which can be labeled success. For a given item, the stipulation that each person has a probability of success defines a construct on persons. This model specification defines the construct, but measurement is not yet achieved.

Current clinical applications of botulinum toxin.

Botulinum toxin has long been known for its paralytic effects on the human voluntary musculature via inhibition of acetylcholine release at neuromuscular junctions. Its original clinical use for the treatment of strabismus has expanded significantly to include neurological conditions related to muscle hyperactivity and/or spasticity (e.g.