The psychosocial impact of diabetes in adolescents: a review.

Type 1 Diabetes mellitus is known to have a major psychological impact on adolescents. Different types of therapies have been developed to support the patient as well as their families to deal with this impact. These include Behavioral Family Systems Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Patient experiences of bladder problems following stroke.

Aim: To elicit the experiences of patients with bladder problems following stroke in one dedicated stroke unit and to share these findings with the multidisciplinary stroke team.

Method: A structured questionnaire was completed by 40 inpatients who had an identified bladder problem, had had a stroke more than two weeks previously and were able to give informed consent. Following analysis of the results, a focus group discussion was held with the multidisciplinary stroke team.

Interobserver agreement in magnetic resonance brain and neck imaging.

Aim: To investigate the interobserver reliability of brain and neck magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in older community subjects previously recruited to a case-control study of dizziness.

Methods: Subjects aged over 65 years were identified through a local survey and advertising. Several investigations were performed, including MRI of the head and neck using a Siemens 1.

Magnetic resonance brain imaging in people with dizziness: a comparison with non-dizzy people.

Background: Dizziness is a common symptom affecting about 30% of people over the age of 65.

Objective: To investigate the hypothesis that structural abnormalities of the brain and cervical cord are more common in dizzy than in non-dizzy subjects.

Methods: A case-control study of subjects over the age of 65 with and without dizziness: 125 dizzy subjects and 86 non-dizzy subjects were recruited from the community through articles in the local press.

Nutrition and diet in the clinical management of multiple sclerosis.

For many years, medical interest in the relationship between nutrition and multiple sclerosis (MS) has focused largely on aetiology and the influence of dietary fat on the rate and severity of disease. While the cause of MS remains unknown and the influence of dietary fat is unclear, recent studies on antioxidant intake and oxidative stress in MS are strengthening the rationale in support of a healthy eating regime following diagnosis. Dietary intake in MS and the influence of advanced disease on nutritional status are less well researched and documented.

Atrial fibrillation in general practice: how useful is echocardiography in selection of suitable patients for anticoagulation?

All patients identified from records in two practices in West Lothian (n = 103) as having atrial fibrillation (AF) were offered a clinical examination, electrocardiogram (ECG), and echocardiography. Sixty-five patients attended the examinations. Of these, 26 (40%) were found to be in sinus rhythm.