Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Superiority of 3-dimensional stereotactic surface projection analysis over visual inspection in discrimination of patients with very early Alzheimer's disease from controls using brain perfusion SPECT.
In Alzheimer's disease (AD), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the posterior cingulate gyri and precunei has been reported to decrease even at a very early stage. It may be helpful to use statistical image analysis to distinguish slight decreases in rCBF in this area. We compared a 3-dimensional stereotactic surface projection (3D-SSP) technique with visual inspection in the discrimination of patients with very early AD from age-matched controls using brain perfusion SPECT. ⋯ The ability of 3D-SSP to discriminate patients with very early AD from control subjects is superior to that of visual inspection. It is clinically useful and reliable to adopt the use of 3D-SSP as an adjunct to visual interpretation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Addition of valsartan to an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor improves cardiac sympathetic nerve activity and left ventricular function in patients with congestive heart failure.
We determined whether the addition of the angiotensin-receptor blocker valsartan to an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor improves cardiac sympathetic nerve activity and left ventricular function in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). ⋯ The addition of valsartan to an ACE inhibitor improves cardiac sympathetic nerve activity, left ventricular function, and symptoms in patients with CHF.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effects of low-dose cisplatin on 89Sr therapy for painful bone metastases from prostate cancer: a randomized clinical trial.
This study evaluated the effects of low-dose cisplatin plus 89Sr versus 89Sr alone in the treatment of painful bone metastases from prostate cancer, addressing both pain palliation and cytostatic effects. ⋯ The addition of a low dose of cisplatin enhances the effect of a standard dose of 89Sr without significant side effects, producing a significant improvement in pain palliation and a cytostatic effect on bone disease.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Longer occupancy of opioid receptors by nalmefene compared to naloxone as measured in vivo by a dual-detector system.
Surgical procedures usually involve the administration of narcotic drugs as anesthetics or adjuvants. To reverse the effects of anesthesia, opioid antagonists such as naloxone are commonly used. Due to its short lasting effects, patients receiving naloxone must be monitored carefully. Nalmefene, a pure opiate antagonist with a longer duration of action than naloxone, has shown promise in the reversal of opioid anesthesia. ⋯ These findings suggest that the prolonged effects of nalmefene are related to the slow dissociation of nalmefene from opioid receptors, which are not reflected in the plasma curve. This longer blockade of opioid receptors by nalmefene represents an advantage in the clinical management of postsurgical reversal of narcotic anesthesia and opioid side effects as well as the reversal of opioid overdose.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Opioid and opioid-like drug effects on whole-gut transit measured by scintigraphy.
We studied the effects of several drugs on gastrointestinal transit (tramadol HCl, acetaminophen with codeine and placebo) in a randomized, double-blind, crossover study. ⋯ Tramadol and APAP/C had no effect on gastric emptying or small bowel transit. At equianalgesic doses, tramadol caused less delay in colonic transit than APAP/C for 48 hr and delay in the GC agreed with the subjective complaints of constipation on both drugs.