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A conceptual model of Type A behaviour pattern (TABP) is presented which frames the pattern in terms of current cognitive-behavioural psychology and in the wider context of the psychosocial risk factors or CHD. Type A behaviours arc considered as stemming from Type A appraisals, elicited in specific situations in individuals with enhanced emotional reactivity who hold a system of beliefs identifiable as Type A. A study was performed in order to assess the possible associations of personality dimensions such as extraversion and neuroticism to TABP and identify specific dysfunctional beliefs associated with TABP. The Bortner Rating Scale (BRS) was administered as a measure of TABP. together with the Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI) for measuring extraversion and neuroticism and a shortened version of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), in a random subsample of a male while-collar population screened in the worksite for cardiovascular risk factors (N = 200). BRS scores showed a high direct correlation with DAS total scores (r = 0.64), a significant one with neuroticism (r = 0.29) and a weaker one with extraversion (r = 0.15). DAS was factor analysed and a solution found identifying eight factors. Two of them were correlated with TABP. namely ‘support-reliance’, directly correlated, and ‘self-confidence’, inversely. At a robust stepwise multiple regression analysis, using the above psychometric measures as independent variables and BRS scores as dependent variable, a model was found accounting for 35 per cent of variance or TABP distribution. The findings give partial support to the model proposed. The identified dysfunctional beliefs involved a higher sense of dependency of Type A individuals. A prospective study is under way to assess the possible predictive power of these cognitive factors. If confirmed, the model could partially account for inconsistencies of empirical findings in TABP studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A patient with Prinzmetal's variant angina (PVA) who developed an inferolateral myocardial infarction with right-ventricle involvement was studied using sequential radionuclide imaging until 5 months after the acute event. The patient also underwent-contrast ventriculography and coronary-artery angiography. Equilibrium-gated radionuclide angiography (EGRA) revealed the localization of ventricular dysfunction, the results obtained being in agreement with haemodynamic data. We emphasize the usefulness of the parameters obtained using EGRA (regional wall motion, systolic and diastolic parameters) in planning therapy and follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two methods for the analysis of left ventricle time-activity curve (TAC) of equilibrium gated ventriculography were compared in three groups of subjects [8 controls, 13 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), 11 patients with myocardial infarction (MI). The first method was based on third-degree polynomial fitting, the second on Fourier analysis. The following parameters were calculated: peak ejection rate (PER), peak filling rate (PFR), time to PER and PFR, and filling fraction at the first third of diastole. A preliminary study of changing values of PER and PFR and of the mean error with increasing number of harmonics summed in order to obtain the best fitting of TAC demonstrated that beyond the sum of the first four harmonics there was no further significant improvement. The advantages of Fourier analysis are as follows: All of the 13 CAD patients had abnormal PFR on Fourier analysis, only 9 on polynomial analysis. At rest, 9 of the CAD patients had wall motion abnormalities, while only two had an abnormal ejection fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied 33 patients (28 males, 5 females) with first inferior acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 12 normal volunteers. They underwent first-pass (FP) and equilibrium-gated radionuclide angiography (EGRA) within 4 days of the onset of symptoms. The parameters [ejection fraction (EF), peak ejection rate (PER), peak filling rate (PFR)] of the time-activity curve (TAC) of both ventricles [left ventricle (LV), right ventricle (RV)] were computed. The regional wall motion (RWM) was evaluated by parametric images (amplitude and phase). In 43% of the patients with AMI, we found a depressed RVEF, while the LVEF was decreased in only 33%. The sensitivity of diastolic parameters was shown to be clearly superior to that of the systolic parameters (RVPFR, 78%; LVPFR, 79%). The abnormalities of the overall performance of both ventricles were significantly correlated with those of the RWM. The abnormal RVEF allwed us to assess the necrotic involvement of the RV, while a depressed RVPFR suggested an impaired RV compliance mostly on an ischemic basis. Congestive heart failure (CHF) and shock syndrome were significantly correlated with depressed RV parameters, while the LVEF, despite RWM abnormalities, was in the normal range. EGRA with computation of the TAC parameters of both ventricles appeared to be useful for in-hospital prognostic evaluation, therapeutic planning and clinical follow-up of patients with inferior myocardial infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical usefulness of phase and amplitude images and of the left ventricle time-activity curve (LVTAC) obtained by equilibrium gated radionuclide ventriculography (EGRV) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Fifty-six patients were studied within 4 days of the onset of AMI by EGRV; of these 49 also underwent first-pass (FP) angiocardiography, for comparison with EGRV, and 21 underwent repeated EGRV 3 months after AMI. Phase and amplitude images were obtained by Fourier analysis. LVTAC analysis was performed by a third degree polynomial fitting to determine peak ejection rate (PER) and peak filling rate (PFR). A substantial equivalence of EGRV and FP methods was demonstrated, as regards left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF), while a sharp superiority of EGRV with Fourier analysis was shown with regard to the sensitivity of RWM abnormality detection. With only one exception all the cases showed RWM abnormalities, while LVEF was normal in 21 of 27 patients with less than three affected segments. The most sensitive global function index was the LVPFR. In the acute phase regional dyskinesis was observed in 14 of 56 patients. About 40% of our cases showed an improvement of the kinetic abnormalities 3 months after AMI. The highest rate of improvement was observed in the group with ECG patterns of limited infarction and with normal LVEF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for comparative measurement of hepatic clearance of different hepatobiliary agents is described and the clinical use of diethyl-IDA and parabutyl-IDA is discussed. The study was performed with both radiopharmaceuticals in 13 patients with hepatobiliary disease with serum bilirubin ranging from 0.3 to 16.4 mg/100 ml. Diethyl-IDA is preferable for a qualitative evaluation of hepatobiliary disease, because of its higher hepatic clearance and faster biliary excretion rate. Parabutyl-IDA is superior for measuring the hepatocytic uptake function, due to the low urinary excretion and the absence of an apparent re-entry from liver to plasma, even in patients with obstructive jaundice. In contrast, an appreciable re-entry can be demonstrated for diethyl-IDA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case of left atrial myxoma shown on an equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography is presented. A peculiar abnormality of the Fourier phase image appears more reliable than the other findings previously revealed by first-pass or equilibrium studies. The findings were perfectly consistent with the gross anatomy of the tumour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]