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Un homme de 66 ans est venu consulter au service des urgences parce qu'il presentait un malaise generalise, des nausees, une douleur thoracique et des etourdissements depuis la veille. A [...]

A 66-year-old man presented to the emergency department with a 1-day history of generalized malaise, nausea, abdominal pain and dizziness. On presentation the patient's body temperature was 36.5[degrees]C, blood pressure [...]

We investigated the effect of air-splint pressure on soleus muscle motoneuron reflex excitability in 18 nondisabled subjects with no history of neurological disease and 8 subjects with cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs). Motoneuron reflex excitability was assessed by measuring the percentage of amplitude (peak-to-peak measurement) change in the Hoffman reflex (H-reflex). Pressure was applied for 5 minutes, after which the air-splint was deflated. Ten H-reflexes were recorded and averaged for each subject before pressure application to obtain a baseline value. H-reflexes were also recorded at set intervals during and after pressure application. Two-way analyses of variance for repeated measures were used to compare each group's pressure and postpressure measurements with the baseline value Significant F tests were followed by post hoc t tests Analyses of variance were used to compare the nondisabled subjects' II-reflex recordings with those obtained for the subjects with CVAs the nondisabled subjects demonstrated reductions of 55% at 1 minute, 52% at 3 minutes, and 40% at the fifth minute of pressure application. The postpressure measurements showed increases in the reflex amplitude at 1 and 3 minutes postpressure; however, by the fifth minute, the amplitude was not different from the baseline value. The subjects with CVAs demonstrated reductions of 41% at 1 minute, 48% at 3 minutes, and 52% at 5 minutes of pressure application. None of the postpressure measurements, however, were statistically different from the baseline value A statistically significant difference was demonstrated between the nondisabled subjects and the subjects with CVAs at the first minute of pressure release. Air-splint pressure may be useful when a temporary decrease in muscle reflex activity is a therapeutic goal. [Robicbaud JA Agostinucci J Vander Linden DW Effect of air-splint application on soleus muscle motoneuron reflex excitability in nondisabled subjects and subjects with cerebrovascular accidents. Phys Ther 1992,-72.-176--185.], Key Words: Alpha motoneuron reflex excitability, Cerebrovascular accident, H-reflex, Physical therapy, Pressure, Rehabilitation. Increased motoneuron excitability has been postulated to be a contributing factor in causing spasticity defined as a [...]

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in the April 30, 2007 issue, including "For a Moment, We Are All the Hokie Nation," "Reading the Abortion Ruling," and "Anti-Britney: The New Look."

This paper reviews the therapeutically beneficial effects of progressive resistance exercise (PRE) on Parkinson's disease (PD). First, this paper discusses the rationale for PRE in PD. Within the first section, the review discusses the central mechanisms that underlie bradykinesia and muscle weakness, highlights findings related to the central changes that accompany PRE in healthy individuals, and extends these findings to individuals with PD. It then illustrates the hypothesized positive effects of PRE on nigro-striatal-thalamo-cortical activation and connectivity. Second, it reviews recent findings of the use of PRE in individuals with PD. Finally, knowledge gaps of using PRE on individuals with PD are discussed along with suggestions for future research.