Medical hypotheses
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The comorbidity of eating disorders and reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome in the same patients raises the possibility of a common pathway for both conditions. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome may be manifesting itself in those individuals who have sympathetic overdrive. Microtrauma, often induced by compulsive exercise, and depression may be contributory factors. It is recommended that: patients with eating disorders who develop pain in an extremity should be investigated for possible reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome; patients with reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome should be discouraged from dieting, and eating disorders should be suspected if they begin to lose weight or are already malnourished.
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The spinal cord is a crucial site wherein anesthetics suppress movement in response to noxious stimuli. The balance of excitatory and inhibitory influences on the spinal cord likely determines the extent of motor response, and is thus important to anesthetic requirements. ⋯ These results are best explained by a differential effect of anesthetics on spinal cord neurons and cerebral neurons (midbrain reticular formation). Examination of neurons in the dorsal horn and midbrain reticular formation, and the electromyogram, during differential delivery of isoflurane to brain and spinal cord, will test this hypothesis.
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Alzheimer disease, Pick disease and senile dementia are all characterized by similar morphological changes, both macroscopic and microscopic, and similar psychiatric symptoms. All three should, therefore, be viewed as aspects of one disease, which is termed Alzheimer-type dementia. ⋯ There might be two main means of preventing Alzheimer-type dementia: the first could be named the serological (basic) and the second relying on pharmacotherapy (additional). Pharmacological prevention of disease might be aided by the use of parasympathomimetic drugs, e.g. pilocarpine.
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The general deterioration of the arterial system is well recognized but not easily measured. Leg pulse waves, generated by the electric impedance plethysmograph, would seem to be a promising method. This study is a mathematical analysis of these pulse waves from the legs. ⋯ The two methods used, one involving mathematical calculations and one involving graphic measurements, showed that a number can be put on the pulse wave. The higher the number, theoretically the better the circulation. Then if a treatment scheme can substantially raise the patient's pulse wave number, it might be expected to increase the longevity of their circulatory system.
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Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a rare myopathy inducing severe accident when carriers are exposed to triggering agents. MH susceptibility (MHS) is assessed by pharmacological tests performed on muscle strips. ⋯ It has been observed that numerous EHS patients are susceptible to MH according to pharmacological tests. Because most of those EHS-MHS subjects were soldiers, we hypothesize that military duty could select subjects with infraclinical myopathy and therefore would increase the MHS:EHS subject ratio.