Medical principles and practice : international journal of the Kuwait University, Health Science Centre
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According to the first publication in 1993 by Rauscher et al. [Nature 1993;365:611], the Mozart effect implies the enhancement of reasoning skills solving spatial problems in normal subjects after listening to Mozart's piano sonata K 448. A further evaluation of this effect has raised the question whether there is a link between music-generated emotions and a higher level of cognitive abilities by mere listening. Positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging have revealed that listening to pleasurable music activates cortical and subcortical cerebral areas where emotions are processed. ⋯ Furthermore, music may modulate the immune response, among other things, evidenced by increasing the activity of natural killer cells, lymphocytes and interferon-γ, which is an interesting feature as many diseases are related to a misbalanced immune system. Many of these clinical studies, however, suffer from methodological inadequacies. Nevertheless, at present, there is moderate but not altogether convincing evidence that listening to known and liked music helps to decrease the burden of a disease and enhances the immune system by modifying stress.
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Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multisystem disease causing severe chronic sinopulmonary disease and loss of pancreatic exocrine function, which affects approximately 70,000 individuals worldwide. New therapeutic developments over the last few decades have resulted in a significant increase in survival, with the median predicted survival now reaching the late thirties and more and more CF patients living well into adulthood. ⋯ Two of these challenges, i.e. chronic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus lung infection and patient adherence to very complicated and time-consuming therapeutic regimens, are reviewed in detail here. In addition, the ultimate challenge of treating the underlying cause of CF by correcting the dysfunction of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator chloride channel is reviewed, as agents to correct channel function will likely significantly alter CF clinical outcomes and treatment approaches in the next decade.
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Cardiac arrest victims who present with pulseless electrical activity (PEA) usually have a grave prognosis. Several conditions, however, have cause-specific treatments which, if applied immediately, can lead to quick and sustained recovery. ⋯ This review proposes a structured algorithm that is based on the differentiation of the PEA rhythm into narrow- or wide-complex subcategories, which simplifies the working differential and initial treatment approach. This, in conjunction with bedside ultrasound, can quickly point towards the most likely cause of PEA and thus guide resuscitation.
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Maintaining cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) levels within healthy limits is critical for decreasing the risk of heart disease. Dyslipidemia refers to the abnormal levels of lipids in the blood, including low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), also known as good cholesterol, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), also known as bad cholesterol, and/or high TG levels that contribute to the development and progression of atherosclerosis. In this article we reviewed some of the current therapeutic targets for the treatment of dyslipidemia, with a primary focus on endothelial lipase and lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase for raising HDL-C, and the proprotein convertase subtilisin-like kexin type 9 (PCSK9), microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, and the messenger RNA of apolipoprotein B for lowering LDL-C. ⋯ These are its mutated dimer (apoAI-Milano), a complex with phospholipids, and a mimetic peptide. Atherosclerosis, mainly because of dyslipidemia, is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease. Regarding the title of this article, the 'good' refers to HDL-C, the 'bad' refers to LDL-C, and the 'ugly' refers to atherosclerosis.