Effectiveness of three treatment strategies on occupational limitations and quality of life for patients with non-specific chronic low back pain: Is a multidisciplinary approach the key feature to success: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a significant public health problem, being the primary cause of work absenteeism, as well as affecting sufferers’ quality of life, in industrialized society. International guidelines recommend intensive multidisciplinary approaches for patients with cLBP. However, these costly and time-consuming programs can only be offered to a minority of the most heavily affected patients and therefore do not seem likely to respond to public health requirements. Lighter programs may be an alternative to full time hospital-based programs with valuable results in terms of disability and occupational activity for cLBP patients. It is therefore important to define both what the determining components of management to improve activity restriction are and how to treat a larger number of patients more effectively at a lower cost. The aim of this study is to compare three programs with various levels of intensity and multidisciplinary.

Methods/Design

This paper describes the protocol for a prospective, randomized, controlled, clinical trial in working aged patients with cLBP. Three treatment strategies are compared: (1) intensive and multidisciplinary program conducted in a rehabilitation center; (2) less intensive outpatient program conducted by a private physiotherapist; (3) mixed strategy combining the same out program with a multidisciplinary intervention. The primary outcome of the trial is the impact of the mixed strategy on being able to work compared to hospital centered-program and out program. The secondary outcome is the impact of the mixed strategy on quality of life and social ability compared to the two others programs. The intervention part of the trial programs will take 5 weeks and observational follow-up will take 12 months. The sample size will be 180 participants (60 for each arm). The project has been approved by the Ethical Committee of Angers Hospital, France.

Discussion

On the hypothesis that a multidisciplinary approach is the key feature to programs success in reducing social and occupational impairment in cLBP patients, we suggest that it is possible to achieve the same results with less intensive strategies if a multidisciplinary approach is maintained.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials NCT02030171.

Isotopic scintigraphy combined with computed tomography: a useful method for investigating inefficiency of intrathecal baclofen

BACKGROUND

Intrathecal baclofen infusion is an established method for the treatment of generalized and disabling spasticity. The most frequent technical problems are due to catheter /pump disconnections, but diagnosis of dysfunction may be difficult.

CASE REPORT

We report here the case of a 53-year-old woman with spastic paraplegia treated with intrathecal baclofen. Spasticity remained uncontrolled despite a gradual increase in baclofen dosage. On plain radiographs the distal end of the catheter was found to be pointing downwards with the catheter tip at level L5 and no apparent disconnection or failure. Indium111 diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid (DTPA) scintigraphy combined with computed tomography revealed that the activity of the radioisotope was highest next to the first sacral vertebra and that there was no leakage. Radioisotope activity above the lumbar level was very low. The catheter tip was therefore repositioned to level T7. One month later, spasticity was well controlled and a second scintigraphy confirmed high activity of intrathecal radioisotope up to the basal cisterns.

DISCUSSION

The combination of Indium111 DTPA scinti-graphy with computed tomography allows anatomical and functional investigation of intrathecal drug administration. In this case report this approach showed that the inefficiency of intrathecal baclofen was due to the caudal orientation of the catheter.

Effect of motor imagery in children with unilateral cerebral palsy: fMRI study

Background

Motor imagery is considered as a promising therapeutic tool for rehabilitation of motor planning problems in patients with cerebral palsy. However motor planning problems may lead to poor motor imagery ability.

Aim

The aim of this functional magnetic resonance imaging study was to examine and compare brain activation following motor imagery tasks in patients with hemiplegic cerebral palsy with left or right early brain lesions. We tested also the influence of the side of imagined hand movement.

Method

Twenty patients with clinical hemiplegic cerebral palsy (sixteen males, mean age 12 years and 10 months, aged 6 years 10 months to 20 years 10 months) participated in this study. Using block design, brain activations following motor imagery of a simple opening-closing hand movement performed by either the paretic or nonparetic hand was examined.

Results

During motor imagery tasks, patients with early right brain damages activated bilateral fronto-parietal network that comprise most of the nodes of the network well described in healthy subjects. Inversely, in patients with left early brain lesion brain activation following motor imagery tasks was reduced, compared to patients with right brain lesions. We found also a weak influence of the side of imagined hand movement.

Conclusion

Decreased activations following motor imagery in patients with right unilateral cerebral palsy highlight the dominance of the left hemisphere during motor imagery tasks. This study gives neuronal substrate to propose motor imagery tasks in unilateral cerebral palsy rehabilitation at least for patients with right brain lesions.

Atypical phenotypes in titinopathies explained by second titin mutations

OBJECTIVE

Several patients with previously reported titin gene (TTN) mutations causing tibial muscular dystrophy (TMD) have more complex, severe, or unusual phenotypes. This study aimed to clarify the molecular cause of the variant phenotypes in 8 patients of 7 European families.

METHODS

Clinical, histopathological, and muscle imaging data of patients and family members were reanalyzed. The titin protein was analyzed by Western blotting and TTN gene by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Sanger sequencing.

RESULTS

Western blotting showed more pronounced C-terminal titin abnormality than expected for heterozygous probands, suggesting the existence of additional TTN mutations. RT-PCR indicated unequal mRNA expression of the TTN alleles in biopsies of 6 patients, 3 with an limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2J (LGMD2J) phenotype. Novel frameshift mutations were identified in 5 patients. A novel A-band titin mutation, c.92167C>T (p.P30723S), was found in 1 patient, and 1 Portuguese patient with a severe TMD phenotype proved to be homozygous for the previously reported Iberian TMD mutation.

INTERPRETATION

The unequal expression levels of TTN transcripts in 5 probands suggested severely reduced expression of the frameshift mutated allele, probably through nonsense-mediated decay, explaining the more severe phenotypes. The Iberian TMD mutation may cause a more severe TMD rather than LGMD2J when homozygous. The Finnish patient compound heterozygous for the FINmaj TMD mutation and the novel A-band titin missense mutation showed a phenotype completely different from previously described titinopathies. Our results further expand the complexity of muscular dystrophies caused by TTN mutations and suggest that the coexistence of second mutations may constitute a more common general mechanism explaining phenotype variability.

Prolonged gene expression in muscle is achieved without active immune tolerance using microrRNA 142.3p-regulated rAAV gene transfer

Gene transfer efficacy is limited by unwanted immunization against transgene products. In some models, immunization may be avoided by regulating transgene expression with mir142.3p target sequences. Yet, it is unclear if such a strategy controls T-cell responses following recombinant adeno-associated viral vector (rAAV)-mediated gene transfer, particularly in muscle. In mice, intramuscular rAAV1 gene delivery of a tagged human sarcoglycan muscle protein is robustly immunogenic and leads to muscle destruction. In this model, the simple insertion of mir142.3p-target sequences in the transgene expression cassette modifies the outcome of gene transfer, providing high and persistent levels of muscle transduction in C57Bl/6 mice. Such regulated vector fails to prime specific CD4 and CD8 T cells; although, transgene tolerance seems to result from ignorance and could be broken by a robust antigenic challenge. While effective in normal mice, the mir142.3p-regulated transgene remains immunogenic in sarcoglycan-deficient dystrophic mice. In these mice, transgene expression is only prolonged but does not persist as effector CD4 and CD8 T-cell responses develop. Thus, using a mir142.3p-regulated transgene can improve rAAV muscle gene transfer results, but the level of efficacy depends on the context of application. In normal muscle, this strategy is sufficient to prevent immunization and functions even more effectively than tissue-specific promoters. In dystrophic models, additional strategies are required to fully control T-cell responses.

A new virtual reality tool for unilateral cerebral palsy rehabilitation: two single-case studies

OBJECTIVE

To examine the "clinical utility" of a new virtual rehabilitation tool in order to treat upper-limb motor deficit in cerebral palsy (CP) patient.

METHODS

Single-case experimental designs. Virtual reality intervention was performed in two left unilateral spastic CP adolescent patients. The virtual reality intervention was given for 60 minutes per session, two sessions a day, and 5 days a week over 2 weeks.

RESULTS

For each patient and for both hands, the number of blocks transported within one minute (box and block test scores) is increased. The nonoverlap of all pairs indices for the paretic hand were calculated as 0.95 for subject 1 and 0.93 for subject 2, and the nonoverlap of all pairs indices for the nonparetic hand were calculated, respectively, as 0.92 and 1.

CONCLUSION

We provide empirical evidence in support of a new simple Virtual Rehabilitation system in CP patient to improve upper-limb motor function.

Osteomyelitis variolosa: A probable mediaeval case combined with unilateral sacroiliitis

Osteoarticular sequelae of smallpox (osteomyelitis variolosa) are uncommon today. Such lesions may be observed occasionally, however, in countries where the disease has been endemic. Without other forms of documentation, it is possible to suggest a diagnosis of smallpox in ancient skeletal remains and thus make a significant contribution to understanding the history of this disease. We have examined a subadult male (Skeleton 833), 15-17 years old at the time of death, who presents bilateral bone manifestations of the elbows suggestive of smallpox. No other bone is similarly affected. In addition, he presents a left sacroiliitis deemed to be a brucellar manifestation. Skeleton 833 is one of at least 730 individuals from an exhaustive excavation of a mediaeval necropolis at Pont-sur-Seine (Aube, north-eastern France). Radiocarbon dating of his bones yields a date of between AD 1022 and 1155 (calibrated), thus apparently the oldest case described to date. The other published cases correspond to more recent periods with a well established historical context. We argue that this example of osteomyelitis variolosa.

Cardiac Characterization of sgca-Null Mice Using High Resolution Echocardiography

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2D (LGMD2D) is an inherited myogenic disorder belonging to the group of muscular dystrophies. Sgca-null mouse is a knock-out model of LGMD2D. Little is known about cardiac phenotype characterization in this model at different ages. We conducted a prospective study to characterize cardiac sgca-null mice phenotype using high resolution Doppler echocardiography at different ages. Conventional echocardiography was performed on anesthetised mice using a Vevo 770 (Visualsonics) with 30 MHz cardiac probe. Wild Type (WT) and sgca-null mice were scanned at 13, 15 and 17 months. From M-mode, we measured interventricular septal (IVS) wall thickness, posterior wall (PW) thickness, and end-left ventricular diameter in systolic and diastolic. From the above parameters, we calculated left ventricular (LV) shortening fraction (SF), LV ejection fraction (EF) and LV mass. At age 13 months, PW diastolic thickness was increased in sgca-null mice (0.89±0.14 mm vs 0.73±0.2 mm; P=0.020) and LV mass was higher in sgca-null mice (LV mass 205.2 mg vs 143 mg; P=0.001). We found also dilation of the LV (LVEDD: 4.84 mm vs 4.29 mm; P=0.019) in sgca-null mice. At age 15 months, dilation of the LV (LVEDD: 4.86 mm vs 4 mm; P=0.05) with an increase of the LV mass (165.7 mg vs 127.12; P=0.03) are found in sgca-null mice. At age 17 months, we found a decrease of the PW thickening (17% vs 30%; P=0.036).

This work provides echocardiographic insights for the assessment of pharmaceutical therapies in sgca-null mice.