https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(04)16895-5.pdf

Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with atorvastatin in type 2 diabetes in the Collaborative Atorvastatin Diabetes Study (CARDS): multicentre randomised placebo-controlled trial

Efficacy and Effectiveness Trials (and Other Phases of Research) in the Development of Health Promotion Programs

Past evidence has shown that motor cortical stimulation with invasive and non-invasive brain stimulation is effective to relieve central pain. Here we aimed to study the effects of another, very safe technique of non-invasive brain stimulation--transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)--on pain control in patients with central pain due to traumatic spinal cord injury. Patients were randomized to receive sham or active motor tDCS (2mA, 20 min for 5 consecutive days). A blinded evaluator rated the pain using the visual analogue scale for pain, Clinician Global Impression and Patient Global Assessment. Safety was assessed with a neuropsychological battery and confounders with the evaluation of depression and anxiety changes. There was a significant pain improvement after active anodal stimulation of the motor cortex, but not after sham stimulation. These results were not confounded by depression or anxiety changes. Furthermore, cognitive performance was not significantly changed throughout the trial in both treatment groups. The results of our study suggest that this new approach of cortical stimulation can be effective to control pain in patients with spinal cord lesion. We discuss potential mechanisms for pain amelioration after tDCS, such as a secondary modulation of thalamic nuclei activity.

http://www.tmslab.org/publications/164.pdf

A sham-controlled, phase II trial of transcranial direct current stimulation for the treatment of central pain in traumatic spinal cord injury

In a prospective multicenter study, 186 patients with squamous cell esophageal carcinoma, who after evaluation were considered suitable for surgery, were randomized to 4 treatment groups: Group 1, surgery alone; Group 2, pre-operative chemotherapy (cisplatin and bleomycin) and surgery; Group 3, pre-operative irradiation (35 Gy) and surgery; Group 4, pre-operative chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. Three-year survival was significantly higher in the pooled groups receiving radiotherapy as compared with the pooled groups not receiving radiotherapy. Comparison of the groups having pre-operative chemotherapy with those not having chemotherapy showed no significant difference in survival. Female patients had a significantly better survival than males. The results indicate that pre-operative irradiation had a beneficial effect on intermediate term survival, whereas the chemotherapy regime used did not influence survival.

Pre-operative radiotherapy prolongs survival in operable esophageal carcinoma: a randomized, multicenter study of pre-operative radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The second Scandinavian trial in esophageal cancer.

Background and Purpose—It has been recently shown that a single session of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the unaffected hemisphere can improve motor function in stroke patients; however, this improvement is short-lasting. We therefore conducted a randomized, sham-controlled, phase II trial to evaluate whether five sessions of low-frequency rTMS can increase the magnitude and duration of these effects and whether this approach is safe. Methods—Fifteen patients with chronic stroke were randomized to receive active or sham rTMS of the unaffected hemisphere. A blinded rater assessed motor function and corticospinal excitability at baseline, during and after 2 weeks of treatment. Safety was assessed using a neuropsychologic battery and electroencephalogram. Results—Active rTMS resulted in a significant improvement of the motor function performance in the affected hand that lasted for 2 weeks. These effects were not observed in the sham rTMS group (affected and unaffected hand) and in the unaffected hand in the active rTMS group. Corticospinal excitability decreased in the stimulated, unaffected hemisphere and increased in the affected hemisphere. There was a significant correlation between motor function improvement and corticospinal excitability change in the affected hemisphere. Cognitive performance and electroencephalogram were not changed significantly throughout the trial in both groups of treatment. Conclusions—These results support and extend the findings of previous studies on rTMS in stroke patients because five consecutive sessions of rTMS increased the magnitude and duration of the motor effects. Furthermore, this increased dose of rTMS is not associated with cognitive adverse effects and/or epileptogenic activity. (Stroke. 2006;37:2115-2122.)

http://www.tmslab.org/publications/160.pdf

A Sham-Controlled Trial of a 5-Day Course of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Unaffected Hemisphere in Stroke Patients

The ribonuclease activity of peripheral lymphocytes from Balb/c mice was studied at various intervals subsequent to infection of mice by oncornavirus. Lymphocytes from mice infected with Friend leukemia virus possessed elevation of RNase activity within 8 days subsequent to infection. Balb/c mice infected with Moloney sarcoma virus demonstrated an analogous elevation of RNase activity with 7-9 days postinfection. Diminishment of cellular RNase activity occurred in the Friend leukemia model concomitant to the occurrence of significant numbers of erythroblasts in the peripheral blood, while ribonuclease activity in lymphocytes from mice infected with Molney sarcoma virus returned to normal 1-2 weeks subsequent to host rejection of tumor. It is concluded that elevation of RNase activity within the lymphocyte represents an early event in oncogenic viral infection within these two tumor models. The possible meaning of elevation of RNase activity is a target (the lymphocyte) not predestined to undergo neoplastic transformation is discussed.

Sidle D

Papers

Alteration of cellular ribonucleases associated with murine oncogenic virus infection.