The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy of electro-acupuncture coupled with conventional treatments and compare it with the efficacy of conventional treatments alone in patients with chronic plantar fasciitis. Thirty patients with chronic refractory plantar fasciitis were randomly assigned to two groups. Subjects in the control group received five weeks of conventional treatments, ...

UNLABELLED Previous research has not explored the Five Factor Model of personality among adults who stutter. Therefore, the present study investigated the five personality domains of Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, as measured by the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), in a sample of 93 adults seeking speech treatment for stuttering, and compared these...

BACKGROUND Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is an autosomal dominant disease linked to a mutation in the prion protein gene. Fatal familial insomnia is characterized by sleep disturbance and loss of neurons, with gliosis in the thalamic nuclei. OBJECTIVE To describe the clinical, neurophysiological, radiological, and neuropathological data in a Chinese family with FFI. SETTING Tertiary referra...

Objective. To determine the effect of off the self foot orthoses in the treatment of idiopathic plantar fasciitis. Methods. Thirty-four subjects with a clinical diagnosis of plantar fasciitis were evaluated using isotopic bone scan, ultrasound and physical examination as a baseline measure. A Foot Function Index (FFI), standardized orthopedic foot and ankle joint measures plus a navicular drop ...

BACKGROUND Audio computer assisted self interview (ACASI) may minimise social desirability bias in the ascertainment of sensitive behaviours. The aim of this study was to describe the difference in reporting risk behaviour in ACASI compared to a face to face interview (FFI) among public sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic attendees. STUDY DESIGN Randomly selected patients attending a p...

BACKGROUND AND METHODS Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is a rare genetic disease characterized by intractable insomnia, dysautonomia, and dementia. Herein we describe a patient with FFI. In order to study brain glucose hypometabolism in the patient, we used statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis of [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). CASE REPORT The patient...

OBJECTIVE Studying the thalamic role in the cortical expression of the Sleep Slow Oscillation (SSO) in humans by comparing SSO features in a case of Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) and a group of controls. METHODS We characterize SSOs in a 51-year-old male with FFI carrying the D178N mutation and the methionine/methionine homozygosity at the polymorphic 129 codon of the PRNP gene and in eight g...