The aim of this study was to develop three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging of the carotid arteries in order to reduce intraexaminer and interexaminer variabilities of volume measurements in follow-up scans of atherosclerotic plaques. The non-invasive quantification of human atherosclerosis by 3D ultrasound was performed using a three-dimensional computer based image reconstruction. The linear movements of the transducer were driven by a motor triggered by electrocardiography. The method included an option to change angle of insonation and a correction of skin contact adaptation. Repeated measurements were performed at weekly intervals in 70 patients. Variabilities and ranges of three newly developed evaluation procedures of plaque volumes (manual tracing, threshold procedure, watershed algorithm) were used. Intraexaminer variability varied between 2.8% (watershed algorithm) and 4.1% (threshold procedure). Interexaminer variability ranged from 4.2% (manual tracing) to 7.6% (threshold procedure), follow-up measurements from 5.2% (watershed algorithm) to 9.4% (threshold procedure). Pearson correlation coefficients of interexaminer agreement and also those between all three measurement procedures were highly significant (p < 0.01). We conclude that the newly developed 3D computer based image reconstruction allows repeated quantification of moderate atherosclerosis with a high reliability.
In a double-blind study, 41 schizophrenic patients (ICD, 9th rev.) were divided into two groups. With a flexible dose, twenty patients were treated with haloperidol, twenty-one with amisulpride. With respect to relevant criteria such as age, sex, length and degree of illness, the two groups were comparable. The study was conducted over 42 days. As early as within the first 14 days, both groups showed significant improvement with respect to their psychotic symptoms. When the two groups were compared on the basis of the BPRS subscore for the anxiety-depression syndrome, and the AMDP system subscores for the somatic-depressive syndrome and the hypochondriac syndrome, the amisulpride group showed significantly better results than the haloperidol group. The ratings on the EPS scales of Webster and Simpson revealed significantly fewer extrapyramidal side-effects in the amisulpride group. Psychotic symptoms were improved after both types of treatment. Amisulpride treatment showed better results with regard to depressive symptoms, and less tendency to generate extrapyramidal side-effects.
Treatment of vascular risk factors reduces the progression of carotid artery plaque volume in three-dimensional ultrasound. The most important factor for plaque progression is a high diastolic blood pressure. Turbulence in the flow pattern and the examined doses of aspirin showed no significant influence.
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