According to most previous studies, inducing movements in internal laryngeal muscles by transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TES) was impossible. However, the movements have been reported after using needle electrodes inserted into the internal superior laryngeal nerve (ISLN). Herein, we aimed to apply an innovative TES protocol to cause movements in vocal folds. A short duration and high frequency electrical current was applied by two surface electrodes just above the entrance of ISLN to larynx. The subjects were 32 normal participants (mean age = 23.87; SD = 3.43). During TES application, the vocal folds' movements were examined by flexible videonasolaryngoscopy. Statistical paired t test was used to analyze the differences of vocal folds opening angle, in degrees, during rest and TES periods. Furthermore, the movements were judged by seven experienced speech pathologists via a 9-point rate scale from -1 (any abduction) to 8 (complete adduction). The mean vocal folds adduction increased by 35.68° (t = 9.35, p > 0.001) due to TES application. The mean qualitative scores assigned by raters to each subject were between 6 and 7 points, which indicate an acceptable adduction in vocal folds through TES. Unlike previous studies, the applied TES protocol in this research induced significant vocal fold movements. This might be attributed to our different stimulation parameters, which were designed to penetrate deeply and stimulate ISLN specifically. It is worth noting that we introduced a novel TES protocol, which should be confirmed and then examined as a complementary therapy for neurologic voice disorders in future studies.

ObjectivesA questionnaire was designed to determine public understanding of early and late complications of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed in participants who were selected using a multi-stage sampling method and a standard questionnaire of 67 questions was proposed. An expert panel selected 53 closed-ended questions for content validity to be included in the questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire was tested using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient giving a score of 0.84.ResultsOf the 825 participants, 443 (57.6%) were male, and 322 (41.87%) were 40 years or more. The proportion of low-, moderate- and high- awareness about T2DM and its complications was 29.26%, 62.68%, and 8.06%, respectively. Friends (56.31%) and internet and social networks (20.55%) were the 2 major sources of awareness, respectively. The medical staff (e.g., physicians) had the lowest share in the level of public awareness (3.64%) compared to other sources.ConclusionThese results present data that shows the general population awareness of T2DM is low. Healthcare policymakers need to be effective at raising awarenes of diabetes and it should be through improved education.

No abstract

Background and Objectives:The Full Outline of Un-Responsiveness (FOUR) scale is a tool to assess the consciousness level in patients admitted to the Intensive Care Units (ICU). The validity and reliability of this scale can be affected by distorting factors, such as social, cultural, biological, and physiological conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the standardization of the FOUR scale to assess the consciousness level of the patients based on demographic characteristics in the Iranian population.Methods: This experimental cross-sectional study was conducted on 60 patients hospitalized in the ICU. The FOUR scale was used to determine the consciousness level of the patients. Reliability, internal consistency, as well as correlations between the scales were estimated using Cronbach's alpha and Spearman-Brown formula. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 16.0) (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA). A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:According to the results, the internal consistency values of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and FOUR scale were estimated at 0.943 and 0.889, respectively, using Cronbach's alpha. In addition, there was a significant correlation between the FOUR scale and GCS (r=0.948, P=0.001). Furthermore, the sum of sensitivity and specificity of the total score of the FOUR scale and GCS were obtained at 5 (sensitivity=0.72; specificity=31.43) and 7 (sensitivity=0.68; specificity=0.3714), respectively. In addition, the Area under the ROC Curve value in predicting in-hospital mortality for the FOUR scale was 0.491 (P=0.910 and 95% CI: 0.338-0.645), while it was obtained at 0.527 (P=0.725 and 95% CI: 0.374-0.679) for the GCS. Conclusion:The results revealed that the GCS could be used as a standard scale to assess the consciousness level of the patients. The FOUR scale and GCS have similar benefits, and the former is a valuable tool to assess the consciousness level due to the combination of eye and motor components. Therefore, GCS could be used as substitute for the FOUR scale.

No abstract