811 results match your criteria Writer's Cramp
Front Neurol 2018 26;9:1008. Epub 2018 Nov 26.
Department of Neurodegenerative Disorders Research, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan.
Writer's cramp (focal hand dystonia) is a sporadic focal dystonia that affects a specific part of the upper limb causing excessive co-contraction of antagonistic muscles. It usually presents as a task-specific dystonia, including, among others, writing of a character or playing a musical instrument. Although treatments for writer's cramp exist, medical therapy often results in unsatisfactory outcomes in patients with this type of dystonia. Read More
Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y) 2018 6;8:586. Epub 2018 Sep 6.
Division of Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Background: Primary writing tremor (PWT) is a rare condition; tremor occurs primarily while writing rather than during other tasks.
Phenomenology Shown: We illustrate the phenomenology of PWT and point out associated subtle dystonic posturing on neurological examination.
Educational Value: PWT is a tremor disorder that shares clinical features with both dystonia and essential tremor. Read More
PLoS One 2018 18;13(10):e0205721. Epub 2018 Oct 18.
Yale University School of Management, New Haven, United States of America.
This paper examines social class-based differences in influence in online review contexts. We explore four mechanisms for how a review writer's social class may affect readers' evaluations of the organization. First, we argue that, via a "contagion" process, organizations reviewed by higher-class individuals will be evaluated more positively than organizations reviewed by lower-class individuals. Read More
Clin Neurophysiol 2018 Nov 15;129(11):2392-2402. Epub 2018 Sep 15.
Technical University of Munich, Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Chair of Human Movement Science, Munich, Germany.
Objective: Writer's cramp (WC) is a task-specific focal dystonia. WC is characterized by involuntary contractions of muscles of the hand and arm during handwriting, resulting in impaired writing with exaggerated finger forces. The generalization of symptoms to other fine motor tasks is widely discussed. Read More
Mov Disord 2018 Sep 27. Epub 2018 Sep 27.
Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Objectives: Task-specific focal dystonia selectively affects the motor control during skilled and highly learned behaviors. Recent data suggest the role of neural network abnormalities in the development of the pathophysiological dystonic cascade.
Methods: We used resting-state functional MRI and analytic techniques rooted in network science and graph theory to examine the formation of abnormal subnetwork of highly influential brain regions, the functional network kernel, and its influence on aberrant dystonic connectivity specific to affected body region and skilled motor behavior. Read More
Forensic Sci Int 2018 Oct 29;291:216-229. Epub 2018 Aug 29.
School of Criminal Justice, University of Lausanne, Bâtiment BCH, Quartier Sorge, 1015 Lausanne-Dorigny, Vaud, Switzerland.
This article focuses on dynamic signatures and their features. It provides a detailed and critical review of dynamic feature variations and circumstantial parameters affecting dynamic signatures. The state of the art summarizes available knowledge, meant to assist the forensic practitioner in cases presenting extraordinary writing conditions. Read More
Brain Behav 2018 Oct 21;8(10):e01111. Epub 2018 Sep 21.
Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität Muenchen, Muenchen, Germany.
Introduction: Writer's cramp (WC) as a focal hand dystonia is characterized by abnormal postures of the hand during writing. Impaired inhibition and maladaptive plasticity in circuits linking the basal ganglia and sensorimotor cortices have been described. In particular, a dysfunction of lateral premotor cortices has been associated with impaired motor control in WC. Read More
Acta Neurol Belg 2018 Sep 20. Epub 2018 Sep 20.
Department of Neurology, Hospital Federal dos Servidores do Estado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Hum Mov Sci 2018 Sep 12. Epub 2018 Sep 12.
Chaire de Recherche sur l'Apprentissage de la Lecture et de l'ECriture chez le jeune enfant (CREALEC), Faculté d'Education, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada. Electronic address:
Tablets are increasingly being used in schools for a variety of handwriting tasks. Given that the control of handwriting relies on both visual and proprioceptive feedback, especially in younger writers, this raises the question of whether the texture of the tablet surface affects graphomotor execution. A series of recent studies found that when the smoothness of a tablet screen modifies proprioceptive feedback, the impact on graphomotor execution varies according to the level of the writer's handwriting skills. Read More
Am J Pharm Educ 2018 Aug;82(6):6556
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy, Little Rock, Arkansas.
To describe the design and evaluation of a six-month longitudinal faculty development program designed to promote experience and skills in scholarly writing among pharmacy practice faculty. Writer's Block uses a scheduled weekly writing time, peer support, and multiple accountability measures to promote progress in manuscript writing. Faculty participation, satisfaction, and manuscript writing progress were used to evaluate the program's success. Read More
Front Neurol 2018 2;9:517. Epub 2018 Jul 2.
Institute of Neurosciences, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
Writer's cramp (WC) is a task-specific focal hand dystonia presenting with pain, stiffness and/or tremor while writing. We explored the involvement of cortical and brainstem circuits by measuring intermuscular coherence (IMC) and pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) of the blink reflex. IMC was measured in 10 healthy controls and 20 WC patients (10 with associated tremor) while they performed a precision grip task at different force levels. Read More
J Nurs Educ 2018 Jul;57(7):399-407
Background: Although the quality of student writing is often lamented by faculty, writing instruction is an area of nursing education that has received little attention. Nursing programs rarely teach writing from a disciplinary perspective, and promoting the drilling of basic skills, such as grammar, has failed to engage student writers.
Method: A critical examination of the history of writing research, the nursing academic context, and the epistemology of writing as meaning making will provide the rationale behind a need for a new perspective on nurses' writing. Read More
Neuroimage Clin 2018 28;18:149-159. Epub 2018 Jan 28.
Department of Neurology, Kiel University, Germany.
Writer's cramp (WC) is a focal task-specific dystonia characterized by sustained or intermittent muscle contractions while writing, particularly with the dominant hand. Since structural lesions rarely cause WC, it has been assumed that the disease might be caused by a functional maladaptation within the sensory-motor system. Therefore, our objective was to examine the differences between patients suffering from WC and a healthy control (HC) group with regard to the effective connectivity that describes causal influences one brain region exerts over another within the motor network. Read More
J Mov Disord 2018 May 30;11(2):82-86. Epub 2018 May 30.
Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Science, Kio University, Nara, Japan.
We present a 47-year-old right-handed woman with a 15-year history of writer's cramp who was provided with six sessions of cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with observation of writing actions performed by a healthy subject and electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback training to decrease EMG activities in her right forehand muscles while writing for 30 min for 4 weeks. She showed improvement in dystonic posture and writing speed after the intervention. The writing movement and writing speed scores on a writer's cramp rating scale decreased, along with writing time. Read More
Can J Neurol Sci 2018 07 8;45(4):474-477. Epub 2018 May 8.
Department of Surgery,Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre,Division of Neurosurgery,Toronto,Ontario,Canada.
Task-specific dystonia is characterized by abnormal repetitive movements or postures in a specific body part that is triggered and ends with a task, such as writing. Failing medications, surgery, specifically disruption of key nuclei in the thalamus, can provide excellent symptomatic relief. Transcranial magnetic resonance (MR)-guided focused ultrasound is an emerging incision-less thermoablation technique. Read More
J Med Biogr 2018 Nov 4;26(4):251-258. Epub 2018 May 4.
John Hunter died in 1793 and was buried in the vaults of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London. In 1859, the vaults were required to be cleared and Hunter's coffin was found and his remains were reinterred in Westminster Abbey beneath a memorial brass. In the course of research on several such memorials in a Worcestershire village church, a letter was found that a clerk, having misread the writer's signature, consequently misfiled. Read More
Front Psychol 2018 15;9:289. Epub 2018 Mar 15.
National Security College, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Little is known of the private life of William Shakespeare, but he is famous for his collection of plays and poems, even though many of the works attributed to him were published anonymously. Determining the identity of Shakespeare has fascinated scholars for 400 years, and four significant figures in English literary history have been suggested as likely alternatives to Shakespeare for some disputed works: Bacon, de Vere, Stanley, and Marlowe. A myriad of computational and statistical tools and techniques have been used to determine the true authorship of his works. Read More
Ir J Med Sci 2018 Nov 9;187(4):1073-1076. Epub 2018 Mar 9.
Department of Neurology, The Dublin Neurological Institute at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, 57 Eccles Street, Dublin, Ireland.
Genetics is the backbone of Neurology, where a number of disorders have a genetic aetiology and are complex, requiring a dedicated Neurogenetics clinic. Genetics in the Republic of Ireland is under-resourced, with the lowest number of consultants per million of population in Europe. In November 2014, we established the monthly adult Neurogenetics clinic in Ireland, staffed by 2 consultants and 2 registrars from each speciality. Read More
Dysphagia 2018 10 1;33(5):662-669. Epub 2018 Mar 1.
Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, 160-500 University Avenue, Rehabilitation Sciences Building, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7, Canada.
Early identification of dysphagia by screening is recommended best practice for patients admitted to hospital with acute stroke. Screening can reduce the risk of pneumonia and promote stroke recovery, yet some institutions do not utilize a formal screening protocol. This study assessed the accuracy of informal dysphagia detection prior to implementation of a formal screening protocol. Read More
Data Brief 2018 Feb 13;16:1010-1024. Epub 2017 Dec 13.
University of Technology Sydney, Centre for Forensic Science, PO Box 123, Broadway 2007, Australia.
The data presented here is related to the article titled, "Using handwriting to infer a writer's country of origin for forensic intelligence purposes" (Agius et al., 2017) [1]. This article reports original writer, spatial and construction characteristic data for thirty-seven English Australian writers and thirty-seven Vietnamese writers. Read More
Toxins (Basel) 2017 12 29;10(1). Epub 2017 Dec 29.
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
Selection of muscles for botulinum toxin injection for limb dystonia is particularly challenging. Limb dystonias vary more widely in the pattern of dystonic movement and involved muscles than cervical dystonia or blepharospasm. The large variation in how healthy individuals perform skilled hand movements, the large number of muscles in the hand and forearm, and the presence of compensatory actions in patients with dystonia add to the complexity of choosing muscles for injection. Read More
J Med Internet Res 2017 12 13;19(12):e414. Epub 2017 Dec 13.
School of Business Administration, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Background: Social media is being used by various stakeholders among pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, health care organizations, professionals, and news media as a way of engaging audiences to raise disease awareness and ultimately to improve public health. Nevertheless, it is unclear what effects this health information has on laypeople.
Objective: This study aimed to provide a detailed examination of how promotional health information related to Lynch syndrome impacts laypeople's discussions on a social media platform (Twitter) in terms of topic awareness and attitudes. Read More
Forensic Sci Int 2018 Jan 24;282:144-156. Epub 2017 Nov 24.
University of Technology Sydney, Centre for Forensic Science, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, 2007, Australia. Electronic address:
Forensic science has traditionally focused the majority of its resources and objectives towards addressing Court-related questions. However, this view restricts the contribution of forensic science to one process and results in a loss of information as the investigative and intelligence roles are largely neglected. A forensic science discipline suffering from this imbalance is handwriting examination, which may be characterised as a time consuming and subjective process that is mostly carried out towards the end of the investigation for the purpose of judicial proceedings. Read More
Int J Neurosci 2018 Jul 4;128(7):684-685. Epub 2017 Dec 4.
a Neurology Department , Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre , Madrid , Spain.
Aim Of The Study: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 is the most common cause of autosomal dominant inherited ataxia worldwide.
Material And Methods: Clinically, it exhibits wide phenotypic variability. Presentation as isolated dystonia is exceptional. Read More
Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y) 2017 9;7:499. Epub 2017 Oct 9.
Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
Background: Writer's cramp (WC) is one of the commonly observed focal dystonias. The pathophysiology of WC has not been fully understood. The role of the cerebellum has been increasingly recognized in the pathogenesis of dystonia. Read More
Brain 2017 Dec;140(12):3179-3190
Human Motor Control Section, Medical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Neuroimage Clin 2018 14;17:137-144. Epub 2017 Oct 14.
Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Ismaningerstrasse 22, Munich, Germany.
Background: Writer's cramp is a task-specific dystonia impairing writing and sometimes other fine motor tasks. Neuroimaging studies using manifold designs have shown varying results regarding the nature of changes in the disease.
Objective: To clarify and extend the knowledge of underlying changes by investigating functional connectivity (FC) in intrinsic connectivity networks with putative sensorimotor function at rest in an increased number of study subjects. Read More
Genes (Basel) 2017 Oct 18;8(10). Epub 2017 Oct 18.
Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Luebeck, 23538 Luebeck, Germany.
Mutations in RAB (member of the Ras superfamily) genes are increasingly recognized as cause of a variety of disorders including neurological conditions. While musician's dystonia (MD) and writer's dystonia (WD) are task-specific movement disorders, other dystonias persistently affect postures as in cervical dystonia. Little is known about the underlying etiology. Read More
Cereb Cortex 2018 Oct;28(10):3564-3577
Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France.
We characterized, in 37 writer's cramp (WC) patients and 14 healthy volunteers (HV), the buildup of motor representations contralateral ("intended") and ispsilateral ("unintended") to the movement to be produced and the excitability changes in left primary motor cortex during the early reaction time (RT) of a pre-cued reaching movement to pick up a pen with either hand to write. We also tested the excitability of interhemispheric pathways from right dorsal premotor and motor cortices to left motor cortex. During early RT (1) the motor cortex excitability of unintended muscle representations did not decrease in patients as in HV and (2) the connection from the contralateral dorsal premotor cortex to the "intended" motor representation did not function in patients. Read More
Front Hum Neurosci 2017 5;11:443. Epub 2017 Sep 5.
Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS)Bangalore, India.
: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) induces widespread changes in brain connectivity. As the network topology differences induced by a single session of rTMS are less known we undertook this study to ascertain whether the network alterations had a small-world morphology using multi-modal graph theory analysis of simultaneous EEG-fMRI. : Simultaneous EEG-fMRI was acquired in duplicate before (R1) and after (R2) a single session of rTMS in 14 patients with Writer's Cramp (WC). Read More
Immunol Cell Biol 2017 11 18;95(10):855-856. Epub 2017 Sep 18.
Academy of Immunology and Microbiology, Institute of Basic Science, Pohang, Republic of Korea; Division of Developmental Immunology, La Jolla institute for Immunology, San Diego, CA, USA.
Eur J Psychol 2017 Aug 31;13(3):472-490. Epub 2017 Aug 31.
Department of Psychology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Intuition is defined as a form of knowledge which materialises as awareness of thoughts, feelings and physical sensations. It is a key to a deeper understanding and meaningfulness. Intuition, used as a psychological function, supports the transmission and integration of perceptions from unconscious and conscious realms. Read More
Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2017 Jul-Sep;20(3):324-327
Department of Sterotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Objectives: Writer's cramp is a focal dystonia producing abnormal postures during selective motor activities. Thalamotomy or globus pallidus internus deep brain stimulation (GPi DBS) has been used as a surgical treatment in patients not responding to medical treatment.
Materials And Methods: Eight patients (all men, age 16-47 years) with refractory focal hand dystonia underwent either ventrooralis (Vo) thalamotomy (seven patients) or GPi DBS (one patient) using stereotactic techniques. Read More
J Clin Mov Disord 2017 8;4:13. Epub 2017 Aug 8.
Institute of Music Physiology and Musicians' Medicine (IMMM), University of Music, Drama and Media, Emmichplatz 1, 30175 Hannover, Germany.
Background: Writer's cramp (WC) is a task-specific focal dystonia which manifests itself as abnormal postures interfering with motor performance. As the spread of motor symptoms remains controversial and non-motor symptoms are widely discussed, in this exploratory study, we explore the pathophysiology of WC, focusing on task-specificity and the psychological profiles of WC patients.
Methods: In 14 right-handed WC patients and matched controls, we assessed motor control by applying motor performance tests (Vienna Test Series), as well as using writing analysis and grip-force measurements. Read More
Neurology 2017 Aug 26;89(8):771-775. Epub 2017 Jul 26.
From the Morton and Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic and Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease (A.F., R.P.M.), Toronto Western Hospital-UHN, Division of Neurology, University of Toronto; Krembil Research Institute (A.F.); Division of Neurosurgery (M.L., A.M.L.), Department of Surgery, Krembil Neuroscience Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto; Joint Department of Medical Imaging (E.H., W.K.), University Health Network; and Department of Medical Imaging (W.K.), University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Objective: To report the 6-month single-blinded results of unilateral thalamotomy with MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) in patients with tremors other than essential tremor.
Methods: Three patients with tremor due to Parkinson disease, 2 with dystonic tremor in the context of cervicobrachial dystonia and writer's cramp, and 1 with dystonia gene-associated tremor underwent MRgFUS targeting the ventro-intermedius nucleus (Vim) of the dominant hemisphere. The primary endpoint was the reduction of lateralized items of the Tremor Rating Scale of contralateral hemibody assessed by a blinded rater. Read More
Am J Psychoanal 2017 Sep;77(3):274-284
, 88 West Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ, 07450, USA.
There are intergenerational secrets and unprocessed experiences that very often don't have a voice or an image associated with them but loom in our minds nonetheless. What haunts are not the dead, but the gaps left within us by the secrets of others. This paper will look at the conflict that occurs when unspoken events and memories of one generation haunt the next one. Read More
J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2017 Oct 8;124(10):1161-1170. Epub 2017 Jul 8.
Service de Physiologie Clinique-Explorations Fonctionnelles, AP-HP, Hôpital Lariboisière, 2, rue Ambroise Paré, 75010, Paris, France.
Hand dystonia is a common complication of Wilson's disease (WD), responsible for handwriting difficulties and disability. Alteration of sensorimotor integration and overactivity of the somatosensory cortex have been demonstrated in dystonia. This study investigated the immediate after effect of an inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied over the somatosensory cortex on the writing function in WD patients with hand dystonia. Read More
CJEM 2018 05 20;20(3):463-470. Epub 2017 Jun 20.
¶Department of Pediatrics,McGill University,Montreal,QC.
Objective: The scholarly dissemination of innovative medical education practices helps broaden the reach of this type of work, allowing scholarship to have an impact beyond a single institution. There is little guidance in the literature for those seeking to publish program evaluation studies and innovation papers. This study aims to derive a set of evidence-based features of high-quality reports on innovations in emergency medicine (EM) education. Read More
Br J Hosp Med (Lond) 2017 Jun;78(6):341-343
Author and trainer, Tim Albert Training, 5 Cobham Road, Surrey KT22 9AU.
Health professionals often have to write articles for publication in academic journals. Many of them find this difficult and suffer from one or more variations of writer's block. A good way of avoiding these setbacks is to prepare thoroughly for the writing project, and this article proposes eight different questions writers can ask before they start. Read More
CJEM 2018 Jul 13;20(4):626-633. Epub 2017 Jun 13.
§Division of Emergency Medicine,Department of Medicine,McMaster University,Hamilton,ON.
Objective: Reviews help scholars consolidate evidence and guide their educational practice. However, few papers describe how to effectively publish review papers. We completed a scoping review to develop a set of quality indicators that will assist junior authors to publish reviews and integrative scholarship. Read More
CJEM 2018 03 19;20(2):284-292. Epub 2017 May 19.
††Department of Emergency Medicine,Oregon Health & Science University,Portland,OR.
Objective: Education scholarship can be conducted using a variety of methods, from quantitative experiments to qualitative studies. Qualitative methods are less commonly used in emergency medicine (EM) education research but are well-suited to explore complex educational problems and generate hypotheses. We aimed to review the literature to provide resources to guide educators who wish to conduct qualitative research in EM education. Read More
Front Neurol 2017 3;8:170. Epub 2017 May 3.
Human Motor Control Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Dystonia, which causes intermittent or sustained abnormal postures and movements, can present in a focal or a generalized manner. In the limbs, focal dystonia can occur in either the upper or lower limbs and may be task-specific causing abnormal motor performance for only a specific task, such as in writer's cramp, runner's dystonia, or musician's dystonia. Focal limb dystonia can be non-task-specific and may, in some circumstances, be associated with parkinsonian disorders. Read More
CJEM 2017 May;19(S1):S9-S15
*Division of Emergency Medicine,Department of Medicine,Program for Education Research and Development,McMaster University,Hamilton,ON.
A key skill for successful clinician educators is the effective dissemination of scholarly innovations and research. Although there are many ways to disseminate scholarship, the most accepted and rewarded form of educational scholarship is publication in peer-reviewed journals. This paper provides direction for emergency medicine (EM) educators interested in publishing their scholarship via traditional peer-reviewed avenues. Read More
CJEM 2018 01 26;20(1):125-131. Epub 2017 Apr 26.
‡Division of Emergency Medicine,Department of Medicine,McMaster University,Hamilton,ON.
Background: Quantitative research is one of the many research methods used to help educators advance their understanding of questions in medical education. However, little research has been done on how to succeed in publishing in this area.
Objective: We conducted a scoping review to identify key recommendations and reporting guidelines for quantitative educational research and scholarship. Read More
Front Neurol 2017 3;8:18. Epub 2017 Feb 3.
Department of Neurology, Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy; Department of Neurology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.
Literary reports on dystonia date back to post-Medieval times. Medical reports are instead more recent. We review here the early descriptions and the historical establishment of a consensus on the clinical phenomenology and the diagnostic features of dystonia syndromes. Read More
PLoS One 2017 12;12(1):e0169934. Epub 2017 Jan 12.
Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neurogenetics, University of Thessaly, University Hospital of Larissa, Larissa, Greece.
Importance: A number of genetic loci were found to be associated with dystonia. Quite a few studies have been contacted to examine possible contribution of TOR1A variants to the risk of dystonia, but their results remain conflicting. The aim of the present study was to systematically evaluate the effect of TOR1A gene SNPs on dystonia and its phenotypic subtypes regarding the body distribution. Read More
World Neurosurg 2017 Mar 5;99:810.e1-810.e4. Epub 2017 Jan 5.
Department of Neurosurgery, Kanazawa Neurosurgical Hospital, Ishikawa, Japan.
Background: Task-specific focal dystonia, such as writer's cramp and musician's cramp, is a type of dystonia that affects performance of particular tasks. Such movement disorders have been treated with stereotactic ventro-oral (Vo) thalamotomy with excellent outcomes. However, there has been no previous report of treatment of sport-related or athlete's dystonia by means of stereotactic surgery. Read More
J Forensic Sci 2017 May 5;62(3):722-734. Epub 2017 Jan 5.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory Division, Counterterrorism and Forensic Science Research Unit, Quantico, VA, 22135.
A writer's biometric identity can be characterized through the distribution of physical feature measurements ("writer's profile"); a graph-based system that facilitates the quantification of these features is described. To accomplish this quantification, handwriting is segmented into basic graphical forms ("graphemes"), which are "skeletonized" to yield the graphical topology of the handwritten segment. The graph-based matching algorithm compares the graphemes first by their graphical topology and then by their geometric features. Read More
J Neurol 2017 Jul 30;264(7):1536-1541. Epub 2016 Dec 30.
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 5 East 98th Street, Box 1138, First Floor, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
In this review, we summarize recent advances in understanding the etiology, risk factors and pathophysiology of focal task specific dystonia (FTSD), movement disorders characterized by abnormal motor activation during the performance of specific, repetitive actions. We focus on two common FTSD, musician's dystonia and writer's cramp. FTSD may pose a threat to the patient's livelihood, and improved therapeutic treatments are needed. Read More
J Clin Aesthet Dermatol 2016 Sep 1;9(9):36-42. Epub 2016 Sep 1.
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Dermatology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio.
In an effort to avoid numerous problems associated with narrative letters of recommendation, a dermatology standardized letter of recommendation was utilized in the 2014-2015 resident application cycle. A comparison of the standardized letter of recommendation and narrative letters of recommendation from a single institution and application cycle to determine if the standardized letter of recommendation met its original goals of efficiency, applicant stratification, and validity. Eight dermatologists assessed all standardized letters of recommendation/narrative letters of recommendation pairs received during the 2014-2015 application cycle. Read More