Minerva

Sensory disturbance—measured electrophysiologically or subjectively—does not provide a good yardstick by which to assess potential carpal tunnel syndrome. A study of 64 patients showed that objective testing (using pressure aesthesiometry) did not correlate well with the results of nerve conduction studies or subjective testing (producing a hand symptom diagram), and the results do not support the use of objective sensory assessment for the initial diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. The authors say that the patient’s description of symptoms remains the most useful diagnostic tool (Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 2011;93:470-3, doi:10.1308/003588411X586191).

People who ruminate when stressed should exercise. A study in Psychosomatic Medicine found that people who maintain a physically active lifestyle may be protected against the effects of rumination on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity, while also helping them recover from acute stress (2011;73:604-11, doi:10.1097/PSY.0b013e318229e1e0). The more sedentary participants of the trial who responded to stress with …