| 1. |
- Danielsson, Olof, et al.
(författare)
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Increased prevalence of celiac disease in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies
- 2017
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Ingår i: Brain and Behavior. - : WILEY. - 2162-3279. ; 7:10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ObjectivesIdiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) are often associated with other immune-mediated diseases or malignancy. Some studies have reported a high frequency of celiac disease in IIM. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of celiac disease, systemic inflammatory diseases, and malignancy in a cohort of IIM patients, and estimate the incidence of IIM in the county of ostergotland, Sweden. Material and MethodsWe reviewed medical records and analyzed sera from 106 patients, fulfilling pathological criteria of inflammatory myopathy, for the presence of IgA antibodies against endomysium and gliadin. Antibody-positive patients were offered further investigation with small bowel biopsy or investigation for the presence of antibodies against antitissue transglutaminase (t-TG). The patients were classified according to Bohan and Peter or Griggs criteria. The presence of celiac disease, systemic inflammatory, and malignant diseases was documented. ResultsFour of 88 patients classified as IIM (4.5%) had biopsy-confirmed celiac disease, which is higher than the prevalence in the general population, detected with a similar screening procedure (0.53%). Thirty-three patients (38%) had a systemic inflammatory disease and five (5.7%) a malignancy. The incidence of confirmed IIM in the county of ostergotland was 7.3 per million/year. ConclusionsThe results highlight the high frequency of associated inflammatory and malignant diseases and confirm an increased prevalence of celiac disease in IIM.
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| 2. |
- Dencker, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of food intake on 92 neurological biomarkers in plasma
- 2017
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Ingår i: Brain and Behavior. - : Wiley. - 2162-3279. ; 7:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: This study evaluates the effect of food intake on 92 neurological biomarkers in plasma. Moreover, it investigated if any of the biomarkers were correlated with body mass index. Materials and Methods: Twenty-two healthy subjects (11 male and 11 female aged 25.9 ± 4.2 years) were investigated. A total of 92 biomarkers were measured before a standardized meal as well as 30 and 120 min afterward with the Proseek Multiplex Neurology I kit. Results: The levels for 13 biomarkers decreased significantly (p < .001) 30 min after food intake. The levels for four biomarkers remained significantly decreased (p < .001) 120 min after food intake. One biomarker increased significantly (p < .001) 30 min after food intake. The changes were between 1% and 12%, with an average difference of about 5%. Only one biomarker showed a difference over 10% due to food intake. The biggest difference was observed for Plexin-B3 120 min after food intake (12%). Of all the 92 neurological biomarkers, only one was correlated with BMI, Kynureninase r = .46, p < .05. Conclusions: This study shows that food intake has a very modest effect on 92 different neurological biomarkers. Timing of blood sampling in relation to food intake, therefore, appears not to be a major concern. Only Kynureninase was correlated with BMI. Further studies are warranted in older healthy subjects and in patients with various neurological diseases to determine whether the findings are reproducible in such populations.
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| 3. |
- Edvinsson, Åsa, et al.
(författare)
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Different patterns of attentional bias in antenatal and postpartum depression
- 2017
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Ingår i: Brain and Behavior. - : Wiley. - 2162-3279. ; 7:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundBiased information processing in attention, memory, and interpretation is proposed to be central cognitive alterations in patients with major depressive disorder, but studies in women with peripartum depression are scarce. Because of the many similarities with depression in nonperipartum states as regards symptom profile and risk factors, we hypothesized that women with antenatal and postpartum depression would display attentional bias to negatively and positively valenced words. MethodsOne hundred and seventy-seven pregnant and 157 postpartum women were included. Among these, 40 suffered from antenatal depressive disorder and 33 from postpartum depressive disorder. An emotional Stroop task with neutral, positive, negative, and negatively valenced obstetric words was used. ResultsNo significant difference in emotional interference scores was noted between women with antenatal depression and nondepressed pregnant women. In contrast, women with postpartum depression displayed shorter reaction times to both positive (p=.028) and negative (p=.022) stimuli, compared with neutral words. Pregnant women on antidepressant treatment displayed longer reaction times to negatively valenced obstetric words in comparison with untreated depressed women (p=.012), and a trend toward greater interference in comparison with controls (p=.061). ConclusionsIn contrast with the hypothesis, we found no evidence of attentional bias to emotionally valenced stimuli in women with untreated peripartum depression. However, the shorter reaction times to emotional stimuli in women with postpartum depression may indicate emotional numbing, which in turn, is a functional impairment that may have repercussions for child development and well-being. Our findings emphasize the need to identify and treat women with postpartum depression at the earliest possible time point to ensure swift recovery and support for the family.
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| 4. |
- Eriksson, Marie, et al.
(författare)
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Acute stroke alert activation, emergency service use, and reperfusion therapy in Sweden
- 2017
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Ingår i: Brain and Behavior. - : Wiley. - 2162-3279. ; 7:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Ambulance services and stroke alerts reduce the time from stroke onset to acute stroke diagnosis. We describe the use of stroke alerts and ambulance services in different hospitals and patient groups and their relationship with reperfusion therapy. Methods: This nationwide study included 49,907 patients admitted with acute stroke who were registered in The Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke) in 2011-2012. Results: The proportions of patients admitted as stroke alerts out of all acute stroke admissions varied from 12.2% to 45.7% in university hospitals (n = 9), 0.5% to 38.7% in specialized nonuniversity hospitals (n = 22), and 4.2% to 40.3% in community hospitals (n = 41). Younger age, atrial fibrillation (AF), living in an institution, reduced consciousness upon admission, and hemorrhagic stroke were factors associated with a higher probability of stroke alerts. Living alone, primary school education, non-European origin, previous stroke, diabetes, smoking, and dependency in activities of daily living (ADL) were associated with a lower probability of stroke alert. The proportion of patients arriving at the hospital by ambulance varied from 60.3% to 94.5%. Older age, living alone, primary school education, being born in a European country, previous stroke, AF, dependency in ADL, living in an institution, reduced consciousness upon admission, and hemorrhagic stroke were associated with ambulance services. Hospital stroke alert frequencies correlated strongly with reperfusion rates (r = .75). Conclusion: Acute stroke alerts have a significant potential to improve stroke reperfusion rates. Prehospital stroke management varies conspicuously between hospitals and patient groups, and the elderly and patients living alone have a markedly reduced likelihood of stroke alerts.
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| 5. |
- Mohseni, Simin, et al.
(författare)
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Longitudinal study of neuropathy, microangiopathy, and autophagy in sural nerve : Implications for diabetic neuropathy
- 2017
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Ingår i: Brain and Behavior. - : Wiley Online Library. - 2162-3279. ; 7:8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The progression and pathophysiology of neuropathy in impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is poorly understood, especially in relation to autophagy. This study was designed to assess whether the presence of autophagy-related structures was associated with sural nerve fiber pathology, and to investigate if endoneurial capillary pathology could predict the development of T2DM and neuropathy. Sural nerve physiology and ultrastructural morphology were studied at baseline and 11 years later in subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), IGT, and T2DM. Subjects with T2DM had significantly lower sural nerve amplitude compared to subjects with NGT and IGT at baseline. Myelinated and unmyelinated fiber, endoneurial capillary morphology, and the presence and distribution of autophagy structures were comparable between groups at baseline, except for a smaller myelinated axon diameter in subjects with T2DM and IGT compared to NGT. The baseline values of the subjects with NGT and IGT who converted to T2DM 11 years later demonstrated healthy smaller endoneurial capillary and higher g-ratio versus subjects who remained NGT. At follow-up, T2DM showed a reduction in nerve conduction, amplitude, myelinated fiber density, unmyelinated axon diameter, and autophagy structures in myelinated axons. Endothelial cell area and total diffusion barrier was increased versus baseline. We conclude that small healthy endoneurial capillary may presage the development of T2DM and neuropathy. Autophagy occurs in human sural nerves and can be affected by T2DM. Further studies are warranted to understand the role of autophagy in diabetic neuropathy.
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| 6. |
- Persson, Josefine, 1981, et al.
(författare)
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Long- term cost of spouses’ informal support for dependent midlife stroke survivors
- 2017
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Ingår i: Brain and Behavior. - : Wiley. - 2162-3279. ; 7:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Stroke is a major global disease that requires extensive care and support from society and relatives. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the long- term informal support and to estimate the annual cost of informal support provided by spouses to their stroke surviving partner. Method: Data were based on the 7- year follow- up of the Sahlgrenska Academy Study on Ischemic Stroke. One- third of the spouses stated that they provided support to their stroke surviving partner. The magnitude of the support was assessed with a study- specific time- diary and was estimated for independent and dependent stroke survivors based on the scores of the modified Rankin Scale. To deal with skewed data, a two- part econometric model was used to estimate the annual cost of informal support. Result: Cohabitant dyads of 221 stroke survivors aged <70 at stroke onset were in- cluded in the study. Spouses of independent stroke survivors ( n = 188) provided on average 0.15 hr/day of practical support and 0.48 hr/day of being available. Corresponding figures for spouses of dependent stroke survivors ( n = 33) were 5.00 regarding practical support and 9.51 regarding being available. The mean annual cost of informal support provided for independent stroke survivors was estimated at €991 and €25,127 for dependent stroke survivor. Conclusion: The opportunity cost of informal support provided to dependent midlife stroke survivors is of a major magnitude many years after stroke onset and should be considered in economic evaluations of health care.
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| 7. |
- Sabre, Liis, et al.
(författare)
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Diversity in mental fatigue and social profile of patients with myasthenia gravis in two different Northern European countries
- 2017
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Ingår i: Brain and Behavior. - : WILEY. - 2162-3279. ; 7:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Tntroduction: Self-estimated health can be used for comparison of different diseases between countries. It is important to elaborate on whether disparities in self-estimated health are due to disease-specific parameters or socioeconomic differences. In this study, we aimed at evaluating clinical and social similarities and differences in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients between comparable regions in two Baltic Sea countries, Estonia and Sweden. Methods: This cross-sectional study included southern counties in Sweden and Estonia of comparable size. All patients with a confirmed MG diagnosis were asked to answer two questionnaires including demographic and disease-specific data, lifestyle issues, and mental fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale [FSS]). Clinical fatigue was assessed objectively through the Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis Score (QMG). Results: Thirty-six of 92 identified patients in Estonia and 40 of 70 identified MG patients in Sweden chose to participate in the study. The demographic characteristics and symptoms reported by the patients were similar. QMG score did not differ; however, the Estonian patients scored their current subjective disease severity significantly higher (5.6 +/- 2.8) compared to the Swedish patients (3.4 +/- 2.3, p=.0005). Estonian patients also had significantly higher FSS scores (5.0 +/- 1.7) than Swedish patients (3.5 +/- 1.6; p=.001). Swedish patients were more active and performed physical activity more regularly (29.1% in Estonia and 74.2% in Sweden, p=.004). Conclusions: Although, the patients had comparable clinical fatigue, Estonian patients evaluated their health state as being more severe and reported more mental fatigue than Swedish patients. These data indicate large regional differences in disease perception of MG, which is important to consider in international studies.
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| 8. |
- Snöljung, Åsa, et al.
(författare)
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Neurologists dealing with sickness certification : Experiences of problems and need of competence
- 2017
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Ingår i: Brain and Behavior. - : WILEY. - 2162-3279. ; 7:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rationale and AimsMost studies on physicians' sickness certification practices include general practitioners (GP) while there hardly is any knowledge on this regarding neurologists although neurological diseases often involve work incapacity and need of sick leave. AimThe aim was to describe experiences among neurologists in Sweden concerning their work with sickness certification of patients. MethodA cross-sectional study of 265 neurologists' responses in a nationwide survey regarding their work with sickness certification of patients was conducted. ResultsThe majority (81.5%) had sickness certification consultations at least once a week and a third experienced problems every week in handling sickness certification. Among the 251 who at least sometimes had sickness certification consultations, the following two aspects were experienced as very or fairly problematic: assess the degree to which the reduced functional capacity limits a patient's capacity to perform his/her work assignments (67.3%) and make a long-term prognosis about the future work capacity of patients on sick leave (60.5%). At least once a week, 78.7% experienced lack of time regarding managing patient-related aspects of the sickness certification task. Moreover, 21.8% considered sickness certification to be a work environmental problem, at least once a week. In all, 84% stated that they had a large or fairly large need for more competence concerning sickness certification tasks. ConclusionsSickness certification is a common task among neurologists, involving several problematic aspects related to, e.g., lack of competence in assessing function and work capacity and of time. There is a need for improvement.
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| 9. |
- Sundstedt, Stina, 1988-, et al.
(författare)
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Swallowing safety in Parkinson's disease after zona incerta Deep Brain Stimulation
- 2017
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Ingår i: Brain and Behavior. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2162-3279. ; 7:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: The objective of this study was to examine swallowing function in patients with Parkinson's disease before and after caudal zona incerta deep brain (cZI DBS) surgery. The aims were to examine the effect of cZI DBS on swallowing safety regarding liquid and solid food, as well as to identify the effect of cZI DBS on body mass index (BMI) and specific items from part II of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS).Materials and Methods: The median age of the 14 patients was 57 years (range 46–71), with a median disease duration of 6 years (range 2–13). The present sample is an extension of a previous report, into which six additional patients have been added. Fiber endoscopic examinations of swallowing function, measures of BMI, and evaluation of UPDRS part II items were made before and 12 months after surgery, with and without activated DBS.Results: There were no significant changes due to cZI DBS regarding penetration/aspiration, pharyngeal residue or premature spillage (p > .05). Median BMI increased by +1.1 kg/m2 12 months after surgery (p = .01, r = .50). All reported specific symptoms from the UPDRS part II were slight or mild. A significant improvement regarding handling of utensils was seen 12 months postoperatively (p = .03, r = −.42).Conclusions: Caudal zona incerta DBS was found not to have a negative impact on swallowing safety. A significant increase in postoperative weight was observed, and speech seemed to be slightly negatively affected, whereas handling of utensils was improved with cZI DBS.
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