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- Alt Murphy, Margit, 1970, et al.
(författare)
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An upper body garment with integrated sensors for people with neurological disorders – early development and evaluation
- 2019
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Ingår i: BMC Biomedical Engineering. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2524-4426. ; 1:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: To develop a novel wearable garment with integrated sensors for continuous monitoring of physiological and movement related variables to evaluate progression, tailor treatments and improve diagnosis in epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and stroke. Methods: An iterative development process and evaluation of an upper body garment with integrated sensors included: identification of user needs, specification of technical and garment requirements, garment development and production as well as evaluation of garment design, functionality and usability. The project is a multidisciplinary collaboration with experts from medical, engineering, textile, and material science within the wearITmed consortium. The work was organized in regular meetings, task groups and hands-on workshops. User needs were identified using results from a mixed-methods systematic review, a focus group study and expert groups. Usability was evaluated in 19 individuals (13 controls, 6 patients with Parkinson’s disease) using semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis. Results: A prototype designed to monitor movements and heart rate was developed. The garment was well accepted by the users regarding design and comfort, although the users were cautious about the technology and suggested improvements. All electronic components passed a washability test. The most robust data was obtained from accelerometer and gyroscope sensors while the electrodes for heart rate registration were sensitive to motion. artefacts. The algorithm development within the wearITmed consortium has shown promising results. Conclusions: The prototype was accepted by the users. Technical improvements are needed, but preliminary data indicate that the garment has potential to be used as a tool for diagnosis and treatment selection and could provide added value for monitoring seizures in epilepsy, fluctuations in PD and activity levels in stroke. Future work aims to improve the prototype further, develop algorithms, and evaluate the functionality and usability in targeted patient groups. The potential of incorporating blood pressure and heart-rate variability monitoring will also be explored.
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- Andersson, Klara, et al.
(författare)
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Multiple stigma among first-generation immigrants with epilepsy in Sweden
- 2021
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Ingår i: Epilepsy and Behavior. - : Elsevier BV. - 1525-5050. ; 115
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To investigate the meaning of stigma among first-generation immigrants with epilepsy in Sweden. Methods: Data were collected by individual face-to-face interviews with 25 first-generation immigrants with epilepsy from 18 different countries. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed systematically using a hermeneutic approach. Results: Multiple aspects of stigma were associated with epilepsy, immigration, and socioeconomic deprivation. The main theme “It is a fight to be appreciated as a person and member of society” illuminated the meaning of stigma in the struggle with a negative self-image and strategies to build self-confidence. The seizure-related fears were amplified by language barriers and a lack of knowledge of the healthcare system that obstructed access to health care. Few close relatives nearby or misconceptions of epilepsy in the family resulted in a lack of support. The stigma of being an immigrant and of socioeconomic deprivation resulted in feelings of being unvalued by the society in addition to feelings of being unvalued in relationships and at work because of epilepsy. The social isolation experienced as a result of immigration was increased due to the presence of perceived stigma due to epilepsy which led people to stay at home in order to conceal their epilepsy. At the same time, to inform others about their epilepsy could reduce seizure-related fears. Employment appeared as a symbol of being a capable person and helped participants gain self-confidence. Conclusions: Barriers to access health care and the exposure to multiple stigma can result in increased seizure-related fears, social isolation, and a lack of support for immigrants with epilepsy. In the context of epilepsy and immigration, stigma was intricately connected to how people perceived themselves as capable and contributing members of society. To reduce the negative influence of stigma, employment appeared vital to build self-confidence and break social isolation. Investigating the patient's experience of stigma may provide healthcare professionals with valuable information on the need for support and priorities in epilepsy management. Public efforts to increase knowledge about epilepsy also among first-generation immigrants would be valuable. © 2020 Elsevier Inc.
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- Andersson, Klara, et al.
(författare)
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Perceived stigma in adults with epilepsy in Sweden and associations with country of birth, socioeconomic status, and mental health
- 2022
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Ingår i: Epilepsy & Behavior. - : Elsevier BV. - 1525-5050. ; 136
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Stigma contributes to negative health outcomes and amplifies health disparities in epilepsy. This study aimed to investigate associations of perceived stigma with the country of birth and socioeco-nomic status (SES). Methods: This is a cross-sectional questionnaire study. Participants were recruited consecutively from three demographically different neurology outpatient clinics in the southwest of Sweden. Participants responded to a questionnaire concerning their epilepsy, country of birth, mother tongue, and different SES-variables. The Neuro-QOL stigma scale and the Jacoby stigma scale were applied to assess stigma and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and PROMIS Mental Health scale were applied to assess mental health. Results: In total 161 adults with epilepsy were included in the cohort. The median Neuro-QOL stigma score was 48.3, and was higher among foreign-born than in native-born participants (foreign-born in non-European country 52.3, in other European country 49.8, and in native-born 47.0, p = 0.003). Other factors associated with Neuro-QOL were seizure frequency last year (>= 2 seizures 52.4 compared to 1 sei-zure 50.9 and no seizures 44.3, p < 0.001), having had seizures in public (yes 50.9 compared to no 44.7, p = 0.035), HADS depression score >= 11 (57.4 compared to 47.8 for score <11 points, p < 0.001), HADS anx-iety score >= 11 (53.5 compared to 46.8 for score <11 points, p < 0.001), and lower PROMIS Mental Health score (42.9 for PROMIS < 40 compared to 54.4 for PROMIS > 60, p < 0.01). A stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that having had seizures the last year increased the average Neuro-QOL stigma score with 5.89 and appeared as the most determining factor for the Neuro-QOL stigma score among the vari-ables investigated. Conclusions: It is important that the concerns of foreign-born patients are acknowledged and that the focus of seizure control and the detection and treatment of comorbidities are prioritized in the manage-ment of epilepsy and perceived stigma. (c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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| 8. |
- Andersson, Klara, et al.
(författare)
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Socioeconomic outcome and access to care in adults with epilepsy in Sweden: a nationwide cohort study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy. - : Elsevier BV. - 1059-1311 .- 1532-2688. ; 74, s. 71-76
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Epilepsy has well-documented associations with low income and low education levels, but the impact of a patient’s socioeconomic standing (SES) on the effects of epilepsy have been less studied. Method: We performed a register-based cross-sectional study and asked if SES was associated with more severe epilepsy or limited access to care in Sweden, where health care is universal, and if socioeconomic outcomes (employment and income) differed for persons with epilepsy (PWE) with different levels of educational attainment. The study cohort consisted of all adult patients with an epilepsy diagnosis in the Swedish patient register in 2000–2015 (n = 126,406) and controls (n = 379,131) matched for age, gender, and place of birth. Results: Somatic and psychiatric comorbidities were more common in PWE, while education and income levels were lower. Among PWE, hospitalizations were more common in persons with lower income or education. Having at least one prescription written by a neurologist in the study period was more common in the highincome and high-education groups. Finally, although low educational attainment was associated with low levels of income and inversely associated with employment in both persons with epilepsy and controls, regression analyses demonstrated that these associations were much more noticeable in cases than controls. Conclusions: We conclude that both the severity and consequences of epilepsy are greater in persons of low SES, even in a country with universal health care. This indicates that universal access may not be sufficient to mitigate socioeconomic inequity in epilepsy.
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- Andersson-Roswall, Lena, 1965, et al.
(författare)
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Cognitive outcome 10 years after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery: a prospective controlled study
- 2010
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Ingår i: Neurology. - 0028-3878. ; 74:24, s. 1977-1985
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To explore late effects of temporal lobe resection (TLR) for epilepsy on general cognitive level and memory. Methods: Fifty-one patients who had undergone TLR (23 in the speech-dominant temporal lobe [DTL] and 28 in the nondominant temporal lobe [NDTL]) were assessed preoperatively and 2 and 10 years postoperatively. Twenty-three healthy controls were assessed at baseline and at corresponding intervals. A battery of standardized tests for assessment of general cognitive level and memory was analyzed using a linear mixed model of between-subjects treatment effect and within-subject time effect. Results: The main result was cognitive stability from 2 to 10 years after TLR. The DTL group had declined in verbal memory at the 10-year follow-up compared to the NDTL group and to the controls. However, this decline was detected already 2 years postoperatively, with no further decline from 2 to 10 years. The memory decline was not related to seizure outcome or AED treatment. The NDTL group showed less improvement in performance IQ (PIQ) at the 10-year follow-up compared to the controls. The most important correlate to inferior PIQ scores was continuing seizures, which was more frequent in the NDTL group. Conclusions: In this study, the main finding was cognitive stability from 2 to 10 years after temporal lobe resection. There was no further decline in verbal memory from 2 to 10 years after surgery, lending no support to the notion of an ongoing progressive decline in verbal memory after temporal lobe resection. The verbal memory course was not dependent on seizure outcome or antiepileptic drug treatment.
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