scholarly journals Cognitive function predicts work disability among multiple sclerosis patients

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 205521731882213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrius Kavaliunas ◽  
Petter Tinghög ◽  
Emilie Friberg ◽  
Tomas Olsson ◽  
Kristina Alexanderson ◽  
...  

Background In multiple sclerosis various aspects of cognitive function can be detrimentally affected. More than that, patients´ employment and social functioning is likely to be impacted. Objective To determine whether work disability among multiple sclerosis patients could be predicted by the symbol digit modalities test. Methods A register-based cohort study was conducted. Individual data on work disability, operationalised as annual net days of sickness absence and/or disability pension were retrieved at baseline, when the symbol digit modalities test was performed, after one-year and 3-year follow-up for 903 multiple sclerosis patients. The incidence rate ratios for work disability were calculated with general estimating equations using a negative binomial distribution and were adjusted for gender, age, educational level, family composition, type of living area and physical disability. Results After one year of follow-up, the patients in the lowest symbol digit modalities test quartile were estimated to have a 73% higher rate of work disability when compared to the patients in the highest symbol digit modalities test quartile (incidence rate ratio 1.73, 95% confidence interval 1.42‒2.10). This estimate after 3-year follow-up was similar (incidence rate ratio 1.68, 95% confidence interval 1.40‒2.02). Conclusion Cognitive function is to a high extent associated with multiple sclerosis patients’ future work disability, even after adjusting for other factors.

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 627-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jocasta Ball ◽  
Maja-Lisa Løchen ◽  
Melinda J Carrington ◽  
Joshua F Wiley ◽  
Simon Stewart

Background: Atrial fibrillation represents a substantial clinical and public health issue. The definitive impact of body mass index on prognosis of patients with chronic (persistent or permanent) atrial fibrillation remains undetermined. Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of body mass index with health outcomes (mortality and re-hospitalisation) of patients with chronic atrial fibrillation. Methods: Using data from the Standard versus Atrial Fibrillation spEcific managemenT strategY (SAFETY) trial (a randomised controlled trial of home-based, atrial fibrillation-specific disease management), we performed post-hoc analyses of mortality and re-hospitalisation outcomes during minimum 24-month follow-up according to baseline body mass index profile. Results: Of 297 participants (mean age 71±11 years, 47% female, mean body mass index 29.6±6.7 kg/m2), 35.0% of participants were overweight (body mass index 25.0–29.9 kg/m2) and 43.1% were obese (body mass index≥30 kg/m2). During follow-up, n=42 died including 16/65 (24.6%) classified as normal body mass index, 16/104 (15.4%) classified as overweight and 10/128 (7.8%) classified as obese. Increasing body mass index was not associated with increased mortality but was associated with re-hospitalisation due to cardiovascular disease with greater length-of-stay (odds ratio 1.05; 95% confidence interval 1.00–1.09, p=0.032). Obese individuals experienced increased unplanned admissions compared to overweight individuals (incidence rate ratio 0.71; 95% confidence interval 0.53–0.96, p=0.028), and increased cardiovascular-related (incidence rate ratio 0.58; 95% confidence interval 0.39–0.86, p=0.007) and all-cause admissions (incidence rate ratio 0.63; 95% confidence interval 0.45–0.89, p=0.008) compared to those classified as normal body mass index. Conclusion: Overweight and obesity were not associated with survival in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation but were associated with more frequent hospital care and prolonged stay.


2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1011-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Younes ◽  
J. Hill ◽  
J. Quinless ◽  
M. Kilduff ◽  
B. Peng ◽  
...  

Cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis is difficult to study because of the heterogeneity and variability of this disease. The gold standard for measurement of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis is a full battery of neurocognitive tests, which is time consuming and expensive. Some cognitive tests like the PASAT, a measure of working verbal memory and processing speed, have been proposed for screening and follow-up of cognitive function in clinical trials. We studied whether we could measure cognitive function in multiple sclerosis over the Internet. For this we used the Cognitive Stability Index (CSI)™, developed for persons with known or suspected primary central nervous system illness. The CSI was compared with formal neurocognitive testing (NPsych) and the PASAT in a cross-sectional study of 40 consecutive multiple sclerosis patients with subjective cognitive complaints. NPsych revealed that only 18 of the 40 patients (46%) were cognitively impaired. Although both the CSI and the PASAT were equalivalent in their specificity (86%), the CSI was significantly more sensitive than the PASAT (83% versus 28%). We conclude that the CSI, because of its availability over the Internet, has great potential as a tool for screening and follow up of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13: 1011—1019. http://msj.sagepub.com


2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 1635-1642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally B. Mountcastle ◽  
Matthew Posner ◽  
John F. Kragh ◽  
Dean C. Taylor

Background Previous studies have shown that women involved in similar activities as men are at increased risk for anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Hypothesis The incidence rate of complete anterior cruciate ligament tears for men and women in our athletic, college-aged population is similar. Study Design Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods Students graduating in class years 1994 to 2003 at our institution who sustained complete anterior cruciate ligament tears were assessed for mechanism of injury and type of sport played at time of injury. We calculated the incidence proportion, an estimation of risk, by gender and class year, and the incidence proportion ratio comparing men and women by class year. We also calculated incidence rates by gender and type of sport played and incidence rate ratios comparing men and women. Results There were 353 anterior cruciate ligament injuries in the 10 classes studied. We found an overall, 4-year incidence proportion of 3.24 per 100 (95% confidence interval, 2.89-3.63) for men and 3.51 (95% confidence interval, 2.65-4.65) for women (incidence proportion ratio, 1.09 [95% confidence interval, 0.80-1.47]). The overall anterior cruciate ligament injury rate, excluding male-only sports, was significantly greater in women (incidence rate ratio, 1.51 [95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.21]). We found significantly greater injury rates among women in a gymnastics course (incidence rate ratio, 5.67 [95% confidence interval, 1.99-16.16]), indoor obstacle course test (incidence rate ratio, 3.72 [95% confidence interval, 1.25-11.10]), and basketball (incidence rate ratio, 2.42 [95% confidence interval, 1.05-5.59]). Conclusion We found little gender difference in the overall risk of an anterior cruciate ligament tear; however, there were gender differences in injury rates when specific sports and activities were compared and when male-only sports were removed from the overall rate assessment.


2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110535
Author(s):  
Brian O’Donoghue ◽  
Hannah Collett ◽  
Sophie Boyd ◽  
Yuanna Zhou ◽  
Emily Castagnini ◽  
...  

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on global mental health, with one-third of infected individuals developing a psychiatric or neurological disorder 6 months after infection. The risk of infection and the associated restrictions introduced to reduce the spread of the virus have also impacted help-seeking behaviours. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether there was a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic in the treated incidence of psychotic disorders and rates of admission to hospital for psychosis (including involuntary admission). Methods: Incident cases of first-episode psychosis in young people, aged 15 to 24, at an early intervention service in Melbourne from an 8-month period before the pandemic were compared with rates during the pandemic. Hospital admission rates for these periods were also compared. Results: Before the pandemic, the annual incidence of first-episode psychosis was 104.5 cases per 100,000 at-risk population, and during the pandemic it was 121.9 (incidence rate ratio = 1.14, 95% confidence interval = [0.92, 1.42], p = 0.24). Immediately after the implementation of restrictions, there was a non-significant reduction in the treated incidence (incidence rate ratio = 0.80, 95% confidence interval = [0.58, 1.09]), which was followed by a significant increase in the treated incidence in later months (incidence rate ratio = 1.94, 95% confidence interval = [1.52, 2.49]; incidence rate ratio = 1.64, 95% confidence interval = [1.25, 2.16]). Before the pandemic, 37.3% of young people with first-episode psychosis were admitted to hospital, compared to 61.7% during the pandemic (odds ratio = 2.71, 95% confidence interval = [1.73, 4.24]). Concerning the legal status of the admissions, before the pandemic, 27.3% were admitted involuntarily to hospital, compared to 42.5% during the pandemic (odds ratio = 1.97, 95% confidence interval = [1.23, 3.14]). Conclusion: There was a mild increase, which did not reach statistical significance, in the overall incidence of first-episode psychosis; however, the pattern of presentations changed significantly, with nearly twice as many cases presenting in the later months of the restrictions. There was a significant increase in both voluntary and involuntary admissions, and the possible explanations for these findings are discussed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohan Borschmann ◽  
Emma Thomas ◽  
Paul Moran ◽  
Megan Carroll ◽  
Ed Heffernan ◽  
...  

Objective: Prisoners are at increased risk of both self-harm and suicide compared with the general population, and the risk of suicide after release from prison is three times greater than for those still incarcerated. However, surprisingly little is known about the incidence of self-harm following release from prison. We aimed to determine the incidence of, identify risk factors for and characterise emergency department presentations resulting from self-harm in adults after release from prison. Method: Cohort study of 1325 adults interviewed prior to release from prison, linked prospectively with State correctional and emergency department records. Data from all emergency department presentations resulting from self-harm were secondarily coded to characterise these presentations. We used negative binomial regression to identify independent predictors of such presentations. Results: During 3192 person-years of follow-up (median 2.6 years per participant), there were 3755 emergency department presentations. In all, 83 (6.4%) participants presented due to self-harm, accounting for 165 (4.4%) presentations. The crude incidence rates of self-harm for males and females were 49.2 (95% confidence interval: [41.2, 58.7]) and 60.5 (95% confidence interval: [44.9, 81.6]) per 1000 person-years, respectively. Presenting due to self-harm was associated with being Indigenous (incidence rate ratio: 2.01; 95% confidence interval: [1.11, 3.62]), having a lifetime history of a mental disorder (incidence rate ratio: 2.13; 95% confidence interval: [1.19, 3.82]), having previously been hospitalised for psychiatric treatment (incidence rate ratio: 2.68; 95% confidence interval: [1.40, 5.14]) and having previously presented due to self-harm (incidence rate ratio: 3.91; 95% confidence interval: [1.85, 8.30]). Conclusion: Following release from prison, one in 15 ex-prisoners presented to an emergency department due to self-harm, within an average of 2.6 years of release. Demographic and mental health variables help to identify at-risk groups, and such presentations could provide opportunities for suicide prevention in this population. Transition from prison to the community is challenging, particularly for those with a history of mental disorder; mental health support during and after release may reduce the risk of adverse outcomes, including self-harm.


2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (11) ◽  
pp. 5307-5312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuya Pal ◽  
Florian D. Vogl ◽  
Pierre O. Chappuis ◽  
Richard Tsang ◽  
James Brierley ◽  
...  

The genetic basis for nonmedullary forms of thyroid cancer (NMTC) is less well established than that of medullary thyroid cancer. However, epidemiological and family studies suggest that a proportion of NMTC may be due to inherited predisposition. To estimate the familial risk of thyroid cancer, we conducted a hospital-based case-control study at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and at 2 university hospitals in Montréal, Québec, Canada. We obtained pedigrees from 339 unselected patients diagnosed with NMTC and from 319 unaffected ethnically matched controls. Family histories of cancer were obtained from the cases and controls for 3292 first degree relatives of cases and controls. Seventeen cases (5.0%) and 2 controls (0.6%) reported at least one first degree relative with thyroid cancer. In relatives of patients with thyroid cancer, the incidence of any type of cancer (including NMTC) was 38% higher than in relatives of controls (incidence rate ratio, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.1–1.7). The relative risk for thyroid cancer was 10-fold higher in relatives of cancer patients than in controls (incidence rate ratio, 10.3; 95% confidence interval, 2.2–47.6). Our findings suggest that hereditary or other familial factors are important in a small proportion of NMTC. Molecular studies are needed to determine the genetic basis of cancer susceptibility in these families.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 960-972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Assareh ◽  
Helen M Achat ◽  
Jean-Frederic Levesque

Inter-hospital transfers improve care delivery for which sending and receiving hospitals both accountable for patient outcomes. We aim to measure accuracy in recorded patient transfer information (indication of transfer and hospital identifier) over 2 years across 121 acute hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. Accuracy rate for 127,406 transfer-out separations was 87 per cent, with a low variability across hospitals (10% differences); it was 65 per cent for 151,978 transfer-in admissions with a greater inter-hospital variation (36% differences). Accuracy rate varied by departure and arrival pathways; at receiving hospitals, it was lower for transfer-in admission via emergency department (incidence rate ratio = 0.52, 95% confidence interval: 0.51–0.53) versus direct admission. Transfer-out data were more accurate for transfers to smaller hospitals (incidence rate ratio = 1.06, 95% confidence interval: 1.03–1.08) or re-transfers (incidence rate ratio > 1.08). Incorporation of transfer data from sending and receiving hospitals at patient level in administrative datasets and standardisation of documentation across hospitals would enhance accuracy and support improved attribution of hospital performance measures.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haijiao Wang ◽  
Deng Chen ◽  
Jun He ◽  
Yujin He ◽  
Ling Liu ◽  
...  

Objectives: To explore the trend of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) incidence rate over time in rural west China.Methods: We scanned probable SUDEP patients from the epilepsy program between 2010 and 2019 in rural West China and performed a verbal autopsy for each eligible patient. We calculated the crude and sex-adjusted incidence rate of SUDEP per person-year over a calendar year and the year of follow-up. We calculated the incidence rate ratio with the Poisson model in STATA 12.0 and calculated the annual percentage change (APC) and average annual percentage change in Joinpoint Trend Analysis Software 4.8.0.1 to analyze the trend of SUDEP incidence rate.Results: In 2010–2019, 44 probable SUDEPs were identified from 10,128 patients with a total person-year of 31,347. The crude and sex-adjusted incidence rates of SUDEP were 1.40 and 1.45%0. Twenty-five (56.8%) of the 44 probable SUDEPs had no generalized tonic-clonic seizure 3 months before their death. The incidence of probable SUDEP decreased significantly in the calendar year [APC = −11.7, 95% confidence interval (CI): −21.7 to −0.3] and in time of follow-up (average annual percentage change = −21.2, 95% CI: −34.3 to −5.4). Comparing the first 5 years in follow-up with the subsequent 3 years, the incidence rate of SUDEP decreased significantly (estimated incidence rate ratio = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2 to 0.8).Significance: SUDEP happened to 1.4 cases per thousand patient-years in convulsive epilepsy in rural west China between 2010 and 2019. The incidence rate of SUDEP presented a downward trend over the time of follow-up.


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