Neurophysiological Differences Between Women With Fibromyalgia and Healthy Controls During Dual Task: A Pilot Study

Summary Depression risk is associated with a late chronotype pattern often described as an ‘evening chronotype’. Fluctuations in mood over consecutive days have not yet been measured according to chronotype in in-patients with depression. A total of 30 in-patients with depression and 32 healthy controls matched for gender and age completed a chronotype questionnaire and twice-daily ratings on mood for 10 consecutive days (registered in the German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00010215). The in-patients had Saturdays and Sundays as hospital-leave days. The relationship between chronotype and daily mood was mediated by the weekday–weekend schedule with higher levels of negative affect in the evening-chronotype patient subgroup at weekends. Results are discussed with respect to a probably advantageous standardised clinical setting with early morning routines, especially for patients with evening chronotypes.

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Independent and sensitive gait parameters for objective evaluation in knee and hip osteoarthritis using wearable sensors

BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽

10.1186/s12891-021-04074-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ramon J. Boekesteijn ◽

José M. H. Smolders ◽

Vincent J. J. F. Busch ◽

Alexander C. H. Geurts ◽

Katrijn Smulders

Keyword(s):

Dual Task ◽

Wearable Sensors ◽

Body Motion ◽

Effect Sizes ◽

Upper Body ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Gait Parameters ◽

Dual Task Cost ◽

Dual Task Performance ◽

Spatiotemporal Parameters

Abstract Background Although it is well-established that osteoarthritis (OA) impairs daily-life gait, objective gait assessments are not part of routine clinical evaluation. Wearable inertial sensors provide an easily accessible and fast way to routinely evaluate gait quality in clinical settings. However, during these assessments, more complex and meaningful aspects of daily-life gait, including turning, dual-task performance, and upper body motion, are often overlooked. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate turning, dual-task performance, and upper body motion in individuals with knee or hip OA in addition to more commonly assessed spatiotemporal gait parameters using wearable sensors. Methods Gait was compared between individuals with unilateral knee (n = 25) or hip OA (n = 26) scheduled for joint replacement, and healthy controls (n = 27). For 2 min, participants walked back and forth along a 6-m trajectory making 180° turns, with and without a secondary cognitive task. Gait parameters were collected using 4 inertial measurement units on the feet and trunk. To test if dual-task gait, turning, and upper body motion had added value above spatiotemporal parameters, a factor analysis was conducted. Effect sizes were computed as standardized mean difference between OA groups and healthy controls to identify parameters from these gait domains that were sensitive to knee or hip OA. Results Four independent domains of gait were obtained: speed-spatial, speed-temporal, dual-task cost, and upper body motion. Turning parameters constituted a gait domain together with cadence. From the domains that were obtained, stride length (speed-spatial) and cadence (speed-temporal) had the strongest effect sizes for both knee and hip OA. Upper body motion (lumbar sagittal range of motion), showed a strong effect size when comparing hip OA with healthy controls. Parameters reflecting dual-task cost were not sensitive to knee or hip OA. Conclusions Besides more commonly reported spatiotemporal parameters, only upper body motion provided non-redundant and sensitive parameters representing gait adaptations in individuals with hip OA. Turning parameters were sensitive to knee and hip OA, but were not independent from speed-related gait parameters. Dual-task parameters had limited additional value for evaluating gait in knee and hip OA, although dual-task cost constituted a separate gait domain. Future steps should include testing responsiveness of these gait domains to interventions aiming to improve mobility.

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Su1664 Development of a New Algorithm for an Automated Detection and Characterization of Bile Ducts From ERCP Images: a Pilot Study in Patients With Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and Healthy Controls

Gastrointestinal Endoscopy ◽

10.1016/j.gie.2014.02.408 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 79 (5) ◽

pp. AB358-AB359

Author(s):

Carsten Schmidt ◽

Christian LautenschläGER ◽

Janin LautenschläGER ◽

Herbert SüSse ◽

Joachim Denzler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis ◽

Sclerosing Cholangitis ◽

Bile Ducts ◽

Automated Detection ◽

Healthy Controls

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Case-Control Pilot Study of Soft Contact Lens Wearers With Corneal Infiltrative Events and Healthy Controls

Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Science ◽

10.1167/iovs.15-18512 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 57 (1) ◽

pp. 47 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Kathryn Richdale ◽

Dawn Y. Lam ◽

Heidi Wagner ◽

Aaron B. Zimmerman ◽

Beth T. Kinoshita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Contact Lens ◽

Case Control ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Soft Contact ◽

Soft Contact Lens

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Monitoring Migraine Cycle Dynamics with an Easy-to-Use Electrophysiological Marker—A Pilot Study

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s18113918 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 3918 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Goded Shahaf ◽

Pora Kuperman ◽

Yuval Bloch ◽

Shahak Yariv ◽

Yelena Granovsky

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Stress Level ◽

Event Related Potentials ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Preliminary Results ◽

Auditory Oddball ◽

Control Subjects ◽

Related Potentials ◽

Auditory Oddball Task ◽

The Brain

Migraine attacks can cause significant discomfort and reduced functioning for days at a time, including the pre-ictal and post-ictal periods. During the inter-ictsal period, however, migraineurs seem to function normally. It is puzzling, therefore, that event-related potentials of migraine patients often differ in the asymptomatic and inter-ictal period. Part of the electrophysiological dynamics demonstrated in the migraine cycle are attention related. In this pilot study we evaluated an easy-to-use new marker, the Brain Engagement Index (BEI), for attention monitoring during the migraine cycle. We sampled 12 migraine patients for 20 days within one calendar month. Each session consisted of subjects’ reports of stress level and migraine-related symptoms, and a 5 min EEG recording, with a 2-electrode EEG device, during an auditory oddball task. The first minute of the EEG sample was analyzed. Repetitive samples were also obtained from 10 healthy controls. The brain engagement index increased significantly during the pre-ictal (p ≈ 0.001) and the ictal (p ≈ 0.020) periods compared with the inter-ictal period. No difference was observed between the pre-ictal and ictal periods. Control subjects demonstrated intermediate Brain Engagement Index values, that is, higher than inter-ictal, yet lower than pre-ictal. Our preliminary results demonstrate the potential advantage of the use of a simple EEG system for improved prediction of migraine attacks. Further study is required to evaluate the efficacy of the Brain Engagement Index in monitoring the migraine cycle and the possible effects of interventions.

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Comparing task-induced psychophysiological responses between persons with stress-related complaints and healthy controls: A methodological pilot study

Health Science Reports ◽

10.1002/hsr2.60 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (8) ◽

pp. e60 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Elena Smets ◽

Giuseppina Schiavone ◽

Emmanuel Rios Velazquez ◽

Walter De Raedt ◽

Katleen Bogaerts ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Psychophysiological Responses

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Genotoxicity in Patients on Long-term Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy in Korea: A Nested Case-control, Prospective, Pilot Study

The Korean Journal of Helicobacter and Upper Gastrointestinal Research ◽

10.7704/kjhugr.2019.0027 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 47-53 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Youn I Choi ◽

Jun-Won Chung ◽

Dong Kyun Park ◽

Kyoung Oh Kim ◽

Kwang An Kwon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Medical History ◽

Proton Pump ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Self Report ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Control Subjects ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Healthy Control

Background/Aims: Although proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) remain a mainstay for the suppression of gastric acid secretion, long-term PPI use is associated with side effects. However, the genotoxicity associated with long-term PPI use is unclear.Materials and Methods: This prospective observational pilot study enrolled patients who had been on PPIs for >1 year and healthy controls from July 2015 to August 2016. The subjects completed self-report questionnaires pertaining to their drug and medical history, and only those with no medical history and a ≥2-year wash-out period (for drugs other than PPIs) were included. We collected peripheral-blood lymphocytes from long-term PPI users and healthy controls and analyzed the genotoxicity by using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay; we also determined the fasting serum levels of pyridoxine, folate, cobalamin, and homocysteine.Results: Ten long-term PPI users and 40 healthy control subjects were enrolled. The median serum pyridoxine, folate, cobalamin, and homocysteine levels were not significantly different between the groups. The median frequencies of micronuclei (MNi), nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs), and nuclear buds (Nbuds) per 1,000 binucleated cells, in long-term PPI users and healthy controls, were 30.3 and 16.3 (P<0.005), 2.5 and 1.8 (P<0.005), and 9.3 and 5.0 (P<0.005), respectively. Even after adjustment for confounding factors, the OR of the MNi, NPBs, and Nbuds for long-term PPI users compared with healthy control subjects were 14.1 (P<0.001), 2.0 (P=0.001), and 1.3 (P=0.3), respectively.Conclusions: Long-term PPI use was significantly associated with an increased risk of genotoxicity after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, medical history, drug history, and the serum levels of vitamins.

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Utility of Olfactory test as screening tool for COVID-19: A pilot study

10.1101/2020.09.03.20187294 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Pragyanshu Khare ◽

Atul Munish Chander ◽

Kanhaiya Agrawal ◽

Satyam Singh Jayant ◽

Soham Mukherjee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Preliminary Data ◽

Screening Test ◽

Screening Tool ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Olfactory Test ◽

Smell Test ◽

Variable Sensitivity ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Smell Function

Loss of smell function (Anosmia) is reported to be associated with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. The present study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of an indigenously developed prototype smell test to identify/diagnose asymptomatic COVID-19 positive individuals. A panel of five different odorants belonging to Indian household with unique and mutually exclusive odor were used to develop prototype kit to test the hypothesis. The developed prototype kit was tested at 2 centers (N=49 and 34) with slight modifications. Simultaneously, the kit was also tested on 55 (N=35 and 20) healthy controls. Our results indicate that otherwise asymptomatic COVID-19 positive individuals were having quantifiable deficit in smell sensation. Interestingly, the variable sensitivity of different odorants was observed in different patients. None of the healthy controls reported difficulty in sensing any of the odorant, whereas, some of healthy controls did misidentify the odorants. Overall, the present study provides a preliminary data that loss in smell sensation for various odorants can be exploited as a quick and affordable screening test to identify infected cases among at risk individuals.

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Metabolomics pilot study identifies circadian desynchronization and distinct intra-patient variability patterns in critical illness

10.1101/2019.12.09.19014225 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth R. Lusczek ◽

Lee Parsons ◽

Jesse Elder ◽

Stephen B. Harvey ◽

Mariya Skube ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Circadian Rhythms ◽

Vital Signs ◽

Principal Component ◽

Underlying Disease ◽

Plasma Metabolites ◽

Metabolic Profiles ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Icu Patients ◽

Sound Levels

AbstractBackgroundSynchronized circadian rhythms play a key role in coordinating physiologic health. Desynchronized circadian rhythms may predispose individuals to disease or be indicative of underlying disease. Intensive care unit (ICU) patients likely experience desynchronized circadian rhythms due to disruptive environmental conditions in the ICU and underlying pathophysiology. This observational pilot study was undertaken to determine if circadian rhythms are altered in ICU patients relative to healthy controls by profiling circadian rhythms in vital signs and plasma metabolites.MethodsWe monitored circadian rhythms in 5 healthy controls and 5 ICU patients for 24 hours. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured every 30 minutes, temperature was measured every hour, and blood was sampled for mass spectrometry-based plasma metabolomics every 4 hours. Bedside sound levels were measured every minute. Circadian rhythms were evaluated in vitals and plasma metabolites individually and in each group using the cosinor method.ResultsICU patient rooms were significantly louder than healthy controls’ rooms and average noise levels were above EPA recommendations. Healthy controls generally had significant circadian rhythms individually and as a group. While a few ICU patients had significant circadian rhythms in isolated variables, no significant rhythms were identified in ICU patients as a group, except in cortisol. This indicates a lack of coherence in circadian phases and amplitudes among ICU patients. Finally, principal component analysis of metabolic profiles showed surprising patterns in plasma sample clustering. Each ICU patient’s samples were clearly discernable in individual clusters, separate from a single cluster of healthy controls.ConclusionsICU patients’ circadian rhythms show significant desynchronization compared to healthy controls. Clustering of plasma metabolic profiles suggests that metabolomics could be used to track individual patients’ clinical courses longitudinally. Our results show global disordering of metabolism and the circadian system in ICU patients which should be characterized further in order to determine implications for patient care.

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A Pilot Study Investigating a Novel Non-Linear Measure of Eyes Open versus Eyes Closed EEG Synchronization in People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Controls

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci8070134 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 134 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Daniel Blackburn ◽

Yifan Zhao ◽

Matteo De Marco ◽

Simon Bell ◽

Fei He ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Resting State ◽

Low Cost ◽

Linear Measure ◽

Ageing Population ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Causality Test ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Eyes Open

Background: The incidence of Alzheimer disease (AD) is increasing with the ageing population. The development of low cost non-invasive diagnostic aids for AD is a research priority. This pilot study investigated whether an approach based on a novel dynamic quantitative parametric EEG method could detect abnormalities in people with AD. Methods: 20 patients with probable AD, 20 matched healthy controls (HC) and 4 patients with probable fronto temporal dementia (FTD) were included. All had detailed neuropsychology along with structural, resting state fMRI and EEG. EEG data were analyzed using the Error Reduction Ratio-causality (ERR-causality) test that can capture both linear and nonlinear interactions between different EEG recording areas. The 95% confidence intervals of EEG levels of bi-centroparietal synchronization were estimated for eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) states. Results: In the EC state, AD patients and HC had very similar levels of bi-centro parietal synchronization; but in the EO resting state, patients with AD had significantly higher levels of synchronization (AD = 0.44; interquartile range (IQR) 0.41 vs. HC = 0.15; IQR 0.17, p < 0.0001). The EO/EC synchronization ratio, a measure of the dynamic changes between the two states, also showed significant differences between these two groups (AD ratio 0.78 versus HC ratio 0.37 p < 0.0001). EO synchronization was also significantly different between AD and FTD (FTD = 0.075; IQR 0.03, p < 0.0001). However, the EO/EC ratio was not informative in the FTD group due to very low levels of synchronization in both states (EO and EC). Conclusion: In this pilot work, resting state quantitative EEG shows significant differences between healthy controls and patients with AD. This approach has the potential to develop into a useful non-invasive and economical diagnostic aid in AD.

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