Category: Nevin Manimala

J Integr Neurosci. 2025 Jan 7;24(1):25731. doi: 10.31083/JIN25731.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Observation, execution, and imitation of target actions based on mirror neuron network (MNN) have become common physiotherapy strategies. Electrical stimulation (ES) is a common intervention to improve muscle strength and motor control in rehabilitation treatments. It is possible to enhance MNN’s activation by combining motor execution (ME) and motor imitation (MI) with ES simultaneously. This study aims to reveal whether ES could impact cortical activation during ME and MI.

METHODS: We recruited healthy individuals and assigned them randomly to the control group (CG) or experiment group (EG). Participants in EG performed ME and MI tasks with ES, while participants in CG performed the same two tasks with sham ES. We utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to detect brain activation of MNN during ME and MI with and without ES, a randomized block design experiment paradigm was designed. Descriptive analysis of oxy-hemoglobin (HbO) and deoxy-hemoglobin (HbR) were used to show the hemoglobin (Hb) concentration changes after different event onsets in both CG and EG, a linear mixed-effects model (LMM) of HbO data was employed to analyze the effect of ES on the activation of MNN.

RESULTS: A total of 102 healthy adults were recruited and 72 participants’ data were analysed in the final report. The block averaged Hb data showed that HbO concentration increased and HbR concentration decreased in most MNN regions during ME and MI in both groups. The LMM results showed that ES can significantly improve the activation of inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, and precentral gyrus during MI, the supplementary motor area, inferior parietal lobule, and superior temporal gyri showed increased activation, but without statistical significance. Although the results did not reach statistical significance during ME, ES still showed positive effects on increased overall activations.

CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we present potential novel rehabilitation approaches that combines MNN strategies and low-frequency ES to enhance cortical activation. Our results revealed that ES has potential to increase activation of most MNN brain areas, providing evidence for related rehabilitative interventions and device development.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on the China Clinical Trial Registration Center (identifier: ChiCTR2200064082, registered 26, September 2022, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=178285).

PMID:39862008 | DOI:10.31083/JIN25731

Artif Organs. 2025 Jan 24. doi: 10.1111/aor.14953. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation (KT) is the most effective treatment for end-stage renal disease. End-ischemic hypothermic machine perfusion (EI-HMP) has emerged as a promising method for preserving grafts before transplantation. This study aimed to compare graft function recovery in KT recipients of deceased brain-death (DBD) grafts preserved with EI-HMP versus static cold storage (SCS). The primary outcome was the rate of delayed graft function (DGF). Secondary outcomes included urine output, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, hospital stay duration, and survival rates.

METHODS: A retrospective, single-center observational study was conducted at Sapienza University of Rome, analyzing 313 KT patients between January 2014 and September 2021. Patients were stratified into two groups based on graft preservation methods (EI-HMP, n = 95; SCS, n = 218). A stabilized inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) method was employed to adjust for potential confounders.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in DGF rates between the two groups (17.9% vs. 15.6% in SCS and EI-HMP cases, respectively; p = 0.75). EI-HMP group demonstrated a higher urine output on day 2 (p = 0.046), a shorter ICU stay (p < 0.0001), and a trend toward a shorter overall hospital stay (p = 0.07). No statistically significant differences were found between EI-HMP and SCS cases in 1- and 3-year overall survival rates (3.2% and 6.7% vs. 5.6% and 6.6%, respectively; log-rank p = 0.53) or in death-censored graft loss rates (5.4% and 8.9% vs. 5.7% and 7.3%, respectively; log-rank p = 0.88). In a sub-analysis of expanded criteria donors (ECD), EI-HMP demonstrated a protective effect by reducing the risk of DGF (OR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.09-0.95; p = 0.047).

CONCLUSION: EI-HMP was associated with certain short-term benefits, including increased urine output and reduced ICU stays, but showed no significant impact on long-term survival outcomes. A reduction in DGF rates was observed only in the ECD subgroup. Randomized controlled trials are necessary to further investigate the long-term clinical benefits of EI-HMP.

PMID:39861988 | DOI:10.1111/aor.14953

Disabil Rehabil. 2025 Jan 24:1-9. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2025.2454299. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The Trunk Impairment Scale-modified Norwegian version (TIS-modNV) measures trunk control for clinical and research purposes. This study examined the validity and reliability of the TIS-modNV in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-eight pwMS (mild to moderate) participated. The TIS-modNV and the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest) scores were compared for construct validity using Spearman’s rho (r_s). TIS-modNV performance was videotaped and rated by four physiotherapists on two occasions. The inter- and intrarater reliability was analyzed via intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard errors of measurement (SEM), Bland-Altman plots, and kappa statistics (k).

RESULTS: Validity was demonstrated (r_s = 0.55-0.61). Interrater reliability for the total score was moderate to good (ICC(A,1) =0.67; ICC(C,1) = 0.78), and the SEM was 2 points (12.8%). Interrater reliability varied across the rater pairs (ICC(A,1) = 0.54-0.81) as displayed in the Bland-Altman plots. Item-level interrater agreement varied from poor to good (k = 0.10-0.79). Intrarater reliability of the total scores was moderate to good (ICC(A,1) = 0.67-0.82).

CONCLUSION: This study supports the construct validity and overall reliability of the TIS-modNV in pwMS with mild to moderate disability. However, variations in rater reliability need to be addressed.

PMID:39861987 | DOI:10.1080/09638288.2025.2454299

Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2025 Jan 24. doi: 10.1002/uog.29175. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:39861966 | DOI:10.1002/uog.29175

J Insect Sci. 2025 Jan 20;25(1):5. doi: 10.1093/jisesa/ieaf002.

ABSTRACT

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and marker recognition algorithms can offer an efficient and non-intrusive means of tracking animal positions. As such, they have become important tools for invertebrate behavioral research. Both approaches require fixing a tag or marker to the study organism, and so it is useful to quantify the effects such procedures have on behavior before proceeding with further research. However, frequently studies do not report doing such tests. Here, we demonstrate a time-efficient and accessible method for quantifying the impact of tagging on individual movement using open-source automated video tracking software. We tested the effect of RFID tags and tags suitable for marker recognition algorithms on the movement of Argentinian wood roaches (Blapicta dubia, Blattodea: Blaberidae) by filming tagged and untagged roaches in laboratory conditions. We employed DeepLabCut on the resultant videos to track cockroach movement and extract measures of behavioral traits. We found no statistically significant differences between RFID tagged and untagged groups in average speed over the trial period, the number of unique zones explored, and the number of discrete walks. However, groups that were tagged with labels for marker recognition had significantly higher values for all 3 metrics. We therefore support the use of RFID tags to monitor the behavior of B. dubia but note that the effect of using labels suitable for label recognition to identify individuals should be taken into consideration when measuring B.dubia behavior. We hope that this study can provide an accessible and viable roadmap for further work investigating the effects of tagging on insect behavior.

PMID:39861965 | DOI:10.1093/jisesa/ieaf002

Stat Med. 2025 Feb 10;44(3-4):e10302. doi: 10.1002/sim.10302.

ABSTRACT

The recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidance on complex innovative trial designs acknowledges the use of Bayesian strategies to incorporate historical information based on clinical expertise and data similarity. Also, data from multiple previous studies with similar settings often qualify for historical borrowing. Although several classes of informative priors can semi-automatically leverage historical information based on data compatibility, it is common that some exogenous factors, such as the year of patient enrollment, can also influence the relevance of each historical study to the current trial. Consequently, a natural a priori ordering among historical trials often arises, a constraint that many current informative priors fail to accommodate. Motivated by a pediatric lupus clinical study and an oncology trial, we introduce a variant of the power prior, named the ordered normalized power prior, which ensures a targeted order restriction on the power parameters and maintains data-adaptive borrowing. We further explore and compare two distinct normalization strategies and outline computational details with efficient sampling algorithms. The clinical datasets mentioned are analyzed, and extensive simulations are conducted for comparison. An efficient implementation is provided in our updated package NPP available on the Comprehensive R Archive Network.

PMID:39861964 | DOI:10.1002/sim.10302

Cancer Med. 2025 Feb;14(3):e70369. doi: 10.1002/cam4.70369.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Real-world data regarding patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR exon 20 insertion (ex20ins) mutations receiving mobocertinib are limited. This study describes these patients’ characteristics and outcomes.

METHODS: A chart review was conducted across three countries (Canada, France, and Hong Kong), abstracting data from eligible patients (NCT05207423). The inclusion criteria were: ≥ 18 years old; diagnosis of stage IIIB-IV NSCLC with EGFR ex20ins between January 1, 2017 and November 30, 2021; received mobocertinib. Data on demographics, clinical parameters, treatment patterns, mobocertinib exposure, real-world outcomes, and adverse events (AEs) were collected. Results are also reported by Asian/Non-Asian races.

RESULTS: Overall, 105 patients were enrolled (median [IQR] age at initial diagnosis: 64.0 years [56, 71]; women: 62.9%). The most common first-line of therapy (LoT) was chemotherapy; the most common second LoT was EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Most patients received mobocertinib during LoT two and three (74.3%); the maximum dose was 160 mg/day for 67.6% of the cohort (mean [SD] daily dose: 130.6 mg [36.68]). The median real-world progression-free survival (PFS) on mobocertinib was 4.76 months (95% CI: 3.98, 6.21). The overall response rate and disease control rate were 20.0% and 48.6%, respectively (median duration of response: 8.34 months [95% CI: 3.61, 9.49]). The median overall survival (OS) was 26.28 months (95% CI: 20.21, 36.44). Asian patients had numerically superior PFS and OS compared with non-Asian patients. Regarding safety analysis, 73 patients (69.5%) experienced any AE. The most common AE was diarrhea (any grade) (52 patients; 49.5%).

CONCLUSIONS: These data illustrate the real-world effectiveness of mobocertinib.

PMID:39861957 | DOI:10.1002/cam4.70369

J Oral Rehabil. 2025 Jan 24. doi: 10.1111/joor.13936. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a prevalent condition characterised by repeated episodes of partial or complete obstruction of the upper airway during sleep, leading to disrupted sleep and associated morbidities. Orthognathic surgery (OGS) has been proposed as a treatment option for OSAS, aimed at anatomically repositioning the maxillofacial structures to alleviate airway obstruction. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of OGS in reducing apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores among OSAS patients.

METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature search across multiple databases for studies assessing the outcomes of OGS in OSAS patients, focusing on changes in AHI and ESS scores. The inclusion criteria encompassed observational studies, cohort studies, and randomised control trials. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two reviewers. Random-effects meta-analysis was utilised to pool mean differences (MD) of AHI and ESS scores preoperatively and postoperatively, with 95% confidence intervals (CI) calculated.

RESULTS: A total of 8 studies met the inclusion criteria, where OGS was shown to be slightly more effective in correcting OSAS than the other modalities assessed, primarily CPAP. The pooled MD for AHI demonstrated a significant reduction in scores post-OGS (MD = 29.84, 95% CI: 14.17-45.50, p < 0.0001) with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 95%). For ESS, the pooled MD indicated a non-significant reduction (MD = 1.91, 95% CI: -1.29 to 5.12, p = 0.24) with high heterogeneity (I² = 81%).

CONCLUSION: Orthognathic surgery appears to be an effective intervention for reducing AHI in patients with OSAS, suggesting a potential to improve the objective measures of sleep apnea. However, the effect on subjective sleepiness scores, as evaluated by ESS, was not statistically significant. The high heterogeneity among studies warrants individualised patient assessment when considering OGS for OSAS. Further research is needed to identify factors contributing to the variability of outcomes and to assess the long-term benefits and risks associated with the procedure.

PMID:39861956 | DOI:10.1111/joor.13936

Foot Ankle Int. 2025 Jan 24:10711007241309901. doi: 10.1177/10711007241309901. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Total ankle replacement (TAR) has evolved in the last decade from a procedure rife with complication and failure to a promising alternative to arthrodesis. The ability to maintain ankle joint range of motion is showing great promise in patient-reported outcomes, postsurgical pain, as well as long-term sequalae of joint fusion. Although TAR can be performed via either an anterior or lateral approach both with their own sets of benefits and potential complications, the consensus seems to be that one is no better than the other when performed by high-volume surgeons.

METHODS: Data were gathered over a 6-year period looking at an age- and gender-matched cohort of lateral approach TARs with either plate osteosynthesis or fibula nail fixation in the management of the fibula osteotomy and compared reoperation and infection rates with the working hypothesis that nail fixation would afford better outcomes. Secondary outcomes including rates of fibula union, tourniquet time as an adjunct to procedure length, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in the form of FAOS Quality scores were included.

RESULTS: A total of 234 TARs were analyzed. Forty-five of these used intramedullary nail fixation (IM), and a control group of 45 plate osteosynthesis (PO) fixation cases was correlated. The Foot and Ankle International guidelines on reporting for complications arising from total ankle arthroplasty that resulted in reoperation were applied to the data set, and it was noted that 13 of 19 reoperations were noted in the PO group, which was statistically significant. Also of note, 12 of 16 patients treated with antibiotics, which included all those cases within the reoperation group, were noted to come from the PO group. This was also of statistical significance. Interestingly, the rate of fibula nonunion in the PO group was lower (8.88%) than that of the IM group (23.25%).

CONCLUSION: Our results confirmed that the rates of reoperation and infection were statistically significantly improved with the use of nail fixation over plate fixation. This was tempered by a concerningly high nonunion rate. This article shows promising results for the use of a simple technique in improving long-term outcomes in ankle arthroplasty.

PMID:39861943 | DOI:10.1177/10711007241309901

J Clin Nurs. 2025 Jan 24. doi: 10.1111/jocn.17649. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the impact of sleep position preferences (SPP) on sleep quality, comfort and catheter care quality in patients after endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD).

DESIGN: This was an observational prospective study.

METHODS: This study included 167 participants with common bile duct stones (CBDS) who underwent ENBD from the gallstone ward of a hospital as a convenience sample. Data were collected between June 2022 and August 2023. The study utilised the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Athens Insomnia Scale, comfort level, medical device-related pressure injuries (MDRPI), catheter displacement, bile drainage volume and a self-designed questionnaire on demographic and clinical data for data collection. Data analysis included chi-square tests and one-way analysis of variance, with differences between two groups assessed using the LSD-t test. The STROBE checklist was followed.

RESULTS: The postoperative sleep quality of ENBD patients was rated at (8.65 ± 2.91) points. Significant variations in sleep quality were evident among ENBD patients with different SPPs (p < 0.01). Patients favouring left-side and supine positions demonstrated differences in sleep quality compared to those favouring the right-side position (t = 1.45, p < 0.05; t = 1.72, p < 0.01). However, when comparing patients favouring the supine position to those favouring the left-side position, the difference in sleep quality was not statistically significant (t = 0.26, p > 0.05). The postoperative comfort score of ENBD patients was recorded at (5.67 ± 1.54) points. Significant variances in comfort levels were observed among ENBD patients with different SPPs (p < 0.01). Patients favouring left-side and supine positions exhibited differences in comfort levels compared to those favouring the right-side position (t = 1.02, p < 0.05; t = 0.78, p < 0.01). Nevertheless, when comparing patients favouring the supine position to those favouring the left-side position, the difference in comfort level was not statistically significant (t = -0.24, p > 0.05). Among ENBD patients with different SPPs, there were no statistically significant differences in the occurrence of MDRPI, catheter displacement and 24-h bile drainage volume (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The sleep quality and comfort of patients following ENBD are suboptimal, warranting increased attention from healthcare providers. Nasobiliary tube conversion and fixation via the right nostril can negatively impact the sleep quality and comfort of patients with a preference for right-side sleeping. Preoperative training focusing on adjusting sleep positions is recommended, particularly for these patients. Alternatively, personalised modifications in the positioning and fixation of the nasal catheter could be made based on patients’ sleeping position preferences. A multidisciplinary team, including nurses and surgeons, should collaboratively develop tailored nasobiliary drainage plans.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study highlights the importance of addressing sleep quality and comfort in patients undergoing nasobiliary drainage. It is recommended that patients with a preference for the right lateral sleeping position receive preoperative training to adjust their sleep posture. Alternatively, the nasobiliary tube’s exit and fixation points should be customised based on individual sleep preferences. A multidisciplinary team, including nurses and surgeons, should collaborate to develop personalised nasobiliary drainage plans.

PMID:39861927 | DOI:10.1111/jocn.17649