Tag: pubmed

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2026;1487:141-153. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-03398-7_16.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Epilepsy is a serious chronic neurological disorder affecting more than 50 million people globally. Social support has been consistently linked to improved health outcomes in a variety of chronic illnesses.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of perceived social support on anxiety/depression among persons with epilepsy (PWE).

METHODS AND MATERIAL: The sample of the study consisted of 100 PWE visiting an outpatient clinic of a public hospital in Greece. Data were collected via interviews using the scales “Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MPSS)” and “The Hospital Anxiety And Depression Scale (HADs)” for the evaluation of social support and anxiety/depression, respectively, which also included participants’ characteristics.

RESULTS: According to the results, at least 50% of the sample scored over 19, 18, and 19 (median) in perceived social support from significant ones, family, and friends, respectively. These values in relation to the possible range of scores (4-28) indicate moderate social support of participants. There was a statistically significant association between social support either by significant ones or family or friends and participants’ anxiety-depression (p < 0.001). Participants who reported anxiety or depression had lower support scores than patients who did not. Furthermore, anxiety and depression were statistically significant associated with PWE who reported not to receive their medicine strictly (p = 0.002, p = 0.002), concealed epilepsy (p = 0.044, p = 0.025), faced financial difficulties due to epilepsy (p = 0.034, p = 0.001), and had insomnia (p = 0.001, p = 0.001), respectively.

CONCLUSION: Findings underscore the need to enhance social support as an important component of PWE management. It is essential for health professionals to encourage PWE to express their feelings and address their needs, in order to enjoy social support and confront with the psychological burden of the disease.

PMID:41273558 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-032-03398-7_16

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2026;1487:125-128. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-03398-7_14.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The uncoupling of cerebral oxygenation is interconnected with brain hydration dynamics and is essential for understanding the characteristics of intracerebral hemorrhage pathomorphosis. The aim was to study the brain hydration and cerebral oxygen saturation status changes in perilesional penumbra foci (PPF) in moderate isolated traumatic brain injury (moiTBI) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-seven moiTBI patients (women 35 and men 42, median age 37 years) with unilateral lesions (Marshall Score II-III) were included in this study. Net water uptake was measured in PPF using non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) 2 days after admission. NWU in hypoattenuated zones of PPF was calculated using NCCT. Cerebral oxygen saturation (SctO₂) was measured in the frontal lobes. Data are shown as a median [interquartile range]. Statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric statistics.

RESULTS: In PPF, SctO₂ was 64.03% [60.1;67.0], and NWU was 4.98% [2.21;7.39]. Increased NWU values in PPF were significantly inversely correlated with SctO₂ (r = -0.608, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Brain edema parameters in PPF were significantly associated with cerebral O₂ saturation disturbances in moiTBI.

PMID:41273556 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-032-03398-7_14

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2026;1487:115-123. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-03398-7_13.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) significantly affects patients’ quality of life (QoL) due to its physical, cognitive, and psychological consequences. Despite increasing TBI incidents, advancements in medical care have improved survival rates, raising the need to understand the economic burden and its impact on QoL.

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the impact of living cost on the QoL of patients with moderate and severe TBI.

METHOD: The study involved patients aged 18-70 years hospitalized at the General Hospital KAT in Athens, Greece, with moderate and severe TBI. QoL was measured using the Short Form Questionnaire (SF-36) questionnaire, while living cost were assessed using a specialized questionnaire. Data were collected upon hospital discharge, at 6 months, and at 12 months postdischarge.

RESULTS: The study included 50 patients with a mean age of 37.80 ± 8.16 years; 64% had moderate TBI, and 36% had severe TBI. The SF-36 scores indicated significantly lower QoL for patients with severe TBI. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between higher monthly family income and better QoL (p < 0.05). The average total rehabilitation cost in the first 6 months post discharge was €2338.80 ± 282.14, and the total financial loss per household was €4392.80 ± 652.39. Higher rehabilitation costs were associated with lower QoL scores, particularly in mental health and social functioning dimensions.

CONCLUSION: The study highlights the substantial economic burden of TBI rehabilitation and its negative impact on QoL. Financial stability and injury severity are critical factors influencing patients’ recovery and well-being. Comprehensive support systems addressing both financial and healthcare needs are essential to enhance the QoL of TBI patients.

PMID:41273555 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-032-03398-7_13

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2026;1487:59-62. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-03398-7_7.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim was to study visual perception changes based on eye-tracking data assessments in response to transcranial photobiomodulation (t-PBM) in young, healthy subjects.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our non-randomized single-center study involving 53 young, healthy volunteers (22 men and 31 women). The eye tracking procedure (EyeTracker, BVG Software Group LLC, CA, USA) was carried out before and immediately after t-PBM (Elmedlife H, RF). Data were expressed as a median [interquartile range]. Statistical analysis was performed using the T- criterion Wilcoxon. The significance level was preset p < 0.05.

RESULTS: Vertical vergence reactivity indexes (VRx) after t-PBM were significantly higher than before 0.881 [0.841; 0.914] vs. 0.784 [0.711; 0.832], p < 0.05, respectively. Horizontal VRx before t-PBM were significantly lower than after t-PBM 0.893 [0.822; 0.935] vs. 0.920 [0.917; 0.929], p < 0.05.

CONCLUSION: Transcranial PBM improves visual perception in young, healthy volunteers, as reflected by a significant increase in both vergence reactivity indices.

PMID:41273549 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-032-03398-7_7

Adv Exp Med Biol. 2026;1487:53-57. doi: 10.1007/978-3-032-03398-7_6.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the dynamics of cerebral arterial stiffness based on cerebral arterial compliance (CAC) changes during the acute stage of severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined 75 patients with severe TBI (men 52 and women 23). During or immediately after dynamic computed tomography angiography (DCTA), the monitoring of the transcranial Doppler of the MCA was recorded bilaterally with 2-MHz probes in the first days after trauma (first control point) and in 10-14 days of acute stage of sTBI (second control point). The cerebral blood volumes were calculated from the DCTA data using complex mathematical procedures using the “direct flow model” algorithm. Data were normally distributed and expressed as mean ± standard deviation. The statistical analysis was performed using parametric statistics and correlation analysis methods. The level of significance was p < 0.05.

RESULTS: CAC was significantly decreased (p < 0.001) in both the control points. The stiffness of middle cerebral arteries significantly (p < 0.05) increases in the first days and stays increased during all acute stages of severe TBI. The CAC was significantly correlated with CBF (r = -0.161, p < 0.05).

PMID:41273548 | DOI:10.1007/978-3-032-03398-7_6

Clin Rheumatol. 2025 Nov 22. doi: 10.1007/s10067-025-07828-8. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of chemokine CXCL10 in clinical stratification across the spectrum of diseases encompassing giant cell arteritis (GCA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).

METHODS: A total of eight newly diagnosed GCA patients (active GCA group), nine treated and remitted GCA patients (remission GCA group), 40 newly diagnosed PMR patients (active PMR group), 37 PMR patients in remission, and 31 healthy individuals undergoing physical examinations (healthy control group) were selected. Serum CXCL10 levels were measured using ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the role of CXCL10 in differential diagnosis and clinical stratification within the GCA-PMR spectrum disease.

RESULTS: Serum CXCL10 levels in the active GCA group were significantly higher than in the healthy control group (Z = – 3.826, P < 0.001) and the active PMR group (Z = – 3.071, P = 0.001). Serum CXCL10 levels in the GCA remission group were significantly higher than in the healthy control group (Z = – 3.806, P < 0.001) and the PMR remission group (Z = – 3.918, P < 0.001). The ROC curve analysis indicates that CXCL10 is valuable for differential diagnosis between active GCA and PMR (AUC = 0.847, sensitivity = 0.7, specificity = 1, cut-off value = 51.87), as well as between remission-phase GCA and PMR (AUC = 0.925, sensitivity = 0.838, specificity = 1, cut-off value = 45.17).

CONCLUSION: The chemokine CXCL10 may be involved in the pathogenesis of GCA and helps distinguish between clinical stratification of GCA and PMR within GPSD. Key Points • The concentrations of CXCL10 was higher in peripheral blood of GCA patients. • The level of CXCL10 might contribute to the stratification of GCA-PMR spectrum disease.

PMID:41273539 | DOI:10.1007/s10067-025-07828-8

Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2025 Nov 22. doi: 10.1007/s12024-025-01126-0. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The aim of the current study is to investigate if third molar agenesis is associated with dental maturity variations in Brazilian children. Radiographs of children from 10 to 15 years old were examined and patients with 32 teeth were included in the control group and patients with at least one third molar agenesis were included in the agenesis group. Demirjian’s method was used to calculate dental age and evaluate dental maturity. Dental age was calculated using the Dental Age mobile app. The dental maturity was determined by calculating the difference between dental age and chronological age (DA-CA), in which positive, negative, and null values indicated advanced, delayed, or normal dental development, respectively. T test and ANOVA were used for comparisons. The Pearson correlation test was used to evaluate the relationship between chronological age and dental age (alpha = 5%). A total of 336 patients were included, 58 (17.3%) had at least one third molar agenesis. Third molar agenesis was associated with delayed dental maturity (p = 0.0294). Patients with 3 or 4 missing third molars had statistically significantly more delayed dental development compared with control patients (p = 0.0001) and patients with 1or 2 third molar agenesis (p = 0.0290). Individuals with third molar agenesis present delayed dental maturity. Our results also suggested that the number missing third molars are associated with the delayed maturity. Individuals with third molar agenesis showed delayed dental maturity, which was more pronounced in those missing three or four third molars. These findings suggest that the extent of agenesis is associated with the magnitude of maturational delay.

PMID:41273500 | DOI:10.1007/s12024-025-01126-0

Biometrics. 2025 Oct 8;81(4):ujaf154. doi: 10.1093/biomtc/ujaf154.

ABSTRACT

Online health communities (OHCs) provide a platform for patients and those related to share and communicate, making complex medical information more digestible and actionable. Health communication within OHCs can be impacted by other information sources. This study examines cross-platform health communication by mining Breastcancer.org (the largest online breast cancer community) and Twitter (now X). Early analyses of OHCs, Twitter, and other online platforms often adopt simple measures like word frequency, and more recent research has shifted towards word co-occurrence network analysis. Relatively, cross-platform communication analysis is limited, and the adopted techniques have drawbacks. We propose a new cross-platform communication model that collectively analyzes word co-occurrence networks and word frequency vectors. Here, the former describe the structural contents of health communication, and the latter describe the volumes. This model offers a nuanced perspective, accommodates temporal variations, and is examined for its theoretical and numerical properties. Collected from January 2010 to December 2020, the analyzed data contains over 1 395 000 tweets and 517 000 posts. Our analysis suggests that the Twitter’s topics on breast cancer significantly impact the contents and volumes in the OHC. Distinct time phases are observed, with notable peaks during 2012-2013 and 2015-2018. This study can provide a venue for better understanding health communication and new insights into two highly important online platforms.

PMID:41273214 | DOI:10.1093/biomtc/ujaf154

Acta Orthop. 2025 Nov 22;96:857-866. doi: 10.2340/17453674.2025.44597.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Our aim was to study the association between chronic preoperative opioid use and 1-year revision rate, mortality, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after primary total knee and hip arthroplasty (TKA/THA). We also investigated whether age, sex, or BMI modified these associations.

METHODS: TKAs and THAs performed for osteoarthritis between 2013 and 2018, originating from the Dutch Arthroplasty Register, were linked to the Dutch Foundation for Pharmaceutical Statistics. Chronic preoperative opioid use was defined as > 1,800 morphine mg equivalent dispensed 1 year before surgery and ≥ 1 opioid prescribed 30 days before surgery. Outcomes were 1-year revision rate, mortality, self-reported physical functioning, pain, and quality of life (QoL). Incidence rates were calculated; Cox regression and linear mixed models were used. We assessed effect modification by assessment of supra-additive effects.

RESULTS: Preoperative chronic opioid use occurred in 4.5% of 29,739 THAs and 3.4% of 27,873 TKAs. Chronic opioid use doubled mortality and revision rates for both TKAs and THAs (range of hazard ratios 1.7-2.1). The association of preoperative opioid use with 1-year revision rate was larger in males, in patients with a BMI ≤ 30 (THA) and > 30 (TKA), and 66-75-year-olds. Younger patients exhibited a more pronounced association between opioid use and reduced physical functioning and QoL, and increased pain. Sex and BMI had no modifying effects on PROs.

CONCLUSION: Preoperative chronic opioid use was associated with a higher likelihood of 1-year revision and mortality and worse PROs. The associations with revision risk were modified by age, sex, and BMI. Age also had a modifying effect on PROs.

PMID:41273199 | DOI:10.2340/17453674.2025.44597

Database (Oxford). 2025 Jan 18;2025:baaf073. doi: 10.1093/database/baaf073.

ABSTRACT

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) provides extensive public data on demographics, health, and nutrition, collected in 2-year cycles since 1999. Although invaluable for epidemiological and health-related research, the complexity of NHANES data, involving numerous files and disjoint metadata, makes accessing, managing, and analysing these datasets challenging. This paper presents a reproducible computational environment built upon Docker containers, PostgreSQL databases, and R/RStudio, designed to streamline NHANES data management, facilitate rigorous quality control, and simplify analyses across multiple survey cycles. We introduce specialized tools, such as the enhanced nhanesA R package and the phonto R package, to provide fast access to data, to help manage metadata, and to handle complexities arising from questionnaire design and cross-cycle data inconsistencies. Furthermore, we describe the Epiconnector platform, established to foster collaborative sharing of code, analytical scripts, and best practices, which taken together, can significantly enhance the reproducibility, extensibility, and robustness of scientific research using NHANES data.

PMID:41273197 | DOI:10.1093/database/baaf073