Tag: pubmed

J Neurotrauma. 2026 Apr 7:8977151251412889. doi: 10.1177/08977151251412889. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Post-traumatic headache (PTH) is one of the most disabling sequelae of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI); however, its clinical determinants and long-term trajectories remain poorly defined. We conducted a large, multicenter, prospective follow-up study to characterize the phenotypic spectrum of persistent PTH, identify predictors of persistence, and explore the role of pre-existing migraine in shaping headache outcomes after mTBI. A total of 478 adults (52.1% male, mean age 40.5 ± 18.7 years) with mTBI were recruited and evaluated by experienced neurologists at two time points: immediately after mTBI and at 6 months post injury. Demographic data and detailed headache features were collected using clinical examination and standardized questionnaires, administered face-to-face during the first visit and either face-to-face or by phone at the 6-month follow-up by physicians. Headache-related disability, depression, and insomnia were assessed using the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), respectively. Statistical analyses included classification tree analysis to identify predictors of persistent PTH and K-means clustering to delineate phenotypic subgroups. Overall, 22.6% of patients developed persistent PTH at 6 months. Pre-existing headache (PH) was reported in 31.4% of participants, predominantly migraine (57.3%). Patients with pre-existing migraine more frequently exhibited migraine-like PTH features (throbbing quality, unilateral localization, longer headache attack duration, and associated symptoms such as nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia) and scored significantly higher on the HIT-6, numeric rating scale (NRS) for headache severity, ISI, and BDI, indicating greater disability, pain severity, insomnia, and depressive symptoms (p < 0.01 for all). Classification tree analysis revealed two robust predictors of persistent PTH: acute PTH lasting more than 30 consecutive days and an initial HIT-6 score greater than 45. Furthermore, cluster analysis of patients with persistent PTH identified two phenotypic groups. Cluster 1 (n = 47) comprised patients with ≥ 180 days of continuous headache, high disability, and poor sleep quality, whereas Cluster 2 (n = 60) included patients with shorter headache duration following mTBI (<180 days), lower disability, and infrequent, shorter headache attacks. This study demonstrates that nearly one in four patients with mTBI experiences persistent PTH. Early indicators of persistence, particularly prolonged continuous headache and higher disability, may help identify high-risk individuals who warrant early aggressive, targeted interventions. Recognition of distinct PTH clusters reflects the heterogeneity of this frequent but under-investigated disorder with high burden and highlights the need for early and tailored management strategies.

PMID:41944049 | DOI:10.1177/08977151251412889

J Chem Theory Comput. 2026 Apr 7. doi: 10.1021/acs.jctc.6c00116. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

StochasticGW is a code for computing accurate quasi-particle (QP) energies of molecules and material systems in the GW approximation. StochasticGW utilizes the stochastic Resolution of the Identity (sROI) technique to enable a massively parallel implementation with computational costs that scale semilinearly with system size, allowing the method to access systems with tens of thousands of electrons. We introduce a new implementation, StochasticGW-GPU, for which the main bottleneck steps have been ported to GPUs and give substantial performance improvements over previous versions of the code. We showcase the new code by computing band gaps of hydrogenated silicon clusters (Si_xH_y) containing up to 10,001 atoms and 35,144 electrons, and we obtain individual QP energies with a statistical precision of better than ±0.03 eV with times-to-solution of less than 1 h.

PMID:41944047 | DOI:10.1021/acs.jctc.6c00116

Gut Liver. 2026 Apr 7. doi: 10.5009/gnl250140. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Weight loss following gastric cancer (GC) surgery is a prevalent and significant long-term complication that impacts the patient’s oncologic prognosis and quality of life. The impact of lifestyle changes after surgery with regard to regular exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption on weight loss have not been fully explored. We studied the factors associated with underweight (body mass index <18.5 kg/m²) after gastrectomy, focusing on variation across sex and age groups.

METHODS: We utilized a population-based cohort provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service, which included cancer screening data. In total, 27,854 patients who underwent GC surgery between 2010 and 2016 were included.

RESULTS: Among the 27,854 patients in the study cohort, 3,064 (11.0%) were underweight. Female sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.55 to 1.96; p<0.001) was a significant risk factor for becoming underweight postoperatively. Engaging in regular exercise (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.89; p=0.002) and ceasing smoking (OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.78; p<0.001) emerged as substantial preventive factors against becoming underweight, particularly in female patients. Exercise (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.89; p=0.001) proved more beneficial for patients aged <65 years.

CONCLUSIONS: Smoking cessation and regular exercise are associated with a reduced risk of postoperative underweight in GC patients following gastrectomy.

PMID:41944028 | DOI:10.5009/gnl250140

Sci Prog. 2026 Apr;109(2):368504261441363. doi: 10.1177/00368504261441363. Epub 2026 Apr 7.

ABSTRACT

ObjectivePeripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a prevalent cardiovascular disorder that significantly impairs functional capacity and quality of life. Vascular inflammation is recognized as a key pathophysiological component of PAD. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the associations between a panel of novel, readily available hematological inflammatory indices and the presence of PAD in a nationally representative sample.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study. This investigation utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 to 2004 cycles. PAD diagnosis was rigorously defined according to American Heart Association guidelines, with ankle-brachial index (ABI) values ≤0.9 obtained through standardized bilateral lower extremity doppler measurements and repeated verification protocols. Our analytical approach incorporated advanced statistical methodologies to elucidate complex relationships: Survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted with sequential adjustment for demographic characteristics, clinical covariates, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The inflammatory biomarker panel included both composite indices – Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI), Aggregate Index of Systemic Inflammation (AISI), Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII), Neutrophil-to-HDL ratio (NHR), Monocyte-to-HDL ratio (MHR), Lymphocyte-to-HDL ratio (LHR), Platelet-to-HDL ratio (PHR) and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio (NLR).ResultsAmong 5,954 eligible participants, higher levels of SIRI, MHR, and NHR were significantly associated with an increased odds of prevalent PAD in fully adjusted models. Threshold analysis revealed nonlinear associations for MHR with PAD, with positive associations observed below identified inflection points. In comparative receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, SIRI demonstrated modest discriminatory ability for PAD presence, though its predictive utility, like that of the other indices, was limited.ConclusionIn this large, population-based cross-sectional study, several novel hematological inflammatory indices, particularly SIRI, MHR, and NHR, showed significant associations with prevalent PAD. These findings contribute to the understanding of the inflammatory landscape in PAD. However, their utility for clinical discrimination in a cross-sectional setting appears constrained, highlighting the need for further investigation into their potential roles.

PMID:41944010 | DOI:10.1177/00368504261441363

J Child Lang. 2026 Apr 7:1-24. doi: 10.1017/S0305000926100610. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

This study is concerned with Albanian children speaking a nonstandard dialect who learn Standard Albanian (SA) in primary school. Our main research question is whether the phonetic characteristics of these children’s first dialect are influenced by their learning of SA. We followed longitudinally 48 children in 1st, 2nd, and 5th grades (24 girls, 24 boys, 6-11 years old), some of whom grew up in a village, the others in a city. A picture-naming task was used to record four vowel features of interest, which were analyzed acoustically, then statistically with distributional regression models and generalized additive models. We found evidence that the children’s first dialect was affected by SA, suggesting that by 5th grade, they were not fully proficient at distinguishing between the two systems. The four analyzed features followed different developmental trajectories, similar to adults acquiring a second dialect, and similar to feature selectivity observed in language change.

PMID:41943983 | DOI:10.1017/S0305000926100610

Stat Med. 2026 Apr;45(8-9):e70433. doi: 10.1002/sim.70433.

ABSTRACT

Screening and surveillance programs for cancer, such as colorectal cancer (CRC), often yield electronic health records (EHR) of screening time, test results, and covariates. We consider EHR from CRC surveillance of individuals who have a high cancer risk due to their family history. These individuals, therefore, receive regular colonoscopies with the goal of finding and removing adenomas, precursor lesions to CRC. Our objective is to estimate time to adenoma incidence and explore associations with covariates. However, in doing so, several challenges of the CRC surveillance EHR have to be addressed. Importantly, the adenoma events are interval-censored, meaning the exact event times are unknown and only fall within intervals defined by colonoscopy visits. Furthermore, colonoscopies can miss adenomas due to human or technical error, leading to misclassification of individuals with adenomas as adenoma-free. Finally, the EHR data include individuals with adenomas at baseline, termed prevalent cases. This prevalence status may be unobserved if the baseline colonoscopy is missing or fails to detect existing adenomas. To address these challenges in the CRC EHR, and screening data in general, we develop a new prevalence-incidence mixture model (PIM) with a Bayesian estimation back-end through data augmentation and regularization priors. We show how to fit the model, estimate cumulative incidence functions, and evaluate model fit using information criteria as well as a non-parametric estimator. In extensive simulations, we show good performance of the model when informative priors on the test sensitivity are provided, which is usually possible. An implementation in the R package BayesPIM is provided.

PMID:41943977 | DOI:10.1002/sim.70433

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2026;126(3. Vyp. 2):40-45. doi: 10.17116/jnevro202612603240.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To comprehensively evaluate the neuroprotective potential of Mexidol following systemic administration in various dosage forms in a model of hemorrhagic stroke.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was performed on 130 outbred male rats, weighing 180-200 g and aged 7-8 weeks. All animals were divided into 3 series: Series 1 – intravenous administration of Mexidol at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg; Series 2 – intramuscular administration at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg; Series 3 – intragastric administration at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg. Acute hemorrhagic stroke was modeled by administering autologous blood at a volume of 0.05 ml/kg body weight into the region of the internal capsule of the right hemisphere. Mexidol administration was initiated 30 minutes after modeling acute focal stroke. Twenty-four hours after the surgery, the severity of neurological deficit was assessed using the McGraw Stroke-Index Scale modified by I.V. Gannushkina. Subsequently, the animals were euthanized, the brain was isolated, fixed in formalin, and tomography was performed.

RESULTS: Intravenous administration of Mexidol at a dose of 100 mg/kg led to a statistically significant reduction in the severity of clinical symptoms 24 hours after surgery compared to control animals. Intramuscular administration produced a similar effect at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg, while intragastric administration did so at doses of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg. Intravenous and intramuscular administration of Mexidol at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg did not affect the size of the brain lesion in rats, whereas intragastric administration of Mexidol at a dose of 200 mg/kg led to its reduction.

CONCLUSION: The obtained results indicate that, in cases of small intracranial hematomas (e.g., those remaining after surgical removal of the initial hematoma), Mexidol exerts a pronounced neuroprotective effect.

PMID:41943960 | DOI:10.17116/jnevro202612603240

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2026;126(3. Vyp. 2):12-20. doi: 10.17116/jnevro202612603212.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To study the features of left ventricle (LV) structural adjustment and comorbidity in patients with chronic cerebral ischemia (CCI) based on gender.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 316 patients diagnosed with chronic cerebral ischemia with a mean age of 61.9 years (range 36 to 86 years). All patients underwent a general clinical examination, assessment of echocardiography parameters, and measurement of the thickness of the common carotid artery (CCA) intima-media complex (IMC). The patients were divided into two groups based on gender: Group I included males (n=170), and Group II included females (n=146).

RESULTS: In males with CCI, the CCA IMC thickness (1.23±0.14 mm vs 1.16±0.11 mm, p<0.05) and the prevalence of atherosclerotic changes (57.6% vs 34.9%, p<0.05) were significantly higher than in females. Normal LV geometry was reported in 59.4% of males and only in 37.0% of females (p<0.05). The frequency of concentric LV remodeling was 8.8% in males and 6.2% in females. LV hypertrophy (LVH) was detected in 31.8% of males and 56.8% of females (p<0.05). The concentric type of LVH was more common in males (68.5%), whereas the eccentric type prevailed in females (74.7%). A statistically significant correlation of CCA IMC thickness with age (r=0.234), systolic (r=0.209) and diastolic blood pressure (r=0.151), hemoglobin concentration (r=-0.245), end-systolic LV size (r=0.125), end-systolic (r=0.151) and end-diastolic (r=0.135) LV volumes, as well as LV myocardial mass index (r=0.132) in the total sample was found. In the male group, CCA IMC thickness correlated with body mass index (r=0.291) and diastolic blood pressure (r=0.210). In the female group, strong correlations were found with hemoglobin concentration (r=-0.732) and end-systolic LV volume (r=0.176).

CONCLUSION: In patients with CCI, the most common morphofunctional LV changes were concentric LVH in males and eccentric LVH in females.

PMID:41943956 | DOI:10.17116/jnevro202612603212

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2026 Apr 7;35:e23. doi: 10.1017/S2045796026100638.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: Significant sex disparities in mental health have been observed amongst resettled refugees, yet how these disparities and their determinants evolve over time remains unclear. This study sought to quantitatively unravel determinants and changes in mental health disparities by sex.

METHODS: Data were drawn from Waves 1 (2013-2014), 5 (2017-2018) and 6 (2023) of the 10-year Building a New Life in Australia (BNLA) cohort. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and high risk of severe mental illness (HR-SMI) were measured using the PTSD-8 and Kessler-6 scales. Fairlie method was used to quantify the disparity (total predicted probability difference by sex) and the contribution proportion of individual determinants (explained difference/total predicted probability difference × 100%).

RESULTS: A total of 2261 refugees were included at Wave 1, with 1833 (81.1%) and 905 (40.0%) followed up at Waves 5 and 6. Female refugees consistently experienced poor mental health, with the total predicted probability difference decreasing from the initial (Wave 1, 8.3%) to middle stage (Wave 5, 4.6%), then increasing in the long term (Wave 6, 6.3%). Determinants of disparities varied across waves, but poor status of physical health was a persistent contributor of disparities in PTSD (contribution proportion: 57.2%, 71.5% and 63.0% at each wave). Family conflict contributed at the initial (HR-SMI: 4.5%) and long-term stages (PTSD: 8.7%), while financial hardships (PTSD: 13.2%; HR-SMI: 23.2%), marital status (HR-SMI: 24.8%) and family concerns (PTSD: 8.0%) were key determinants at the middle stage. Unmet support or help during COVID-19 was a major contributor at Wave 6 (PTSD: 22.7%; HR-SMI: 8.0%).

CONCLUSIONS: Sex disparities exist in refugees’ mental health and require sustained attention and tailored strategies. To promote mental health equity, there is a long-term need to provide essential physical healthcare and financial assistance and address family-related stressors. Additionally, it is important to identify and address the specific psychosocial needs of women in times of crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

PMID:41943952 | DOI:10.1017/S2045796026100638

Phys Occup Ther Pediatr. 2026 Apr 7:1-17. doi: 10.1080/01942638.2026.2652045. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: This project aimed to (1) Describe feeding self-help skills in autistic children with feeding challenges and (2) Identify the relationships among feeding self-help skills, feeding challenge severity, family mealtime factors, and adaptive behavior.

METHODS: This study used data from a cross-sectional national survey of 358 caregivers of autistic children (ages 2-12 years) with feeding challenges, recruited through a national research registry. Data were captured using validated caregiver-report measures. Descriptive statistics were completed to characterize feeding self-help skills and additional variables within the sample. Pearson’s R correlations were run to investigate relationships among variables.

RESULTS: Feeding self-help skills, feeding challenge severity, and adaptive behavior scores were widely heterogeneous. Overall, children in the study required higher levels of support from caregivers to participate in feeding and had lower adaptive behavior than expected for their age. Significant Pearson r correlations ranging from 0.11 to 0.60 were observed between feeding self-help skills, feeding challenge severity, family mealtime factors, and adaptive behavior.

CONCLUSIONS: Feeding self-help skills and adaptive behavior are essential to evaluate in autistic children with feeding challenges. Future research should explore component skills, (e.g. use of utensils) in addition to behavior and sensory components of feeding to inform child-centered evaluation and intervention.

PMID:41943951 | DOI:10.1080/01942638.2026.2652045