Annals of medicine
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To evaluate the retinal and choroidal microvasculature after one or two horizontal rectus muscle surgeries in strabismus patients using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA). ⋯ This study revealed that the increase in choroidal thickness was more significant after two rectus muscle surgery. In addition, there were microvascular changes in sectional macular regions after strabismus surgery. OCTA is an excellent way to study the impact of strabismus surgery on the macular structure and blood flow.
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Introduction: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a prevalent and disabling mental disorder characterized by disrupted circadian rhythms and impaired neurocognitive features, both of which fall under the major domains of Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). However, there is limited evidence regarding the interaction between circadian rhythms and long-term neurocognitive functioning. Therefore, this longitudinal cohort study protocol aims to explore whether circadian rhythm can predict changes in neurocognitive functioning over time in patients with BD. ⋯ Discussion: We anticipate that circadian rhythms may serve as predictors of neurocognitive functioning changes. The findings of this study could offer supplementary insights into BD pathophysiology, potential treatment targets, and prediction. Trial Registration: This study has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry under the registration code ChiCTR2200064922 on 21st October 2022.
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Introduction: The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a well-established tool for assessing submaximal functional capacity for cardiac patients, but space limitations challenge its implementation. Treadmill-based (TR) 6MWT is a promising alternative, but it requires patients to complete a familiarization test to adapt treadmill speed regulation. With the advancement of sensors, it is possible to automatically control speed for individual patients and thus overcome the space limitation or the speed control difficulty on the treadmill for each patient. ⋯ Both tests showed high test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.86). The TR6MWT showed a valuable comparison of the effect of the cardiac rehabilitation program (20% increase, effect size 1.1) even though it is not interchangeable with the HL6MWT. Conclusion: The automated speed TR6MWT appears to be an acceptable tool with adequate validity, reliability, and responsiveness for assessing functional capacity in patients utilizing cardiac rehabilitation programs.
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The aim of this study is to establish a standardized measurement method and to examine the intra- and inter-reliabilities and absolute reliability of measuring skin mechanical properties using a skin elasticity meter (Cutometer®). ⋯ In this study, intra- and inter-reliabilities were measured at "excellent" and more than "moderate" levels, respectively. However, because some proportional errors were observed, the limits of reliability agreement should be considered when using the proposed methods. We believe that the results of this study can be applied to clinical research in field of rehabilitation treatment.
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Approximately 700,000 people in the USA have chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis. Protein-energy wasting (PEW), a condition of advanced catabolism, contributes to three-year survival rates of 50%. PEW occurs at all levels of Body Mass Index (BMI) but is devastating for those people at the extremes. Treatment for PEW depends on an accurate understanding of energy expenditure. Previous research established that current methods of identifying PEW and assessing adequate treatments are imprecise. This includes disease-specific equations for estimated resting energy expenditure (eREE). In this study, we applied machine learning (ML) modelling techniques to a clinical database of dialysis patients. We assessed the precision of the ML algorithms relative to the best-performing traditional equation, the MHDE. ⋯ ML improves precision in calculating eREE for dialysis patients, including those most vulnerable for PEW. Further development for clinical use is a priority.