Search results for "Rating"
showing 10 items of 2021 documents
Evidence for a white matter lesion size threshold to support the diagnosis of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis
2018
Abstract Background The number of white matter lesions (WML) in brain MRI is the most established paraclinical tool to support the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) and to monitor its course. Diagnostic criteria have stipulated a minimum detectable diameter of 3 mm per WML, although this threshold is not evidence-based. We aimed to provide a rationale for a WML size threshold for three-dimensional MRI sequences at 3 T by comparing patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) to control subjects (CS). Methods We analyzed MR images from two cohorts, obtained at scanners from two different vendors, each comprising patients with RRMS and CS. Both cohorts were examined with FLAIR and T1w seque…
Cross-national and longitudinal investigation of a short measure of workaholism
2015
The present study investigated the factor structure of the 10-item version of the Dutch Work Addiction Scale (DUWAS). The DUWAS-10 is intended to measure workaholism with two correlated factors: working excessively (WE) and working compulsively (WC). The factor structure of the DUWAS-10 was examined among multi-occupational samples from the Netherlands (n=9,010) and Finland (n=4,567) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). CFAs revealed that the expected correlated two-factor solution showed satisfactory fit to the data. However, a second-order factor solution, where WE comprised the first-order factors “working frantically” and “working long hours”, and WC the first-order factors “obsess…
Cross validation of the factor structure of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: An Italian multicenter study
1996
The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) has been shown in previous research to measure a general dimension of alexithymia with three intercorrelated factors. This study evaluated the reliability and factorial validity of an Italian translation of the TAS-20 in a group of normal adults (N = 206) and in a mixed group of medical and psychiatric outpatients (N = 642). Using confirmatory factor analyses, the previously established three-factor model of the TAS-20 was found to be replicable in both groups. In addition, the Italian TAS-20 demonstrated adequate estimates of internal reliability and test-retest reliability. Although evaluation of the convergent, discriminant, and concurrent v…
Hippocampal subfields predict positive symptoms in schizophrenia : First evidence from brain morphometry
2012
Alterations of hippocampal anatomy have been reported consistently in schizophrenia. Within the present study, we used FreeSurfer to determine hippocampal subfield volumes in 21 schizophrenic patients. A negative correlation between PANSS-positive symptom score and bilateral hippocampal subfield CA2/3 as well as CA1 volume was found on high-resolution magnetic resonance images. Our observation opens the gate for advanced investigation of the commonly reported hippocampal abnormalities in schizophrenia in terms of specific subfields.
Nonlinear analysis of sleep EEG data in schizophrenia: calculation of the principal Lyapunov exponent
1995
The generating mechanism of the electroencephalogram (EEG) points to the hypothesis that EEG signals derive from a nonlinear dynamic system. Hence, the unpredictability of the EEG might be considered as a phenomenon exhibiting its chaotic character. The essential property of chaotic dynamics is the so-called sensitive dependence on initial conditions. This property can be quantified by calculating the system's first positive Lyapunov exponent, L1. We calculated L1 for sleep EEG segments of 13 schizophrenic patients and 13 control subjects that corresponded to sleep stages I, II, III, IV and REM (rapid eye movement), as defined by Rechtschaffen and Kales, for the lead positions Cz and Pz. Du…
A double-blind study comparing paroxetine and maprotiline in depressed outpatients.
1997
A double-blind multicenter randomized parallel group study comparing paroxetine and maprotiline was carried out in a total of 544 outpatients. Included were patients with varying degrees of severity of depressive symptoms who fulfilled modified RDC criteria for either Minor or Major Depression and showed a HAMD-17 score of > or = 13. No concomitant benzodiazepine treatment was allowed. Duration of treatment was 6 weeks, after an initial wash-out period. Doses were fixed during the first 3 weeks of treatment, patients receiving either 20 mg paroxetine or 100 mg maprotiline daily. An option for dose escalation was provided for insufficient responders after 3 weeks. The weekly assessments comp…
Online Self-Help as an Add-On to Inpatient Psychotherapy: Efficacy of a New Blended Treatment Approach.
2017
<b><i>Background:</i></b> Depression is one of the most frequent and costly mental disorders. While there is increasing evidence for the efficacy of online self-help to improve depression or prevent relapse, there is little evidence in blended care settings, especially combined with inpatient face-to-face psychotherapy. Therefore, we evaluated whether an evidence-based online self-help program improves the efficacy of inpatient psychotherapy. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A total of 229 depressed patients were randomly allocated either to an online self-help program (intervention group [IG]; Deprexis) or an active control group (CG; weekly online inf…
Characterization of hypoechoic focal hepatic lesions in patients with fatty liver: diagnostic performance and confidence of contrast-enhanced ultraso…
2007
The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to characterize hypoechoic focal hepatic lesions (HFHL) in fatty liver (FL). A study group of 105 patients with FL and 105 HFHLs (52 malignant and 53 benign) underwent CEUS after SonoVue administration. Two blinded readers independently reviewed baseline ultrasound (US) and CEUS scans and classified each lesion as malignant or benign on a five-point scale of confidence, and recorded whether further imaging work-up was needed. Sensitivity, specificity, areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (A (z)), and interobserver agreement were calculated. We observed that th…
Adherence predictors in an Internet-based Intervention program for depression
2017
Internet-delivered psychotherapy has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of depression. Nevertheless, the study of the adherence in this type of the treatment reported divergent results. The main objective of this study is to analyze predictors of adherence in a primary care Internet-based intervention for depression in Spain. A multi-center, three arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial was conducted with 194 depressive patients, who were allocated in self-guided or supported-guided intervention. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were gathered using a case report form. The Mini international neuropsychiatric interview diagnoses major depression. Beck Depressio…
Sonography versus peritoneal lavage in blunt abdominal trauma.
1989
The reliability of sonography and peritoneal lavage in assessing the need for immediate surgical intervention in blunt abdominal trauma was examined in a prospective study (n = 71). Statistical analysis revealed a sensitivity of 100% for peritoneal lavage compared to 84% for sonography; the accuracy was 99% versus 86%, the predictive value 97% vs. 89%. The statistical difference was significant (p less than 0.05). The results demonstrate that sonography cannot replace peritoneal lavage in the diagnosis of blunt abdominal trauma. The discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of both methods shows that sonography and peritoneal lavage are not competing, but rather, are complementary exam…