Search results for "SCALE"

Real-life impact of early interferonβ therapy in relapsing multiple sclerosis

2009

Objective: Recent findings support greater efficacy of early vs. delayed interferon beta (IFN) treatment in patients with a first clinical event suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of early IFN treatment in definite relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and to assess the optimal time to initiate IFN treatment with regard to the greatest benefits on disability progression. Methods: A cohort of 2,570 IFN-treated RRMS patients was prospectively followed for up to 7 years in 15 Italian MS Centers. A Cox proportional hazards regression model adjusted for propensity score (PS) quintiles was used to assess differences between groups of patients with early vs. dela…

2021

ObjectiveTo assess the safety and efficacy of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) add-on to glatiramer acetate (GA) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).MethodsWe enrolled patients with RRMS (aged 18–60 years, Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score 0–6.5), receiving stable GA treatment in a multicenter, prospective, double-blind, phase II, randomized controlled trial. Participants received up to 800 mg oral EGCG daily over a period of 18 months. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients without new hyperintense lesions on T2-weighted (T2w) brain MRI within 18 months. Secondary end points included additional MRI and clinical parameters. Immunologic eff…

Correlation of cognition and FDG-PET findings in early multiple sclerosis

2007

Introduction: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), disease history of 11.5 years, an expanded disability status scale (EDSS) up to 6.0 and an involvement of verbal and/or spatial and long-term memory showed a bilateral reduction of glucose metabolism in the cingulate gyrus, thalamus, associative occipital cortex and cerebellum. To our knowledge no similar studies in early stages of MS are reported. Therefore we stressed the question of possible correlation of quality of life, objective cognitive impairment and FDG-PET findings in newly diagnosed definite MS according to McDonald criteria. Methods: In 11 patients (f=4, m=7, mean age: 35 years (CI 25–42), IQ 112 (CI 97–118)) with newly diag…

A transcranial magnetic stimulation study evaluating methylprednisolone treatment in multiple sclerosis

2002

Objective To investigate the efficacy of two different high doses of intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) during Multiple Sclerosis (MS) relapses. Background Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is the most sensitive neurophysiological ascertainment to quantify motor disability, to follow the recovery from an MS relapse, and to detect the response to treatment. Design and method Twenty-four clinically definite relapsing - remitting MS patients presenting a relapse were randomly assigned to a treatment for 5 days with IVMP 1 or 2 g/day. The response to treatment of each patient was evaluated through Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), Medical Research Council (MRC) score, and TMS by…

Depression, emotional blunting, and akinesia in schizophrenia

2002

Depression, negative symptoms, and extrapyramidal signs (EPS) frequently occur together in schizophrenia. Their overlap is due partly to the lack of specificity of assessment instruments. However, to disentangle the three syndromes is clinically important as treatment of schizophrenia requires a differentiated approach. This study investigated the overlap between depression, emotional blunting as a core part of the negative syndrome, and akinesia as manifestation of EPS, using the Calgary Depression Rating Scale (CDSS), the Rating Scale for Emotional Blunting (SEB), and the akinesia score of the Simpson-Angus Scale (SAS) as the most specific assessment instruments presently available. We in…

Validating an Efficient Method to Quantify Motion Sickness

2011

Objective: Motion sickness (MS) can be a debilitating side effect associated with motion in real or virtual environments. We analyzed the effect of expectancy on MS and propose and validate a fast and simple MS measure.Background: Several questionnaires measure MS before or after stimulus presentation, but no satisfactory tool has been established to quickly capture MS data during exposure. To fill this gap, we introduce the Fast MS Scale (FMS), a verbal rating scale ranging from zero (no sickness at all) to 20 (frank sickness). Also, little is known about the role of expectancy effects in MS studies. We conducted an experiment that addressed this issue.Method: For this study, 126 volunteer…

Acute heavy-resistance exercise–induced pain and neuromuscular fatigue in elderly women with fibromyalgia and in healthy controls: Effects of strengt…

2006

Objective To examine heavy-resistance exercise–induced acute neuromuscular fatigue, blood lactate concentration, and muscle pain in elderly women with fibromyalgia (FM) and in healthy controls before and after a period of strength training. Methods Thirteen elderly women with FM (mean ± SD age 60 ± 2 years) and 10 healthy women (mean ± SD age 64 ± 3 years) performed a heavy-resistance fatiguing protocol (5 sets of leg presses with 10 repetitions maximum) before and after a 21-week strength training period. Maximal isometric force and electromyography (EMG) activity of leg extensors and blood lactate concentration were measured during the loading. Pain was assessed by visual analog scale. Re…

Physical Fitness in Postmenopausal Women with Fibromyalgia

2007

The purpose of this study was to compare physical fitness and health-related quality-of-life between twenty-three postmenopausal women with fibromyalgia (age 58 +/- 3 years) and eleven healthy women (58 +/- 5 years). Aerobic fitness and isometric force of different muscle groups were measured. Functional performance was assessed by walking and stair-climbing times. Symptoms were assessed by visual analog scale and quality-of-life by RAND-36 questionnaire. Women with fibromyalgia had significantly lower isometric force in bilateral leg extensors (1285 vs. 1898 N), unilateral knee extensors (414 vs. 502 N) and flexors (197 vs. 235 N) than healthy women, but no differences were observed in for…

Validity of the Acute Recovery and Stress Scale: Training Monitoring of the German Junior National Field Hockey Team

2015

The aim of the present study was to examine the sensitivity of the Acute Recovery and Stress Scale (ARSS). This new psychometric questionnaire was developed to assess the physical, mental, emotional, and overall recovery and stress states of athletes. During a five-day field hockey training camp of the German Junior National Field Hockey Team ( n = 25) the ARSS was administered every morning and evening. The study indicated swift reactions of the scores of the physical and general factors as well as stability of scores for the emotional factors in accordance with the training schedule. The straining effect of the camp was best reflected by the adaptations of the scales Physical Performance…

Impulsivity, sensation seeking and aggressiveness in patients with bipolar I and II disorder

2011

Abstract Objective Although impulsivity may seem to be strongly linked to bipolar disorder, few studies have directly measured this phenomenon. To determine its implications for the prognosis of this illness, we studied the relationship between impulsivity and other aspects that are probably related, such as sensation seeking and aggressiveness, and different clinical variables of bipolar disorder. Method Sixty-nine (type I, n = 42; type II, n = 27) outpatients from a unit specifically for bipolar patients in remission completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS), the Buss–Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI) and the Bipolar Eating Disorder Scale (BEDS). S…