Is there a learning effect on 1-min sit-to-stand test in post-COVID-19 patients?

The 1-min sit-to-stand test is a repeatable field test without differences between the first and second tests. Hence, conducting one attempt of the 1-min STST would be enough to evaluate functional capacity in patients recovered from #COVID19. https://bit.ly/3y3ycAP.

Factor VII -323 decanucleotide D/I polymorphism in atrial fibrillation: implications for the prothrombotic state and stroke risk.

UNLABELLED: There are limited data on the influence of genetic polymorphisms in atrial fibrillation (AF) stroke risk. We hypothesized that a functional haemostatic polymorphism, that is, the factor VII -323 Del/Ins polymorphism, would influence the prothrombotic state associated with AF, as well as stroke risk. Other functional polymorphisms were also tested. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study of 119 AF patients, who were compared to 96 patients with stroke secondary to AF. In the first patient group, we analysed plasma prothrombin fragment 1+2 levels (F1+2, an index of thrombin generation) to reflect the prothrombotic state of AF. RESULTS: AF patients carrying the -323 Ins allele had lower plasma F1+2 levels (P=0.015). After multivariate analysis adjusted by age, sex and clinical risk factors, advanced age and 807C/T polymorphism of glycoprotein Ia (GPIa) gene were associated with higher risk of ischaemic stroke (OR: 1.06; P=0.003 and OR: 1.91; P=0.025), whilst FVII Ins -323 allele was associated with lower stroke risk (OR: 0.41; P=0.017). CONCLUSION: FVII -323 Ins allele may modulate the prothrombotic state associated with AF. Despite the small sample size, we found that FVII Ins -323 allele could be associated with a lower stroke risk in AF, whereas the 807C/T polymorphism may increase the risk.

Half sine, monophasic and biphasic transcranial magnetic stimulation of the human motor cortex.

OBJECTIVE: To compare half sine transcranial magnetic stimuli (TMS) with conventional monophasic and biphasic stimuli, measuring resting and active motor threshold, motor evoked potential (MEP) input/output curve, MEP latency, and silent period duration. METHODS: We stimulated the dominant hand representation of the motor cortex in 12 healthy subjects utilising two different MagPro stimulators to generate TMS pulses of distinct monophasic, half sine and biphasic shape with anteriorly or posteriorly directed current flow. RESULTS: The markedly asymmetric monophasic pulse with a posterior current flow in the brain yielded a higher motor threshold, a less steep MEP input/output curve and a longer latency than all other TMS types. Similar but less pronounced results were obtained with a less asymmetric half sine pulses. The biphasic stimuli yielded the lowest motor threshold and a short latency, particularly with the posterior current direction. CONCLUSIONS: The more asymmetric the monophasic pulse, the stronger the difference to biphasic pulses. The 3rd and 4th quarter cycle of the biphasic waveform make it longer than any other waveform studied here and likely contribute to lowering motor threshold, shortening MEP latency and reversing the influence of current direction. SIGNIFICANCE: This systematic comparison of 3 waveforms and two current directions allows a better understanding of the mechanisms of TMS.