Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Knee Articular Cartilage and Osteoarthritis Symptoms-A 12-Month Follow-Up Using T2 Relaxation Time and WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a significant risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA). The most effective treatment for morbid obesity is bariatric surgery. PURPOSE: To study the effects of potential surgically induced weight loss on knee articular cartilage and OA symptoms of obese patients over a 12-month follow-up. STUDY TYPE: Prospective longitudinal cohort study. SUBJECTS: 45 obese patients (38 female, BMI = 42.3 ± 6.5 kg/m2) who underwent gastric bypass (intervention group), and 46 age-matched conservative-care controls (37 female, BMI = 39.8 ± 4.6 kg/m2). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Multiecho spin echo sequence at 3 T. ASSESSMENT: Knee cartilage T2 measurements and WOMAC Indices were measured presurgery and after 12 months. The intervention group was split into successful (≥20% total weight loss (TWL)) and unsuccessful (<20% TWL) weight loss groups. T2 and WOMAC indices were also measured in controls at baseline and after 12 months. Changes among the three groups were analyzed. STATISTICAL TESTS: Analysis of variance (significance level 0.05). RESULTS: Twenty-six (58%) intervention patients achieved ≥20% TWL. The <20% TWL group demonstrated significantly more T2 reduction in the deep lateral femur over 12 months compared with the ≥20% TWL group (-3.83 ± 8.18 msec vs. 2.47 ± 6.54 msec, respectively), whereas no significant differences were observed on the medial femoral compartment (P = 0.385, P = 0.551, and P = 0.511 for bulk, superficial and deep regions, respectively). Changes in WOMAC indices over 12 months were significantly greater in the ≥20% TWL group compared with controls. In the <20% TWL group, pain significantly improved over 12 months compared with controls, while stiffness and function changes were not statistically significant (P = 0.063 and P = 0.051, respectively). DATA CONCLUSION: Cartilage matrix, measured by T2, showed improvement on lateral femoral cartilage with <20% TWL compared with ≥20% TWL. Bariatric surgery provided significant improvements in knee symptoms with ≥20% TWL compared with conservative WL. This effect is also seen to some extent with <20% TWL compared with conservative WL. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 4.

Thrombolysis treatment protected impairment of functional ability, quality of life and fatigue seven years after stroke.

OBJECTIVES: We studied quality of life, functional outcome, depression, and fatigue of ischemic stroke patients treated with or without thrombolysis seven years post-stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 204 ischemic stroke patients treated with or without thrombolysis during 2013-2015. After seven years the 136 survivors were assessed with telephone interview, which included questions about subjective quality of life (European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions), depression, fatigue with Fatigue Severity Scale, functional ability assessed with Barthel Index and Modified Rankin Scale, living conditions, need of care, and medical aids. RESULTS: At admission patients with thrombolysis had higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores compared with those not treated with thrombolysis. At seven years post-stroke, 99% of alive patients answered the questionnaires. There were no group differences concerning functional outcome, quality of life, depression, fatigue, or insomnia. The Barthel Index was normal in both groups. The quality of life was good in both groups without group differences in any domains. Of all patients, 68% reported no problems in usual activities, and 61% were without pain. Anxiety or depression were experienced by 19% of all stroke patients, while fatigue was present in 32% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Seven years post-stroke the quality of life was good and functional outcome remained in good level in both study groups. One third experienced fatigue, while every fifth experienced depression. The thrombolysis treatment seems to protect from decreased quality of life, fatigue, and decreased mobility, self-care, and usual activities despite more severe stroke.

The preparation of children for day surgery from the parent's viewpoint: A mixed methods study.

AIM: The purpose of the study was to describe the preparation of children for day surgery from the parent's viewpoint. DESIGN: Empirical Research Mixed Method. METHODS: The research applied a mixed-methods study design. The study was conducted at the Paediatric Day Surgical Department of one REDACTED between 2018 and 2020 at the same time as an associated randomised controlled conduct trial. Parents of 41 children (ages 2-6 years) completed measures assessing their preparation for day surgery and satisfaction with the procedure. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 parents to better understand their experiences. RESULTS: According to the results, most of the parents (95%) told their children about the upcoming day surgery procedure. The child was prepared for the surgery with cognitive and sensory information, and the preparation usually started at home well before the surgery. The parents' experiences with the most critical aspects of preparing their child included three main categories: (1) usability of the preparation method; (2) content and timing of the preparation method and (3) consideration of the family perspective.

The contribution of first-episode illness characteristics and cumulative antipsychotic usage to progressive structural brain changes over a long-term follow-up in schizophrenia.

Exposure to antipsychotics as well as certain first-episode illness characteristics have been associated with greater gray matter (GM) deficits in the early phase of schizophrenia. Whether the first-episode illness characteristics affect the long-term progression of the structural brain changes remain unexplored. We therefore assessed the role of first-episode illness characteristics and life-time antipsychotic use in relation to long-term structural brain GM changes in schizophrenia. Individuals with schizophrenia (SZ, n = 29) and non-psychotic controls (n = 61) from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 underwent structural MRI at the ages of 34 (baseline) and 43 (follow-up) years. At follow-up, the average duration of illness was 19.8 years. Voxel-based morphometry was used to assess the effects of predictors on longitudinal GM changes in schizophrenia-relevant brain areas. Younger age of onset (AoO), higher cumulative antipsychotic dose and severity of symptoms were associated with greater GM deficits in the SZ group at follow-up. None of the first-episode illness characteristics were associated with longitudinal GM changes during 9-year follow-up period. We conclude that a younger AoO and high life-time antipsychotic use may contribute to progression of structural brain changes in schizophrenia. Apart from AoO, other first-episode illness characteristics may not contribute to longitudinal GM changes in midlife.

Functioning, psychiatric symptoms and quality of life of individuals with severe mental disorders after psychiatric rehabilitation.

PURPOSE: Psychiatric disorders may have a negative effect on individuals' living, forming intimate relationships, education, and employment. The aim of psychiatric rehabilitation is to promote recovery - finding ways to cope with mental disorders despite debilitating symptoms. This study aimed to explore the outcomes of accommodation, social inclusion, psychiatric symptoms, substance and service use, quality of life and subjective recovery of young adults with severe mental illness after psychiatric rehabilitation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of individuals who had been in residential psychiatric rehabilitation between the ages of 18-29 years. Data on outcomes were collected using a questionnaire after a flexible follow-up period (mean 29 months). The questionnaire was answered by 32 eligible persons. We analysed multiple outcomes and compared the proportion of persons living independently at the start, after psychiatric rehabilitation, and at the follow-up point. RESULTS: At the start of the rehabilitation, 33%, at the end, 69%, and at follow-up, 78% lived independently. However, most had not reached competitive employment nor were studying. Cognitive symptoms were the most common psychiatric symptoms, followed by depressive symptoms. More than 80% of the sample felt that they had partly recovered from their severe mental illness. CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study residential psychiatric rehabilitation may have positive effects on functioning and independent living at follow-up. Reaching competitive employment is difficult for persons with severe mental disorders and effective rehabilitation interventions need to be implemented. However, this study had limitations, and these results should be considered preliminary.

Assessment of articular cartilage of ankle joint in stable and unstable unilateral weber type-B/SER-type ankle fractures shortly after trauma using T2 relaxation time.

Background: Early detection of post-traumatic cartilage damage in the ankle joint in magnetic resonance images can be difficult due to disturbances to structures usually appearing over time. Purpose: To study the articular cartilage of unilateral Weber type-B/SER-type ankle fractures shortly post-trauma using T2 relaxation time. Material and Methods: Fifty one fractured ankles were gathered from consecutively screened patients, compiled initially for RCT studies, and treated at Oulu University Hospital and classified as stable (n = 28) and unstable fractures (n = 23) based on external-rotation stress test: medial clear space of ≥5 mm was interpreted as unstable. A control group of healthy young individuals (n = 19) was also gathered. All ankles were imaged on average 9 (range: 1 to 25) days after injury on a 3.0T MRI unit for T2 relaxation time assessment, and the cartilage was divided into sub-regions for comparison. Results: Control group displayed significantly higher T2 values in tibial cartilage compared to stable (six out of nine regions, p-values = .003-.043) and unstable (six out of nine regions, p-values = .001-.037) ankle fractures. No differences were detected in talar cartilage. Also, no differences were observed between stable and unstable fractures in tibial or talar cartilage. Conclusions: Lower T2 relaxation times of tibial cartilage in fractured ankles suggest intact extra cellular matrix (ECM) of the cartilage. Severity of the ankle fracture, measured by ankle stability, does not seem to increase ECM degradation immediately after trauma.

Effectiveness of a Mobile App Intervention for Preparing Preschool Children and Parents for Day Surgery: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Day surgery allows families to return home quickly. Only a few approaches to preparing for day surgery have demonstrated how digital solutions can support families and children. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile app intervention on preschool children's fear and pain and parents' anxiety and stress in preparing children for day surgery. METHODS: This study was conducted at the Pediatric Day Surgical Department of a university hospital in Finland between 2018 and 2020. Parents of children (aged 2-6 y) who were in a queue for elective day surgery were randomized into the intervention group (IG; n=36) and control group (CG; n=34). The CG received routine preparations, whereas the IG was prepared using a mobile app. Parents' and children's outcomes were measured using validated scales at 4 different points: at home (T1 and T4) and at the hospital (T2 and T3) before and after surgery. Group differences were analyzed using statistical methods suitable for the material. RESULTS: Before surgery, parents in both groups experienced mild anxiety, which decreased after surgery. Parental anxiety did not differ between groups preoperatively (P=.78) or postoperatively (P=.63). Both groups had less anxiety at home after surgery compared with before. The IG showed a significant decrease (P=.003); the CG also improved (P=.002). Preoperatively at home, most parents in both groups experienced no stress or mild stress (P=.61). Preoperatively at the hospital, parents in both groups experienced mild stress; however, parents in the IG experienced more stress during this phase (P=.02). Parents in the IG experienced significantly less stress postoperatively than those in the CG (P=.05). Both groups showed decreased stress levels from before to after surgery (IG: P=.003; CG: P=.004) within each group. There were no significant differences in children's pain levels between the groups and measurement points. This was observed before surgery at home (P=.25), before surgery at the hospital (P=.98), and after surgery at the hospital (P=.72). Children's fear decreased more in the IG (P=.006) than in the CG (P=.44) comparing the phases before and after surgery at home. Fear did not differ between the IG and CG preoperatively at home (P=.20) or at the hospital (P=.59) or postoperatively at the hospital (P=.62) or at home (P=.81). CONCLUSIONS: The mobile app intervention did not reduce anxiety or pain. However, it was observed that parents in the IG experienced substantially heightened stress levels before surgery at the hospital, which decreased significantly after surgery at home. In addition, fear levels in children in the IG decreased over time, whereas no significant change was observed in the CG. These results are important for developing health care service chains and providing families with innovative and customer-oriented preparation methods. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03774303; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03774303.

Effect of onset age on the long-term outcome of early-onset psychoses and other mental disorders: a register-based Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 study.

Psychiatric illnesses can affect the social transitions of adolescence and young adulthood, such as completing education and entering working life and relationships. However, associations between earlier onset age and long-term outcomes among those with early-onset psychoses (EOP) are unclear, as are the long-term outcomes of EOP compared to non-psychotic disorders. We used national register data of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 to detect persons with EOP and other early-onset psychiatric disorders. The long-term clinical and work-family outcomes of persons with onset age before 18 years (n = 41 psychoses, n = 495 non-psychoses) or between 18-22 years (n = 61 psychoses, n = 377 non-psychoses) were compared. Individuals with the onset of psychosis between 18-22 years had significantly more unfavourable long-term outcomes when compared to those with psychosis onset before 18 years. Persons with psychosis onset before the age of 18 years had similar outcomes to those with non-psychotic psychiatric disorder onset before 18 years regarding educational level, marital status, having children, and substance use disorders. Individuals with EOP were more often on a disability pension compared to those with other early-onset mental disorders. Adjusting for sex, educational level and substance use only slightly diluted these results. Unexpectedly, later onset age of EOP was associated with worse outcomes. Those with psychosis onset between 18-22 years of age are in a critical period, which underlines the importance of investing on interventions in this age group. Further studies on the effect of the onset age on later outcomes in EOP are needed.

m-RESIST, a Mobile Therapeutic Intervention for Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Usability Study.

BACKGROUND: In the European Union, around 5 million people are affected by psychotic disorders, and approximately 30%-50% of people with schizophrenia have treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Mobile health (mHealth) interventions may be effective in preventing relapses, increasing treatment adherence, and managing some of the symptoms of schizophrenia. People with schizophrenia seem willing and able to use smartphones to monitor their symptoms and engage in therapeutic interventions. mHealth studies have been performed with other clinical populations but not in populations with TRS. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to present the 3-month prospective results of the m-RESIST intervention. This study aims to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and usability of the m-RESIST intervention and the satisfaction among patients with TRS after using this intervention. METHODS: A prospective multicenter feasibility study without a control group was undertaken with patients with TRS. This study was performed at 3 sites: Sant Pau Hospital (Barcelona, Spain), Semmelweis University (Budapest, Hungary), and Sheba Medical Center and Gertner Institute of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research (Ramat-Gan, Israel). The m-RESIST intervention consisted of a smartwatch, a mobile app, a web-based platform, and a tailored therapeutic program. The m-RESIST intervention was delivered to patients with TRS and assisted by mental health care providers (psychiatrists and psychologists). Feasibility, usability, acceptability, and user satisfaction were measured. RESULTS: This study was performed with 39 patients with TRS. The dropout rate was 18% (7/39), the main reasons being as follows: loss to follow-up, clinical worsening, physical discomfort of the smartwatch, and social stigma. Patients' acceptance of m-RESIST ranged from moderate to high. The m-RESIST intervention could provide better control of the illness and appropriate care, together with offering user-friendly and easy-to-use technology. In terms of user experience, patients indicated that m-RESIST enabled easier and quicker communication with clinicians and made them feel more protected and safer. Patients' satisfaction was generally good: 78% (25/32) considered the quality of service as good or excellent, 84% (27/32) reported that they would use it again, and 94% (30/32) reported that they were mostly satisfied. CONCLUSIONS: The m-RESIST project has provided the basis for a new modular program based on novel technology: the m-RESIST intervention. This program was well-accepted by patients in terms of acceptability, usability, and satisfaction. Our results offer an encouraging starting point regarding mHealth technologies for patients with TRS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03064776; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT03064776. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2017-021346.

Employment trajectories until midlife in schizophrenia and other psychoses: the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966.

PURPOSE: Psychoses are associated with poor labour market attachment, but few studies have compared schizophrenia (SZ) and other psychoses (OP). Moreover, studies on long-term employment trajectories over individuals' working life courses are lacking. We compared 30 year employment trajectory patterns in a general population sample among individuals with SZ, OP, and those with no psychosis (NP). METHODS: Utilising the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966, we collected survey data on employment from ages 16 to 45 and detected individuals with register-based history of SZ (n = 62), OP (n = 87), or NP (n = 6464) until age 46. Through gender-specific latent class analyses on annual employment roles, we identified traditional, highly educated, self-employed, delayed and floundering employment trajectories with distinct socioeconomic characteristics. We addressed attrition by conducting weighted analyses. RESULTS: Floundering trajectories were common among individuals with SZ (79% of men, 73% of women) and OP (52% of men, 51% of women). In NP, a traditional employee trajectory was most common in men (31%), and a highly educated trajectory in women (28%). A history of psychosis was associated with heightened odds ratios (ORs; 95% confidence intervals (CIs)) for floundering trajectories in both men (SZ: 32.9 (13.3-81.4); OP: 7.4 (4.0-13.9)) and women (SZ: 9.9 (4.6-21.5); OP: 3.9 (2.1-7.1)) compared to NP. Weighted analyses produced similar results. CONCLUSION: Most individuals with SZ or OP have floundering employee trajectories reflecting an elevated risk of unemployment and part-time work until midlife. These results indicate the importance of improving labour market attachment during the early phases of psychoses.

Modic changes associated with greater pain relief following anesthetization of the adjacent lumbar intervertebral disc: A retrospective study of chronic low back pain patients.

PURPOSE: To assess the correlation between the degree of pain relief following discoblock and the presence and type of adjacent Modic changes (MC). METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed chronic low back pain (LBP) patients whose pain was suspected to originate from a specific lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) based on a spine orthopedist's clinical evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Thus, patients were selected to undergo discoblock. We calculated the degree of pain relief following discoblock on Numerical Rating Scale (ΔNRS) and analyzed the MRIs on the basis of MC presence and type on the lumbar spinal segment in question. We assessed the differences in ΔNRS between the groups with absent and present MC and the groups of MC subtypes. RESULTS: Forty-five patients were included in the present study, all of whom underwent discoblock at a single level. The total MC prevalence was 77.8 % (35 patients); pure or dominant MC type 1 (MC1 group) 35.6 % (16 patients); and pure or dominant MC type 2 (MC2 group) 42.2 % (19 patients). ΔNRS was significantly greater in the group with MC compared to the group without MC (median ΔNRS -5.0 vs -2.5, respectively, P = 0.043). In pairwise comparisons, a significant difference in ΔNRS was found between the MC1 group and the group without MC (median ΔNRS -5.0 vs -2.5, respectively, P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: We propose that MC type 1 are associated with lumbar spinal pain, and that the pain arises at least partly from the adjacent IVD or endplate.

Characteristics and predictors of off-label use of antipsychotics in general population sample.

OBJECTIVE: Increasing number of people have been prescribed antipsychotics (APs) off-label in recent decades. This study aimed to identify the characteristics and predictors of receiving prescription of antipsychotics off-label. METHODS: The study sample was part of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (n = 7071). Data included questionnaires and national register data. Information on prescribed medications was extracted from the national register. The sample was divided into three groups: Persons who had been prescribed APs off-label (n = 137), individuals with non-psychotic mental disorders without APs off label (n = 1478) and individuals who had been diagnosed with psychosis or bipolar disorder and who had been prescribed APs (n = 151). We compared sociodemographic, lifestyle and clinical characteristics between the off-label and the comparison groups using logistic regression. RESULTS: The most common diagnoses in the off-label group were depression (n = 96, 70.1%) and anxiety (n = 55, 40.1%). Compared with individuals with non-psychotic mental disorders who were not prescribed APs off-label, individuals with prescribed off-label APs had a lower level of education, lower socioeconomic status, were less often married, had a higher level of somatic and psychiatric morbidity, were more often smokers and more often had a substance abuse disorder and heavy alcohol consumption. When comparing the off-label group to individuals with psychosis or bipolar disorder who used APs, there were less differences, though individuals with psychosis or bipolar disorder had more markers of morbidity and a lower level of education. CONCLUSION: Individuals who had been prescribed APs off label had a higher level of mental and somatic morbidity and poorer socioeconomic status than individuals with non-psychotic mental disorders who did not use APs.

Detecting Patient Safety Errors by Characterizing Incidents Reported by Medical Imaging Staff.

The objectives of the study were to characterize events related to patient safety reported by medical imaging personnel in Finland in 2007-2017, the number and quality of reported injuries, the risk assessment, and the planned improvement of operations. The information was collected from a healthcare patient safety incident register system. The data contained information on the nature of the patient safety errors, harms and near-misses in medical imaging, the factors that lead to the events, the consequences for the patient, the level of risks, and future measures. The number of patient safety incident reports included in the study was 7,287. Of the incident reports, 75% concerned injuries to patients and 25% were near-misses. The most common consequence of adverse events and near-misses were minor harm (37.2%) related to contrast agent, or no harm (27.9%) related to equipment malfunction. Supervisors estimated the risks as low (47.7%) e.g., data management, insignificant (35%) e.g., verbal communication or moderate (15.7%) e.g., the use of contrast agent. The most common suggestion for learning from the incident was discussing it with the staff (58.1%), improving operations (5.7%) and submitting it to a higher authority (5.4%). Improving patient safety requires timely, accurate and clear reporting of various patient safety incidents. Based on incident reports, supervisors can provide feedback to staff, develop plans to prevent accidents, and monitor the impact of measures taken. Information on the development of occupational safety should be disseminated to all healthcare professionals so that the same mistakes are not repeated.

Correlation between the degree of pain relief following discoblock and short-term surgical disability outcome among patients with suspected discogenic low back pain.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate how well the degree of pain relief after discoblock predicts the disability outcome of subsequent fusion or total disc replacement (TDR) surgery, based on short-term Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed a set of patients who had undergone discoblock and subsequent fusion or TDR surgery of the same lumbar intervertebral disc due to suspected discogenic chronic LBP between 2011 and 2018. We calculated the degree of pain relief following discoblock (ΔNRS) and the changes in both absolute and percentual ODI scores (ΔODI and ΔODI%, respectively) following fusion or TDR surgery. We analyzed the statistical significance of ΔNRS and ΔODI and the correlation (Spearman's rho) between ΔNRS and ΔODI%. The fusion and TDR group were analyzed both in combination and separately. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were eligible for the current study (fusion n=9, TDR n=6). ΔNRS was statistically significant in all groups, and ΔODI was statistically significant in the combined group and in the fusion group alone. The parameters of both decreased. We found a Spearman's rho of 0.57 (p=0.026) between ΔNRS and ΔODI% for the combined group. The individual Spearman's rho values were 0.85 (p=0.004) for the fusion group and 0.62 (p=0.191) for the TDR group. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that discoblock is a useful predictive criterion for disability outcome prior to surgery for discogenic LBP, especially when stabilizing spine surgery is under consideration. ETHICAL COMMITTEE NUMBER: 174/2019 (Oulu University Hospital Ethics Committee).

Prevalence and characteristics of psychiatric morbidity treated in specialized health care in a nationwide cohort of people with newly diagnosed Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Psychiatric disorders have been implied as both risk factors and prodromal symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A better understanding of the history of psychiatric morbidity in people with AD may aid with understanding this relationship and highlight challenges in diagnosing AD in people with concomitant psychiatric disorders. METHODS: Medication use and Alzheimer's disease (MEDALZ) study is a nationwide register-based cohort of people (n = 70,718) who received a clinically verified AD diagnosis in Finland in 2005-2011 and were community-dwelling at the time of diagnosis. The study population was divided into four groups based on psychiatric morbidity treated in specialized health care. We characterized the groups using data of psychiatric and somatic illnesses, psychotropic drug use, and socioeconomic factors and investigated factors associated with prodromal AD. RESULTS: Altogether, 4.3% of cohort members had a psychiatric diagnosis at least five years before AD diagnosis, 3.1% had a psychiatric diagnosis only up to five years before AD diagnosis, and 1.1% had a psychiatric diagnosis both less and more than 5 years before AD. Belonging to the Prodromal group (psychiatric diagnosis within 5 years before AD diagnosis) was most strongly associated with substance abuse (RR 65.06, 95%CI 55.54-76.22). Other associated factors with the Prodromal group were female gender, use of psychotropics, stroke, and asthma/COPD. CONCLUSION: Substance abuse and psychotropic drug use are common five years before AD diagnosis. These can be potential markers of possible prodromal symptoms of AD and should be acknowledged in clinical work.

Predicting osteoarthritis onset and progression with 3D texture analysis of cartilage MRI DESS: 6-Year data from osteoarthritis initiative.

In this study, we developed a gray level co-occurrence matrix-based 3D texture analysis method for dual-echo steady-state (DESS) magnetic resonance (MR) images to be used for knee cartilage analysis in osteoarthritis (OA) studies and use it to study changes in articular cartilage between different subpopulations based on their rate of progression into radiographically confirmed OA. In total, 642 series of right knee DESS MR images at 3T were obtained from baseline, 36- and 72-month follow-ups from the OA Initiative database. At baseline, all 214 subjects included in the study had Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade <2. Three groups were defined, based on time of progression into radiographic OA (ROA) (KL grades ≥2): control (no progression), fast progressor (ROA at 36 months), and slow progressor (ROA at 72 months) groups. 3D texture analysis was used to extract textural features for femoral and tibial cartilages. All textural features, in both femur and tibia, showed significant longitudinal changes across all groups and tissue layers. Most of the longitudinal changes were observed in progressors, but significant changes were observed also in controls. Differences between groups were mostly seen at baseline and 72 months. The method is sensitive to cartilage changes before and after ROA. It was able to detect longitudinal changes in controls and progressors and to distinguish cartilage alterations due to OA and aging. Moreover, it was able to distinguish controls and different progressor groups before any radiographic signs of OA and during OA. Thus, texture analysis could be used as a marker for the onset and progression of OA.

Parental death due to natural death causes during childhood abbreviates the time to a diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder in the offspring: A follow-up study.

Parental death before adulthood has been shown to increase offspring's risk of poor health and adverse social consequences. In a sample of 422 subjects with parental death (334 (79.1%) due to natural causes), and 6172 matched controls, those with parental death were given a diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder up to 28 years of age earlier than their controls (10-year survival proportions: 88.6% vs. 93.1%, p = 0.001). Our findings indicate that psychosocial support must be provided as early as when a parent falls ill, especially with those illnesses that are the most common causes of death in the population.

Investigating errors in medical imaging: medical malpractice cases in Finland.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the study were to survey patient injury claims concerning medical imaging in Finland in 1991-2017, and to investigate the nature of the incidents, the number of claims, the reasons for the claims, and the decisions made concerning the claims. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research material consisted of patient claims concerning imaging, sent to the Finnish Patient Insurance Centre (PVK). The data contained information on injury dates, the examination code, the decision code, the description of the injury, and the medical grounds for decisions. RESULTS: The number of claims included in the study was 1054, and the average number per year was 87. The most common cause was delayed diagnosis (404 claims, 38.3%). Most of the claims concerned mammography (314, 29.8%), radiography (170, 16.1%), and MRI (162, 15.4%). According to the decisions made by the PVK, there were no delays in 54.6% of the examinations for which claims were made. About 30% of all patient claims received compensation, the most typical reason being medical malpractice (27.7%), followed by excessive injuries and injuries caused by infections, accidents and equipment (2.7%). CONCLUSION: Patient injury in imaging examinations and interventions cannot be completely prevented. However, injury data are an important source of information for health care. By analysing claims, we can prevent harm, increase the quality of care, and improve patient safety in medical imaging.

The progression of disorder-specific brain pattern expression in schizophrenia over 9 years.

Age plays a crucial role in the performance of schizophrenia vs. controls (SZ-HC) neuroimaging-based machine learning (ML) models as the accuracy of identifying first-episode psychosis from controls is poor compared to chronic patients. Resolving whether this finding reflects longitudinal progression in a disorder-specific brain pattern or a systematic but non-disorder-specific deviation from a normal brain aging (BA) trajectory in schizophrenia would help the clinical translation of diagnostic ML models. We trained two ML models on structural MRI data: an SZ-HC model based on 70 schizophrenia patients and 74 controls and a BA model (based on 561 healthy individuals, age range = 66 years). We then investigated the two models' predictions in the naturalistic longitudinal Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966) following 29 schizophrenia and 61 controls for nine years. The SZ-HC model's schizophrenia-specificity was further assessed by utilizing independent validation (62 schizophrenia, 95 controls) and depression samples (203 depression, 203 controls). We found better performance at the NFBC1966 follow-up (sensitivity = 75.9%, specificity = 83.6%) compared to the baseline (sensitivity = 58.6%, specificity = 86.9%). This finding resulted from progression in disorder-specific pattern expression in schizophrenia and was not explained by concomitant acceleration of brain aging. The disorder-specific pattern's progression reflected longitudinal changes in cognition, outcomes, and local brain changes, while BA captured treatment-related and global brain alterations. The SZ-HC model was also generalizable to independent schizophrenia validation samples but classified depression as control subjects. Our research underlines the importance of taking account of longitudinal progression in a disorder-specific pattern in schizophrenia when developing ML classifiers for different age groups.

Serum biomarkers for Modic changes in patients with chronic low back pain.

PURPOSE: Lumbar Modic change (MC) can serve as a diagnostic marker as well as an independent source of chronic low back pain (CLBP). This study aimed to test for the existence of serum biomarkers in CLBP patients with MC. METHODS: Age- and sex-matched CLBP patients with confirmed MC on lumbar MRI (n = 40) and pain-free controls (n = 40) were assessed. MC was classified into M1, predominating M1, predominating M2 and M2. MC volumes were calculated. Fasting blood samples were assessed for inflammatory mediators, signalling molecules, growth factors and bone turnover markers. Serum concentrations of 46 biomarkers were measured. RESULTS: Median concentrations of interleukin (IL)-15 (p < 0.001), IL-8 (p < 0.001), tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha (p < 0.001), Eotaxin-1 (p < 0.05), Eotaxin-3 (p < 0.001), monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1 (p < 0.05), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha (p < 0.01), TEK receptor tyrosine kinase (Tie)-2 (p < 0.001), vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 (p < 0.001), RANTES (p < 0.001), C telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX)-1 (p < 0.001), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C (p < 0.001), VEGF-D (p < 0.05), fms-related tyrosine kinase (Flt)-1 (p < 0.01) and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 (p < 0.01) were significantly higher among controls. IL-1sRII (23.2 vs. 15.5 ng/ml, p < 0.001) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-1 (169 vs. 105 pg/ml, p < 0.01) concentrations were significantly higher among patients. Type or volume of MC was not associated with biomarker concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to assess the blood serum biomarker profile in individuals with CLBP with MC. Several biomarkers were suppressed, while two markers (IL-1sRII and HGF) were elevated among MC patients, irrespective of MC type or size, with CLBP compared with asymptomatic controls.