Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2020"
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- Comparison of Kristjansson Respiratory Score and Wang Respiratory Score in infants with bronchiolitis in a hospital emergency departmentPublication . Pinto, Frederico Ramos; Correia-Costa, Liane; Azevedo, InêsObjective: Several respiratory scores have been created to evaluate bronchiolitis' severity level, but it is still not clear which is the best score. The aim of this study is to compare the Wang Respiratory Score (WRS) and the Kristjansson Respiratory Score (KRS) in the setting of an emergency room. Methods: We performed a prospective observational study with 60 infants with bronchiolitis admitted to a paediatric emergency department. For both scores, we assessed inter-rater reliability between two different health professionals (physician and physiotherapist), internal consistency, and correlation with SpO2 testing the intraclass-correlation coefficient (ICC), weighted kappa, Cronbach α coefficient and Spearman tests, respectively. Results: The inter-rater reliability was higher in KRS (ICC 0.79) and the Cronbach α and weighted kappa had similar values in KRS versus WRS. The correlation between the KRS/WRS and SpO2 was poor/moderate upon admission and discharge for the first observer and the second observer. Conclusions: While the internal consistency was similar in both scores, inter-rater reliability of KRS was higher than WRS, which allows us to conclude that it would have more consistent results when used to assess bronchiolitis' level of severity by health personnel in a busy hospital emergency room.
- Wearable Health Technology to Quantify the Functional Impact of Peripheral Neuropathy on Mobility in Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic ReviewPublication . Corrà, Marta; Warmerdam, Elke; Vila-Chã, Nuno; Maetzler, Walter; Maia, LuisThe occurrence of peripheral neuropathy (PNP) is often observed in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with a prevalence up to 55%, leading to more prominent functional deficits. Motor assessment with mobile health technologies allows high sensitivity and accuracy and is widely adopted in PD, but scarcely used for PNP assessments. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the methodologies and the most relevant features to investigate PNP and PD motor deficits with wearables. Because of the lack of studies investigating motor impairments in this specific subset of PNP-PD patients, Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases were used to summarize the state of the art on PNP motor assessment with wearable technology and compare it with the existing evidence on PD. A total of 24 papers on PNP and 13 on PD were selected for data extraction: The main characteristics were described, highlighting major findings, clinical applications, and the most relevant features. The information from both groups (PNP and PD) was merged for defining future directions for the assessment of PNP-PD patients with wearable technology. We established suggestions on the assessment protocol aiming at accurate patient monitoring, targeting personalized treatments and strategies to prevent falls and to investigate PD and PNP motor characteristics.
- Parapharyngeal schwannoma—a challenging case reportPublication . Monteiro, Carlos; Saleiro, Rute; Ventura, Eduardo; Dionísio, Sílvia; Ferreira, ÂngelaParapharyngeal space primary neoplasias are infrequent findings in clinics, and schwannoma derived from a peripheral nerve is even rarer in this anatomic area [1]. The presented case is a patient who was referred to our department with a 3 months progressive soft palate enlargement without related symptoms. The challenge, in these cases, due to the anatomic complex area, is to catch a suitable approach to remove the tumor, according to dimension and surrounding structures. Prognosis and follow-up will depend on histopathologic evaluation.
- EMQN best practice guidelines for genetic testing in dystrophinopathiesPublication . Fratter, Carl; Dalgleish, Raymond; Allen, Stephanie K.; Santos, Rosário; Abbs, Stephen; Tuffery-Giraud, Sylvie; Ferlini, AlessandraDystrophinopathies are X-linked diseases, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Becker muscular dystrophy, due to DMD gene variants. In recent years, the application of new genetic technologies and the availability of new personalised drugs have influenced diagnostic genetic testing for dystrophinopathies. Therefore, these European best practice guidelines for genetic testing in dystrophinopathies have been produced to update previous guidelines published in 2010.These guidelines summarise current recommended technologies and methodologies for analysis of the DMD gene, including testing for deletions and duplications of one or more exons, small variant detection and RNA analysis. Genetic testing strategies for diagnosis, carrier testing and prenatal diagnosis (including non-invasive prenatal diagnosis) are then outlined. Guidelines for sequence variant annotation and interpretation are provided, followed by recommendations for reporting results of all categories of testing. Finally, atypical findings (such as non-contiguous deletions and dual DMD variants), implications for personalised medicine and clinical trials and incidental findings (identification of DMD gene variants in patients where a clinical diagnosis of dystrophinopathy has not been considered or suspected) are discussed.
- Evaluation of Mortality During Long-Term Treatment with Tafamidis for Transthyretin Amyloidosis with Polyneuropathy: Clinical Trial Results up to 8.5 YearsPublication . Merlini, Giampaolo; Coelho, Teresa; Waddington Cruz, Márcia; Li, Huihua; Stewart, Michelle; Ebede, BenIntroduction: The effects of tafamidis on mortality in Val30Met and non-Val30Met patients with transthyretin amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (ATTR-PN) were evaluated. Methods: The analyses were based on cumulative data from the Val30Met patients in the 18-month double-blind registration study and its 12-month open-label extension study, the non-Val30Met patients of the 12-month open-label study, and both patient groups in the ongoing 10-year extension study. Kaplan-Meier analyses of time to death from first treatment dose were performed. For the Val30Met group, two treatment groups were analyzed: those who received tafamidis in both the parent and extension studies (T-T) and those who received placebo in the parent study and switched to tafamidis in the extension studies (P-T). Results: Kaplan-Meier estimates (95% confidence interval [CI]) were available up to 9 years for the Val30Met group, at which time 85.9% (53.1-96.4) and 91.1% (77.9-96.6) of the patients in the T-T and P-T groups, respectively, were alive. For the non-Val30Met group, estimates were available up to 8 years from the first dose, and the percentage of patients alive was 75.9% (47.7-90.2). Conclusion: Long-term tafamidis treatment may confer survival benefit in patients with ATTR-PN.
- Primary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma of the abdomen: a rare entityPublication . Ferreira, Sandra; Conde Fernandes, Iolanda; Coelho, André; Selores, ManuelaAdenoid cystic carcinoma is a rare neoplasm that arises from secretory glands, most frequently from the salivary glands. Primary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma is microscopically identical to adenoid cystic carcinoma developing at other tissues. Therefore, differentiating between a primary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma and an extracutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma with cutaneous metastases is pivotal to determine its prognosis and management. We describe a case of primary cutaneous adenoid cystic carcinoma on the abdomen that was successfully treated with wide excision
- Loss of Awareness after Continuous Apomorphine Infusion Withdrawal in Parkinson’s DiseasePublication . Oliveira, Vanessa; Videira, Gonçalo; Mendes, Alexandre
- Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Dysphagia in Patients Infected With SARS-CoV-2: A Review of the Literature and International GuidelinesPublication . Vergara, José; Skoretz, Stacey A; Brodsky, Martin B; Miles, Anna; Langmore, Susan E; Wallace, Sarah; Seedat, Jaishika; Starmer, Heather M; Bolton, Lee; Clavé, Pere; Freitas, Susana Vaz; Bogaardt, Hans; Matsuo, Koichiro; de Souza, Cinthia Madeira; Mourão, Lucia FigueiredoPurpose Speech-language pathologists are playing a crucial role in the assessment and management of patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Our goal was to synthesize peer-reviewed literature and association guidelines from around the world regarding dysphagia assessment and management for this specific population. Method A review of publications available in the PubMed database and official guidelines of international groups was performed on May 23, 2020. The information was synthesized and categorized into three content areas for swallowing: clinical evaluation, instrumental assessment, and rehabilitation. Results Five publications were identified in the PubMed database. Following title, abstract, and full-text review, only three publications met inclusion criteria: two reviews and one narrative report. Additionally, 19 international guidelines were reviewed. To assess swallowing, a modified clinical evaluation was recommended and only following a risk assessment. Instrumental assessments were often considered aerosol generating, especially transnasal procedures such as endoscopy and manometry. For this reason, many associations recommended that these examinations be performed only when essential and with appropriate personal protective equipment. Guidelines recommended that intervention should focus on compensatory strategies, including bolus modification, maneuvers/postural changes, and therapeutic exercises that can be conducted with physical distancing. Respiratory training devices were not recommended during rehabilitation. Conclusions International associations have provided extensive guidance regarding the level of risk related to the management of dysphagia in this population. To date, there are no scientific papers offering disease and/or recovery profiling for patients with dysphagia and coronavirus disease 2019. As a result, research in this area is urgently needed.
- Implementation of European Alpha-1 Research Collaboration (EARCO) in Portugal: the future starts nowPublication . Sucena, M.; Gomes, J.; Guimarães, C.; Miravitlles, M.
- A novel molecular link between HOXA9 and WNT6 in glioblastoma identifies a subgroup of patients with particular poor prognosisPublication . Gonçalves, Céline S.; Xavier‐Magalhães, Ana; Martins, Eduarda P.; Pinto, Afonso A.; Pires, Manuel; Pinheiro, Célia; Reis, Rui M.; Sousa, Nuno; Costa, Bruno M.Despite much effort to improve treatments, patients with malignant glioma still present a very poor prognosis that has not changed significantly in the last decades. In this context, it is crucial to better understand glioma pathogenesis to identify new molecular prognostic subgroups and therapeutic targets. WNT6 was recently identified as a new oncogenic molecule in glioblastoma (GBM), with prognostic value in patients, but the mechanisms underlying WNT6 aberrant expression in glioma are still unknown. WNT6 was overexpressed in a subset of gliomas independently of IDH mutations, 1p/19q codeletion status, and WNT6 gene copy number. Interestingly, WNT6 expression is associated with the DNA methylation levels of particular CpG regions at both the WNT6 promoter and the gene body in glioma patient samples. HOXA9, a transcription factor previously associated with poorer clinical outcome in GBM, was identified as a novel transcriptional regulator of WNT6, activating the WNT/β-catenin pathway in vitro and in vivo. In various cohorts of glioma patients, mRNA levels of WNT6 and HOXA9 were significantly correlated, extending our in vitro and in vivo findings into the clinical setting. Interestingly, this novel molecular link between WNT6 and HOXA9 was not limited to glioma, as they were co-expressed also in patients with other tumor types. Clinically, WNT6 was a prognostic biomarker of shorter survival in GBM, independently of HOXA9 expression. Concomitant high expression of both WNT6 and HOXA9 identified a subgroup of patients with particularly dismal survival. These findings describe novel WNT6 regulatory mechanisms in GBM, establishing particular DNA methylation patterns and HOXA9 as critical regulators of WNT6 expression in glioma. This HOXA9-WNT6 molecular link supports WNT signaling in GBM cells and is a powerful prognostic biomarker, highlighting the clinical relevance of this axis in patients. Novel therapies targeting WNT6-HOXA9 signaling may thus be useful for this deadly disease.