Publications by authors named "Graham Raftery"
Disease activity and cognition in rheumatoid arthritis: an open label pilot study.
Arthritis Res Ther
December 2012
Introduction: We hypothesised that fatigue in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is related to TNF-alpha induced dysregulation of cerebral blood flow. Our objectives were to assess fatigue, cognitive function and cerebral blood flow before and after initiation of anti-TNF treatment.
Methods: In a pilot study, 15 patients initiating treatment with adalimumab were assessed for fatigue using a visual analogue scale (FACIT-F), cognitive function using a panel of psychometric tests and regional cerebral blood flow using MR perfusion imaging.
Article Synopsis
- Both fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients report similar levels of disability, despite differing medical perceptions about tissue damage and inflammation.
- A study matched 12 RA patients with 12 fibromyalgia patients by demographics and assessed their 24-hour activity using a monitor, finding no significant differences in total activity or other measures like steps taken and time spent standing.
- There was a notable correlation between self-reported disability and objective activity levels in the fibromyalgia group, suggesting that both self-reported and objective measures are valuable for further research on fibromyalgia outcomes.
Objectives: This study was performed to describe what clinical rheumatologists currently use musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) for, how they are currently training and is the first study to survey rheumatologists to determine their preferences for MSUS training implementation.
Methods: 250 questionnaires were distributed at the British Society of Rheumatology Annual General Meeting (BSR AGM), 2005.
Results: 126 (50%) of questionnaires were completed by UK rheumatologists and were analysed.