Publications by authors named "Max Hilz"

Background: Secondary stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the fastest growing areas in the field of cerebrovascular diseases. This Scientific statement from the World Stroke Organization Brain & Heart Task Force provides a critical analysis of the strength of current evidence this topic, highlights areas of current controversy, identifies knowledge gaps, and proposes priorities for future research.

Methods: We select topics with the highest clinical relevance and perform a systematic search to answer specific practical questions.

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  • The study evaluates the state of education and training in autonomic nervous system (ANS) disorders among European neurology residents and consultants, especially after disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The research employed a 23-item online questionnaire distributed to neurology professionals, assessing demographics, training opportunities, and preferences for learning about ANS disorders.
  • Results indicated a strong desire among 285 respondents for improved education in ANS skills, with notable differences based on gender, age, and region, highlighting the need for integrating autonomic medicine into residency curricula.
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  • The study investigates the impact of fingolimod treatment on heart rate (HR) and cardiovascular autonomic modulation in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), particularly focusing on those who initially experienced prolonged HR slowing.
  • It involves monitoring 34 patients before and after fingolimod initiation, measuring various cardiovascular parameters to assess changes in autonomic function.
  • Findings indicate that while all patients experienced HR decreases after treatment, those with initial prolonged HR slowing showed persistent differences in HR and autonomic modulation six months later compared to those without this phenomenon.
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Background: Fabry disease (FD), an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder, is caused by mutations in the gene encoding α-galactosidase A, resulting in lysosomal accumulation of globotriaosylceramide and other glycosphingolipids. Early detection of FD is challenging, accounting for delayed diagnosis and treatment initiation. This study aimed to develop an algorithm using a logistic regression model to facilitate early identification of patients based on ICD-10-GM coding using a German Sickness Fund Database.

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Purpose: To understand the influence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on clinical autonomic education and research in Europe.

Methods: We invited 84 European autonomic centers to complete an online survey, recorded the pre-pandemic-to-pandemic percentage of junior participants in the annual congresses of the European Federation of Autonomic Societies (EFAS) and European Academy of Neurology (EAN) and the pre-pandemic-to-pandemic number of PubMed publications on neurological disorders.

Results: Forty-six centers answered the survey (55%).

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  • Fabry disease is a rare disorder caused by a deficiency in α-galactosidase A, leading to serious health issues like kidney and heart disease, and the study aimed to assess health-related quality of life (HrQol) and its predictors in patients.
  • The study involved 135 adult patients across specialized centers in Germany and Switzerland, analyzing various demographic, social, and clinical factors impacting HrQol using self-reported questionnaires.
  • Key findings indicated that factors like classic phenotype, organ involvement (especially kidney and heart disease), depression, and burning limb pain are independent predictors of lower HrQol, while enzyme replacement and chaperone therapies are associated with improved HrQol.
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  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can affect how the brain controls heart functions and performs thinking tasks.
  • The study looked at 86 people who had TBI to see how their heart function relates to their cognitive abilities.
  • Results showed that certain heart function measurements were linked to how well these individuals performed on different thinking tests.
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Background And Purpose: Acute stroke frequently causes cardiovascular-autonomic dysfunction (CAD). Studies of CAD recovery are inconclusive, whereas poststroke arrhythmias may wane within 72 h. We evaluated whether poststroke CAD recovers within 72 h upon stroke onset in association with neurological improvement or increased use of cardiovascular medication.

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Background And Purpose: The relationship between ischemic stroke site and occurrence of poststroke epilepsy (PSE) is incompletely understood. This study intended to evaluate incidence and temporal profiles of seizures and to correlate ischemic lesion sites with PSE using voxel-based lesion symptom mapping (VLSM).

Methods: Patients with imaging-confirmed first-ever ischemic stroke without prior history of epilepsy were prospectively included.

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Objective: To investigate the impact of the coronavirus-disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on European clinical autonomic practice.

Methods: Eighty-four neurology-driven or interdisciplinary autonomic centers in 22 European countries were invited to fill in a web-based survey between September and November 2021.

Results: Forty-six centers completed the survey (55%).

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Introduction: Myocardial injury related to acute ischaemic stroke is common even without primary cardiac disease. We intended to determine associations between values of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and ischaemic stroke lesion sites.

Methods: Of a local database, patients with acute first-ever ischaemic stroke confirmed by brain imaging but without pre-existing heart disease were included.

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Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an established treatment option for patients with treatment resistant epilepsy and depression. However, the procedure is invasive and has side-effects. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a non-invasive alternative.

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Invasive cervical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is approved for the treatment of epilepsies, depression, obesity, and for stroke-rehabilitation. The procedure requires surgery, has side-effects, is expensive and not readily available. Consequently, transcutaneous VNS (tVNS) has been developed 20 years ago as non-invasive, less expensive, and easily applicable alternative.

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Background And Purpose: Disorders of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) are common conditions, but it is unclear whether access to ANS healthcare provision is homogeneous across European countries. The aim of this study was to identify neurology-driven or interdisciplinary clinical ANS laboratories in Europe, describe their characteristics and explore regional differences.

Methods: We contacted the European national ANS and neurological societies, as well as members of our professional network, to identify clinical ANS laboratories in each country and invite them to answer a web-based survey.

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Background: Stroke may compromise cardiovascular-autonomic modulation (CAM). The longitudinal post-stroke CAM alterations remain unclear as previous studies excluded patients with cardiovascular medication. This study evaluated whether CAM dysfunction improves after several months in patients under typical clinical conditions, i.

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Background And Purpose: Ischemic stroke may induce cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction, but most previous studies have included patients with anterior circulation ischemic stroke or brainstem stroke. It remains unclear whether posterior circulation ischemic stroke (PCIS) without brainstem involvement also compromises cardiovascular autonomic modulation (CAM). Therefore, we aimed to assess CAM in PCIS patients with and without brainstem involvement.

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An expert committee was formed to reach consensus on the use of Tilt Table Testing (TTT) in the diagnosis of disorders that may cause transient loss of consciousness (TLOC) and to outline when other provocative cardiovascular autonomic tests are needed. While TTT adds to history taking, it cannot be a substitute for it. An abnormal TTT result is most meaningful if the provoked event is recognised by patients or eyewitnesses as similar to spontaneous ones.

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An expert committee was formed to reach consensus on the use of tilt table testing (TTT) in the diagnosis of disorders that may cause transient loss of consciousness (TLOC) and to outline when other provocative cardiovascular autonomic tests are needed. While TTT adds to history taking, it cannot be a substitute for it. An abnormal TTT result is most meaningful if the provoked event is recognised by patients or eyewitnesses as similar to spontaneous events.

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Strokes are the paradigmatic example of the sudden impairment of the cerebral regulation of cardiac autonomic regulation. Although several aspects of dysautonomic cardiovascular regulation post stroke remain unanswered, there has been a wealth of research in this area in the last decade. In this article, we present a state-of-the-art review on the anatomical and functional organization of cardiovascular autonomic regulation, and the pathophysiology, incidence, time course, diagnosis, clinical aspects, prognosis, and management of post-stroke cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction.

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Background And Purpose: Initial cardiovascular fingolimod effects might compromise baroreflex responses to rapid blood pressure (BP) changes during common Valsalva-like maneuvers. This study evaluated cardiovascular responses to Valsalva maneuver (VM)-induced baroreceptor unloading and loading upon fingolimod initiation.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-one patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis performed VMs before and 0.

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Evaluation of disorders of the autonomic nervous system is both an art and a science, calling upon the physician's most astute clinical skills as well as knowledge of autonomic neurology and physiology. Over the last three decades, the development of noninvasive clinical tests that assess the function of autonomic nerves, the validation and standardization of these tests, and the growth of a large body of literature characterizing test results in patients with autonomic disorders have equipped clinical practice further with a valuable set of objective tools to assist diagnosis and prognosis. This review, based on current evidence, outlines an international expert consensus set of recommendations to guide clinical electrodiagnostic autonomic testing.

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Over 1.5 million deaths worldwide are caused by neurocardiogenic syndromes. Furthermore, the consequences of deleterious brain-heart interactions are not limited to fatal complications.

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