Neurobehavioral features in medication-overuse headache.

Background: Medication-overuse headache (MOH) has been related to the spectrum of dependence behavior and impaired orbitofrontal cortex function. Alexithymia is a trait comprising deficits in identifying self-emotions and perception. It was the aim of the study to investigate impulsivity and alexithymia, in patients with MOH and perform correlations with cerebral grey matter.

Circadian functional changes of pain-processing brainstem nuclei and implications for cluster headache: A 7 Tesla imaging study.

Background: Pain thresholds and primary headaches, including cluster headache attacks, have circadian rhythmicity. Thus, they might share a common neuronal mechanism.

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate how the modulation of nociceptive input in the brainstem changes from noon to midnight.

Relationship between subjectively-rated and objectively-tested physical function across six different medical diagnoses.

Objective: To quantify and compare associations and relationships between self-rated and tested assessments of mainly mobility-related physical function in different diagnoses.

Design: Six longitudinal cohort studies before and after inpatient rehabilitation.

Patients: Patients with whiplash-associated disorder (n = 71), low back pain (n = 121), fibromyalgia (n = 84), lipoedema (n = 27), lymphoedema (n = 78), and post-acute coronary syndrome (n = 64).

Occipital transcranial direct current stimulation in episodic migraine patients: effect on cerebral perfusion.

Cerebral blood flow differs between migraine patients and healthy controls during attack and the interictal period. This study compares the brain perfusion of episodic migraine patients and healthy controls and investigates the influence of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the occipital cortex. We included healthy adult controls and episodic migraineurs.

Assessing the Risk of Developing Delirium on Admission to Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Clinical Prediction Model.

Objectives: To develop a clinical model to predict the risk of an individual patient developing delirium during inpatient rehabilitation, based on patient characteristics and clinical data available on admission.

Design: Retrospective observational study based on electronic health record data.

Setting And Participants: We studied a previously validated data set of inpatients including incident delirium episodes during rehabilitation.

Guideline on multimodal rehabilitation for patients with post-intensive care syndrome.

Background: Intensive Care Unit (ICU) survivors often experience several impairments in their physical, cognitive, and psychological health status, which are labeled as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). The aim of this work is to develop a multidisciplinary and -professional guideline for the rehabilitative therapy of PICS.

Methods: A multidisciplinary/-professional task force of 15 healthcare professionals applied a structured, evidence-based approach to address 10 scientific questions.

Effects of Inpatient Rehabilitation in Leg Lymphedema: A Naturalistic Prospective Cohort Study With Intra-individual Control of Effects.

Objective: To quantify therapy-attributable effects of a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation program for lower limb lymphedema (LLL) and to compare the levels of health-related quality of life (HRQL) to population-based norms.

Design: Naturalistic prospective cohort study with intra-individual control of effects.

Setting: Rehabilitation hospital.

Potential Risk Factors for, and Clinical Implications of, Delirium during Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Matched Case-Control Study.

Objectives: To investigate the association between a wide set of baseline characteristics (age, sex, rehabilitation discipline), functional scores [Functional Independence Measure (FIM), cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS)], diseases, and administered drugs and incident delirium in rehabilitation inpatients and, furthermore, to assess clinical implications of developing delirium during rehabilitation.

Design: Matched case-control study based on electronic health record data.

Setting And Participants: We studied rehabilitation stays of inpatients admitted between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2018, to ZURZACH Care, Rehaklinik Bad Zurzach, an inpatient rehabilitation clinic in Switzerland.

The longitudinal influence of tDCS on occipital GABA and glutamate/glutamine levels in episodic migraineurs.

This study investigated differences in the concentration of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the combination of glutamine and glutamate (as GLX) in the early visual cortex of patients with episodic migraine and the influence of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on GABA and GLX. In this single-blind, sham-controlled trial, we randomly assigned patients with episodic migraine to receive daily anodal tDCS or sham stimulation. In addition, we included healthy controls.

Comparison of Swiss versus Standard Acupuncture in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain. A Study Protocol for a Randomized, Controlled, Single-Blind, Parallel Trial.

Introduction: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) cannot sufficiently be treated by pharmacological therapy and generates substantial health-care costs worldwide. Acupuncture, a cost-effective, safe and non-pharmacological therapy, has shown promising results in relieving acute low back pain; however, the optimal acupuncture therapy for CLBP remains controversial. This study will compare two acupuncture methods for pain relief in CLBP.

Mental and psychosocial health and health related quality of life before and after cardiac rehabilitation: a prospective cohort study with comparison to specific population norms.

Background: Data on mental health improvement after cardiac rehabilitation (CR) are contradictory. The aim was to examine the mental and psycho-social health of patients admitted to our rehabilitation center following hospital treatment for acute coronary syndrome, before and after multidisciplinary CR.

Methods: Outcome was measured at admission and discharge by the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36), the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90R), the Coping Strategy Questionnaire (CSQ) and the 6-min-walking distance test.

Catastrophizing as a prognostic factor for pain and physical function in the multidisciplinary rehabilitation of fibromyalgia and low back pain.

Background: Quantitative data on longitudinal associations between catastrophizing and pain or physical function are patchy. The study aimed to quantify the prognostic value of catastrophizing for pain and function in fibromyalgia and low back pain before and after rehabilitation.

Methods: The associations of state and change on the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI) Pain severity scale, the Short Form 36 (SF-36) Physical functioning scale and the Six-Minute Walking Distance (6MWD) with the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ) Catastrophizing scale were quantified by multiple regression modelling to adjust for confounders.

Cluster Headache and the Comprehension Paradox.

Patients with primary headache disorders such as cluster headache cycle between being entirely healthy and almost completely incapacitated. Sick leave or reduced performance due to headache attacks demands flexibility by their social counterparts. The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that headache patients cause frustration that grows with the times colleagues have to take over their work.

Detecting Incident Delirium within Routinely Collected Inpatient Rehabilitation Data: Validation of a Chart-Based Method.

Background: Delirium is a brain condition associated with poor outcomes in rehabilitation. It is therefore important to assess delirium incidence in rehabilitation.

Purpose: To develop and validate a chart-based method to identify incident delirium episodes within the electronic database of a Swiss rehabilitation clinic, and to identify a study population of validated incident delirium episodes for further research purposes.

Dealing with Headache: Sex Differences in the Burden of Migraine- and Tension-Type Headache.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in the burden of migraine and tension-type headache (TTH).

Background: Migraine and TTH are more common in women than in men, with differences in comorbidities, treatment responses, disease-modifying factors, and ictal and interictal burden of disease. Information about sex-related influences on ictal and interictal burden is limited, and an increased understanding is mandatory to provide tailored individual treatment for female and male patients.

Clinical features of migraine with onset prior to or during start of combined hormonal contraception: a prospective cohort study.

Many studies have described the features of menstrually related migraines but there is a lack of knowledge regarding the features of migraine in combined hormonal contraceptive users (CHC). Hormone-withdrawal migraines in the pill-free period could differ from those in the natural cycle. Gynaecologic comorbidities, like dysmenorrhea and endometriosis, but also depression or a family history might modify the course of migraine.

Comprehensiveness and validity of a multidimensional assessment in patients with chronic low back pain: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Chronic low back pain is a multidimensional syndrome affecting physical activity and function, health-related quality of life and employment status. The aim of the study was to quantify the cross-sectional and longitudinal validity of single measurement scales in specific construct domains and to examine how they combine to build a comprehensive outcome, covering the complex construct of chronic low back pain before and after a standardized interdisciplinary pain program.

Methods: This prospective cohort study assessed 177 patients using the Short Form 36 (SF-36), the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and 2 functional performance tests, the Back Performance Scale (BPS) and the 6-Minute Walking Distance (6MWD).

Structural brain network characteristics in patients with episodic and chronic migraine.

Background: Migraine is a primary headache disorder that can be classified into an episodic (EM) and a chronic form (CM). Network analysis within the graph-theoretical framework based on connectivity patterns provides an approach to observe large-scale structural integrity. We test the hypothesis that migraineurs are characterized by a segregated network.

Green Flags and headache: A concept study using the Delphi method.

Objective: The aim of this study was to collect and rate Green Flags, that is, symptoms or pieces of information indicating that a patient is more likely to suffer from a primary than from a secondary headache.

Background: When assessing headaches, a central question to be answered is whether the pain is primary or secondary to another disorder. To maximize the likelihood of a correct diagnosis, relevant signs and symptoms must be sought, identified, and weighed against each other.

Long-Term Effects of Self-Administered Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Episodic Migraine Prevention: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Migraine is a multifactorial neurovascular disorder, which affects about 12% of the general population. In episodic migraine, the visual cortex revealed abnormal processing, most likely due to decreased preactivation level. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is able to modify cortical excitability and might result in an alleviation of migraine occurrence if used repetitively.

Employee and Employer Benefits From a Migraine Management Program: Disease Outcomes and Cost Analysis.

Objective: To assess the impact of a migraine management program offered as a complimentary service by a company within its corporate well-being program.

Background: Migraine imposes a substantial burden on patients, families, employers, and societies. As migraine primarily affects working-age adults, this has important implications for both employees and employers.

Cross-sectional validity and specificity of comprehensive measurement in lymphedema and lipedema of the lower extremity: a comparison of five outcome instruments.

Background: Literature on the validity of outcome measurement in lymphedema and lipedema is very sparse. This study aimed to examine the convergent, divergent and discriminant validity of a set of 5 instruments in both conditions.

Methods: Cross-sectional outcome was measured by the generic Short Form 36 (SF-36), the lymphedema-specific Freiburg Quality of Life Assessment for lymphatic disorders, Short Version (FLQA-lk), the knee-specific Knee Outcome Survey Activities of Daily Living Scale (KOS-ADL), the Symptom Checklist-90-revised (SCL-90R), and the Six-Minute Walk Test (6 MWT).

Extended overview of the longitudinal pain-depression association: A comparison of six cohorts treated for specific chronic pain conditions.

Background: The aim was to quantify and to compare the associations between longitudinal changes in pain and depression in different chronic pain conditions.

Methods: Data were retrieved from 6 observational cohort studies. From baseline to the 6-month follow-up, the score changes on the Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36) bodily pain (pain) and the SF-36 mental health (depression) scales (0=worst, 100=best) were quantified, using partial correlations obtained by multiple regression.