Negative BOLD Responses Surpass Positive Responses in Task Specificity, Reflecting Neural Reconfigurations Better Than Functional Connectivity.

Objective: To investigate whether the Negative BOLD Response (NBR) is more task-specific than the Positive BOLD Response (PBR) during cognitive tasks and to determine whether task-evoked activity reflects brain reconfigurations during different tasks better than functional connectivity.

Methods: Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data were collected from 214 participants under 50 years old (152 in Dataset 1 and 62 in Dataset 2) performing twelve cognitive tasks spanning vocabulary, speed of processing, fluid reasoning, and memory domains. Data analysis included subject-level and group-level analyses, focusing on comparing the spatial patterns and task specificity of NBR and PBR through similarity measures using Dice coefficients.

Quality improvement project on the development of a management algorithm for iatrogenic perforations and the long-term impact on physician knowledge.

Acute iatrogenic endoscopic perforations (AIEPs) can have high morbidity and mortality, especially colonic perforations. Knowledge of diagnosis and AIEP management can improve patient care. The aims of this study were to: develop an evidence-based AIEP management algorithm; study its short-term and long-term impact on physician knowledge; and evaluate physician knowledge using hypothetical clinical scenarios.

Increasing rates and changing patterns of hospital admissions for patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Ireland: 1996-2001.

Background: The inflammatory bowel diseases require frequent hospital visits. The literature suggests that the incidence of IBD may be increasing.

Aim: To investigate the pattern of admissions of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to hospital over a five-year period (between 1996 and 2001).