[Consensus Statement on deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder].

Background: Since 2013, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been reimbursed in the Netherlands as a proven effective treatment for treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Nevertheless, DBS is still rarely applied, and a national Dutch treatment protocol is lacking.

Aim: To prepare a nationwide multidisciplinary treatment protocol for the application of DBS in the treatment of treatment-resistant OCD.

Criteria for second generation comparator tests in validation of novel HPV DNA tests for use in cervical cancer screening.

While HC2 and GP5+/6+ PCR-EIA were pivotal in test validation of new HPV assays, they represent the first generation of comparator tests based upon technologies that are not in widespread use anymore. In the current guideline, criteria for second-generation comparator tests are presented that include more detailed resolution of HPV genotypes. Second-generation comparator tests should preferentially target only the 12 genotypes classified as carcinogenic (IARC-group I), and show consistent non-inferior sensitivity for CIN2+ and CIN3+ and specificity for ≤CIN1 compared to one of the first-generations comparators, in at least three validation studies using benchmarks of 0.

Performance evaluation of the quantitative assay Adenovirus ELITe MGB® Kit on EDTA-plasma, using the ELITe BeGenius® system.

Background: Adenovirus infections constitute an important cause of morbidity and mortality after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Detection and monitoring of adenovirus in EDTA-plasma by real-time quantitative PCR is a sensitive tool for identification and management of patients at risk of a potentially fatal infection.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the analytical and clinical performance of the quantitative Adenovirus ELITe MGB® Kit (ELITechGroup S.

Validation of the hotspot for dorsolateral subthalamic nucleus targeting in deep brain stimulation surgery for Parkinson's disease: a post hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Visualisation of the dorsolateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) remains challenging on 1.5 and 3Tesla T2-weighted MRI. Our previously defined hotspot, relative to the well-visualised medial STN border, serves as an MRI landmark for dorsolateral STN identification in deep brain stimulation (DBS).

Surgical Complications in Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease: Experience in 800 Patients.

Introduction: We present our surgical complications resulting in neurological deficit or additional surgery during 25 years of DBS of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for Parkinson's disease (PD).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of all PD patients that received STN DBS in our DBS center between 1998 and 2023. Outcomes were complications resulting in neurological deficit or additional surgery.

7-Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scanning in Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson's Disease: Improving Visualization of the Dorsolateral Subthalamic Nucleus.

Background: Identifying the dorsolateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) can be challenging due to the size and double-oblique orientation. Since 2015 we implemented 7-Tesla T2 weighted magnetic resonance imaging (7 T T2) for improving visualization and targeting of the dorsolateral STN. We describe the changes in surgical planning and outcome since implementation of 7 T T2 for DBS in PD.

Perspectives of Implementation of Closed-Loop Deep Brain Stimulation: From Neurological to Psychiatric Disorders.

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a highly efficient, evidence-based therapy to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life in movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia, which is also being applied in several psychiatric disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression, when they are otherwise resistant to therapy.

Summary: At present, DBS is clinically applied in the so-called open-loop approach, with fixed stimulation parameters, irrespective of the patients' clinical state(s). This approach ignores the brain states or feedback from the central nervous system or peripheral recordings, thus potentially limiting its efficacy and inducing side effects by stimulation of the targeted networks below or above the therapeutic level.

Does atrial fibrillation affect prognosis in hospitalised COVID-19 patients? A multicentre historical cohort study in the Netherlands.

Objectives: The aim of this multicentre COVID-PREDICT study (a nationwide observational cohort study that aims to better understand clinical course of COVID-19 and to predict which COVID-19 patients should receive which treatment and which type of care) was to determine the association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, complications and discharge destination in hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

Setting: Data from a historical cohort study in eight hospitals (both academic and non-academic) in the Netherlands between January 2020 and July 2021 were used in this study.

Participants: 3064 hospitalised COVID-19 patients >18 years old.

The intralaminar thalamus: a review of its role as a target in functional neurosurgery.

The intralaminar thalamus, in particular the centromedian-parafascicular complex, forms a strategic node between ascending information from the spinal cord and brainstem and forebrain circuitry that involves the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia. A large body of evidence shows that this functionally heterogeneous region regulates information transmission in different cortical circuits, and is involved in a variety of functions, including cognition, arousal, consciousness and processing of pain signals. Not surprisingly, the intralaminar thalamus has been a target area for (radio)surgical ablation and deep brain stimulation (DBS) in different neurological and psychiatric disorders.

Deep brain stimulation normalizes amygdala responsivity in treatment-resistant depression.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral anterior limb of the internal capsule (vALIC) is a promising intervention for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, the working mechanisms of vALIC DBS in TRD remain largely unexplored. As major depressive disorder has been associated with aberrant amygdala functioning, we investigated whether vALIC DBS affects amygdala responsivity and functional connectivity.

Deep Brain Stimulation of the Anterior Nucleus of the Thalamus in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy in the MORE Multicenter Patient Registry.

Background And Objectives: The efficacy of deep brain stimulation of the anterior nucleus of the thalamus (ANT DBS) in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) was demonstrated in the double-blind Stimulation of the Anterior Nucleus of the Thalamus for Epilepsy randomized controlled trial. The Medtronic Registry for Epilepsy (MORE) aims to understand the safety and longer-term effectiveness of ANT DBS therapy in routine clinical practice.

Methods: MORE is an observational registry collecting prospective and retrospective clinical data.

Integrated surveillance of human respiratory viruses in addition to SARS-CoV-2 in a public testing facility in the Netherlands.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 prevention measures impact the circulation of other respiratory viruses. Surveillance in the network of general practitioners is hampered by widespread testing for SARS-CoV-2 in public testing facilities.

Objectives: To evaluate integrated community surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses and describe epidemiological trends.

A randomized study of intensified antiretroviral treatment monitoring versus standard-of-care for prevention of drug resistance and antiretroviral treatment switch.

Introduction: Standard-of-care antiretroviral treatment (ART) monitoring in low and middle-income countries consists of annual determination of HIV-RNA viral load with confirmatory viral load testing in case of viral rebound. We evaluated an intensified monitoring strategy of three-monthly viral load testing with additional drug exposure and drug resistance testing in case of viral rebound.

Methods: We performed an open-label randomized controlled trial (RCT) at a rural South African healthcare clinic, enrolling adults already receiving or newly initiating first-line ART.

Probabilistic Mapping Reveals Optimal Stimulation Site in Essential Tremor.

Objective: The objective of this study was to obtain individual clinical and neuroimaging data of patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) for essential tremor (ET) from 5 different European centers to identify predictors of outcome and to identify an optimal stimulation site.

Methods: We analyzed retrospectively baseline covariates, pre- and postoperative clinical tremor scores (for 12 months) as well as individual imaging data from 119 patients to obtain individual electrode positions and stimulation volumes. Individual imaging and clinical data were used to calculate a probabilistic stimulation map in normalized space using voxel-wise statistical analysis.

HIV-1 pretreatment drug resistance negatively impacts outcomes of first-line antiretroviral treatment.

Introduction: Pretreatment drug resistance (PDR) prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa is rising, but evidence of its impact on efavirenz (EFV)-based antiretroviral treatment (ART) is inconclusive. We determined the impact of PDR on outcomes of EFV-based ART in a subanalysis of a randomized clinical trial comparing different ART monitoring strategies implemented at a rural treatment facility in Limpopo, South Africa.

Methods: Participants initiating EFV-based first-line ART (2015-2017) were enrolled and received 96 weeks follow-up.

In-depth Characterization of Vaccine Breakthrough Infections With SARS-CoV-2 Among Health Care Workers in a Dutch Academic Medical Center.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection after coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination raises concerns about the emergence of vaccine escape variants. Here we characterize 14 breakthrough infections among 5860 fully vaccinated Dutch health care workers ≥14 days after the final dose of vaccination with either BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, or Ad26.COV2.

Effectiveness and safety of deep brain stimulation for patients with refractory obsessive compulsive disorder and comorbid autism spectrum disorder; A case series.

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is effective for patients with treatment refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is present in up to a third of all patients with OCD, but it is unknown whether effectiveness of DBS for OCD also applies for patients with comorbid ASD. The present case series is the first to examine effectiveness on OCD symptoms and safety of DBS in patients with OCD and ASD specifically.