Converting PROMIS-29 v2.0 profile data to SF-36 physical and mental component summary scores in patients with cardiovascular disorders.

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQL) has become an important outcome parameter in cardiology. The MOS 36-ltem Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the PROMIS-29 are two widely used generic measures providing composite HRQL scores. The domains of the SF-36, a well-established instrument utilized for several decades, can be aggregated to physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component summary scores.

Predicting postoperative delirium assessed by the Nursing Screening Delirium Scale in the recovery room for non-cardiac surgeries without craniotomy: A retrospective study using a machine learning approach.

Postoperative delirium (POD) contributes to severe outcomes such as death or development of dementia. Thus, it is desirable to identify vulnerable patients in advance during the perioperative phase. Previous studies mainly investigated risk factors for delirium during hospitalization and further used a linear logistic regression (LR) approach with time-invariant data.

Association of hyperfibrinolysis with poor prognosis in refractory circulatory arrest: implications for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Background: Identifying candidates for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (eCPR) is challenging, and novel predictive markers are urgently needed. Hyperfibrinolysis is linked to tissue hypoxia and is associated with poor outcomes in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) can detect or rule out hyperfibrinolysis, and could, therefore, provide decision support for initiation of eCPR.

Evaluation of a prototype metal artifact reduction algorithm for cone beam CT in patients undergoing radioembolization.

Metal artifacts notoriously pose significant challenge in computed tomography (CT), leading to inaccuracies in image formation and interpretation. Artifact reduction tools have been designed to improve cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) image quality by reducing artifacts caused by certain high-density materials. Metal artifact reduction (MAR) tools are specific algorithms that are applied during image reconstruction to minimize or eliminate artifacts degrading CBCT images.

Impact of AKI on metabolic compensation for respiratory acidosis in ICU patients with AECOPD.

Purpose: Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) can result in severe respiratory acidosis. Metabolic compensation is primarily achieved by renal retention of bicarbonate. The extent to which acute kidney injury (AKI) impairs the kidney's capacity to compensate for respiratory acidosis remains unclear.

Cognitive reserve and the risk of postoperative neurocognitive disorders in older age.

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) are postoperative neurocognitive disorders (PNDs) that frequently occur in the aftermath of a surgical intervention. Cognitive reserve (CR) is a concept posited to explain why cognitive health varies between individuals. On this qualitative understanding of cognitive health, factors like IQ, education level, and occupational complexity can affect the impact of neuropathological processes on cognitive outcomes.

Depressive symptoms and anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor GluN1 antibody seropositivity in the PROSpective cohort with incident stroke.

Background: Anti-NMDA-receptor GluN1 antibodies (NMDAR1-abs) are present in an autoimmune encephalitis with severe neuropsychiatric symptoms. We aimed to estimate the impact of serum NMDAR1-abs on depressive symptoms years after first-ever ischemic stroke (IS).

Methods: Data were used from the PROSpective Cohort with Incident Stroke-Berlin (PROSCIS-B; NCT01363856).

Protocol of the Berlin Long-term Observation of Vascular Events (BeLOVE): a prospective cohort study with deep phenotyping and long-term follow up of cardiovascular high-risk patients.

Introduction: The Berlin Long-term Observation of Vascular Events is a prospective cohort study that aims to improve prediction and disease-overarching mechanistic understanding of cardiovascular (CV) disease progression by comprehensively investigating a high-risk patient population with different organ manifestations.

Methods And Analysis: A total of 8000 adult patients will be recruited who have either suffered an acute CV event (CVE) requiring hospitalisation or who have not experienced a recent acute CVE but are at high CV risk. An initial study examination is performed during the acute treatment phase of the index CVE or after inclusion into the chronic high risk arm.

Associations of C-reactive protein with depressive symptoms over time after mild to moderate ischemic stroke in the PROSCIS-B cohort.

Background And Purpose: C-reactive protein serves as a marker of inflammation and is linked to depression in the general population. We aimed to assess whether elevated baseline levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) are associated with depressive symptoms over time in a prospective cohort of mild-to-moderate first-ever ischemic stroke patients.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Prospective Cohort with Incident Stroke Berlin (NCT01363856).

Automated acute ischemic stroke lesion delineation based on apparent diffusion coefficient thresholds.

Purpose: Automated lesion segmentation is increasingly used in acute ischemic stroke magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We explored in detail the performance of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) thresholding for delineating baseline diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesions.

Methods: Retrospective, exploratory analysis of the prospective observational single-center 1000Plus study from September 2008 to June 2013 (clinicaltrials.

Machine learning-based prediction of clinical outcomes after first-ever ischemic stroke.

Background: Accurate prediction of clinical outcomes in individual patients following acute stroke is vital for healthcare providers to optimize treatment strategies and plan further patient care. Here, we use advanced machine learning (ML) techniques to systematically compare the prediction of functional recovery, cognitive function, depression, and mortality of first-ever ischemic stroke patients and to identify the leading prognostic factors.

Methods: We predicted clinical outcomes for 307 patients (151 females, 156 males; 68 ± 14 years) from the PROSpective Cohort with Incident Stroke Berlin study using 43 baseline features.

Quality contract 'prevention of postoperative delirium in the care of elderly patients' study protocol: a non-randomised, pre-post, monocentric, prospective trial.

Introduction: Postoperative delirium (POD) is seen in approximately 15% of elderly patients and is related to poorer outcomes. In 2017, the Federal Joint Committee (Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss) introduced a 'quality contract' (QC) as a new instrument to improve healthcare in Germany. One of the four areas for improvement of in-patient care is the 'Prevention of POD in the care of elderly patients' (QC-POD), as a means to reduce the risk of developing POD and its complications.

Associations of clonal hematopoiesis with recurrent vascular events and death in patients with incident ischemic stroke.

Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is common among older people and is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis, inflammation, and shorter overall survival. Age and inflammation are major risk factors for ischemic stroke, yet the association of CH with risk of secondary vascular events and death is unknown. We investigated CH in peripheral blood DNA from 581 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke from the Prospective Cohort With Incident Stroke-Berlin study using error-corrected targeted sequencing.

Mental health in myasthenia gravis patients and its impact on caregiver burden.

Psychiatric comorbidities are relevant in patients with Myasthenia gravis (MG). Also, MG patients experience a reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We aimed to quantify the impact of depression as well as self-perceived MG severity on HRQoL and caregivers' burden.

Low ankle-brachial index and cognitive function after stroke-the PROSpective with Incident Stroke Berlin (PROSCIS-B).

Introduction: Low ankle-brachial index (ABI) ≤0. 9 is a marker for generalized atherosclerosis and a risk factor for cognitive decline in the general population.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of ABI ≤0.

Outcome Comparison of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in Patients with Trauma-Associated and Non-Trauma-Associated ARDS: A Retrospective 11-Year Period Analysis.

(1) Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a rare complication in multiply injured patients. Due to the rarity of ARDS development after trauma, little is known about outcomes of patients with trauma-associated ARDS compared to patients with non-trauma-associated ARDS. (2) Methods: This retrospective analysis included = 1038 ARDS patients admitted to the ARDS center of Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin between 2007 and 2018.

Examining the impact of a symptom assessment application on patient-physician interaction among self-referred walk-in patients in the emergency department (AKUSYM): study protocol for a multi-center, randomized controlled, parallel-group superiority trial.

Background: Due to the increasing use of online health information, symptom checkers have been developed to provide an individualized assessment of health complaints and provide potential diagnoses and an urgency estimation. It is assumed that they support patient empowerment and have a positive impact on patient-physician interaction and satisfaction with care. Particularly in the emergency department (ED), symptom checkers could be integrated to bridge waiting times in the ED, and patients as well as physicians could take advantage of potential positive effects.

Association of cholinesterase activities and POD in older adult abdominal surgical patients.

Background: Postoperative delirium (POD) is a frequent complication after surgery. Older adult patients undergoing abdominal surgery are at higher risk for developing POD. Studies on the association of cholinesterase activities and POD are rare, but leading hypotheses implicate that the cholinergic pathway might play an important role in neuroinflammation and development of POD.

Statistical review of animal trials-A guideline.

Any experiment involving living organisms requires justification of the need and moral defensibleness of the study. Statistical planning, design, and sample size calculation of the experiment are no less important review criteria than general medical and ethical points to consider. Errors made in the statistical planning and data evaluation phase can have severe consequences on both results and conclusions.

Recommendations for empowering early career researchers to improve research culture and practice.

Early career researchers (ECRs) are important stakeholders leading efforts to catalyze systemic change in research culture and practice. Here, we summarize the outputs from a virtual unconventional conference (unconference), which brought together 54 invited experts from 20 countries with extensive experience in ECR initiatives designed to improve the culture and practice of science. Together, we drafted 2 sets of recommendations for (1) ECRs directly involved in initiatives or activities to change research culture and practice; and (2) stakeholders who wish to support ECRs in these efforts.

Serum anti-NMDA-receptor antibodies and cognitive function after ischemic stroke (PROSCIS-B).

Objective: We aimed to investigate whether serum anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor GluN1 (previously NR1) antibody (NMDAR1-abs) seropositivity impacts cognitive function (CF) in the long term following ischemic stroke.

Methods: Data were used from the PROSpective Cohort with Incident Stroke-Berlin. NMDAR1-abs (IgM/IgA/IgG) were measured with cell-based assays from serum obtained within 7 days after the first-ever stroke.

The Dynamic of Extracellular Vesicles in Patients With Subacute Stroke: Results of the "Biomarkers and Perfusion-Training-Induced Changes After Stroke" () Study.

Extracellular vesicles (EV) are sub-1 μm bilayer lipid coated particles and have been shown play a role in long-term cardiovascular outcome after ischemic stroke. However, the dynamic change of EV after stroke and their implications for functional outcome have not yet been elucidated. Serial blood samples from 110 subacute ischemic stroke patients enrolled in the prospective study were analyzed.

Evolution of Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability in Subacute Ischemic Stroke and Associations With Serum Biomarkers and Functional Outcome.

In the setting of acute ischemic stroke, increased blood-brain barrier permeability (BBBP) as a sign of injury is believed to be associated with increased risk of poor outcome. Pre-clinical studies show that selected serum biomarkers including C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), matrix metallopeptidases (MMP), and vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) may play a role in BBBP post-stroke. In the subacute phase of stroke, increased BBBP may also be caused by regenerative mechanisms such as vascular remodeling and therefore may improve functional recovery.

Does stereoscopic imaging improve the memorization of medical imaging by neurosurgeons? Experience of a single institution.

Stereoscopic imaging has increasingly been used in anatomical teaching and neurosurgery. The aim of our study was to analyze the potential utility of stereoscopic imaging as a tool for memorizing neurosurgical patient cases compared to conventional monoscopic visualization. A total of 16 residents and 6 consultants from the Department of Neurosurgery at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin were recruited for the study.