Reverse-engineered models reveal differential membrane properties of autonomic and cutaneous unmyelinated fibers.

Unmyelinated C-fibers constitute the vast majority of axons in peripheral nerves and play key roles in homeostasis and signaling pain. However, little is known about their ion channel expression, which controls their firing properties. Also, because of their small diameters (~ 1 μm), it has not been possible to characterize their membrane properties using voltage clamp.

Optimization of patient-specific stereo-EEG recording sensitivity.

Stereo-EEG is a minimally invasive technique used to localize the origin of epileptic activity (the epileptogenic zone) in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. However, current stereo-EEG trajectory planning methods are agnostic to the spatial recording sensitivity of implanted electrodes. In this study, we used image-based patient-specific computational models to design optimized stereo-EEG electrode configurations.

eHealth Technologies for Monitoring Pediatric Asthma at Home: Scoping Review.

Background: eHealth monitoring technologies offer opportunities to more objectively assess symptoms when they appear in daily life. Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood with an episodic course, requiring close follow-up of pediatric asthma control to identify disease deterioration, prevent exacerbations, and enhance quality of life. eHealth technologies in pediatric asthma care show promising results regarding feasibility, acceptability, and asthma-related health outcomes.

Remote Patient Monitoring and Teleconsultation to Improve Health Outcomes and Reduce Health Care Utilization of Pediatric Asthma (ALPACA Study): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Effectiveness Trial.

Background: Childhood asthma is imposing a great financial burden on the pediatric health care system. Asthma costs are directly related to the level of asthma control. A substantial part of these costs may be preventable by the timely and adequate assessment of asthma deterioration in daily life and proper asthma management.

Relative contributions of different neural sources to the EEG.

Dogma dictates that the EEG signal is generated by postsynaptic currents (PSCs) because there are an enormous number of synapses in the brain, and PSCs have relatively long durations. However, PSCs are not the only potential source of electric fields in the brain. Action potentials, afterpolarizations, and presynaptic activity can also generate electric fields.

Impaired SARS-CoV-2 specific T-cell response in patients with severe COVID-19.

Cellular immune responses are of pivotal importance to understand SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity. Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISpot) interferon-γ release assay with wild-type spike, membrane and nucleocapsid peptide pools, we longitudinally characterized functional SARS-CoV-2 specific T-cell responses in a cohort of patients with mild, moderate and severe COVID-19. All patients were included before emergence of the Omicron (B.

Ideal current dipoles are appropriate source representations for simulating neurons for intracranial recordings.

Objective: To determine whether dipoles are an appropriate simplified representation of neural sources for stereo-EEG (sEEG).

Methods: We compared the distributions of voltages generated by a dipole, biophysically realistic cortical neuron models, and extended regions of cortex to determine how well a dipole represented neural sources at different spatial scales and at electrode to neuron distances relevant for sEEG. We also quantified errors introduced by the dipole approximation of neural sources in sEEG source localization using standardized low-resolution electrotomography (sLORETA).

Can the response to a single dose of beclomethasone dipropionate predict the outcome of long-term treatment in childhood exercise-induced bronchoconstriction?

Background: Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a frequent and highly specific symptom of childhood asthma. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the mainstay of controller therapy for EIB and asthma; however, a proportion of asthmatic children and adolescents is less responsive to ICS. We hypothesized that a single dose response to ICS could function as a predictor for individual long-term efficacy of ICS.

An Algorithm for Strategic Continuation or Restriction of Asthma Medication Prior to Exercise Challenge Testing in Childhood Exercise Induced Bronchoconstriction.

Exercise induced bronchial (EIB) constriction is a common and highly specific feature of pediatric asthma and should be diagnosed with an exercise challenge test (ECT). The impact of EIB in asthmatic children's daily lives is immense, considering the effects on both physical and psychosocial development. Monitoring childhood asthma by ECT's can provide insight into daily life disease burden and the control of asthma.

The Need for Testing-The Exercise Challenge Test to Disentangle Causes of Childhood Exertional Dyspnea.

Exertional dyspnea is a common symptom in childhood which can induce avoidance of physical activity, aggravating the original symptom. Common causes of exertional dyspnea are exercise induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), dysfunctional breathing, physical deconditioning and the sensation of dyspnea when reaching the physiological limit. These causes frequently coexist, trigger one another and have overlapping symptoms, which can impede diagnoses and treatment.

Volatile organic breath components and exercise induced bronchoconstriction in asthmatic children.

Introduction: Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood and is generally characterized by exercise induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). Assessing EIB is time consuming and expensive as it requires a fully equipped pulmonary function laboratory. Analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in breath is a novel technique for examining biomarkers which may associate with asthma features.

Can the Childhood Physical Activity Questionnaire Be Used to Identify Physical Activity Levels in Children With Asthma?

Children with asthma who are physically active have a better quality of life, emphasizing the importance of activity monitoring and promotion in daily life. The validity of self-reported activity measurements has been questioned in pediatric populations. In this study, we aim to compare the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children (PAQ-C) with objectively measured PA using accelerometry.

Modeling the Impact of Electrode/Tissue Geometry on Electrical Stimulation in Stereo-EEG.

Purpose: Electrical stimulation through depth electrodes is used to map function and seizure onset during stereoelectroencephalography in patients undergoing evaluation for epilepsy surgery. Factors such as electrode design, location, and orientation are expected to impact effects of electrical stimulation.

Methods: We developed a steady-state finite element model of brain tissue including five layers (skull through white matter) and an implanted electrode to explore the impact of electrode design and placement on the activation of brain tissue by electrical stimulation.

Feasibility, Efficacy, and Efficiency of eHealth-Supported Pediatric Asthma Care: Six-Month Quasi-Experimental Single-Arm Pretest-Posttest Study.

Background: Early detection of loss of asthma control can effectively reduce the burden of the disease. However, broad implementation in clinical practice has not been accomplished so far. We are in need of research investigating the operationalization of eHealth pediatric asthma care in practice, which can provide the most potential benefits in terms of adoption, efficiency, and effectiveness.

Excitation properties of computational models of unmyelinated peripheral axons.

Biophysically based computational models of nerve fibers are important tools for designing electrical stimulation therapies, investigating drugs that affect ion channels, and studying diseases that affect neurons. Although peripheral nerves are primarily composed of unmyelinated axons (i.e.

COVID-19: Technology-Supported Remote Assessment of Pediatric Asthma at Home.

The COVID-19 crisis has pressured hospital-based care for children with high-risk asthma as they have become deprived of regular clinical evaluations. However, COVID-19 also provided important lessons about implementing novel directions for care. Personalized eHealth technology, tailored to the individual and the healthcare system, could substitute elements of hospital care and facilitate early and appropriate medical anticipation in response to imminent loss of control.

Does immediate smart feedback on therapy adherence and inhalation technique improve asthma control in children with uncontrolled asthma? A study protocol of the IMAGINE I study.

Background: Many asthmatic children suffer from uncontrolled asthma with frequent exacerbations, despite an optimal treatment plan using inhalation medication. Studies have shown that therapy adherence and inhalation technique are often suboptimal in asthmatic children, but these have traditionally been hard to measure. A novel device functioning as an add-on to the inhaler has been developed to measure both aspects by recording vibration patterns during inhalation.

WEARCON: wearable home monitoring in children with asthma reveals a strong association with hospital based assessment of asthma control.

Background: Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. Regular follow-up of physiological parameters in the home setting, in relation to asthma symptoms, can provide complementary quantitative insights into the dynamics of the asthma status. Despite considerable interest in asthma home-monitoring in children, there is a paucity of scientific evidence, especially on multi-parameter monitoring approaches.

Assessing paediatric exercise-induced bronchoconstriction using electromyography.

Background: Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood, occurring in up to 10% of all children. Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is indicative of uncontrolled asthma and can be assessed using an exercise challenge test (ECT). However, this test requires children to undergo demanding repetitive forced breathing manoeuvres.

Can Pediatricians Assess Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction From Post-exercise Videos?

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a highly prevalent morbidity of childhood asthma and defined by a transient narrowing of the airways during or after physical exercise. An exercise challenge test (ECT) is the reference standard for the diagnosis of EIB. Video evaluation of EIB symptoms could be a practical alternative for the assessment of EIB.

Does exercise-induced bronchoconstriction affect physical activity patterns in asthmatic children?

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a sign of uncontrolled childhood asthma and classically occurs after exercise. Recent research shows that EIB frequently starts during exercise, called breakthrough-EIB (BT-EIB). It is unknown whether this more severe type of EIB forces children to adapt their physical activity (PA) pattern in daily life.

The Visual Analog Scale detects exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in children with asthma.

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a specific morbidity of childhood asthma and an important sign of uncontrolled asthma. The occurrence of EIB is insufficiently identified by the Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT) and Asthma Control Test (ACT). This study aimed to (1) evaluate the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for dyspnea as a tool to detect EIB in asthmatic children and (2) assess the value of combining (C-)ACT outcomes with VAS scores.

Assessing Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction in Children; The Need for Testing.

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is a specific morbidity of childhood asthma and a sign of insufficient disease control. EIB is diagnosed and monitored based on lung function changes after a standardized exercise challenge test (ECT). In daily practice however, EIB is often evaluated with self-reported respiratory symptoms and spirometry.