Remote Patient Monitoring and Digital Therapeutics Enhancing the Continuum of Care in Heart Failure: Nonrandomized Pilot Study.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is the primary cause of hospitalization among Canadian patients aged ≥65 years. Care for HF requires regular clinical follow-ups to prevent readmissions and facilitate medical therapy optimization. Multiple barriers lead to therapeutic medical inertia including limited human resources and regional inequities.

Development and Implementation of a Multicenter Registry for Resuscitation-Focused Transesophageal Echocardiography.

Study Objective: To evaluate the clinical effect, safety, and clinical outcomes of focused transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the evaluation of critically ill patients in the emergency department (ED) and ICUs.

Methods: We established a prospective, multicenter, observational registry involving adult critically ill patients in whom focused TEE was performed for evaluation of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), inhospital cardiac arrest, evaluation of undifferentiated shock, hemodynamic monitoring, and/or procedural guidance in the ED, ICU, or operating room setting. The primary objective of the current investigation was to evaluate the clinical influence and safety of focused, point-of-care TEE in critically ill patients.

Brainstem neuronal responses to transcutaneous auricular and cervical vagus nerve stimulation in rats.

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) targets subcutaneous axons in the auricular branch of the vagus nerve at the outer ear. Its non-invasive nature makes it a potential treatment for various disorders. taVNS induces neuromodulatory effects within the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), and due to its widespread connectivity, the NTS acts as a gateway to elicit neuromodulation in both higher-order brain regions and other brainstem nuclei (e.

Distinct Substrates of Idiopathic Ventricular Fibrillation Revealed by Arrhythmia Characteristics on Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator.

Background: Idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) can be associated with undetected distinct conditions such as microstructural cardiomyopathic alterations (MiCM) or Purkinje (Purk) activities with structurally normal hearts.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the characteristics of recurrent VF recorded on implantable defibrillator electrograms, associated with these substrates.

Methods: This was a multicenter collaboration study.

Hypersynchrony in sarcomeric hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: description and mechanistic approach using multimodal electro-mechanical non-invasive cartography (HSYNC study).

Background: Little is known about left ventricular (LV) sequences of contraction and electrical activation in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). A better understanding of the underlying relation between mechanical and electrical activation may allow the identification of predictive response criteria to right ventricular DDD pacing in obstructive patients.

Objective: To describe LV mechanical and electrical activation sequences in HCM patients compared to controls.

Opportunities and Pitfalls of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder and Olfactory Dysfunction as Early Markers in Parkinson's Disease.

During its pre-motor stage, Parkinson's disease (PD) presents itself with a multitude of non-motor symptoms with different degrees of specificity and sensitivity. The most important among them are REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and olfactory dysfunction. RBD is a parasomnia characterized by the loss of REM sleep muscle atonia and dream-enacting behaviors.

Canadian tertiary care pediatric massive hemorrhage protocols: a survey and comprehensive national review.

Purpose: Hemorrhage is the leading cause of pediatric death in trauma and cardiac arrest during surgery. Adult studies report improved patient outcomes using massive hemorrhage protocols (MHPs). Little is known about pediatric MHP adoption in Canada.

Venous dysfunction in obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathies: Results from the "HCM-Vein" pilot study.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathies (HCM) can be complicated by left ventricular outflow-tract obstruction (LVOTO) responsible for disabling exercise symptoms, a phenomenon influenced by hemodynamic factors including venous return.

Methods: We aimed to evaluate venous dysfunction in obstructive HCM patients compared to healthy controls, and to investigate the relationship between venous dysfunction parameters and LVOTO in HCM. This is a clinical, monocentric, prospective, pilot study, in a tertiary care center.

Vagus nerve stimulation parameters evoke differential neuronal responses in the locus coeruleus.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy and depression, with additional applications under investigation. The noradrenergic center locus coeruleus (LC) is vital for VNS effects; however, the impact of varying stimulation parameters on LC activation is poorly understood. This study characterized LC activation across VNS parameters.

Regional pleural strain measurements during mechanical ventilation using ultrasound elastography: A randomized, crossover, proof of concept physiologic study.

Background: Mechanical ventilation is a common therapy in operating rooms and intensive care units. When ill-adapted, it can lead to ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), which is associated with poor outcomes. Excessive regional pulmonary strain is thought to be a major mechanism responsible for VILI.

Epidemiological, clinical and oncological outcomes of young patients with laryngeal cancer: a systematic review.

Objective: To investigate epidemiological, clinical and oncological outcomes of young patients with laryngeal cancer (LC).

Methods: PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane Library were searched by three researchers for studies investigating epidemiological, clinical and oncological outcomes of patients with age < 40 years old and LC. The following outcomes were investigated with PRISMA criteria: age; ethnicity; gender; tobacco/alcohol habits; anatomical, pathological, therapeutic and survival features.

Optical Thermography Infrastructure to Assess Thermal Distribution in Critically Ill Children.

The temperature distribution at the skin surface could be a useful tool to monitor changes in cardiac output. The aim of this study was to explore infrared thermography as a method to analyze temperature profiles of critically ill children. Patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) were included in this study.

Management of Epileptic Seizures in Disorders of Consciousness: An International Survey.

Epileptic seizures/post-traumatic epilepsy (ES/PTE) are frequent in persons with brain injuries, particularly for patients with more severe injuries including ones that result in disorders of consciousness (DoC). Surprisingly, there are currently no best practice guidelines for assessment or management of ES in persons with DoC. This study aimed to identify clinician attitudes toward epilepsy prophylaxis, diagnosis and treatment in patients with DoC as well as current practice in regards to the use of amantadine in these individuals.

Three-dimensional kinematic evaluation of lateral suture stabilization in an in vitro canine cranial cruciate deficient stifle model.

The impact of surgical correction of cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR) on 3D kinematics has not been thoroughly evaluated in dogs. The success of current techniques remains limited, as illustrated by suboptimal weightbearing and progression of osteoarthritis. The inability to restore the stifle's 3D kinematics might be a key element in understanding these suboptimal outcomes.

Usability of a Co-designed eHealth Prototype for Caregivers: Combination Study of Three Frameworks.

Background: Co-design (or the participation of users) has shown great potential in the eHealth domain, demonstrating positive results. Nevertheless, the co-design approach cannot guarantee the usability of the system designed, and usability assessment is a complex analysis to perform, as evaluation criteria will differ depending on the usability framework (or set of criteria) used. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) on usability (ISO 9241-210), Nielsen heuristic, and Garrett element of user experience inform different yet complementary aspects of usability.

Olfactory-Trigeminal Interactions in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a highly frequent early non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). An important step to potentially use OD for the development of early diagnostic tools of PD is to differentiate PD-related OD from other forms of non-parkinsonian OD (NPOD: postviral, sinunasal, post-traumatic, and idiopathic OD). Measuring non-olfactory chemosensory modalities, especially the trigeminal system, may allow to characterize a PD-specific olfactory profile.

Olfactory bulb surroundings can help to distinguish Parkinson's disease from non-parkinsonian olfactory dysfunction.

Background: The olfactory bulb is one of the first regions of insult in Parkinson's disease (PD), consistent with the early onset of olfactory dysfunction. Investigations of the olfactory bulb may, therefore, help early pre-motor diagnosis. We aimed to investigate olfactory bulb and its surrounding regions in PD-related olfactory dysfunction when specifically compared to other forms of non-parkinsonian olfactory dysfunction (NPOD) and healthy controls.

Case Report of a Remote Ischemic Preconditioning Intervention during Aerobic Exercise in a 44-year-old Amateur Triathlete Male with a History of Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Over the years, exercise has become increasingly important in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, AMI patients need to be closely monitored since they maintain cardiovascular disease risks, such as ventricular repolarization abnormalities in electrocardiograms during exercise and rest. A recent study showed the need to focus on the different potential mechanisms and the applicability of remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) for cardiac patients engaged in exercise rehabilitation.

Motivational theory-based interventions on health of people with several mental illness: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Motivational theory-based interventions are known to be effective for increasing physical activity (PA) in the general population but their effects in people with severe mental illness are poorly understood. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis on the effect of these interventions on PA and cardiometabolic risk factors. A systematic search of randomized controlled trials through 6 databases was carried out from inception to March 2019.

Do Mental Health Professionals Promote a Healthy Lifestyle among Individuals Experiencing Serious Mental Illness?

While a healthy lifestyle would be an asset to people experiencing psychotic disorders, not all mental health professionals provide counselling regarding healthy behaviours, such as physical activity, healthy nutrition, and tobacco cessation. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the factors associated with health promotion practice (HPP) among mental health professionals. Cross-sectional survey including mental health professionals across the Province of Quebec (Canada).

Opioid drug use in emergency and adverse outcomes among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a multicenter observational study.

There is still debate as to the safety of non-palliative opioid administration to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients punctually treated for an acute complaint. All patients over 40 presenting at two university hospital emergency departments (Montréal Qc, Grenoble Fr) from March 2008 to September 2014 with dyspnea, abdominal pain or trauma were retrieved, and COPD patients were selected. Our primary endpoint was a composite criterion including invasive ventilation and death.

Role of Family Members in Pain Management in Adult Critical Care.

This review describes family member involvement in intensive care unit pain assessment and management and generates implications for clinical practice, education, and future research. A literature review was performed in MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and CINAHL databases from their inception until April 30, 2019. Only 11 studies addressing the topic were identified, and the current quality of evidence is low.

Ethical consideration and feasibility demonstration of high-intensity interval training without the use of electrical shocks in mice with and without doxorubicin exposition.

Introduction: Most protocols intended to stimulate cardiovascular training in mice use electrical shocks that cause psychological stress and interfere with running performance. The aim of this study was to: 1) demonstrate the feasibility of a two-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program without the use of electric shocks in mice and 2) show that HIIT without electric shocks is feasible in the specific context of mice exposed to chemotherapy (i.e.

Genetic, Structural, and Functional Evidence Link TMEM175 to Synucleinopathies.

Objective: The TMEM175/GAK/DGKQ locus is the 3rd strongest risk locus in genome-wide association studies of Parkinson disease (PD). We aimed to identify the specific disease-associated variants in this locus, and their potential implications.

Methods: Full sequencing of TMEM175/GAK/DGKQ followed by genotyping of specific associated variants was performed in PD (n = 1,575) and rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) patients (n = 533) and in controls (n = 1,583).