DISCOntinuation of disease-modifying therapies in MS: The DISCOMS extension trial.

Background: In the DISCOMS (DISCOntinuation of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in multiple sclerosis (MS)) randomized clinical trial, we could not demonstrate that discontinuing MS DMTs in older, stable adults was not inferior to continuing DMTs. Relapses were rare in both groups, and most new disease activity was one to two new brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions unassociated with clinical changes.

Objective/aims: Describe results of the DISCOMS extension study.

Perceptions of science, science communication, and climate change attitudes in 68 countries - the TISP dataset.

Science is integral to society because it can inform individual, government, corporate, and civil society decision-making on issues such as public health, new technologies or climate change. Yet, public distrust and populist sentiment challenge the relationship between science and society. To help researchers analyse the science-society nexus across different geographical and cultural contexts, we undertook a cross-sectional population survey resulting in a dataset of 71,922 participants in 68 countries.

Novel synaptic markers predict early tau pathology and cognitive deficit in an asymptomatic population at risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD) correlates closely with pathology in the neuronal microtubule-associated protein tau. Tau pathology may spread via neural synapses. In a population of cognitively unimpaired elderly at elevated risk of AD, we investigated four cerebrospinal (CSF) markers of synaptic dysfunction and degeneration.

Higher plasma total tau concentrations among patients reporting CNS-related side effects from antiseizure medication.

Background: Side effects from antiseizure medication (ASM) are common in epilepsy but biomarkers for detection and monitoring are missing. This study investigated associations between CNS-related side effects from ASM and blood concentrations of the brain injury markers neurofilament-light (NFL), total tau, glial acidic fibrillary protein (GFAP), S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE).

Methods: This is a population-based cohort study of adults with epilepsy recruited from five Swedish outpatient neurology clinics from December 2020 to April 2023.

Myoelectric pattern recognition with virtual reality and serious gaming improves upper limb function in chronic stroke: a single case experimental design study.

Background: Myoelectric pattern recognition (MPR) combines multiple surface electromyography channels with a machine learning algorithm to decode motor intention with an aim to enhance upper limb function after stroke. This study aims to determine the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a novel intervention combining MPR, virtual reality (VR), and serious gaming to improve upper limb function in people with chronic stroke.

Methods: In this single case experimental A-B-A design study, six individuals with chronic stroke and moderate to severe upper limb impairment completed 18, 2 h sessions, 3 times a week.

Cutting through the noise: A narrative review of Alzheimer's disease plasma biomarkers for routine clinical use.

As novel, anti-amyloid therapies have become more widely available, access to timely and accurate diagnosis has become integral to ensuring optimal treatment of patients with early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD). Plasma biomarkers are a promising tool for identifying AD pathology; however, several technical and clinical factors need to be considered prior to their implementation in routine clinical use. Given the rapid pace of advancements in the field and the wide array of available biomarkers and tests, this review aims to summarize these considerations, evaluate available platforms, and discuss the steps needed to bring plasma biomarker testing to the clinic.

Cumulative blood pressure load and cognitive decline in older adults: An observational analysis of two large cohorts.

Introduction: Cumulative blood pressure metrics may provide greater precision for measuring temporal risk exposure, especially in later life where data are mixed regarding associations of high blood pressure (BP) on cognitive function. We examined the relationship between greater cumulative exposure to high BP in later life and several domains of cognitive function.

Methods: Individual cognitive assessment scores and BP measurements in older adults (age ≥70 years) at baseline and over approximately 8 years of follow-up were available in the population-based Canadian Victoria Longitudinal Study (VLS) and Swedish Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies (H70).

Psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9: an investigation using Rasch analysis and confirmatory factor analysis.

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric conditions. Given its high prevalence and disease burden, accurate diagnostic procedures and valid instruments are warranted to identify those in need of treatment. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) is one of the most widely used self-report measures of depression, and its validity and reliability has been evaluated in several languages.

Key considerations for combination therapy in Alzheimer's clinical trials: Perspectives from an expert advisory board convened by the Alzheimer's drug discovery foundation.

There is growing consensus in the Alzheimer's community that combination therapy will be needed to maximize therapeutic benefits through the course of the disease. However, combination therapy raises complex questions and decisions for study sponsors, from preclinical research through clinical trial design to regulatory, statistical, and operational considerations. In January 2024, the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation convened an expert advisory board to discuss the key considerations in each of these areas.

The contribution of common mental disorders and alcohol-related morbidity to educational differences in early labour market exit among older workers: a register-based cohort study.

Previous studies have identified educational differences in early labour market exits, yet the mechanisms behind these disparities remain unclear. This study aims to examine to what extent common mental disorders (CMD) and alcohol-related morbidity can explain educational differences in early labour market exit. This cohort study included all men born 1951-53 who underwent conscription examination for military service in Sweden at age 18-20 (n = 136 466).

Neuropsychological test performance in mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: We sought to characterize the cognitive profile among individuals with mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies (MCI-LB) to help guide future clinical criteria.

Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis included MCI-LB studies with cognitive data from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and PsycINFO (January 1990 to March 2023). MCI-LB scores were compared to controls, MCI due to Alzheimer's disease (MCI-AD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) groups with random-effects models.

Living in a bubble with profound difficulties-parents' experiences of extremely preterm survivors.

Aim: To analyse the challenges faced by parents of extremely preterm infants born before 24 weeks of gestation and the potential buffering effect of perceived resources on the family's health continuum.

Methods: The qualitative data were obtained from 70 parents of 70 infants born before 24 weeks of gestation, through open-ended questions in a survey. An inductive content analysis was conducted to identify themes and patterns in the parents' experiences.

Evaluating ADHD medication trial representativeness: a Swedish population-based study comparing hypothetically trial-eligible and trial-ineligible individuals.

Background: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating ADHD medications often use strict eligibility criteria, potentially limiting generalisability to patients in real-world clinical settings. We aimed to identify the proportion of individuals with ADHD who would be ineligible for medication RCTs and evaluate differences in treatment patterns and clinical and functional outcomes between RCT-eligible and RCT-ineligible individuals.

Methods: We used multiple Swedish national registries to identify individuals with ADHD, aged at least 4 years at the age of diagnosis, initiating pharmacological treatment between Jan 1, 2007, and Dec 31, 2019, with follow-up up to Dec 31, 2020.

Association of body composition with neuroimaging biomarkers and cognitive function; a population-based study of 70-year-olds.

Background: A better understanding of body-brain links may provide insights on targets for preventing cognitive decline. The aim was to explore associations of body composition with neuroimaging biomarkers and cognitive function among dementia-free 70-year-olds.

Methods: Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry body composition measures in relation to neuroimaging measures of cortical thickness, hippocampal volume, small vessel disease, predicted brain age, and cognitive performance were explored in a cross-sectional study of 674 dementia-free 70-year-olds from the Swedish Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort study.

The General Acceptability and Use of Smartphone App-Delivered Interventions for Gambling in Australia.

Smartphones can extend the reach of evidence-based gambling treatment services, yet the general acceptability of app-delivered gambling interventions remains unknown. This study examined the general acceptability and use of app-delivered gambling interventions, and predictors of both, among 173 Australian adults with a lifetime gambling problem (48.5% male, M = 46.

Factors associated with self-reported work ability among people with multiple sclerosis in Sweden.

Background: Work ability index (WAI) is an instrument that measures work ability in workplace surveys and health examinations in occupational health and research. It has been used in different population groups. But research is limited among people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS).

Plasma p-tau and neurofilament/p-tau ratio in differentiating Alzheimer's disease from syndromes associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

Introduction: Plasma-based biomarkers have shown promise for clinical implementation, but their accuracy in differentiating Alzheimer's disease (AD) from syndromes associated with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) has yet to be fully investigated. This study assessed the potential of plasma biomarkers for differential diagnosis.

Methods: This cohort study included 374 participants (96 AD, 278 FTLD).

Predicting pain and its association with mortality in patients with stroke.

Background And Objectives: Poststroke pain (PSP) is a prevalent and severe consequence of stroke, encompassing central, neuropathic, and nonneuropathic pain. In this study, we aimed to investigate clinical factors associated with PSP three months after stroke and concurrently explore the association between PSP and one-year mortality.

Methods: This registry-based study comprised data from stroke patients admitted to three hospitals in Sweden between November 2014 and June 2019.

Malnutrition in spondylodiscitis: an overlooked risk factor.

Objective: Spondylodiscitis presents a significant diagnostic and treatment challenge to healthcare providers, with various risk factors and treatment outcomes having been identified. Malnutrition, a multifactorial condition defined by imbalance or deficiency of nutrients, is a known risk factor for various adverse events such as postoperative infection and readmissions in spine surgery. However, its impact in SD has not yet been explored.

Medications and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease: Cohort cluster analysis of 15,428 patients.

Background: Medications for comorbid conditions may affect cognition in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objective: To explore the association between common medications and cognition, measured with the Mini-Mental State Examination.

Methods: Cohort study including persons with AD from the Swedish Registry for Cognitive/Dementia Disorders (SveDem).

Clot signature in patients with large vessel occlusion stroke and concomitant active cancer.

Background And Purpose: Patients with active cancer face an increased risk of ischemic stroke. Also, stroke may be an initial indicator of cancer. In patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke treated with thrombectomy, analysis of the clot composition may contribute new insights into the pathological connections between these two conditions.

Association between cardiometabolic diseases and the risk and progression of motor neuron diseases in Sweden: a population-based case-control study.

Background: The evidence on the link between cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) and motor neuron diseases (MNDs) remains inconsistent. We aimed to determine whether there is an association of CMDs, namely, any cardiovascular disease, cardiac arrhythmia, heart failure, thromboembolic disease, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, and hypercholesterolemia with the risk and progression of MNDs.

Methods: We included 1463 MND patients (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), progressive spinal muscular atrophy (PSMA), and unspecified MND) diagnosed from January 1, 2015, to July 1, 2023, in Sweden according to the Swedish Motor Neuron Disease Quality Registry (i.

Evaluation of Factors Associated With Short-term Failure After Primary Isolated PCL Reconstruction: A Study of Patients From the Swedish and Norwegian Knee Ligament Registries.

Background: The rate of subjective failure after isolated primary posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (PCL-R) is relatively high, requiring an improved understanding of factors associated with inferior outcomes.

Purpose: To determine the association between patient and injury-related factors and total (surgical and clinical) failure at 2 years after PCL-R based on data from the Swedish National Knee Ligament Registry (SNKLR) and the Norwegian Knee Ligament Registry (NKLR).

Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.