Higher effect sizes for the detection of accelerated brain volume loss and disability progression in multiple sclerosis using deep-learning.

Purpose: Clinical validation of "BrainLossNet", a deep learning-based method for fast and robust estimation of brain volume loss (BVL) from longitudinal T1-weighted MRI, for the detection of accelerated BVL in multiple sclerosis (MS) and for the discrimination between MS patients with versus without disability progression.

Materials And Methods: A longitudinal normative database of healthy controls (n = 563), two mono-scanner MS cohorts (n = 414, 156) and a mixed-scanner cohort acquired for various indications (n = 216) were included retrospectively. Mean observation period from the baseline (BL) to the last follow-up (FU) MRI scan was 2-3 years.

Clinical and radiological outcome of extended lateral approach via epicondyle osteotomy in complex lateral tibia plateau fractures involving the central and postero-lateral segments.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological results of complex lateral tibial plateau fractures involving the central segments of the lateral tibial plateau. It was hypothesized that an extended lateral approach by using the lateral epicondyle osteotomy improves the rate of malreduction and yields to good and excellent clinical results at a mid-term follow-up.

Methods: This retrospective case series conducted at two centers evaluated complex lateral tibial plateau fractures treated with an extended lateral approach by lateral epicondyle osteotomy.

Experiences and the psychosocial situation of parental caregivers of children with spinal muscular atrophy against the background of new treatment options: a qualitative interview study.

Background: Spinal muscular atrophy is a rare neurodegenerative disorder in children which leads untreated to muscle wasting, respiratory impairments, and a shortened life expectancy. Parents as primary caregivers are often physically and psychologically burdened. In recent years, new and promising treatment options have been approved, but it remains unclear if they have an impact on the psychosocial situation of affected families.

Effect of the iTransHealth e-health intervention on psychological distress among transgender and gender diverse adults from remote areas in Germany: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people in remote areas face challenges accessing health-care services, including mental health care and gender-affirming medical treatment, which can be associated with psychological distress. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a 4-month TGD-informed e-health intervention to improve psychological distress among TGD people from remote areas in northern Germany.

Methods: In a randomised controlled trial done at a single centre in Germany, adults (aged ≥18 years) who met criteria for gender incongruence or gender dysphoria and who lived at least 50 km outside of Hamburg in one of the northern German federal states were recruited and randomly assigned (1:1) to iTransHealth intervention or a wait list control group.

Assessment of communication skills in health professions education; Ottawa 2024 consensus statement.

Despite the increasing inclusion of communication skills in accreditation standards and an increase in time dedicated to teaching these skills, communication is often regarded as a separate skill and is therefore, not consistently represented in overall systems of assessment in Health Professions Education (HPE). The ascendence of competency-based medical education, programmatic assessment, artificial intelligence, and widespread use of telehealth, alongside changing patient expectations warrant an update in thinking about the assessment of communication skills in health professions education. This consensus statement draws on existing literature, expert pinion, and emerging challenges to situate the assessment of communication skills in the contemporary health professions education context.

Through the patients' eyes: psychometric evaluation of the 64-item version of the Experienced Patient-Centeredness Questionnaire (EPAT-64).

Background: Patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) are valuable tools to evaluate patient-centredness (PC) from the patients' perspective. Despite their utility, a comprehensive PREM addressing PC has been lacking. To bridge this gap, we developed the preliminary version of the Experienced Patient-Centeredness Questionnaire (EPAT), a disease-generic tool based on the integrative model of PC comprising 16 dimensions.

'The doctor doesn't understand Xhosa and the service user doesn't understand English' - exploring the role of security guards acting as informal interpreters in psychiatric care in South Africa.

Introduction: Assigning qualified interpreters is considered one of the most effective approaches to facilitate communication in language-discordant encounters in mental healthcare. However, particularly in settings with fewer resources, they are not always available and informal practices are often used.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate informal interpreting practices in mental healthcare in South Africa, focusing on security guards (SGs) serving as interpreters.

Relationships between self-efficacy beliefs and personal factors in final-year medical students.

Background: Medical students entering postgraduate training often feel ill-prepared for clinical practice. This has implications for physician well-being and the quality of patient care. Self-efficacy represents an important contributing factor in the transition process.

Impacted third molar surgery in older patients-Is patient´s age really a risk factor for complications?

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of patients´ age on perioperative complications in impacted third molar surgery and how established risk factors are affected by age.

Materials And Methods: The clinical findings, digital panoramic radiographs and perioperative data of 200 patients (554 impacted third molars) that had been subjected to tooth extraction, from July 2023 until July 2024, were analyzed. Perioperative complications (Inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) hypesthesia, oroantral communication (OAC), lingual nerve (LN) hypesthesia, postoperative bleeding, postoperative infection) as well as impaction patterns and risk factors (angulation type, bone coverage, depth- and risk scores) were analyzed by age (cut-off 30 years).

Atrophy of cerebellar lobule VI and primary motor cortex in cervical dystonia - a region of interest-based study.

Background: Recently, a network model of cervical dystonia (CD) has been adopted that implicates nodes and pathways involving cerebellar, basal-ganglia and cortico-cortical connections. Although functional changes in the cerebello-thalamo-cortical network in dystonia have been reported in several studies, structural information of this network remain sparse.

Objective: To characterize the structural properties of the cerebellar motor network in isolated CD patients.

Decision-making for children and adolescents: a scoping review of interventions increasing participation in decision-making.

Purpose: To review and synthesize the literature on interventions to facilitate shared decision-making or to increase participation in decision-making in pediatrics focusing on interventions for children and adolescents.

Methods: We systematically searched three electronic databases (September 2021, update in September 2022). We included studies that aimed to increase involvement of children and adolescents in medical or treatment decisions, regardless of study design and reported outcomes.