3,313 results match your criteria: "VU University medical centre[Affiliation]"

Effects of cannabidiol on fear conditioning in anxiety disorders: decreased threat expectation during retention, but no enhanced fear re-extinction.

Psychopharmacology (Berl)

April 2024

Department of Experimental Psychology and Helmholtz Institute, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Rationale: Preclinical research suggests that pharmacologically elevating cannabinoid levels may attenuate fear memory expression and enhance fear extinction.

Objectives: We studied the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on fear memory expression and fear re-extinction in 69 patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia or with social anxiety disorder. Moderation by sex, diagnosis, and serotonergic antidepressant (AD) use was explored.

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Open-label extension (OLE) studies help inform long-term safety and efficacy of disease-modifying therapies in multiple sclerosis (MS). We report exploratory analyses from a phase 2 trial on the longest follow-up to date of ocrelizumab-treated patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). The primary treatment period (PTP) comprised four 24-week treatment cycles; participants were randomized to double-blind ocrelizumab (2000 mg or 600 mg), placebo, or interferon β-1a (open label) for one cycle, then dose-blinded ocrelizumab 1000 mg or 600 mg for the remaining cycles.

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Background: In the prospective, multicentre, randomised TARGET All Comers study, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with the FIREHAWK biodegradable-polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (BP-SES) was non-inferior to the durable-polymer everolimus-eluting stent (DP-EES) for the primary endpoint of target lesion failure (TLF) at 12 months.

Aims: We aimed to report the final study outcomes at 5 years.

Methods: Patients referred for PCI were randomised to receive either a BP-SES or DP-EES in a 1:1 ratio in 10 European countries.

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Background: We aimed to determine women's risk of major depressive disorder (MDD) in relation to obesity phenotypes characterized by levels of circulating high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP).

Methods: This population-based retrospective cohort study comprised 808 women (ages 20-84 y) recruited 1994-1997 and followed for a median 16.1 y (IQR 11.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates the genetic factors affecting the long-term disease progression and severity of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a cohort of patients who have experienced clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) for 30 years.
  • - Over this period, patients underwent multiple assessments, and researchers analyzed the association of 27 genes with clinical outcomes like disability progression, relapse rates, and MRI findings, such as white matter lesions.
  • - Results showed that patients with certain genetic markers had worse clinical outcomes, including faster accumulation of white matter lesions and a greater increase in disability scores over the 30 years compared to those without these markers.
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Objective: Recently, the 7 Tesla (7 T) Epilepsy Task Force published recommendations for 7 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with pharmaco-resistant focal epilepsy in pre-surgical evaluation. The objective of this study was to implement and evaluate this consensus protocol with respect to both its practicability and its diagnostic value/potential lesion delineation surplus effect over 3 T MRI in the pre-surgical work-up of patients with pharmaco-resistant focal onset epilepsy.

Methods: The 7 T MRI protocol consisted of T1-weighted, T2-weighted, high-resolution-coronal T2-weighted, fluid-suppressed, fluid-and-white-matter-suppressed, and susceptibility-weighted imaging, with an overall duration of 50 min.

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Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs) has various different risk factors, numerous signs and symptoms and is heavily influenced by one's environment. Accordingly, there is no singular validated diagnostic test. This 2023 International Olympic Committee's REDs Clinical Assessment Tool-V.

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On the interpretation of transcriptome-wide association studies.

PLoS Genet

September 2023

Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Centre for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) aim to detect relationships between gene expression and a phenotype, and are commonly used for secondary analysis of genome-wide association study (GWAS) results. Results from TWAS analyses are often interpreted as indicating a genetic relationship between gene expression and a phenotype, but this interpretation is not consistent with the null hypothesis that is evaluated in the traditional TWAS framework. In this study we provide a mathematical outline of this TWAS framework, and elucidate what interpretations are warranted given the null hypothesis it actually tests.

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Background: The epidemiological data on post-burn growth, body composition and motor development is ambiguous and scattered. The aim of this systematic review was therefore to summarize the current body of evidence on post-burn growth, body composition and motor development in children.

Methods: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science up to March 2021.

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Article Synopsis
  • Scientists studied over 176,000 people to see how certain genes might protect against Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
  • They found that specific types of a gene called HLA could help reduce the risk of these diseases and lower harmful proteins in the brain.
  • This suggests that our immune system might help protect us from PD and AD, which could lead to new treatments in the future.
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Cardiovascular Functions of Ena/VASP Proteins: Past, Present and Beyond.

Cells

June 2023

Institute for Vascular Signalling, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Goethe University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Article Synopsis
  • Actin binding proteins are essential for regulating the actin cytoskeleton, impacting various cellular processes like movement and adhesion.
  • The Ena/VASP family, discovered over 30 years ago, plays a critical role in enhancing actin filament assembly and linking molecular signaling pathways to these processes.
  • This review focuses on the distinct and overlapping functions of Ena/VASP proteins specifically in cardiovascular cells, exploring their physiological roles and molecular mechanisms.
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The relation of sarcopenia and disability in multiple sclerosis.

Mult Scler Relat Disord

September 2023

NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, University College London Institute of Neurology, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) University College London Hospitals (UCLH) Biomedical Research Centre, United Kingdom; Centre for Medical Image Computing (CMIC), Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, United Kingdom; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, NL, USA.

Background: The relation of sarcopenia and disability in MS is unknown.

Objective: To investigate the relation of temporal muscle thickness (TMT) and disability.

Methods: A cohort of 132 people who presented with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) suggestive of MS at a mean age of 30.

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Use of gene sequences as type for naming prokaryotes: Recommendations of the international committee on the taxonomy of chlamydiae.

New Microbes New Infect

September 2023

Department of Animal Science and Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium.

Article Synopsis
  • In 2020, the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes (ICSP) rejected a proposal to change the naming rules for prokaryotes to include gene sequences as a basis for nomenclature.
  • In 2022, an alternative naming system called SeqCode was introduced, allowing genome sequences to be used for naming species.
  • The ICSP's taxonomy subcommittee believes that using gene sequences could improve naming for hard-to-culture microorganisms, like chlamydiae, and suggests registering new names for uncultured prokaryotes in the SeqCode registry.
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Cardiovascular risk factors in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: A cross-sectional analysis from the MS-STAT2 randomized controlled trial.

Eur J Neurol

September 2023

Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK.

Background And Purpose: There is increasing evidence that cardiovascular risk (CVR) contributes to disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). CVR is particularly prevalent in secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and can be quantified through validated composite CVR scores. The aim was to examine the cross-sectional relationships between excess modifiable CVR, whole and regional brain atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging, and disability in patients with SPMS.

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Individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have an altered gut microbiota composition. Moreover, hepatic DNA methylation may be altered in the state of NAFLD. Using a fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) intervention, we aimed to investigate whether a change in gut microbiota composition relates to altered liver DNA methylation in NAFLD.

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Introduction: Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders. Antiseizure medication (ASM) is the first choice of treatment, however, 30% of epilepsy patients are drug-resistant. For these patients, neuromodulation can be an option, especially when epilepsy surgery is not possible or did not lead to seizure freedom.

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Evaluation of a workplace educational intervention on menopause: A quasi-experimental study.

Maturitas

August 2023

Roosevelt Kliniek, Olof Palmestraat 22, 2616 LS Delft, The Netherlands. Electronic address:

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a workplace educational intervention on menopause on self-efficacy regarding working during the climacteric.

Methods: Quasi-experimental design, with one intervention and one control group. Women aged 40 to 67, working in one of the two participating departments of a large municipality in the Netherlands, were recruited to participate in the study.

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Article Synopsis
  • Normal bone remodeling requires a balance between osteoblasts (bone formation) and osteoclasts (bone resorption), which is disrupted in chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
  • Chronic inflammation leads to low bone density and higher fracture risk due to factors like cytokines, reduced mobility, glucocorticoid use, and low vitamin D levels.
  • Future research is needed to better understand fracture risks in chronic arthritides and the effectiveness of various treatments to improve bone health.
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Background: With developments in screening and treatment, survival rates of breast cancer patients are increasing, and so is the number of women opting for breast reconstruction to improve their quality of life. One factor that could play an important role in improving the quality of life is breast sensibility. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore breast sensibility in participants of the Breast Reconstruction with External Preexpansion and Autologous Fat Transfer versus Standard Therapy trial: an ongoing randomized controlled trial comparing breast reconstruction with autologous fat transfer (AFT) versus implant-based reconstruction (IBR).

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Purpose: To study the causes of moderate and severe visual impairment (VI) and blindness and its changing trends in Nepalese children.

Patients And Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. Participants, aged 7 to 17 years were recruited from integrated schools for the blind and the outpatient department of a tertiary eye hospital in Kathmandu.

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Objectives: Emerging evidence suggests contrasting health effects for leisure-time and occupational physical activity. In this systematic review, we synthesized and described the epidemiological evidence regarding the association between occupational physical activity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

Methods: A literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews, from database inception to 17 April 2020.

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Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by vocal and motor tics lasting more than a year. It is highly polygenic in nature with both rare and common previously associated variants. Epidemiological studies have shown TS to be correlated with other phenotypes, but large-scale phenome wide analyses in biobank level data have not been performed to date.

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