Rehab Centers: Spatial Variability and Changes of Metabolite Concentrations in the Cortico-Spinal Tract in Multiple Sclerosis Using Coronal CSI.

Spatial variability and changes of metabolite concentrations in the cortico-spinal tract in multiple sclerosis using coronal CSI.

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Hum Brain Mapp. 2012 Dec 26;
Tur C, Wheeler-Kingshott CA, Altmann DR, Miller DH, Thompson AJ, Ciccarelli O

We characterized metabolic changes along the cortico-spinal tract (CST) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients using a novel application of chemical shift imaging (CSI) and considering the spatial variation of metabolite levels. Thirteen relapsing-remitting (RR) and 13 primary-progressive (PP) MS patients and 16 controls underwent (1) H-MR CSI, which was applied to coronal-oblique scans to sample the entire CST. The concentrations of the main metabolites, i.e., N-acetyl-aspartate, myo-Inositol (Ins), choline containing compounds (Cho) and creatine and phosphocreatine (Cr), were calculated within voxels placed in regions where the CST is located, from cerebral peduncle to corona radiata. Differences in metabolite concentrations between groups and associations between metabolite concentrations and disability were investigated, allowing for the spatial variability of metabolite concentrations in the statistical model. RRMS patients showed higher CST Cho concentration than controls, and higher CST Ins concentration than PPMS, suggesting greater inflammation and glial proliferation in the RR than in the PP course. In RRMS, a significant, albeit modest, association between greater Ins concentration and greater disability suggested that gliosis may be relevant to disability. In PPMS, lower CST Cho and Cr concentrations correlated with greater disability, suggesting that in the progressive stage of the disease, inflammation declines and energy metabolism reduces. Attention to the spatial variation of metabolite concentrations made it possible to detect in patients a greater increase in Cr concentration towards the superior voxels as compared to controls and a stronger association between Cho and disability, suggesting that this step improves our ability to identify clinically relevant metabolic changes. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
HubMed – rehab

Case reports: Expanding clinical awareness of what is humanly possible.

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Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2013 Jan 1; 81(1): 73-4
Morrison DA

HubMed – rehab

Quality Indicators for Physiotherapy Care in Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis: Development and Clinimetric Properties.

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Musculoskeletal Care. 2012 Dec 21;
Peter WF, van der Wees PJ, Hendriks EJ, de Bie RA, Verhoef J, de Jong Z, van Bodegom-Vos L, Hilberdink WK, Vliet Vlieland TP

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to develop process quality indicators for physiotherapy care based on key recommendations of the Dutch physiotherapy guideline on hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Guideline recommendations were rated for their relevance by an expert panel, transformed into potential indicators and incorporated into a questionnaire, the Quality Indicators for Physiotherapy in Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis (QIP-HKOA). Adherence with each indicator was rated on a Likert scale (0?=?never to 4?=?always). The QIP-HKOA was administered to groups of expert (n?=?51) and general (n?=?134) physiotherapists (PTs) to test its discriminative power. Reliability was tested in a subgroup of 118 PTs by computing the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). QIP-HKOA items were included if they were considered to be related to the cornerstones of physiotherapy in hip and knee OA (exercises and education), had discriminative power and/or if they were followed by <75% of PTs in both groups. RESULTS: Nineteen indicators were derived from 41 recommendations. Twelve indicators were considered to be the cornerstones of physiotherapy care; six indicators had discriminative power and/or were followed by <75% PTs in both groups, resulting in an 18-item QIP- HKOA. The QIP-HKOA score was significantly higher with expert [60.73; standard deviation (SD) 5.67] than with general PTs (54.65; SD 6.17) (p < 0.001). The ICC of the QIP-HKOA among 46/118 PTs was 0.89. CONCLUSION: The QIP-HKOA, based on 18 process indicators derived from a physiotherapy guideline on hip and knee OA was found to be reliable and discriminated between expert and general PTs. Its ability to measure improvement in the quality of the process of physiotherapy care needs to be further examined. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. HubMed – rehab

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