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Biomedical subjects

J Lindeboom

Publications and source records attributed to J Lindeboom.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Assessment of quality of life in patients treated for low-grade glioma: a preliminary report.

In this pilot study quality of life was assessed in fourteen adult patients who were treated for a low-grade glioma with surgery and radiotherapy at least one year previously. Apart from widely used parameters, such as the neurological and functional status, the patients' cognitive functioning and actual affective status were determined. In addition the patients were interviewed to evaluate various aspects of quality of life. Generally no serious focal neurological deficits were found, although psychological examination showed serious cognitive and affective disturbances in most cases. Self report measures concerning cognitive functioning were not in all cases in accordance with objective test results. When the results of treatment in glioma patients are evaluated assessment of quality of life, including neuropsychological functioning, should be performed, especially as new therapeutic strategies are being developed.

Activities of Daily Living

[Paced addition. A neuropsychological test for assessment of divided attention].

The Pasat (Paced auditory serial addition task) is a test requiring addition of simple digits presented auditorily in several series of a successively higher pace of presentation. The task reflects the capacity for divided attention, is a measure of information processing speed and has appeared to be sensitive to minor attention deficits. We made a Dutch version characterized by longer time intervals between digits, for use in a study among (altogether 130) middle-aged and elderly persons. This modified version was evaluated with respect to feasibility. It appeared to be fairly feasible, provided sufficient opportunity for practice is given. Two series with inter-stimulus intervals of 4 and 3 seconds respectively were then evaluated with respect to validity and reliability in subjects of 48 to 74 years. Both Pasat series correlated well with two tests of attention: Digit Symbol (WAIS) and d2-test (r = 0.53-0.67), the relation with reaction decision speed being generally weak (r = 0.29-0.33) and weak to absent with a number of memory tests (r = -0.04-0.29). The Pasat performance shows a positive relationship with educational level and intelligence (inter-stimulus interval 4 seconds: r = 0.28 and 0.33 resp.; inter-stimulus interval 3 seconds: r = 0.40, 0.57 resp.). The stability of test performance over a period of about two months is moderate (r = 0.54, 0.61 resp.). In view of the excellent inter-observer reliability (r = 0.99) and the good parallel-test reliability (r = 0.79, 0.68 resp.), this might be explained by fluctuations in the capacity measured, rather than measurement error.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged

A case of progressive aphasia without dementia: "temporal" Pick's disease?

We report a patient who suffered from progressive aphasia for nine years, before developing mild behavioural disturbances. Sequential computed tomography (CT) scanning and magnetic resonance (MRI) imaging showed progressive bilateral temporal atrophy. The case is thought to be a temporal form of Pick's disease, in which isolated progressive aphasia was the only symptom over many years.

Aphasia

The functional recovery of stroke: a comparison between neuro-developmental treatment and the Brunnstrom method.

The relative efficacy of Neuro-Developmental Treatment (N.D.T.) versus the Brunnstrom method was studied from the perspective of the functional recovery of stroke patients. An alternating treatment design (B-C-B-C) was used. Each intervention phase lasted 5 weeks. The functional recovery of the patients was assessed every week by using the Barthel Index and the Action Research Arm test, by registering walking velocity, and by performing gait analysis. At the start and at the end of each intervention phase, neurological and neuropsychological assessments took place. Time series analysis indicated that for one patient only, walking speed progressed more during the Brunnstrom phases than the N.D.T. phases. This result did not generalize towards other parameters or patients studied. For upper extremity function and maximum walking speed, a high correlation was found between the week post stroke in which the patient showed the first signs of recovery and the end condition after 20 weeks.

Adult

Who needs cutting points?

Individual scores of discriminative tests can be connected to an estimate of the confidence of classification, which obviates the need for cutting points. Such estimates can be corrected for base rate conditions. It is suggested that, while base rates are largely imponderable, the prior probabilities of individual cases are not.

Aged

Interhemispheric disconnection effects in multiple sclerosis.

Patients with multiple sclerosis reported less left ear numbers but more right ear numbers than controls in a dichotic listening test. The multiple sclerosis patients were also relatively impaired on three learning tasks; one of these, a test for paired-associate learning of names and faces, correlated with left ear findings; the results are interpreted as supporting a hypothesised disconnection mechanism.

Attention

[A brief test for dementia screening: the ADS3].

The ADS3 is a short screening test, consisting of subtests for Visual Memory, Orientation and Fluency. Within the modest pretentions available to this type of test, the validity and reliability are satisfactory. Measures were taken to safeguard the test against misuse.

Age Factors

Interhemispheric communication in a case of total visuo-verbal disconnection.

Interhemispheric communication strategies as noted in split-brain subjects may serve a compensatory function in patients with total visuo-verbal disconnection. The results of a case support this expectation. Identification of visual material reflected the perceptual and linguistic limitations of the right hemisphere, and naming was sometimes mediated by the rehearsal of alternatives. Implications for disconnection theory are discussed.

Aged