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Vincent Thijs

Publications and source records attributed to Vincent Thijs.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Trunk performance after stroke: an eye catching predictor of functional outcome.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Trunk performance is an important predictor of functional outcome after stroke. However, the percentage of explained variance varies considerably between studies. This may be explained by the stroke population examined, the different scales used to assess trunk performance and the time points used to measure outcome. The aim of this multicentre study was to examine the predictive validity of the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS) and its subscales when predicting the Barthel Index score at 6 months after stroke. METHODS: A total of 102 subjects were recruited in three European rehabilitation centres. Participants were assessed on admission (median time since stroke onset 20 days) and 6 months after stroke. Correlation analysis and forward stepwise multiple regression analysis were used to model outcome. RESULTS: The best predictors of the Barthel Index scores at 6 months after stroke were total TIS score (partial R2 = 0.52, p<.0001) and static sitting balance subscale score (partial R2 = 0.50, p<.0001) on admission. The TIS score on admission and its static sitting balance subscale were stronger predictors of the Barthel Index score at 6 months than the Barthel Index score itself on admission. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasises the importance of trunk performance, especially static sitting balance, when predicting functional outcome after stroke. The TIS is recommended as a prediction instrument in the rehabilitation setting when considering the prognosis of stroke patients. Future studies should address the evolution of trunk performance over time and the evaluation of treatment interventions to improve trunk performance.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

The G93C mutation in superoxide dismutase 1: clinicopathologic phenotype and prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Twenty percent of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is caused by mutations in the superoxide dismutase 1 gene (SOD1). Few data exist on their clinicopathologic phenotypes. OBJECTIVES: To determine the clinical and pathologic phenotype associated with the G93C mutation in SOD1 and to compare survival in familial ALS related to this mutation with survival in other ALS subgroups. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center for neuromuscular disorders. PATIENTS: Twenty patients with the G93C mutation for whom clinical data were available and 1 patient with pathologic data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Characteristics and survival compared with other ALS subgroups, adjusting for known prognostic factors. RESULTS: The G93C mutation was associated with a purely lower motor neuron phenotype without bulbar involvement. Presence of the mutation independently predicted longer survival compared with other ALS subgroups. Pathologic examination showed degeneration of the anterior horn, spinocerebellar tracts, and posterior funiculi, with minimal involvement of corticospinal tracts and no degeneration of brainstem motor nuclei. Survival motor neuron gene copy number had no significant influence on age at onset or survival in patients with the G93C mutation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings add to the knowledge of SOD1-related familial ALS and demonstrate further clinicopathologic variability between different SOD1 mutations. Finally, they demonstrate the independent prognostic value of the G93C mutation.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

The influence of percutaneous atrial septal defect closure on the occurrence of migraine.

AIMS: Percutaneous patent foramen ovale closure seems to influence migraine. We wanted to observe the effect of percutaneous atrial septal defect (ASD) closure on migraine. METHODS AND RESULTS: All patients (>16 years of age) with a percutaneous ASD closure were selected from our database (n=114). A questionnaire about headache before and after closure was sent. According to the criteria of the International Headache Society, two neurologists diagnosed migraine with and without aura (MA+ and MA-, respectively). McNemar paired chi(2) and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used where applicable. Seventy-five patients (66%, 59 females, mean age 51+/-19 years) responded and were included in the study. An Amplatzer ASD occluder was used in all. Median follow-up time was 29 months (IQ1 and IQ3, 18 and 39 months, respectively). The prevalence of MA- and MA+ changed from 19 (14/75) and 11% (8/75), respectively, before closure to 12 (9/75) and 15% (11/75), respectively, after closure (P=0.18 and P=0.55, respectively, vs. before closure). In 12 patients who suffered from migraine before closure (n=4 and 8, MA+ and MA-, respectively), migraine disappeared. In this subgroup, the frequency of migraine attacks decreased significantly (P=0.01). New-onset migraine was noted in 10 patients (n=7 and 3, MA+ and MA-, respectively). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous ASD closure was not related to a decrease in prevalence of migraine. In a subgroup, patients who suffered from typical migraine before ASD closure, the frequency of migraine attacks decreased significantly. The reason for the new-onset migraine remains unexplained. A larger study sample will be necessary to determine these findings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Foundations of advanced magnetic resonance imaging.

During the past decade, major breakthroughs in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) quality were made by means of quantum leaps in scanner hardware and pulse sequences. Some advanced MRI techniques have truly revolutionized the detection of disease states and MRI can now-within a few minutes-acquire important quantitative information noninvasively from an individual in any plane or volume at comparatively high resolution. This article provides an overview of the most common advanced MRI methods including diffusion MRI, perfusion MRI, functional MRI, and the strengths and weaknesses of MRI at high magnetic field strengths.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

What do we (not) know about the management of blood pressure in acute stroke?

Although it is indisputable that high blood pressure should be treated to prevent a first or a recurrent stroke, the management of high blood pressure in the first hours and days after stroke remains controversial. There is no high-quality evidence from randomized controlled trials to guide treatment in the 80% of patients who have elevated blood pressure during the first days after stroke. Theoretically, there are pros and cons for manipulating blood pressure after onset of stroke. Most treatment guidelines suggest leaving blood pressure untouched based on pathophysiologic principles. Post-hoc analyses from randomized trials, however, suggest that elevated blood pressure is associated with recurrent stroke and higher mortality, even after adjustment for potential confounders. On the other hand, preliminary studies have suggested that voluntarily increasing blood pressure might be beneficial in a selected subgroup of patients. In this overview, we present a summary of recent studies on this topic.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed2003

VEGF is a modifier of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in mice and humans and protects motoneurons against ischemic death.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable degenerative disorder of motoneurons. We recently reported that reduced expression of Vegfa causes ALS-like motoneuron degeneration in Vegfa(delta/delta) mice. In a meta-analysis of over 900 individuals from Sweden and over 1,000 individuals from Belgium and England, we now report that subjects homozygous with respect to the haplotypes -2,578A/-1,154A/-634G or -2,578A/-1,154G/-634G in the VEGF promoter/leader sequence had a 1.8 times greater risk of ALS (P = 0.00004). These 'at-risk' haplotypes lowered circulating VEGF levels in vivo and reduced VEGF gene transcription, IRES-mediated VEGF expression and translation of a novel large-VEGF isoform (L-VEGF) in vivo. Moreover, SOD1(G93A) mice crossbred with Vegfa(delta/delta) mice died earlier due to more severe motoneuron degeneration. Vegfa(delta/delta) mice were unusually susceptible to persistent paralysis after spinal cord ischemia, and treatment with Vegfa protected mice against ischemic motoneuron death. These findings indicate that VEGF is a modifier of motoneuron degeneration in human ALS and unveil a therapeutic potential of Vegfa for stressed motoneurons in mice.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Use of diffusion weighted MRI to predict the occurrence and severity of hemorrhagic transformation in a rabbit model of embolic stroke.

Severe hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is an important complication of thrombolytic therapy. A method to identify stroke victims destined to severe HT could improve the patient selection and thus the safety of such treatment. In this study, we investigated whether very early serial diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) could predict the occurrence of HT in an embolic model of experimental stroke. We tested the hypothesis that the ischemic brains with very low initial apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) are destined to severe early (<or=5.5 h) HT. We retrospectively analyzed DWI scans of 45 New Zealand white rabbits subjected to thromboembolic stroke and treated with thrombolysis. DWI was obtained 0.5, 2, 3 and 5 h after embolization. Various thrombolytics were administered 1 h post embolization. The percentage of pixels within the ischemic hemisphere with ADC values below 550 x 10(-6) mm(2)/s was calculated and then compared to the severity of HT observed on gross brain sections at 5.5 h. As early as 30 min after embolization, ischemic brains destined to severe HT exhibited a significantly greater percentage of pixels below the cut-off value compared to those without HT: severe HT: 25%, 18.75-37.25% vs. no HT: 12%, 5.00-16.00% (median, 25th-75th %, P<0.001). Petechial HT when percentages were in the intermediate range. Quantitative analysis of initial ADC value might identify individual stroke patients at risk of severe HT.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Extracranial carotid artery stenting in surgically high-risk patients using the Carotid Wallstent endoprosthesis: midterm clinical and ultrasound follow-up results.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety and midterm outcome of elective implantation of the Carotid Wallstent in patients considered to be at high surgical risk. In a prospective study, 54 carotid artery stenoses in 51 patients were stented over a 24-month period. Three patients underwent bilateral carotid artery stenting. Institutional inclusion criteria for invasive treatment of carotid occlusive disease (carotid endarterectomy or carotid artery stenting) are patients presenting with a 70% or more symptomatic stenosis and those with an 80% or more asymptomatic stenosis having a life-expectancy of more than 1 year. All patients treated by carotid artery stenting were considered at high risk for carotid endarterectomy because of a hostile neck (17 patients--31.5%) or because of severe comorbidities (37 patients--68.5%). No cerebral protection device was used. Of the 54 lesions, 33 (61.1%) were symptomatic and 21 (38.8%) were asymptomatic. Follow-up was performed by physical examination and by duplex ultrasonography at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after the procedure. All 54 lesions could be stented successfully without periprocedural stroke. Advert events during follow-up (mean 13.9 +/- 5.7 months) were non-stroke-related death in 6 patients (11.1%), minor stroke in 4 stented hemispheres (7.4%), transient ipsilateral facial pain in 1 patient (1.8%), infection of the stented surgical patch in 1 patient (1.8%) and asymptomatic instent restenosis in 4 patients (7.4%). The percutaneous implantation of the Carotid Wallstent, even without cerebral protection device, appears to be a safe procedure with acceptable clinical and ultrasonographic follow-up results in patients at high surgical risk. But some late adverse events such as ipsilateral recurrence of non-disabling (minor) stroke or instent restenosis still remain real challenging problems.

Aged↗