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IMPORTANCE Diurnal fluctuations of motor and nonmotor symptoms and a high prevalence of sleep-wake disturbances in Parkinson disease (PD) suggest a role of the circadian system in the modulation of these symptoms. However, surprisingly little is known regarding circadian function in PD and whether circadian dysfunction is involved in the development of sleep-wake disturbances in PD. OBJECTIVE To d
Study Design. Multicenter randomized controlled trial.Objective. To compare the efficacy and safety of balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) to non-surgical management (NSM) over 24 months in patients with painful vertebral compression fractures (VCF).Summary of Background Data. Recently, several large randomized controlled trials have been conducted and reported how vertebral augmentation compares with NSM f
IMPORTANCE The introduction of biological tumor necrosis factor inhibitors has improved the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but at a substantial cost. These drugs have been shown to lead to superior radiological outcomes compared with a combination of conventional disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs over 2 years. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether radiological superiority translates into be
Despite modern advances in the treatment of head and neck cancer, the survival rate fails to improve. Considering the different treatment modalities involved, quality of life has been thought of as an additional end point criterion for use in clinical trials. A Nordic protocol to measure the quality of life of head and neck cancer patients before, during, and after treatment was established. Befor
Context Inpatients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, warfarin prevents ischemic stroke, but dose adjustment, coagulation monitoring, and bleeding limit its use. Objective To compare the efficacy of the oral direct thrombin inhibitor ximelagatran with warfarin for prevention of stroke and systemic embolism. Design, Setting, and Participants Double-blind, randomized, multicenter trial (20002001)
Background and Objectives: Photodynamic therapy using 20% 5 aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has recently been introduced as a new tool in optical skin rejuvenation. The primary objective of this study was to optimize incubation time, the topical delivery mechanism (vehicle) and the concentration of 5-ALA by detecting the dynamic changes of normal skin after 5-ALA application. The secondary objective w
PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence and causes of visual impairment in children born prematurely in Finland from 1972 through 1989, and to determine what conditions and factors were associated with its occurrence. DESIGN: Retrospective, cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: All visually impaired individuals from 0 to 17 years of age who had been born at fewer than 37 gestational weeks in Finland from
Background: Craniopharyngioma is a parasellar tumour that, although benign, tends to behave aggressively. It can occur at any age but most commonly presents in childhood or adolescence. Objectives: to investigate the frequency and severity of problems associated with craniopharyngioma, using the large international database (KIMS) for adult patients with GH deficiency (GHD), and to assess the diff
Importance: Persistent disparities in mortality across countries suggest uneven improvements in living standards and access to life-extending health technologies, as well as context-specific obstacles. Studies have analyzed cross-country inequality in mortality but have not widely contextualized those disparities in terms of developmental progress relative to a frontier representing a level of mor
OBJECTIVE: It is unknown how risk factors for infection after transrectal prostate biopsy interact. We designed a study to evaluate this.METHODS: We identified biopsy procedures from 2006 to 2020 in the Swedish nationwide database PCBaSe. Primary outcome was post-biopsy infection, defined as a dispensed prescription of a urinary tract antibiotic and secondary outcome was inpatient care for infecti
OBJECTIVE: This article, based on the Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial (EMGT), provides prospective natural history data on progression of glaucomatous field defects in 3 of the most common glaucoma types. DESIGN: Cohort of EMGT patients randomized to the untreated control group and followed up to the time of progression, when treatment could be initiated. PARTICIPANTS: We evaluated 118 control patie
Impulsivity is common in Parkinson's disease even in the absence of impulse control disorders. It is likely to be multifactorial, including a dopaminergic 'overdose' and structural changes in the frontostriatal circuits for motor control. In addition, we proposed that changes in serotonergic projections to the forebrain also contribute to response inhibition in Parkinson's disease, based on precli
Importance: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital malformation in humans worldwide. Circulating cardiovascular biomarkers could potentially improve the early detection of CHD, even in asymptomatic newborns. Objectives: To assess the performance of a dried blood spot (DBS) test to measure the cardiovascular biomarker amino terminal fragment of the prohormone brain-type natriu
Background: There are no conclusive results from randomized trials on radiotherapy (RT) versus radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer. Numerous observational studies have suggested that RP is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer death, but whether results have been biased due to limited adjustments for confounding factors is unknown. Objective: To compare the risk of prostate ca
PURPOSE: Three major glaucoma trials, all using the same Humphrey visual field tests, specified different criteria to define visual field progression. This article compares the performance of these criteria with a reference standard of unanimous classifications by 3 independent glaucoma experts. DESIGN: Longitudinal, comparative study of diagnostic criteria. PARTICIPANTS AND CONTROLS: Two hundred
Background: Hip and groin problems are just as common in ice hockey as they are in soccer. The 5-second squeeze test (5SST) is a valid indicator of hip- and groin-related sporting function (self-reported function) in soccer and is suggested to be interpreted according to a “traffic light” approach in guiding the early identification and management of affected players. It is currently unknown how t
IMPORTANCE Timing of surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with aortic valve stenosis and previous stroke for the risk of recurrent stroke is insufficiently investigated. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of time elapsed between previous stroke and SAVR with the risk of recurrent perioperative stroke, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and mortality among patients with
Smoking cessation prolongs survival and decreases mortality of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In addition, epigenetic alterations of some genes are associated with survival. However, potential interactions between smoking cessation and epigenetics have not been assessed. Here, we conducted an epigenome-wide interaction analysis between DNA methylation and smoking cessation on N
Background: An Okinawa-based Nordic diet with moderately low carbohydrate content and high fat and protein content has been shown to improve anthropometry and metabolism in type 2 diabetes.Objective: The objectives of this study were to measure plasma or serum levels of hormones regulating energy metabolism and metabolic control, that is, cholecystokinin (CCK), Cortisol, C-peptide, ghrelin, glucag
