Background. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and total macular volume (TMV) represent markers of neuroaxonal degeneration within the anterior visual pathway that might correlate with ambulation in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective. This study examined the associations between RNFLT and TMV with ambulatory parameters in MS. Methods. Fifty-eight MS patients underwent a ne...

BACKGROUND T2 Lesion Volume (T2LV) has been an important biomarker for multiple sclerosis (MS). Current methods available to quantify lesions from MR images generally require manual adjustments or multiple images with different contrasts. Further, implementations are often not easily or openly accessible. OBJECTIVE We created a fully unsupervised, single T2 FLAIR image T2LV quantification pac...

OK – I know what you are thinking. How could the editors have chosen someone with my well-known views on the 6-minute walk (6MW) to write an editorial on the subject? Well, remember that data should always trump bias, and I can hopefully assess the existent data and the manuscript by Gabler et al1 (although it does, at least in part, uphold my views) in an unbiased fashion. For the purpose of t...

OBJECTIVES We sought to determine the optimal dose of the selective endothelin A (ET(A)) receptor antagonist sitaxsentan for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); for observation only, an open-label (OL) bosentan arm was included. BACKGROUND Endothelin is a mediator of PAH. In a preliminary PAH study, the selective ET(A) receptor antagonist sitaxsentan improved six-min walk ...

BACKGROUND Although peak oxygen consumption (peak VO(2)), 6-minute walk distance (6MW), and natriuretic peptides (BNP and NT-proBNP) are predictors of mortality in heart failure (HF) patients, it is not known whether therapy-induced changes in these measures can predict therapeutic effect on mortality. The objective of this analysis is to quantitatively assess the relationship between therapeut...

BACKGROUND Hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are important causes of non-ischaemic heart failure (HF). Understanding the pathophysiology of early HF may guide screening. We hypothesised that the underlying physiology differed according to aetiology. METHODS In this cross-sectional study of 521 asymptomatic community-based subjects ≥65 years with ≥1 HF risk factors, 187 particip...

[Purpose] This study was to find out an inspiratory muscle training (IMT) program therapeutic effects on stroke patients' functional ability. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty stroke patients were assigned to one of two groups: inspiratory muscle training (n=10), and control (n=10), randomization. The inspiratory muscle training participants undertook an exercise program for 30 minute per times, 5 ...

PURPOSE Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) successfully reduces pain, but has not achieved comparable improvements in function. We hypothesized that quadriceps strength affects performance by altering loading and movement patterns during functional tasks. METHODS Fourteen subjects with isolated, unilateral TKA were tested three months after surgery. Quadriceps strength was assessed isometrically a...

BACKGROUND The ratio of the diameter of the main pulmonary artery (mPA) to the diameter of the aorta (Ao) on chest computed tomography is associated with diverse clinical conditions. Herein, we determined the functional and prognostic implications of the mPA/Ao ratio in Korean chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. METHODS The study population comprised 226 chronic obstructive...

The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) is a widely applied index of disease severity. Our objective was to assess the utility of UPDRS for predicting peak aerobic capacity (VO2 peak) and ambulatory function. Participants (n = 70) underwent evaluation for UPDRS (Total and Motor ratings), VO2 peak, 6-minute walk distance (6MW), and 30-foot self-selected walking speed (SSWS). Using r...