OBJECTIVE AND BACKGROUND: The 10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a widely-used screening measure for postnatal depression. Factor analysis studies have suggested an embedded sub-scale could be used for screening for anxiety disorders. The current investigation sought to replicate and extend a recent study supporting this assertion. METHODS: A cross-sectional design. EPDS data were collected at up to two years postpartum. Confirmatory factor analysis, correlational and distributional characteristics of the measure were examined. Participants were a large sample (N = 985) of postpartum women in the Czech Republic. RESULTS: Factor structure findings substantially replicated the models evaluated by Della Vedova et al. (2022). Bifactor models, however, offered a better fit to data. A general factor of depression explained most of the variance in data in most models compared to embedded sub-scales across models. CONCLUSION: The model proposed by Della Vedova et al. (2022) offered an excellent fit to data. However, the findings from the bifactor modelling suggest the dominance of a general factor of depression which indicates the potential application of an embedded anxiety sub-scale for screening may be overstated.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Factor Analysis, Statistical MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Depression, Postpartum * diagnosis psychology MeSH
- Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
- Psychiatric Status Rating Scales * standards MeSH
- Psychometrics MeSH
- Reproducibility of Results MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
OBJECTIVES: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) for persons with dementia (PwD) have yielded mixed results, possibly attributable to the fact that little is known about the validity and reliability of trait mindfulness self-report measures in PwD. This narrative review sought to identify studies involving self-reported trait mindfulness and other clinical measures that may hold information on the convergent validity and reliability of these measures in PwD. METHODS: Scientific databases were searched for studies involving PwD and mindfulness assessments. RESULTS: N = 426 studies from PubMed and N = 156 from PsychInfo databases were reviewed. Four cross-sectional studies were identified that allowed inferences about the validity of mindfulness measures. A qualitative review indicated that convergent validity with other measures varied with sample heterogeneity and cognitive impairment. Merely one MBI included self-reported trait mindfulness, however without reporting sample-specific validity or reliability. CONCLUSIONS: Despite efforts to implement MBIs in PwD, information on basic methodological psychometric issues is minimal. Future studies ought to address the validity and reliability of self-reported mindfulness in detail across different stages of dementia. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Results of MBIs need to be considered cautiously. Basic information about psychometric properties of mindfulness self-report measures is required and these measures need to be included systematically in MBIs.
- MeSH
- Dementia * psychology therapy MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Psychometrics methods MeSH
- Reproducibility of Results MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Mindfulness * methods MeSH
- Self Report * standards MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Review MeSH
INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between longitudinal changes in the uterine Doppler velocimetry and the maternal profile of angiogenic factors in the third trimester and to assess their ability to predict term preeclampsia (PE). METHODS: A cohort of low-risk pregnant women was scheduled for a uterine Doppler evaluation and measurement of the circulating levels of angiogenic factors at ∼30 and ∼36 weeks. The performance of both parameters and their change over time in predicting term PE was evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 1,191 women were analyzed, of which 28 (2.4%) women developed term PE. At ∼30 weeks, a model including the sFlt-1/PlGF (fms-like tyrosine kinase-1/placental growth factor) ratio and the uterine Doppler explained 16.2% of the uncertainty of developing term PE, while at ∼36 weeks, the same variables explained 25.2% [p < 0.001]. The longitudinal changes of both predictors had an R2 of 26.8%, which was not different from that of the ∼36 weeks evaluation [p = 0.45]. The area under the curve (AUC) of the ∼36 weeks ratio was significantly higher than at ∼30 weeks (0.86 [0.77-0.94] vs. 0.81 [0.73-0.9]; p = 0.043). The AUC of the longitudinal change of the ratio (0.85 [0.77-0.94]) did not differ from that of at ∼36 weeks (p = 0.82). At ∼36 weeks, for a 10% of false positives, the ratio had a detection rate of 71.4%. CONCLUSION: A cross-sectional measurement of the sFlt-1/PlGF ratio outperforms uterine Doppler in predicting term PE. The combination of both markers does not improve such prediction, nor the evaluation of the longitudinal changes between weeks.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Placental Circulation physiology MeSH
- Placenta Growth Factor * blood MeSH
- Area Under Curve MeSH
- Predictive Value of Tests MeSH
- Pre-Eclampsia * blood diagnostic imaging MeSH
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 * blood MeSH
- Rheology * methods statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Reproducibility of Results MeSH
- Blood Flow Velocity physiology MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Pregnancy Trimester, Third * blood physiology MeSH
- Ultrasonography, Doppler methods statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Ultrasonography, Prenatal * methods statistics & numerical data MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
- Randomized Controlled Trial MeSH
- Comparative Study MeSH
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to develop a simple, robust, and easy-to-use calibration procedure for correcting misalignments in rosette MRI k-space sampling, with the objective of producing images with minimal artifacts. METHODS: Quick automatic calibration scans were proposed for the beginning of the measurement to collect information on the time course of the rosette acquisition trajectory. A two-parameter model was devised to match the measured time-varying readout gradient delays and approximate the actual rosette sampling trajectory. The proposed calibration approach was implemented, and performance assessment was conducted on both phantoms and human subjects. RESULTS: The fidelity of phantom and in vivo images exhibited significant improvement compared with uncorrected rosette data. The two-parameter calibration approach also demonstrated enhanced precision and reliability, as evidenced by quantitative T2*$$ {\mathrm{T}}_2^{\ast } $$ relaxometry analyses. CONCLUSION: Adequate correction of data sampling is a crucial step in rosette MRI. The presented experimental results underscore the robustness, ease of implementation, and suitability for routine experimental use of the proposed two-parameter rosette trajectory calibration approach.
- MeSH
- Algorithms * MeSH
- Artifacts * MeSH
- Phantoms, Imaging * MeSH
- Calibration MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging * methods MeSH
- Brain diagnostic imaging MeSH
- Image Processing, Computer-Assisted * methods MeSH
- Reproducibility of Results MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
OBJECTIVES: To develop a gadolinium-free MRI-based diagnosis prediction decision tree (DPDT) for adult-type diffuse gliomas and to assess the added value of gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) enhanced images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included preoperative grade 2-4 adult-type diffuse gliomas (World Health Organization 2021) scanned between 2010 and 2021. The DPDT, incorporating eleven GBCA-free MRI features, was developed using 18% of the dataset based on consensus readings. Diagnosis predictions involved grade (grade 2 vs. grade 3/4) and molecular status (isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) and 1p/19q). GBCA-free diagnosis was predicted using DPDT, while GBCA-enhanced diagnosis included post-contrast images. The accuracy of these predictions was assessed by three raters with varying experience levels in neuroradiology using the test dataset. Agreement analyses were applied to evaluate the prediction performance/reproducibility. RESULTS: The test dataset included 303 patients (age (SD): 56.7 (14.2) years, female/male: 114/189, low-grade/high-grade: 54/249, IDH-mutant/wildtype: 82/221, 1p/19q-codeleted/intact: 34/269). Per-rater GBCA-free predictions achieved ≥ 0.85 (95%-CI: 0.80-0.88) accuracy for grade and ≥ 0.75 (95%-CI: 0.70-0.80) for molecular status, while GBCA-enhanced predictions reached ≥ 0.87 (95%-CI: 0.82-0.90) and ≥ 0.77 (95%-CI: 0.71-0.81), respectively. No accuracy difference was observed between GBCA-free and GBCA-enhanced predictions. Group inter-rater agreement was moderate for GBCA-free (0.56 (95%-CI: 0.46-0.66)) and substantial for GBCA-enhanced grade prediction (0.68 (95%-CI: 0.58-0.78), p = 0.008), while substantial for both GBCA-free (0.75 (95%-CI: 0.69-0.80) and GBCA-enhanced (0.77 (95%-CI: 0.71-0.82), p = 0.51) molecular status predictions. CONCLUSION: The proposed GBCA-free diagnosis prediction decision tree performed well, with GBCA-enhanced images adding little to the preoperative diagnostic accuracy of adult-type diffuse gliomas. KEY POINTS: Question Given health and environmental concerns, is there a gadolinium-free imaging protocol to preoperatively evaluate gliomas comparable to the gadolinium-enhanced standard practice? Findings The proposed gadolinium-free diagnosis prediction decision tree for adult-type diffuse gliomas performed well, and gadolinium-enhanced MRI demonstrated only limited improvement in diagnostic accuracy. Clinical relevance Even inexperienced raters effectively classified adult-type diffuse gliomas using the gadolinium-free diagnosis prediction decision tree, which, until further validation, can be used alongside gadolinium-enhanced images to respect standard practice, despite this study showing that gadolinium-enhanced images hardly improved diagnostic accuracy.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Gadolinium MeSH
- Glioma * diagnostic imaging MeSH
- Contrast Media * MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging * methods MeSH
- Brain Neoplasms * diagnostic imaging MeSH
- Predictive Value of Tests MeSH
- Reproducibility of Results MeSH
- Decision Trees * MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Neoplasm Grading * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
BACKGROUND: Mucosal visualization during upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy can be impaired by the presence of foam, bubbles, and mucus. Some UGI endoscopy visibility scales have been proposed but have not undergone multicenter validation. This study aimed to develop and validate the Gastroscopy RAte of Cleanliness Evaluation (GRACE) scale. METHODS: A multicenter, international, cross-sectional study was conducted. The GRACE scale is based on a score from 0 (worst) to 3 (excellent) for esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, for a total ranging from 0 to 9. In phase 1, four expert endoscopists evaluated 60 images twice, with a 2-week interval between rounds; in phase 2, the same 60 images were scored twice by one expert and one nonexpert endoscopist from 27 endoscopy departments worldwide. For reproducibility assessment and real-time validation, the scale was applied to consecutive patients undergoing gastroscopy at each center. RESULTS: On internal validation, interobserver agreement was 0.81 (95 %CI 0.73-0.87) and 0.80 (95 %CI 0.72-0.86), with reliability of 0.73 (95 %CI 0.63-0.82) and 0.72 (95 %CI 0.63-0.81), in the two rounds, respectively. On external validation, overall interobserver agreement was 0.85 (95 %CI 0.82-0.88) and reliability was 0.79 (95 %CI 0.73-0.84). In real-time evaluation, the overall proportion of correct classifications was 0.80 (95 %CI 0.77-0.82). CONCLUSIONS: The GRACE scale showed good interobserver agreement, reliability, and validity. The widespread use of this scale could enhance quality and standardize the assessment of mucosal cleanliness during UGI endoscopy, pushing endoscopists to strive for excellent visibility and reducing the risk of missed lesions.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Duodenum MeSH
- Gastroscopy * methods MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Observer Variation * MeSH
- Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
- Reproducibility of Results MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Gastric Mucosa MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Aged MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
- Validation Study MeSH
PURPOSE: Dual velocity encoding PC-MRI can produce spurious artifacts when using high ratios of velocity encoding values (VENCs), limiting its ability to generate high-quality images across a wide range of encoding velocities. This study aims to propose and compare dual-VENC correction methods for such artifacts. THEORY AND METHODS: Two denoising approaches based on spatiotemporal regularization are proposed and compared with a state-of-the-art method based on sign correction. Accuracy is assessed using simulated data from an aorta and brain aneurysm, as well as 8 two-dimensional (2D) PC-MRI ascending aorta datasets. Two temporal resolutions (30,60) ms and noise levels (9,12) dB are considered, with noise added to the complex magnetization. The error is evaluated with respect to the noise-free measurement in the synthetic case and to the unwrapped image without additional noise in the volunteer datasets. RESULTS: In all studied cases, the proposed methods are more accurate than the Sign Correction technique. Using simulated 2D+T data from the aorta (60 ms, 9 dB), the Dual-VENC (DV) error 0.82±0.07$$ 0.82\pm 0.07 $$ is reduced to: 0.66±0.04$$ 0.66\pm 0.04 $$ (Sign Correction); 0.34±0.04$$ 0.34\pm 0.04 $$ and 0.32±0.04$$ 0.32\pm 0.04 $$ (proposed techniques). The methods are found to be significantly different (p-value <0.05$$ <0.05 $$ ). Importantly, brain aneurysm data revealed that the Sign Correction method is not suitable, as it increases error when the flow is not unidirectional. All three methods improve the accuracy of in vivo data. CONCLUSION: The newly proposed methods outperform the Sign Correction method in improving dual-VENC PC-MRI images. Among them, the approach based on temporal differences has shown the highest accuracy.
- MeSH
- Algorithms * MeSH
- Aorta * diagnostic imaging MeSH
- Artifacts * MeSH
- Phantoms, Imaging MeSH
- Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted methods MeSH
- Intracranial Aneurysm diagnostic imaging MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging * methods MeSH
- Brain diagnostic imaging MeSH
- Computer Simulation MeSH
- Image Processing, Computer-Assisted * methods MeSH
- Signal-To-Noise Ratio * MeSH
- Reproducibility of Results MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to validate the Sargent risk stratification algorithm for the prediction of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) severity using data collected from multiple centers and using the multicenter data to improve the model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a multicenter analysis using data collected for the IS-PAS database. The Sargent model's effectiveness in distinguishing between abnormally adherent placenta (FIGO grade 1) and abnormally invasive placenta (FIGO grades 2 and 3) was evaluated. A new model was developed using multicenter data from the IS-PAS database. RESULTS: The database included 315 cases of suspected PAS, of which 226 had fully documented standardized ultrasound signs. The final diagnosis was normal placentation in 5, abnormally adherent placenta/FIGO grade 1 in 43, and abnormally invasive placenta/FIGO grades 2 and 3 in 178. The external validation of the Sargent model revealed moderate predictive accuracy in a multicenter setting (C-index 0.68), compared to its higher accuracy in a single-center context (C-index 0.90). The newly developed model achieved a C-index of 0.74. CONCLUSIONS: The study underscores the difficulty in developing universally applicable PAS prediction models. While models like that of Sargent et al. show promise, their reproducibility varies across settings, likely due to the interpretation of the ultrasound signs. The findings support the need for updating the current ultrasound descriptors and for the development of any new predictive models to use data collected by different operators in multiple clinical settings.
- MeSH
- Algorithms MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Risk Assessment MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Placenta Accreta * diagnostic imaging MeSH
- Predictive Value of Tests MeSH
- Prospective Studies MeSH
- Reproducibility of Results MeSH
- Severity of Illness Index MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Ultrasonography, Prenatal * MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Pregnancy MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
- Validation Study MeSH
The UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Model and the various psychometric instruments developed and validated based on this model are well established in clinical and research settings. However, evidence regarding the psychometric validity, reliability, and equivalence across multiple countries of residence, languages, or gender identities, including gender-diverse individuals, is lacking to date. Using data from the International Sex Survey (N = 82,243), confirmatory factor analyses and measurement invariance analyses were performed on the preestablished five-factor structure of the 20-item short version of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale to examine whether (a) psychometric validity and reliability and (b) psychometric equivalence hold across 34 country-of-residence-related, 22 language-related, and three gender-identity-related groups. The results of the present study extend the latter psychometric instrument's well-established relevance to 26 countries, 13 languages, and three gender identities. Most notably, psychometric validity and reliability were evidenced across nine novel translations included in the present study (i.e., Croatian, English, German, Hebrew, Korean, Macedonian, Polish, Portuguese-Portugal, and Spanish-Latin American) and psychometric equivalence was evidenced across all three gender identities included in the present study (i.e., women, men, and gender-diverse individuals).
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Factor Analysis, Statistical MeSH
- Gender Identity * MeSH
- Impulsive Behavior * MeSH
- Language MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
- Psychometrics MeSH
- Reproducibility of Results MeSH
- Cross-Cultural Comparison MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Validation Study MeSH
This study explored how the human cortical folding pattern composed of convex gyri and concave sulci affected single-subject morphological brain networks, which are becoming an important method for studying the human brain connectome. We found that gyri-gyri networks exhibited higher morphological similarity, lower small-world parameters, and lower long-term test-retest reliability than sulci-sulci networks for cortical thickness- and gyrification index-based networks, while opposite patterns were observed for fractal dimension-based networks. Further behavioral association analysis revealed that gyri-gyri networks and connections between gyral and sulcal regions significantly explained inter-individual variance in Cognition and Motor domains for fractal dimension- and sulcal depth-based networks. Finally, the clinical application showed that only sulci-sulci networks exhibited morphological similarity reductions in major depressive disorder for cortical thickness-, fractal dimension-, and gyrification index-based networks. Taken together, these findings provide novel insights into the constraint of the cortical folding pattern to the network organization of the human brain.
- MeSH
- Depressive Disorder, Major pathology diagnostic imaging MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Connectome * MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging * MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Cerebral Cortex * diagnostic imaging anatomy & histology MeSH
- Nerve Net * diagnostic imaging anatomy & histology MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH