BACKGROUND: Cardiac rehabilitation is a beneficial multidisciplinary treatment of exercise promotion, patient education, risk factor management, and psychosocial counseling for people with coronary heart disease (CHD) that is underutilized due to substantial disparities in access, referral, and participation. Empirical studies suggest that cardiac telerehabilitation (CTR) have safety and efficacy comparable to traditional in-person cardiac rehabilitation, however, older adults are under-reported with effectiveness, feasibility, and usability remains unclear. METHODS: The study randomized 43 older adults (84 % males) to the 12-week CTR intervention or standard of care. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory, participants received individualized in-person assessment and e-coaching sessions, followed by CTR usage at home. Data were collected at baseline (T0), six-week (T1), and 12-week (T2). RESULTS: Participants in the CTR intervention group showed significant improvement in daily steps (T1: β = 4126.58, p = 0.001; T2: β = 5285, p = 0.01) and health-promoting lifestyle profile (T1: β = 23.26, p < 0.001; T2: β = 12.18, p = 0.008) across study endpoints. Twenty participants completed the intervention, with 40 % used the website for data-uploading or experiential learning, 90 % used the pedometer for tele-monitoring. Improving awareness of rehabilitation and an action focus were considered key facilitators while physical discomforts and difficulties in using the technology were described as the main barriers. CONCLUSIONS: The CTR is feasible, safe and effective in improving physical activity and healthy behaviors in older adults with CHD. Considering the variation in individual cardiovascular risk factors, full-scale RCT with a larger sample is needed to determine the effect of CTR on psychological symptoms, body weight and blood pressure, and quality of life.

• Klíčová slova
• Cardiac telerehabilitation, Coronary heart disease, Older adults, Pilot, Randomized controlled trial,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a severe and often difficult to treat psychiatric illness. In many patients, negative symptoms dominate the clinical picture. Meta-analysis has suggested moderate, but significant effects of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) on these symptoms. For treatment of depression a much shorter protocol - intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) - has shown to be non-inferior to conventional high-frequency rTMS. This randomized, sham-controlled, rater-blinded clinical trial assesses the effects of conventional HF-rTMS as well as of iTBS of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in comparison with sham. METHODS: The study will be conducted at two psychiatric university hospitals in Germany and at two in the Czech Republic. Assuming an effect size of 0.64 to be detected with a power of 80%, the calculated sample size is 90 patients. Primary outcome will be the difference in the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) score between each active arm and the sham arm at end of treatment.In addition, the trial investigates effects on depressive symptoms, cognitive performance and cigarette smoking. Recording magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) data will serve to assess whether treatment success can be predicted by neural markers and is related to specific neurobiological changes. DISCUSSION: This is a clinical trial directly comparing 10 Hz-rTMS and iTBS in a sham-controlled manner in treating negative symptoms of schizophrenia. If successful, this would present an interesting treatment option for a chronic and severe condition that can be applied at most psychiatric hospitals and only takes up a few minutes per day. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: This trial has been registered at clinicaltrials.gov, Identifier: NCT04318977. DATA DISSEMINATION: Results from the trial shall be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at meetings and conferences.

• Klíčová slova
• Negative symptoms, Neuromodulation, Schizophrenia, TMS, Transcranial magnetic stimulation,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The nature and the purpose of the ECRIN Data Centre Certification Programme are summarised, and a very brief description is given of the underlying standards (129 in total, divided into 19 separate lists). The certification activity performed so far is described. In a pilot phase 2 centres were certified in 2012. Calls in 2014 and 2015 resulted in a further 8 certified centres, with 2 certifications still in progress, and the 2016 call has generated several additional applications. The impact and benefits of the programme are listed, divided into a) the effects of the introduction of the standards, b) the effects of the certification programme in general, and c) the effects of the certification programme on individual units. The discussion emphasises the generally positive impact of the programme so far but stresses the need to better clarify the perspective and role of the programme.

• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH