Maastricht University Medical Centre

Implementation of a Guideline-Based Preference Elicitation Tool to Enhance Shared Decision-Making in Supervised Exercise Therapy for Patients With Intermittent Claudication: A Multi-Methods Cluster Randomized Trial

Abstract Importance Shared decision-making is not yet common practice in physical therapy, emphasizing the need for effective decision aids. A preference elicitation tool (PE-tool) was designed to complement supervised exercise therapy (SET) in intermittent claudication treatment...

Genetic evidence for the psychosis continuum: polygenic score analysis

Background The psychosis continuum conceptualises psychotic phenomena as existing on a spectrum from subclinical experiences to psychotic disorders. Despite epidemiological and clinical evidence in support of this model, few studies have examined polygenic liability across the se...

Hemocytometric Parameters Associated with Bacterial and Viral Etiology in COPD Exacerbations: An Exploratory Analysis

Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (ECOPD) are often triggered by bacterial and viral infections, yet current diagnostic methods are time-consuming and biomarkers (e.g. C-reactive protein (CRP)) show limited accuracy in differentiating between these triggers....

Construction of personal health knowledge graphs for clinical data harmonization in breast cancer

Integrating heterogeneous personal health data and maintaining clinical registries for breast cancer management is labor-intensive. This study presents an AI-powered virtual assistant transforming identifiable breast cancer patient data into interoperable personal health knowledg...

Plasma metabolomics reveals candidate biomarkers associated with individual treatment response in psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a clinically heterogeneous inflammatory disease for which optimal treatment selection remains unclear. Robust biomarkers that predict treatment response and identify patient-specific factors to inform treatment choice could advance precision medicine...

Magtrace as tracer for sentinel lymph node detection in early stage epithelial ovarian cancer: a pilot study

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) detection in ovarian cancer is feasible when using technetium-99m radiocolloid ( 99m Tc) in combination with blue dye or indocyanine green (ICG). However, their radioactive and fluorescent properties make them challenging to use in laparotomic procedures...

Neuromonitoring of perioperative microembolization and its association with postoperative stroke after carotid endarterectomy

Abstract Purpose This study aims to assess whether perioperative microembolization can identify patients at risk for postoperative stroke. Methods A total of 257 carotid endarterectomy procedures in 254 patients were analyzed (154 symptomatic, 103 asymptomatic). Neuromonitoring,...

Against the Odds? Lessons from Establishing a Clinician Educator Career Track in a Non-Academic Medical Centre

Teaching and learning are often positioned as secondary to patient care, research, and leadership. In non-academic medical centres (NAMCs), this can make it difficult to justify investments in faculty development, as educational activities may be perceived as peripheral, even dis...

Volumetric Changes in the Basal Ganglia Over Three Years After Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation

Supplementary material for the manuscript “Volumetric Changes in the Basal Ganglia Over Three Years After Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation.” The supplementary material includes Supplementary Figures S1–S2 and Supplementary Tables S1–S4.

Divergence Between Marker Expression and Phenotype During Human Corneal Endothelial Cell Expansion

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare whether conventional marker-based assessments adequately reflect phenotypic stability during serial passaging of two established culture protocols for primary human corneal endothelial cells (CEnCs). Methods: Primary CEnCs were is...

EXPRESS: Bayesian networks to estimate prognosis in vascular cognitive impairment and small vessel disease: integrated analyses of interdependent contributors to multiple outcomes

BACKGROUND: Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) and small vessel disease (SVD) involve interconnected factors influencing multiple outcomes, also beyond cognitive decline. Bayesian networks (BNs) can help unravel these complex interrelations, which we demonstrate in this proof-of...

Implementing environmentally sustainable behavior in healthcare: an illustration of why behavioral definitions matter

Abstract Background Implementing more sustainable practices is crucial for reducing the environmental footprint of the healthcare sector. While organizational factors such as availability of sustainable materials are important, healthcare professionals’ adoption of sustainable be...

Development of a monoclonal antibody targeting the calcification blocking factor CBF

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients suffer from a multitude of comorbidities, with vascular calcification being a major one. Recently, a new 19 amino acid long peptide, called calcification blocking factor (CBF), inhibiting vascular calcification has been identified. CBF concen...

Clinical, biochemical and genetic spectra of carnosinemia: a systematic review of case reports and case series

Abstract Carnosinemia, also referred to as carnosinase 1 (CNDP1) deficiency, is an ultra-rare inborn error of metabolism characterized by impaired CNDP1 activity and carnosine degradation. The clinical significance and phenotypic spectrum of this condition remain poorly defined,...

Evaluation of nationwide variation in post-haemorrhagic ventricular dilatation management following national guideline implementation in the Netherlands

Abstract Purpose Post-haemorrhagic ventricular dilatation (PHVD) is a severe complication of germinal matrix–intraventricular haemorrhage in preterm infants and is associated with significant morbidity and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. In 2023, national recommendations for...

Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential Proteomic Risk Score for Predicting Clinical Outcome in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction

BACKGROUND: Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is common in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the proteomic signatures linked to CHIP driver mutations and their prognostic implications in HFpEF remain poorly defined. We aimed to...

Drug‐Free Remission in Early Peripheral Spondyloarthritis, including Psoriatic Arthritis: 10‐year follow‐up from the CRESPA trial

OBJECTIVES: To provide a descriptive analysis of the 10-year follow-up data from the CRESPA study. Here, patients fulfilling the ASAS peripheral spondyloarthritis (pSpA) classification criteria, with symptom duration ≤12 weeks, were randomized to golimumab 50mg Q4W or placebo. Ou...

High rates of transition to immune active disease in a cohort of strictly defined immune tolerant patients with chronic hepatitis B: results from the RADICAL consortium

Background Patients with immune tolerant (IT) chronic hepatitis B (CHB) have high viral loads, minimal inflammation and minimal fibrosis. Nevertheless, the benign nature of this phase and the need for antiviral therapy remain controversial. Objective We explored the natural histo...

Generational changes in lung function in adults from several world regions: results from the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study

This study estimated birth cohort effects on lung function using BOLD (Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease) data from 28 569 adults born between 1902 and 1976 across 41 sites in 34 countries. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) and the FEV 1 /FVC...

Practice variation in hospital care for pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence: an analysis of specialists’ expectations, cross-sectional claims data, and the role of clinical guidelines

Abstract Background Pelvic floor disorders, specifically pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence, are highly prevalent conditions that exhibit substantial practice variation. This study aims to examine the relationship between clinical practice guidelines and practice vari...