Danube University Krems

About: Danube University Krems is a education organization based out in Krems, Niederösterreich, Austria. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Stroke & Population. The organization has 498 authors who have published 1572 publications receiving 68797 citations.

How does lifestyle intervention affect depressive symptoms? Results from the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study

Abstract: Diabet. Med. 29, e126–e132 (2012) Abstract Aims To assess the effect of lifestyle intervention on depressive symptoms during a 36-month randomized clinical trial designed to prevent Type 2 diabetes. Methods A total of 522 middle-aged participants, who were overweight or obese and had impaired glucose tolerance, were randomized to the lifestyle intervention or control group in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study. The intervention group received individualized counselling aimed at reducing weight and increasing physical activity. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory among a subgroup of 140 participants. Results On study entry, the mean Beck Depression Inventory scores ± sd were 6.8 ± 5.6 in the intervention group and 6.7 ± 5.5 in the control group. Beck Depression Inventory scores reduced during the intervention study: the mean ± sd (95% CI) reduction was 0.90 ± 4.54 (−1.99 to −0.19) scores in the intervention group and 0.75 ± 4.47 (−1.80 to 0.31) in the control group, with no difference between the groups. In a stepwise linear multivariate regression analysis, the variables with the strongest associations with the change in Beck Depression Inventory scores were baseline Beck Depression Inventory scores, marital status, weight change and change of total energy intake (R2 = 0.209, P < 0.001). Conclusions Participation in the study lowered depression scores, with no specific group effect. Among the lifestyle changes, particularly successful reduction of body weight was associated with the greater reduction of depressive symptoms. Thus, regardless of the intensity of the treatment, the success in executing alterations in one’s lifestyle and behaviour is associated with beneficial changes in mood.

Syntactical negation detection in clinical practice guidelines.

Abstract: In clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) the medical information is stored in a narrative way. A large part of this information occurs in a negated form. The detection of negation in CPGs is an important task since it helps medical personnel to identify not occurring symptoms and diseases as well as treatment actions that should not be accomplished. We developed algorithms capable of Negation Detection in this kind of medical documents. According to our results, we are convinced that the involvement of syntactical methods can improve Negation Detection, not only in medical writings but also in arbitrary narrative texts.

Sex-specific differences in diabetes prevention: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract: Aims/hypothesis In people with prediabetes, lifestyle interventions and glucose-lowering medications are effective in preventing the progression to type 2 diabetes. It is unclear whether differences in treatment effects between men and women need to be taken into consideration when choosing a preventive strategy for an individual person.

Advances in stroke: recovery and rehabilitation.

Abstract: Developments in this area are now moving faster than ever before. It is evident that recovery drugs and techniques promoting recovery after brain ischemia deserve separate consideration and special efforts. A large number of trials are ongoing, and several new methods are being tested in single or combination mode. We have decided to report Cochrane data, meta-analyses, or (when both not available) to select 1 or 2 major papers representative for each area to illustrate the achieved results and to point to the many promising experimental, clinical, and field trials currently underway. Several drugs have been tested for efficacy in motor recovery in recent years, but none has evolved with such clear significance as is the case for Fluoxetine for Motor Recovery in Acute Ischemic Stroke (FLAME) study.1 This study investigated whether fluoxetine enhances motor recovery if given to patients with motor deficits within the first 10 days after stroke. One hundred eighteen patients with ischemic stroke and hemiplegia or hemiparesis had Fugl-Meyer motor scale (FMMS) scores of ≤55 and were randomly assigned to fluoxetine (n=59; 20 mg once per day, orally) or placebo (n=59) for 3 months starting 5 to 10 days after the onset of stroke. All patients had physiotherapy. The primary outcome measure was the change in the FMMS score between day 0 and day 90 after the start of the study drug. Two patients died before day 90 and 3 withdrew from the study. The remaining 113 showed FMMS improvement at day 90 to be significantly greater in the fluoxetine group (adjusted mean, 34.0 points; 95% confidence interval [CI], 29.7–38.4]) than in the placebo group (24.3 points [19.9–28.7]; P =0.003). The main frequent adverse events in the fluoxetine versus placebo groups were transient and not severe. They included nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain (14 [25%] versus …