Observational Study of 180° Turning Strategies Using Inertial Measurement Units and Fall Risk in Poststroke Hemiparetic Patients

International audienc

Observational Study of 180° Turning Strategies Using Inertial Measurement Units and Fall Risk in Poststroke Hemiparetic Patients

ObjectiveWe analyzed spontaneous 180° turning strategies in poststroke hemiparetic patients by using inertial measurement units (IMUs) and the association of turning strategies with risk of falls.MethodsWe included right paretic (RP) and left paretic (LP) post-stroke patients, and healthy controls (HCs) from a physical and rehabilitation department in France between July 2015 and October 2015. All subjects were right-handed and right-footed for mobilization tasks. Participants were instructed to turn 180° in a self-selected direction after a 10-m walk while wearing three IMUs on their trunk and both feet. We defined three turning patterns based on the number of external steps (pattern I = 1; II = 2–4 steps; and III ≥ 5) and four turning strategies based on the side chosen to turn (healthy or paretic) and the stance limb used during the first step of the turn (healthy or paretic). Falls in the 6 months after measurement were investigated.ResultsWe included 17 RP [mean (SD) age 57.5 (9.5) years (range 43–73)], 20 LP patients [mean age 60.7 (8.8) years (range 43–63)], and 15 HCs [mean age 56.7 (16.1) years (range 36–83)]. The LP and RP groups behaved similarly in turning patterns, but 90% of LP patients turned spontaneously to the paretic side versus 59% of RP patients. This difference increased with turning strategies: 85% of LP versus 29% of RP patients used strategy 4 (paretic turn side with paretic limb). Patients using strategy 4 had the highest rate of falls.ConclusionWe propose to consider spontaneous turning strategies as new indicators to evaluate the risk of fall after stroke. IMU could be routinely used to identify this risk and guide balance rehabilitation programs

A new score combining compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitudes and motor score is predictive of motor outcome after AVXS-101 (Onasemnogene Abeparvovec) SMA therapy

International audienceSpinal muscular atrophy 1 (SMA1) is a severe early genetic disease with degeneration of motor neurons. Motor development is still suboptimal after gene replacement therapy in symptomatic patients. In this study, compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitudes were explored as predictors of motor recovery after gene therapy. Thirteen symptomatic SMA1 patients were prospectively included at the Necker Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France (Cohort 1) and 12 at the other pediatric neuromuscular reference centers of the French Filnemus network (Cohort 2). In Cohort 1, median CMAP amplitudes showed the best improvement between baseline and the 12 months visit compared to the other tested nerves (ulnar, fibular and tibial). High median CMAP amplitudes at baseline was associated with unaided sitting achievement at M6 (AUC 90%). None of the patients with CHOPINTEND at M0 < 30/64 and median CMAP < 0.5 mV achieved unaided sitting at M6 and this result was confirmed on Cohort 2 used as an independent validation data. Thus, median CMAP amplitude is a valid biomarker for routine practice to predict sitting at M6. A median CMAP amplitude over 0.5 mV at baseline may predict better motor recovery

COVID-19 outcomes in patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases treated with rituximab: a cohort study

International audienceBackground: Various observations have suggested that the course of COVID-19 might be less favourable in patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases receiving rituximab compared with those not receiving rituximab. We aimed to investigate whether treatment with rituximab is associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes in patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.Methods: In this cohort study, we analysed data from the French RMD COVID-19 cohort, which included patients aged 18 years or older with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases and highly suspected or confirmed COVID-19. The primary endpoint was the severity of COVID-19 in patients treated with rituximab (rituximab group) compared with patients who did not receive rituximab (no rituximab group). Severe disease was defined as that requiring admission to an intensive care unit or leading to death. Secondary objectives were to analyse deaths and duration of hospital stay. The inverse probability of treatment weighting propensity score method was used to adjust for potential confounding factors (age, sex, arterial hypertension, diabetes, smoking status, body-mass index, interstitial lung disease, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, corticosteroid use, chronic renal failure, and the underlying disease [rheumatoid arthritis vs others]). Odds ratios and hazard ratios and their 95% CIs were calculated as effect size, by dividing the two population mean differences by their SD. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04353609.Findings: Between April 15, 2020, and Nov 20, 2020, data were collected for 1090 patients (mean age 55·2 years [SD 16·4]); 734 (67%) were female and 356 (33%) were male. Of the 1090 patients, 137 (13%) developed severe COVID-19 and 89 (8%) died. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, severe disease was observed more frequently (effect size 3·26, 95% CI 1·66-6·40, p=0·0006) and the duration of hospital stay was markedly longer (0·62, 0·46-0·85, p=0·0024) in the 63 patients in the rituximab group than in the 1027 patients in the no rituximab group. 13 (21%) of 63 patients in the rituximab group died compared with 76 (7%) of 1027 patients in the no rituximab group, but the adjusted risk of death was not significantly increased in the rituximab group (effect size 1·32, 95% CI 0·55-3·19, p=0·53).Interpretation: Rituximab therapy is associated with more severe COVID-19. Rituximab will have to be prescribed with particular caution in patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases