Decline of kidney function during the pre-dialysis period in chronic kidney disease patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Diabetes mellitus: pathophysiological changes and therap

Effect of eight-week online cognitive training in Parkinson's disease : A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial

Introduction: Cognitive training (CT) has been proposed as a treatment option for cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD). We aimed to assess the efficacy of adaptive, computerized CT on cognitive function in PD. Methods: In this double-blind, randomized controlled trial we enrolled PD patients that experienced substantial subjective cognitive complaints. Over a period of eight weeks, participants underwent 24 sessions of computerized multi-domain CT or an active control intervention for 45 min each (randomized 1:1). The primary outcome was the accuracy on the Tower of London task; secondary outcomes included effects on other neuropsychological outcomes and subjective cognitive complaints. Outcomes were assessed before and after training and at six-months follow-up, and analyzed with multivariate mixed-model analyses. Results: The intention-to-treat population consisted of 136 participants (n = 68 vs. n = 68, age M: 62.9y, female: 39.7%). Multivariate mixed-model analyses showed no group difference on the Tower of London accuracy corrected for baseline performance (n = 130): B: −0.06, 95% CI: −0.27 to 0.15, p = 0.562. Participants in the CT group were on average 0.30 SD (i.e., 1.5 s) faster on difficulty load 4 of this task (secondary outcome): 95% CI: −0.55 to −0.06, p = 0.015. CT did not reduce subjective cognitive complaints. At follow-up, no group differences were found. Conclusions: This study shows no beneficial effect of eight-week computerized CT on the primary outcome (i.e., planning accuracy) and only minor improvements on secondary outcomes (i.e., processing speed) with limited clinical impact. Personalized or ecologically valid multi-modal intervention methods could be considered to achieve clinically meaningful and lasting effects

Consumer preferences in the design of airport passenger areas

In recent decades, commercial developments have become increasingly important for the overall profit of airports. However, little is known about consumer preferences regarding the design of passenger areas, which is striking as the design of terminal buildings affects consumers' emotional state and shopping behaviour. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate how architectural design characteristics are valued by airport passengers, using visualizations of hypothetical passenger areas. Discrete choice experiments were used to investigate passenger preferences for eight design characteristics. Data on 346 passengers were collected in June 2008 in departure and transfer areas at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Analyses showed that passengers preferred a passenger area with a curvilinear roof, a curved layout, the presence of greenery, no decoration reflecting the distinctiveness of Holland, warm lighting, wide dimensions and white materials. Signage had no influence.Real Estate & HousingArchitecture and The Built Environmen