24 research outputs found
âI passed the test!â Evidence of diagnostic misconception in the recruitment of population controls for an H3Africa genomic study in Cape Town, South Africa
Metabolizable energy requirement for starting barrow pigs (15 to 30 kg) fed on the ideal protein concept based diets
Medicine in a Neurocentric World: About the Explanatory Power of Neuroscientific Models in Medical Research and Practice
Caregiver burden and health-related quality of life in idiopathic dystonia patients under botulinum toxin treatment: a cross-sectional study
Dystonia is a chronic movement disorder that is associated with a reduction in health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and restriction of activities of daily living. Botulinum neurotoxin (BT) improves disease-specific HR-QoL by reducing abnormal movements, postures, and pain. We examined the burden of the corresponding primary caregiver as a potential important factor for disease management and HR-QoL of dystonia patients under treatment with BT. 114 patients with focal, segmental, or generalized dystonia were recruited, together with 93 corresponding caregivers, whose burden was investigated using the Caregiver Burden Inventory. In addition, all participants were assessed for cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, alexithymia, and HR-QoL. Only a small proportion of caregivers suffered from caregiver burden. Despite BT therapy, patients' HR-QoL was decreased compared to the age-matched general German population. Psychological symptoms, notably anxiety, and depression correlated significantly with reduced HR-QoL. Our data imply that caregiver burden emerged to be an issue in subgroups of dystonia patients. Furthermore, HR-QoL of dystonia patients is reduced even under optimized BT treatment in a specialized center.status: publishe