Regression-based prognostic models for functional independence after postacute brain injury rehabilitation are not transportable: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To identify and summarize validated multivariable prognostic models for the Functional Independence Measure® (FIM®) at discharge from post-acute inpatient rehabilitation in adults with acquired brain injury (ABI). METHODS: This review was conducted based on the recommendations of the Cochrane Prognosis Methods Group and adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Three databases were systematically searched in May 2021 and updated in April 2022. Main inclusion criteria were: a) adult patients with ABI, b) validated multivariable prognostic model, c) time of prognostication within 1-week of admission to post-acute rehabilitation, and d) outcome was the FIM® at discharge from post-acute rehabilitation. RESULTS: The search yielded 3,169 unique articles. Three articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria, accounting for n = 6 internally and n = 2 externally validated prognostic models. Discrimination was estimated as an area under the curve between 0.76 and 0.89. Calibration was deemed to be assessed insufficiently. The included models were judged to be of high risk of bias. CONCLUSION: Current prognostic models for the FIM® in post-acute rehabilitation for patients with ABI lack the methodological rigor to support clinical use outside the development setting. Future studies addressing functional independence should ensure appropriate model validation and conform to uniform reporting standards for prognosis research.

The subjective minimal important change for the Six Spot Step Test in people with multiple sclerosis - The Danish MS Hospitals Rehabilitation study.

INTRODUCTION: The Six Spot Step Test has shown good psychometric properties in terms of validity and reliability in people with multiple sclerosis. Yet, the responsiveness and minimal important change are unknown. The objective was to investigate the responsiveness of the Six Spot Step Test against the perceived change of walking limitations and establish estimates for the minimal important change in people with multiple sclerosis. METHODS: The Six Spot Step Test was performed before and after four weeks of specialised multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation by 142 adults with mild to severe multiple sclerosis. Responsiveness was determined based on anchor- and distribution-based methods, using the Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12 as external criterion. In a supplementary analysis, the Six-Minute Walking Test was used as an external criterion. RESULTS: The correlation between the baseline (r = 0.56, p < 0.01) and discharge (r = 0.55, p < 0.01) Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12 and Six Spot Step Test scores were acceptable. Furthermore, the change scores were weakly associated (r = 0.1, p = 0.27). This trend was similar for the Six-Minute Walking Test when used as anchor. The smallest detectable change was estimated to 1.7 seconds. An improvement in the Six Spot Step Test exceeding 2.1 (95% CI - 0.9 to 5.0) sec and 4.9 (95% CI 1.2-8.6) sec may be considered clinically important on a group level based on the Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale-12 and the Six-Minute Walking Test, respectively. CONCLUSION: In a sample of mild to severely disabled people with multiple sclerosis, the Six Spot Step Test showed fair responsiveness against a subjective and objective criterion, indicating a minimal important change between ≥ 2.1 and ≥ 4.9 seconds, respectively. However, a weak association between the change in the Six Spot Step Test and the subjective and objective external criterion calls for cautious interpretation. Hence, the results should be further verified against a valid external criterion.

Diet quality is not associated with late-onset multiple sclerosis risk- A Danish Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) onset is commonly observed in adults aged 20-50 years of age. The incidence rate of MS-onset after age 50, late-onset MS, has increased along with the observed overall increase in MS incidence rate in the past 60 years. In general, the aetiology of MS is largely acknowledged to involve a complex interrelation of environmental and modifiable lifestyle risk factors in genetically susceptible individuals. Smoking is an established risk factor, while the role of the diet in the aetiology of MS remains inconclusive. However, even less is known about the role of diet and smoking in the aetiology of late-onset MS as this subgroup of patients has not gained much attention in the scientific literature. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the association between diet quality and the hazards of late-onset MS diagnosis in relation to smoking habits, thus attempting to identify high-risk individuals. METHODS: The study was a prospective cohort study based on the Danish cohort Diet, Cancer and Health including middle-aged individuals (50-64 years) born and residing in Denmark. Cox' proportional hazards models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) for tertiles of diet quality, assessed by means of the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010. Information on time-at-risk and diagnosis of MS was collected based on linked information from the Danish Civil Registration System and Danish National Patient Registry. Additionally, a stratified analysis according to smoking status (current smokers, former smokers and never smokers) was conducted while adjusting for sex. RESULTS: A total of 56,867 individuals were followed for a median of 20.4 years. During follow-up, 124 individuals were diagnosed with late-onset MS. No statistically significant association was found between diet quality at baseline and the hazard of MS diagnosis in adjusted analyses (HR highest vs lowest diet quality tertile: 0.79; 95%CI: 0.49-1.27, Test for trend: p = 0.22). Smoking status did not modify the association. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of middle-aged Danes, diet quality was neither statistically significantly associated with the hazards of late-onset MS diagnosis in the entire sample, nor in sub-groups of current smokers, former smokers or never smokers.