Category Ranking
98%
Total Visits
921
Avg Visit Duration
2 minutes
Citations
20
Article Abstract
The 4-point Heckmatt grading scale can easily be used to analyze muscle ultrasound images. The scale is used in an expanding set of muscles and neuromuscular disorders. This prompted the need for evaluation of the measurement properties of the scale in its current form. In this retrospective observational study we included muscle ultrasound images from patients who were undergoing an ultrasound exam for either clinical or research purposes. The primary outcome of this study was to investigate and improve the measurement properties of the Heckmatt scale using Rasch analysis. We investigated whether observers consistently used the 4 response categories. Data was available of 30.967 muscle ultrasound images from 1783 patients and 43 different individual muscles. In 8 of the 43 muscles, observers had difficulty to discriminate between the response categories, especially in bulbar muscles. After rescoring to a 3-point scale, the response categories were consistently used in all 43 muscles. In conclusion, a 3-point Heckmatt grading scale leads to improved accurate scoring compared to the original 4-point Heckmatt grading scale. Using the 3-point Heckmatt grading scale will not only simplify the use of the scale but also enhance its application in clinical practice and research purposes.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nmd.2024.07.001 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Associated Factors of Cognitive Frailty in People Living with HIV Aged 50 and Older: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Infect Dis Ther
September 2025
Department of Nursing, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.
Introduction: Cognitive frailty (CF), which typically precedes dementia and functional decline, serves as a more robust predictor of adverse health outcomes compared to physical frailty alone, representing a critical challenge in promoting healthy aging among older people living with HIV (PLWH) aged ≥ 50 years. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of cognitive frailty and identify its associated factors among PLWH aged ≥ 50 years.
Methods: A convenience sample of 344 PLWH ≥ 50 years was recruited from a tertiary Grade A hospital in Zunyi, China.
Intraoral vs. extraoral photobiomodulation therapy for oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients: a multicenter, randomized, single-blind clinical trial.
Support Care Cancer
September 2025
Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Purpose: To compare the efficacy of intraoral (IOPBM) and extraoral photobiomodulation (EOPBM) protocols for the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis (OM) in patients with oral or oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) to submitted radiotherapy (RT).
Methods: This randomized, blinded, multicenter clinical trial enrolled 58 patients with oral or oropharyngeal SCC, who were allocated into two groups matched by treatment type, clinical stage, and RT modality. Group I (IOPBM) received intraoral photobiomodulation (PBM) with a continuous InGaAlP diode laser (660 nm, 100 mW, 0.
Psychometric properties of Brachial Plexus outcome measure: COSMIN-based systematic review.
Disabil Rehabil
September 2025
Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Purpose: Children with incomplete recovery from Brachial Plexus Birth Injury (BPBI) experience varying degrees of upper limb impairment, and 20-30% require interventions to optimize function. A psychometrically validated measure of upper limb activity capacity is essential to guide shared clinical decisions for surgical and rehabilitation interventions.
Materials And Methods: Following the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual for Evidence Synthesis, this systematic review included studies on the measurement properties of the Brachial Plexus Outcome Measure (BPOM) - Activity Scale, a performance-based outcome measure of upper limb activity capacity in children with BPBI.
Aim To compare the results of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) in patients who recently recovered from COVID-19 with those not previously infected with SARS-CoV-2; to establish prognostic criteria for PCI complications, including stent thrombosis and restenosis (ST and SR) and progression of ischemic heart disease, and to determine ways to prevent them.Material and methods In 2021, middle-aged patients admitted to the Baku Central Clinical Hospital with a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome who underwent urgent myocardial revascularization using percutaneous balloon angioplasty of the occluded coronary artery (CA) with implantation of a second-generation intracoronary drug-eluting stent were divided into two observation groups: the main group of 123 patients who had COVID-19 in the previous 6 months, and the control group of 112 patients who were not previously infected with SARS-CoV-2. The immediate results of PCI were assessed according to the TIMI scale; complications were assessed both clinically, by the incidence of severe complications (major adverse cardiovascular events, MACE), and angiographically, by the incidence of early and late ST and SR, and de novo stenosis that developed during the two-year observation period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTime to face mask/spacer acceptance in dogs and cats.
Can Vet J
September 2025
Department of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, Massachusetts 01536, USA.
Objective: Aerosol medications are recommended for use in dogs and cats. Perceived pet intolerance to a face mask/spacer might prevent clinicians from recommending them, and thus prevent owners from using them. Our goal was to evaluate the duration required to train a pet to accept a face mask/spacer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF