METHODS: Older people (n = 1235; mean age = 72.63 years; 634 females [51.3%]) were approached by well-trained interviewers for participation. A number of measures were administered including the ICOPES-TW, WHOQOL-AGE (assessing quality of life [QoL]), Clinical Frailty Scale (assessing frailty), Barthel Index (assessing basic activity of daily living [BADL]), and Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (assessing instrumental activity of daily living [IADL]).
RESULTS: The ICOPES-TW had a two-factor structure (body functionality [eigenvalue = 1.932] and life adaptation [eigenvalue = 1.170]) as indicated by the results of exploratory factor analysis. Internal consistency of the ICOPES-TW was low (Cronbach's α = 0.55 [entire ICOPES-TW], 0.45 (body functionality factor), and 0.52 (life adaptation factor). ICOPES-TW scores were significantly (i) positively correlated with age (r = 0.321), IADL (r = 0.313), and frailty (r = 0.601), and (ii) negatively correlated with QoL (r=-0.447), and BADL (r=-0.447), with all p-values
METHODS: We included 23,288 patients with incident stroke admitted between 2005 and 2017 and 68,675 matched nonstroke controls. Information on mental disorders was obtained from medical claims data within the 3 years before the stroke incidence. Cox proportional hazards models considering death as a competing risk event were constructed to estimate the hazard ratio of AP incidence by the end of 2018 associated with stroke and selected mental disorders.
RESULTS: After ≤14 years of follow-up, AP incidence was higher in the patients with stroke than in the controls (11.30/1000 vs. 1.51/1000 person-years), representing a covariate-adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio (sHR) of 3.64, with no significant sex difference. The sHR significantly decreased with increasing age in both sexes. Stratified analyses indicated schizophrenia but not depression or bipolar affective disorder increased the risk of AP in the patients with stroke.
CONCLUSION: Compared with their corresponding counterparts, the patients with schizophrenia only, stroke only, and both stroke and schizophrenia had a significantly higher sHR of 4.01, 5.16, and 8.01, respectively. The risk of AP was higher in younger stroke patients than those older than 60 years. Moreover, schizophrenia was found to increase the risk of AP in patients with stroke.
METHODS: Three testing datasets were included. All imaging data were acquired at 3.0T. Dataset-1 consisted of 16 HGs (lesion diameter: 1.5-8.85 cm), 4 focal nodular hyperplasia (FNHs, lesion diameter: 1.72-5.7 cm), and 24 HCCs (lesion diameter: 1.83-12.77 cm), and DDVDm was reconstructed with b=0 and b=2 images. Dataset-2 consisted of 6 HGs (lesion diameter: 1.14-6.2 cm), and DDVDm was reconstructed with b=0 and b=10 images. Dataset-3 consisted of 28 HCCs (lesion diameter: 1.91-3.52 cm), and DDVDm was reconstructed with b=0 and b=2 images. For dataset-1 and dataset-2, a trained reader was required to make a diagnosis for a lesion solely based on DDVDm with 4 choices: (I) HG with confidence; (II) HG without confidence; (III) solid mass-forming lesion (MFL) with confidence; (IV) solid MFL without confidence. Then, three readers attempted to confirm whether DDVDm features summarized from dataset-1 and dataset-2 would be generalizable to dataset-3.
RESULTS: For dataset-1 and dataset-2 together, the correct diagnosis was made by the trained reader in 90.9% (20/22) of the HGs (77.7% with confidence) and 96.4% (27/28) of the MFLs (85.7% with confidence). HG generally showed substantially higher DDVD signal relative to background liver parenchyma. Though not necessarily, HG DDVD signals could be similar to those of blood vessels. Some HGs showed DDVD signals higher or similar to that of kidneys which have a higher perfusion than the liver. MFL generally showed DDVD signals only slightly higher, similar to, or even slightly lower, than that of background liver parenchyma. The DDVDm features of dataset-3 were all consistent with MFL.
CONCLUSIONS: When DDVDm is used to evaluate the liver, HG can be diagnosed with confidence in a substantial portion of patients without the need for a contrast enhanced scan. Our result will be relevant for HG confirmation when MRI is the first line examination for the liver.