Balance Right in Multiple Sclerosis (BRiMS): a guided self-management programme to reduce falls and improve quality of life, balance and mobility in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: a protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Impaired mobility is a cardinal feature of multiple sclerosis (MS) and is rated by people with MS as their highest priority. By the secondary progressive phase, balance, mobility and physical activity levels are significantly compromised; an estimated 70% of people with secondary progressive MS fall regularly. Our ongoing research has systematically developed 'Balance Right in MS' (BRiMS), an innovative, manualised 13-week guided self-management programme tailored to the needs of people with MS, designed to improve safe mobility and minimise falls. Our eventual aim is to assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of BRiMS in people with secondary progressive MS by undertaking an appropriately statistically powered, multi-centre, assessor-blinded definitive, randomised controlled trial. This feasibility study will assess the acceptability of the intervention and test the achievability of running such a definitive trial.

METHODS/DESIGN

This is a pragmatic multi-centre feasibility randomised controlled trial with blinded outcome assessment. Sixty ambulant people with secondary progressive MS who self-report two or more falls in the previous 6 months will be randomly allocated (1:1) to either the BRiMS programme plus usual care or to usual care alone. All participants will be assessed at baseline and followed up at 15 weeks and 27 weeks post-randomisation. The outcomes of this feasibility trial include:Feasibility outcomes, including trial recruitment, retention and completionAssessment of the proposed outcome measures for the anticipated definitive trial (including measures of walking, quality of life, falls, balance and activity level)Measures of adherence to the BRiMS programmeData to inform the economic evaluation in a future trialProcess evaluation (assessment of treatment fidelity and qualitative evaluation of participant and treating therapist experience).

DISCUSSION

The BRiMS intervention aims to address a key concern for MS service users and providers. However, there are several uncertainties which need to be addressed prior to progressing to a full-scale trial, including acceptability of the BRiMS intervention and practicality of the trial procedures. This feasibility trial will provide important insights to resolve these uncertainties and will enable a protocol to be finalised for use in the definitive trial.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN13587999.

Validity of the activPAL3 activity monitor in people moderately affected by Multiple Sclerosis

Walking is the primary form of physical activity performed by people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), therefore it is important to ensure the validity of tools employed to measure walking activity. The aim of this study was to assess the criterion validity of the activPAL3 activity monitor during overground walking in people with MS. Validity of the activPAL3 accelerometer was compared to video observation in 20 people moderately affected by MS. Participants walked 20-30m twice along a straight quiet corridor at a comfortable speed. Inter-rater reliability of video observations was excellent (all intraclass correlations >0.99). The mean difference (activPAL3- mean of raters) was -4.70±9.09, -4.55s±10.76 and 1.11s±1.11 for steps taken, walking duration and upright duration respectively. These differences represented 8.7%, 10.0% and 1.8% of the mean for each measure respectively. The activPAL3 tended to underestimate steps taken and walking duration in those who walked at cadences of ≤38 steps/min by 60% and 47%, respectively. The activPAL3 is valid for measuring walking activity in people moderately affected by MS. It is accurate for upright duration regardless of cadence. In participants with slow walking cadences, outcomes of steps taken and walking duration should be interpreted with caution.

Abstract P3-10-06: Genetic testing for HBOC among women with a personal diagnosis of breast cancer in patients with Medicaid as compared to patients with private insurance

Introduction: National guidelines recommend that women diagnosed with early-onset breast cancer and/or a strong family history receive BRCA1/2 testing to guide treatment decisions. Among newly diagnosed patients, a positive test result will often prompt more aggressive surgical treatment to minimize the risk of second primary cancers. Currently, coverage for genetic counseling and testing for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) under the Medicaid expansion program of the Affordable Care Act has varied by state, where some states require a copayment for this service. Similarly, there is no mandate to cover risk-reducing surgery for patients found to carry a genetic mutation despite research showing cost-effectiveness. This analysis sought to determine whether genetic testing for HBOC among patients with breast cancer is different for those with Medicaid compared to those with private insurance.

Methods: A commercial laboratory database was analyzed for patients with a personal history of breast cancer who underwent testing with a 25-gene hereditary cancer panel from September 2013-February 2016. Patients were eligible for inclusion if they were between ages 18 and 64 at the time of testing and had not undergone previous genetic testing. A total of 17,020 patients with either Medicaid (N=4,313) or one of 5 private payers (N=12,707) were tested during this period. Descriptive statistics, including means for continuous variables and proportions for categorical variables, were calculated. Chi-square tests were used to test associations and differences of positive rates between insurance provider category. Two-tailed p-values are reported, and any p-value less than 0.05 is considered statistically significant.

Results: Medicaid patients had a median age of breast cancer diagnosis of 45 compared to 47 for patient with private insurance. Among women with Medicaid insurance, a higher proportion were of African (13.3% vs 6.4%) and Latin American ancestry (16.4% vs 5.3%). The mutation positive rate among patients with Medicaid was 13.0%, which was statistically higher than patients with private insurance (9.5%) (p<0.001). The positive rate was higher among Medicaid patients of all ancestries suggesting that this discrepancy was not due to ancestry difference among the two testing populations.

Positive rate by ancestry MedicaidPrivateOverallAfrican80 (13.9%)72 (8.9%)152 (11.0%)Ashkenazi3 (17.6%)20 (15.3%)23 (15.5%)Asian26 (13.3%)40 (7.5%)66 (9.1%)Caucasian201 (12.9%)171 (9.9%)918 (10.4%)Latin American/Caribbean98 (13.8%)65 (9.6%)163 (11.8%)Native American7 (13.7%)9 (7.9%)16 (9.7%)Neareast/Mideast10 (17.9%)8 (9.3%)18 (12.7%)Multiple49 (12.3%)77 (9.0%)126 (10.0%)None Specified85 (11.3%)199 (8.8%)284 (9.4%)Total559 (13.0%)1207 (9.5%)1766 (10.4%)

Conclusions: Overall, the positive mutation rate among individuals with Medicaid insurance was higher than those with private insurance, suggesting the testing requirements applied to this population may be more stringent than those applied to the private insurance population. Consistent genetic testing insurance criteria are necessary for all patients to receive care in line with guidelines following a breast cancer diagnosis.

Citation Format: Baron P, Johnson-Isidore K, Miller L, Brown K, Kidd J, Saam J, Lancaster J. Genetic testing for HBOC among women with a personal diagnosis of breast cancer in patients with Medicaid as compared to patients with private insurance [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-10-06.

Pattern of recovery after open reduction and internal fixation of proximal phalangeal fractures in the finger: a prospective longitudinal study

The purpose of this study was to determine the pattern of recovery after open reduction and internal fixation of proximal phalangeal fractures. A prospective longitudinal study of 66 patients who started rehabilitation within 1 week of fixation was undertaken. Measures of the level of impairment (range of motion, pain, strength), activity limitation (hand use) and return to work were collected at Weeks 1, 6, 12 and 26 after operation. Before starting rehabilitation, although pain was minimal, the range of motion was severely restricted and there was considerable restriction in ability to work. Most of the recovery in range of motion, pain, strength, hand use and work participation occurred by Week 6, with smaller gains by Week 12 and Week 26.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

Polymorphisms of the FOXF1 and MHC locus genes in individuals undergoing esophageal acid reflux assessments

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may lead to Barrett's esophagus (BE). Previously, a large genome-wide association study found two germline markers to be associated with BE, FOXF1 rs9936833 (C allele) and MHC rs9257809 (A allele). This study evaluated whether these two polymorphisms are associated with gastroesphageal acid reflux as measured by 24-hour pH testing. Patients with acid reflux symptoms referred for esophageal manometry and 24-hour pH monitoring at University Health Network (Toronto, ON) were enrolled. DNA extracted from blood was genotyped using a Taqman Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay. DeMeester scores of ≥14.7 or prior evidence of reflux esophagitis on endoscopy defined individuals with esophageal acid reflux. Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for clinical risk factors, was used to calculate odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for each polymorphism in relation to the presence of acid reflux. Of 182 patients, the median age was 50 years and 62% were female; 95 (52%) met the definition of GERD. In the multivariable analysis, both FOXF1 rs9936833 (OR = 1.82; 95%CI: 1.12-2.96; P = 0.02) and MHC rs9257809 (OR = 9.36; 95%CI: 2.92-29.99; P < 0.001) remained significantly associated with presence of acid reflux. When both polymorphisms were placed in the same model, the adjusted ORs were 2.10 (95%CI: 1.24-3.53; P = 0.005) and 10.95 (95%CI: 3.32-36.09; P < 0.001), respectively. The association for risk allele C in FOXF1 rs9936833 and risk allele A in MHC rs9257809 with the presence of acid reflux suggests a potential pathophysiologic mechanism for the role of genetic influences in BE development.

Does sensory relearning improve tactile function after carpal tunnel decompression? A pragmatic, assessor-blinded, randomized clinical trial

Despite surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome being effective in 80%-90% of cases, chronic numbness and hand disability can occur. The aim of this study was to investigate whether sensory relearning improves tactile discrimination and hand function after decompression. In a multi-centre, pragmatic, randomized, controlled trial, 104 patients were randomized to a sensory relearning ( n = 52) or control ( n = 52) group. A total of 93 patients completed a 12-week follow-up. Primary outcome was the shape-texture identification test at 6 weeks. Secondary outcomes were touch threshold, touch localization, dexterity and self-reported hand function. No significant group differences were seen for the primary outcome (Shape-Texture Identification) at 6 weeks or 12 weeks. Similarly, no significant group differences were observed on secondary outcomes, with the exception of self-reported hand function. A secondary complier-averaged-causal-effects analysis showed no statistically significant treatment effect on the primary outcome. Sensory relearning for tactile sensory and functional deficits after carpal tunnel decompression is not effective.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

II.

The genetic basis of anoxygenic photosynthetic arsenite oxidation

'Photoarsenotrophy', the use of arsenite as an electron donor for anoxygenic photosynthesis, is thought to be an ancient form of phototrophy along with the photosynthetic oxidation of Fe(II), H₂ S, H₂ and NO2-. Photoarsenotrophy was recently identified from Paoha Island's (Mono Lake, CA) arsenic-rich hot springs. The genomes of several photoarsenotrophs revealed a gene cluster, arxB2AB1CD, where arxA is predicted to encode for the sole arsenite oxidase. The role of arxA in photosynthetic arsenite oxidation was confirmed by disrupting the gene in a representative photoarsenotrophic bacterium, resulting in the loss of light-dependent arsenite oxidation. In situ evidence of active photoarsenotrophic microbes was supported by arxA mRNA detection for the first time, in red-pigmented microbial mats within the hot springs of Paoha Island. This work expands on the genetics for photosynthesis coupled to new electron donors and elaborates on known mechanisms for arsenic metabolism, thereby highlighting the complexities of arsenic biogeochemical cycling.

Occupant comfort and health in green and conventional university buildings

BACKGROUND

Green building standards are significantly impacting modern construction practices. The resulting structures are more energy efficient, but their impact on occupant health has not been widely studied.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate a range of indoor environment and ergonomic issues in green buildings.

METHODS

Retrospective post-occupancy evaluation survey of 319 occupants in two Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings and one conventional building on a Canadian University campus.

RESULTS

Results show that working in the LEED buildings was a generally positive experience for their health, performance, and satisfaction. However, the LEED buildings did not always receive the highest ratings for environmental conditions or for health and productivity. Respondents indicated a range of concerns with thermal conditions, office lighting, noise and their overall workstation designs and these were not always better in the green buildings.

CONCLUSIONS

These results highlight the need for better integration of ergonomic design into green buildings and into the LEED rating system, and these implications are discussed.

An Empirical Study of the Sybervision Golf Videotape

A number of studies have shown observational learning to be a powerful tool to facilitate acquisition of various athletic skills. The present study examined the efficacy of the commercially produced SyberVision golf videotape as a teaching aid to facilitate acquisition of the proper golf swing. One group of 10 introductory golf students saw the SyberVision tape. A control group of 10 reported on a golf-instruction book. Two raters judged their golf swings during pre- and posttests. A single blind procedure was used to prevent biased judging. Analysis showed a significant improvement with practice or instruction, but no significant effect of viewing SyberVision. Several possibly important variables are discussed which could bear directly on Syber-Vision's effectiveness.