Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Shedding Light On Hearing In Coma: Investigating The Applicability Of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy For Assessing Auditory Function And Aiding Prognosis In Patients With Acute Disorders Of Consciousness, Reza Moulavi Ardakani

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

There is a critical need for a bedside neuroimaging tool to aid in the prediction of functional recovery outcomes for patients with acute disorders of consciousness (DoC) in the early days following severe brain injury. Current neurobehavioral examinations and prognosis tools have limitations in predicting good outcomes, leading to potential mistreatment or premature withdrawal of life support. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a viable candidate for such purposes due to its portability and cost-effectiveness. Auditory processing, viewed as a multi-level and multifaceted brain function, could provide a sensitive and specific marker of residual cognitive function in unresponsive patients. This study …

Development Of Clinical Prediction Models For Surgery And Complications In Crohn’S Disease, Leonard M. Guizzetti

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background and Objective: Crohn’s disease (CD)-related complications account for a substantial proportion of IBD-related healthcare expenditure. Identifying patients at risk for complications may allow for targeted use of early therapeutic interventions to alter this natural course. The objective of this project was to develop risk prediction models of CD-related surgery and complications.

Methods: Using data from the REACT cluster-randomized clinical trial (N=1898 from 41 community practices), prediction models were developed and internally validated for CD-related surgery and CD-related complications, defined as the first CD-related surgery, hospitalization or complication within 24 months. Performance of each model was assessed in terms of …

Cortisol And Testosterone In Hair As Biological Markers Of Systolic Heart Failure, Justin Chan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is associated with increased stress and alterations in metabolism, favoring catabolism over anabolism. Hormonal profiles of patients with heart failure have been assessed using serum and saliva as matrices, which are only point measurements and do not provide long-term information. Scalp hair is a novel matrix that allows for measurement of hormones over a period of several months. We aimed to evaluate whether levels of cortisol and testosterone and their ratio (C/T) in hair correlate with severity of heart failure. We conducted a prospective study in ambulatory male patients with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) …