BACKGROUND It is unclear how well self-reports and clinician ratings of performance in the instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs; household maintenance tasks) correspond and why they may differ. METHODS We assessed clinician-rated IADL performance using an occupational therapy protocol, the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS). AMPS and self-rated IADL disability were compar...

OBJECTIVE To characterize whole-brain atrophy in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients over an 8-year period. The specific goals of this study were to determine if brain atrophy is related to subsequent disability status and to identify MRI correlates of atrophy progression. METHODS A follow-up study was conducted to reassess patients from a phase III trial of interferon beta-1a (IFNbeta-1a)...

PURPOSE The aim is to explore the association between self-rated health and employment status in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) when controlling for age, gender, functional disability, disease duration, anxiety and depression. METHOD One hundred eighty-four people with MS completed a sociodemographic questionnaire that included questions on employment status, the first item of the Shor...

OBJECTIVE To investigate accidental falls and near fall incidents in people with multiple sclerosis with respect to clinical variables and the predictive values of four tests. DESIGN A longitudinal, multi-centred cohort study with prospectively collected falls. PROCEDURES Self-reported incidents during the three months following a standardized test procedure. SUBJECTS Seventy-six people w...

BACKGROUND This study aims to elucidate factors that among adults with asthma are associated with working full-time. METHODS This cross-sectional survey of 2613 working-age adults with asthma included questions on asthma history, symptoms and use of asthma medication, socioeconomic factors and health behavior. Full-time workers were compared to groups according to employment status: unemploye...

Consistent evidence supports a significant association between lower positive affect and higher negative affect and increased pain and disability in adults with chronic pain. However, examining this relation in surgical populations has received little empirical consideration. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether preoperative and postoperative positive and negative affect p...

BACKGROUND Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) is a vascular condition characterized by anomalies of the primary veins outside the skull that has been reported to be associated with MS. In the blinded Combined Transcranial (TCD) and Extracranial Venous Doppler Evaluation (CTEVD) study, we found that prevalence of CCSVI was significantly higher in multiple sclerosis (MS) vs. healt...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between nutritional status and functional limitation and disability in an elderly population in southern Brazil. METHODS Epidemiological, cross-sectional household-based study carried out with 477 elderly of both sexes (60 to 100 years). Body mass index (BMI) served to assess the nutritional status: underweight (BMI < 22 kg/m2) and overweight (BMI > 27...