Background: Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic, neurodegenerative disease. Due to the progressive nature of HD and the absence of a cure, (health-related) quality of life ((HR)QoL) is an... Show moreBackground: Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic, neurodegenerative disease. Due to the progressive nature of HD and the absence of a cure, (health-related) quality of life ((HR)QoL) is an important topic. Several studies have investigated (HR)QoL in HD, yet a clear synthesis of the existing literature is lacking to date. We performed a systematic review on self-reported (HR)QoL, and factors and intervention effects associated with (HR)QoL in premanifest and manifest HD gene expansion carriers (pHDGECs and mHDGECs, respectively). Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and PsycINFO were searched systematically from September 17th, 2021, up to August 11th, 2022. Methodological and conceptual quality of the included studies was assessed with two appraisal tools.Results: 30 out of 70 eligible articles were included. mHDGECs experienced lower (HR)QoL compared to pHDGECs and controls, whereas mixed findings were reported when compared to other neurological diseases. Several factors were associated with (HR)QoL that might contribute to lower (HR)QoL in mHDGECs, including depressive symptoms, physical and psychological symptoms, lower functional capacity, lower support, and unmet needs. Multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs and a respiratory muscle training were beneficial for (HR)QoL in mHDGECs. Discussion: (HR)QoL is experienced differently across the course of the disease. Although (HR)QoL is key for understanding the impact of HD and the effect of symptomatic treatment, there is a need to improve the methodological and conceptual shortcomings that were found in most studies, especially regarding the conceptual clarity when reporting on QoL and HRQoL. Suggestions for strengthening these shortcomings are provided in this review. Show less
Background: Traumatic acute subdural haematoma is a debilitating condition. Laterality intuitively influences management and outcome. However, in contrast to stroke, this research area is rarely... Show moreBackground: Traumatic acute subdural haematoma is a debilitating condition. Laterality intuitively influences management and outcome. However, in contrast to stroke, this research area is rarely studied. The aim is to investigate whether the hemisphere location of the ASDH influences patient outcome. Methods: For this multicentre observational retrospective cohort study, patients were considered eligible when they were treated by a neurosurgeon for traumatic brain injury between 2008 and 2012, were > 16 years of age, had sustained brain injury with direct presentation to the emergency room and showed a hyperdense, crescent shaped lesion on the computed tomography scan. Patients were followed for a duration of 3-9 months post-trauma for functional outcome and 2-6 years for health-related quality of life. Main outcomes and measures included mortality, Glasgow Outcome Scale and the Quality of Life after Brain Injury score. The hypothesis was formulated after data collection. Results: Of the 187 patients included, 90 had a left-sided ASDH and 97 had a right-sided haematoma. Both groups were comparable at baseline and with respect to the executed treatment. Furthermore, both groups showed no significant difference in mortality and Glasgow Outcome Scale score. Health-related quality of life, assessed 59 months (IQR 43-66) post-injury, was higher for patients with a right-sided haematoma (Quality of Life after Brain Injury score: 80 vs 61, P = 0.07). Conclusions: This study suggests patients with a right-sided acute subdural haematoma have a better long-term health-related quality of life compared to patients with a left-sided acute subdural haematoma. Show less
