Hendrika van den Berg-Emons

Erasmus MC | Erasmus MC · Department of Rehabilitation Medicine

Background Fatigue is one of the most commonly reported symptoms after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and is indirectly associated with physical activity (PA). Associations between fatigue and PA are primarily examined based on conventional measures (i.e. a single fatigue score or average PA levels), thereby assuming that fatigue and PA do not fluct...

Objective: Previously published results of the OPTICARE XL open label randomized controlled trial showed no added value of OPTICARE XL CR, a dedicated cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program for patients with obesity, with respect to health-related quality of life (primary outcome). This clinical trial studied the effects of OPTICARE XL CR on several...

Objective: To assess the cost-effectiveness of a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program specifically designed for cardiac patients with obesity versus standard CR. Design: Cost-effectiveness analysis based on observations in a randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: Three regional CR centres in the Netherlands. Participants: Cardiac pati...

Importance: Some individuals experience persistent symptoms after initial symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection (often referred to as Long COVID). Objective: To estimate the proportion of males and females with COVID-19, younger or older than 20 years of age, who had Long COVID symptoms in 2020 and 2021 and their Long COVID symptom duration. Design,...

Background: Promoting health behaviors and preventing chronic diseases through a healthy lifestyle among those with a low socioeconomic status (SES) remain major challenges. eHealth interventions are a promising approach to change unhealthy behaviors in this target group. Objective: This review aims to identify key components, barriers, and facili...

Purpose: To evaluate physical fitness and its association with fatigue in patients with low grade glioma (LGG). Methods: Cross-sectional study. Muscle strength was measured with a digital dynamometer, cardiorespiratory fitness (peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), maximal workload (MWL)) by cardiopulmonary-exercise-testing, and fatigue by using the Mul...

Background A significant proportion of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection develops long COVID with fatigue as one of the most disabling symptoms. We performed clinical and immunologic profiling of fatigued and non-fatigued long COVID patients and age and gender matched healthy controls (HCs). Methods We included 37 long COVID patients with and 36...

Introduction A large proportion of patients experiences a wide range of sequelae after acute COVID-19, especially after severe illness. The long-term health sequelae need to be assessed. Our objective was to longitudinally assess persistence of symptoms and clusters of symptoms up to 12 months after hospitalization for COVID-19, and to assess deter...

Objectives: The primary objective was to determine the responsiveness of the Dutch version of the 13-item Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia for cardiac patients (TSK-NL Heart). The secondary objective was to assess changes in kinesiophobia during cardiac rehabilitation. Methods: Kinesiophobia was measured pre- and post-cardiac rehabilitation using t...

Backgroud The sudden COVID-19 pandemic forced quick development of care pathways for patients with different needs. Trajectories of physical recovery in hospitalized patients for COVID-19 following different care pathways are unknown. We aimed to assess trajectories of physical recovery and levels of physical function reached within the different c...

Importance While much of the attention on the COVID-19 pandemic was directed at the daily counts of cases and those with serious disease overwhelming health services, increasingly, reports have appeared of people who experience debilitating symptoms after the initial infection. This is popularly known as long COVID. Objective To estimate by countr...

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Dutch Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMW) and Capri Cardiac Rehabilitation Background More than a third of the patients referred to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) suffers from obesity, and this number is growing. Howe...

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of a high-volume and high-intensity functional training programme in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and to explore whether functional capacity improves. A further objective was to explore changes in muscle strength and aerobic capacity. Methods: This pilot study comprised a 12-week intervention, wit...

Purpose We studied the effectiveness of a new cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program developed for patients with obesity compared with standard CR on HRQOL and psychosocial well-being. Materials and methods OPTICARE XL was a multicentre RCT in patients with cardiac disease and obesity (Netherlands Trial Register: NL5589). Patients were randomized to O...

Research Objectives To study daily variability in fatigue after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) using the ecological momentary assessment (EMA) method. Design Observational study with repeated-measures of fatigue during 7 consecutive days using EMA. Setting General community. Participants Patients (n=42) with SAH who suffer from chronic fatigue, r...

Background This international, multi-center cross-sectional study is one of the preparatory studies in the development of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Sets for adults with cerebral palsy (CP) to describe their functioning and health. Objective To identify the most common problems in functioning...

Objective: To determine whether fatigue is associated with participation and health-related quality of life 5 years after perimesencephalic subarachnoid haemorrhage. Design: Multicentre cross-sectional study. Subjects: Forty-six patients with perimesencephalic subarachnoid haemorrhage. Methods: Fatigue was assessed with the Fatigue Severity...

Background First studies indicate that up to 6 months after hospital discharge, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes severe physical, cognitive, and psychological impairments, which may affect participation and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). After hospitalization for COVID-19, a number of patients are referred to medical rehabilitati...

Rationale: Data on longitudinal recovery after hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2 remain currently scarce, just as outcomes beyond 3 months follow-up. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the sequelae up to 6 months after hospitalization for SARS-CoV-2 infection, considering 1) the recovery of pulmonary function and radiological abnormali...

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the criterion validity of the Activ8 to detect "active wheelchair use" and to distinguish 6 types of wheelchair activities using video recordings as a gold standard. Methods: Ten participants who use a manual wheelchair were participants in this study. Data of 2 participants were used for adapting the...

Low socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with a higher prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles compared to a high SES. Health interventions that promote a healthy lifestyle, like eHealth solutions, face limited adoption in low SES groups. To improve the adoption of eHealth interventions, their alignment with the target group's attitudes is crucial....

Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to determine the overall mean blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension among a representative sample of adults living with cerebral palsy by combining individual participant data. Additional objectives included estimating variations between subgroups and investigating potential...

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) class and physical activity and sedentary behavior in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) during cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Methods This study was a secondary analysis of the OPTICARE trial. Physical activity and sedentary behavior were...

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background An important factor related to low physical activity in cardiac patients is fear of movement (kinesiophobia). The setting of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) seems suitable for targeting kinesiophobia. Nevertheless, the impact of CR on kinesiophobia is currently unknown, partly due to t...

Objective: To describe differences in health, functioning and wellbeing between individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) with different mobility levels. Methods: Cross-sectional survey (part of the International Spinal Cord Injury (InSCI) community survey) in people with SCI in the Netherlands who were at least 18 years old. Results: Of 253 partic...

Aim To examine the most relevant aspects of functioning of adults with cerebral palsy (CP) from their perspective, in order to develop an International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for adults with CP. Method We conducted six focus group discussions with adults with CP without intellectual disability and seven...

Objective: To examine the association of fatigue with long-term participation in aneurysmal sub-arachnoid haemorrhage survivors. Design: Cohort study, 4 years post-onset. Subjects: A total of 59 patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage. Methods: Participation performance was assessed with the Sickness Impact Profile-68, participatio...

Objective: To explore associations between physical activity and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), age, sex, and Hoffer classification in young wheelchair-users with spina bifida. Design: Exploratory study. Subjects: Dutch children (age 5-19 years) with spina bifida who use a manual wheelchair. Methods: For the dependent variable physical activi...

Objective To evaluate changes in duration of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) from discharge to one year after inpatient rehabilitation in ambulatory people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Longitudinal cohort study with objective measurements of physical behavior at discharge, 6 months and 12 months post-discharge. Setting...

Objective: To investigate the correlation between body mass index class and changes in health-related quality of life in patients participating in cardiac rehabilitation. Design: Prospective cohort study. Patients: A total of 503 patients with acute coronary syndrome. Methods: Data from the OPTICARE trial were used, in which health-related q...

Purpose : A simple single-unit activity monitor (Activ8), which is based on a tri-axial accelerometer, measures specific body postures and movements, and has potential for research and clinical practice to monitor and optimize physical behavior of people with chronic conditions. However, the validity of the Activ8 in people with lower-limb amputati...

Background Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has favourable effects on cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Therefore, it might reasonable to expect that incomplete CR participation will result in suboptimal patient outcomes.Methods We studied the 914 post-acute coronary syndrome patients who participated in the OPTImal CArdiac REhabilitation (OPTICAR...

Introduction: To set up and guide interventions with the aim to increase physical activity and lower sedentary behavior valid monitoring of physical behavior is essential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of the single-unit Activ8 activity monitor to classify several body postures and movements. Methods: Twelve healthy adults p...

Objectives: To determine the psychometric properties of a questionnaire to assess fear of movement (kinesiophobia): the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK-NL Heart), and to investigate the prevalence of kinesiophobia in patients attending cardiac rehabilitation. Methods: A total of 152 patients were evaluated with the TSK-NL Heart during intake...

Background: There is little focus on adults with cerebral palsy (CP) in research and health care and insufficient knowledge on how to identify and manage pain in this population. Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine whether pain prevalence in adults with CP is high and to explore variations in pain prevalence o...

Objective: To examine the strength of the association between exercise capacity and health-related quality of life(HRQOL) during and after cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), who completed CR. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Outpatient CR center. Participants: Patients(N=607) with ACS who co...

Abstract Background Accurate measurement of physical behaviour is paramount to better understand lifestyle, health, and functioning, particularly in adults with physical disability as they may be at higher risk of sedentary lifestyle and subsequent negative health consequences. This study aimed: 1) to evaluate the criterion validity of a novel and...

Objective: To systematically review the evidence evaluating validity or reliability of self-reported and device-based instruments to measure PA in individuals who use a wheelchair and making recommendations for the selection of PA outcomes tools . Data sources: Pubmed, Embase, and CINAHL were systematically searched. Study selection: Studies r...

Objective: To identify existing outcome measurement instruments (OMIs) assessing risk factors for cardiometabolic disease in adolescents and adults with cerebral palsy (CP) reported on in the literature or used in the field. Data sources: The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments database of systematic rev...

Objective: In this secondary analysis of data from the OPTICARE trial, we compared the effects of two behavioral interventions integrated into cardiac rehabilitation to standard rehabilitation with regard to functional capacity, fatigue, and participation in society. Design: This is a randomized controlled trial. Setting: This study was conduc...

Background: Physical inactivity, sedentary lifestyles, and low functional outcome are thought to impact the level of physical fitness in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (a-SAH). However, changes in fitness over time and associated factors have not been studied in a-SAH. Objective: The objective was to evaluate the level of physi...

Background Estimates of multimorbidity, defined as the presence of at least two chronic conditions, some of which attributable to modifiable behaviours, are high in adults with cerebral palsy (CP). An assessment protocol evaluating multimorbidity risk is needed in order to develop and evaluate effective interventions to optimize lifelong health in...

Abstract Background Even though typically developing youth are already at risk for physical inactivity, youth with spina bifida may be even at higher risk as a consequence of their reduced mobility. No objective data is available for youth with spina bifida who use a manual wheelchair, so the seriousness of the problem is unknown. The purpose of th...

Background. Several device-based instruments have been validated in the pediatric population, but none of these are clinically applicable and provide real-time feedback on actual physical activity in terms of postures and movements. A new device (Activ8) is promising for that purpose. Objective. The objective was to investigate the criterion validi...

Introduction/Background Regaining and optimizing walking function for mobility and daily physical activity purposes is one of the most important goals during inpatient rehabilitation for many people with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI). In clinical practice, walking function is almost exclusively objectified with measures of capacity, such as...

Introduction/Background To investigate the effects of two behavioral lifestyle interventions integrated into cardiac rehabilitation on aerobic capacity, fatigue, and participation in society and to explore mediating effects of physical activity. Material and method In the OPTICARE trial, 914 patients with acute coronary syndrome were randomized to...

Purpose: Non-ambulatory persons with cerebral palsy are prone to low bone mineral density. In ambulatory persons with cerebral palsy, bone mineral density deficits are expected to be small or absent, but a consensus conclusion is lacking. In this systematic review bone mineral density in ambulatory persons with cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function...

Design: Prospective one-year follow-up study, including a total of 52 patients with a-SAH. Outcome measures included the Fatigue Severity Scale -score, peak oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak), isokinetic knee muscle strength (peak torque), physical activity (%24h period) and sedentary behavior (% waking hours), and were evaluated at six...

Background: Standard cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is insufficient to help patients achieve an active lifestyle. The effects of two advanced and extended behavioral CR interventions on physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) were assessed. Methods: In total, 731 patients with ACS were randomized to 1) 3months of standard CR (CR-only); 2...

Study design: Multicenter cross-sectional study. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of parenthood in long-term wheelchair-dependent persons who sustained a spinal cord injury (SCI) during their reproductive years. Secondary aims were to (1) explore patient-specific and disease-related factors associated with parenthood after SCI; and (2) qu...

Aims: We aimed to assess the effects of a multidisciplinary cardiac rehabilitation program (CR) on survival after treatment with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods and results: Using propensity matching analysis, a total of 1,159 patients undergoing CR were 1:1 matched with ACS patients w...

Background: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (a-SAH) is a potential life-threatening stroke. Because survivors may be at increased risk for inactive and sedentary lifestyles, this study evaluates physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) in the chronic phase after a-SAH. Methods: PA and SB were objectively measured at six months post...

Objective: In this paper we aim to provide insight, based on a comprehensive review of the literature, that may be helpful when enrolling people with long term neurological conditions (LTNC) into daily physical activity or exercise programs. We will discuss the following issues: 1) balance between training and recovery; 2) intensities of common phy...

Objective The OPTICARE (OPTImal CArdiac REhabilitation) randomised controlled trial compared two advanced and extended cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programmes to standard CR for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). These programmes were designed to stimulate permanent adoption of a heart-healthy lifestyle. The primary outcome was the SCORE (...

Background: Hospital length of stay after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) has reduced, resulting in more limited patient education during admission. Therefore, systematic participation in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has become more essential. We aimed to identify patient-related fact...

Objective To objectively measure changes in both moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior (SB) during and after standard cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Design Prospective cohort study Setting Outpatient CR center Participants 135 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who completed CR. Intervention Multi-disciplin...

Introduction: Sedentary behavior (SB) influences health status independently of physical activity. The formal definition of SB is: "any waking behavior characterized by an energy expenditure ≤1.5 METs while in a sitting or reclining posture". However, measuring SB mostly does not include both the intensity and postural component. The aim of this s...