With age, the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism rises. However, incidence and determinants of spontaneous normalization remain largely unknown. The aim was therefore to investigate incidence and determinants of spontaneous normalization of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in older adults with subclinical hypothyroidism. Pooled data was used from the (i) pre-trial population, and (ii) in-trial placebo group from two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (TRUST and IEMO thyroid 80-plus thyroid trial). Included were community-dwelling 65 + adults with subclinical hypothyroidism from the Netherlands, [...]
LUMC researchers develop new way to quantify brain white matter damage using MRI
Lesions, or damage, in the white matter of the brain are important markers to track disease progression in several conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Recently, a collaborative study including LUMC and LEGend researchers used a fast MRI approach called multi-component MR Fingerprinting (MRF) to compare components with increased water content in the white matter, often indicating lesions, between patients with and without MS.
They conducted MRI scans on 48 MS patients and 12 healthy controls at two different locations, [...]
Fourth internal call for PhD projects for innovation themes, deadline October 30th
On September 26th, a fourth LUMC call for PhD proposals came out. See the link below for the call text and application formatting (in PDF format) of this round and the format for the application. The deadline to send in your application is October 30th.
The primary objectives of this call are to provide support and recognition to promising early career researchers, encourage their active participation in the research themes, and foster new collaborative opportunities within the LUMC.
To be [...]
PhD defense Willeke Ravensbergen – Hip fractures
LUMC PhD candidate Willeke Ravensbergen will defend her PhD thesis “Hip fractures and daily functioning in old age. When does the decline start and how can it be measured?” on the 18th of October at 15.00 o’clock. You can join in person at the Academiegebouw in Leiden, or via the livestream.
PhD defense Paulien van Dam – Q-PID study
LUMC PhD candidate Paulien van Dam will defend her PhD thesis “Quality of life, care dependency and Paracetamol In advanced dementia – Is paracetamol the panacea to improve quality of life?” on the 6th of September at 15.00 o’clock. You can join in person at the Academiegebouw in Leiden, or via the livestream.
View a short movie about the Q-PID study (in Dutch): Q-PID – Animatie – Werkt paracetamol bij gevorderde dementie? – UNC-ZH
Stimulus grant for development of an Emotion Intelligent Care Robot
The EI robot consortium received a Stimulus grant of € 1.200.000 (€423.775,- for LUMC; dr. Hanneke Smaling) to develop an Emotion Intelligent Care Robot in collaboration with Mentech Innovation, SARA Robotics and care organizations Ipse de Bruggen and Zorggroep Elde Maasduinen.
The Emotion Intelligent Care Robot project seeks to develop an autonomous robot to assist people with dementia and people with intellectual disabilities, who often exhibit challenging behavior due to stress. The robot, developed by Mentech and Sara Robotics, uses [...]
LEGend Lecture: Mechanisms of Human Longevity by dr. Yousin Suh, Aug. 25 12.00-13.00
We’re excited to host another lecture in the LEGend lecture series, this time from dr. Yousin Suh of Columbia University, United States. Her talk revolves around the genetics and cellular mechanisms of human longevity. Please join us on August 25th between 12.00 and 13.00 o’clock in lecture room P-05-034, in the back of the main building, or using this link for Teams (passcode if needed: BAsDkD).
Yousin Suh, Ph.D., is the Charles and Marie Robertson professor of Reproductive Sciences [...]
Kick-off ‘Thuis als het kan’ (At home if possible)
The number of elderly people is increasing and healthcare is becoming increasingly expensive. Clinicians also notice this in geriatric rehabilitation care (GR). Clients’ wishes are also changing: they increasingly value rehabilitation close to home. We therefore have to design the GR differently: more outpatient (from home) and less in the nursing home or rehabilitation clinic.
On the 1st of June, 2023, various Dutch researchers started a new research project: ‘Thuis als het kan’ (At home if possible), sponsored by [...]
New website UNC-ZH is launched!
The new website of the University Network for the Care sector South Holland is launched!
The University Network for the Care sector South Holland (UNC-ZH) is a collaboration between Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) and twelve care institutions in the province of South Holland. UNC-ZH aims to initiate, facilitate and conduct scientific research related to healthcare.
Our primary focus is on issues, problems, and questions within the practical context (care institutions). The aim of the joint implementation of scientific [...]
LUMC researchers connect brain lesion shape to long-term dementia risk
Jasmin Keller and others of the LUMC, collaborating with the AGES-Reykjavik study group in Iceland, found that the shape of a type of brain lesion called white matter hyperintensities (WMH) are linked to long-term risk of dementia. WMHs refer to areas of abnormal white matter in the brain that appear bright on certain types of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. These areas are associated with a variety of conditions, including vascular disease and dementia.
The study involved more than [...]