Cathy Lu
University of Calgary
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Publication
Featured researches published by Cathy Lu.
Journal of Child Neurology | 2005
Cathy Lu; Elaine Wirrell; Marlene Blackman
A structured interview of 84 families of children with epilepsy followed through the neurology clinic of a tertiary care childrens hospital was conducted to assess the epilepsy-specific information sources accessed and the perceived accuracy of these sources. Families accessed a mean of 3.5 sources from or specifically recommended by the clinic or family doctor and 4.1 sources outside these areas. Families of children with intractable epilepsy and higher-educated parents, but not those of higher socioeconomic status, consulted more extensively. The perceived accuracy of information rated highest for clinic-recommended Internet sites (100%), the clinic nurse (97%), and the neurologist (93%). Sources external to the clinic had variable ratings; those with the greatest perceived accuracy included other Internet sites or family members within the medical profession (85% for both) and lay organizations (84%). Friends within the medical profession, other families, and complementary health care providers also ranked highly. Recommendation of sites and books by epilepsy clinics is more helpful than general handouts. (J Child Neurol 2005;20:905—910).
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases | 2017
Cathy Lu; Xianyong Gui; Wenqian Chen; Tak Fung; Kerri L. Novak; Stephanie R. Wilson
Background: Inflammation, fibrosis, and muscular hypertrophy lead to thickened bowel in Crohns disease forming strictures. Ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) measures bowel wall stiffness. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) uniquely detects bowel wall inflammation. We aim to correlate SWE of ileal Crohns disease in vivo to CEUS peak enhancement and pathology grades of inflammation, fibrosis, and muscular hypertrophy. Methods: In a prospective institutional review board–approved study, 105 consecutive ileal patients with Crohns disease received ultrasound. At maximal bowel wall thickness (>4 mm), SWE and CEUS were performed. Fifteen patients had ileal resection within a mean time interval of 71.0 ± 66.9 days. Pathology scores for inflammation, fibrosis, and muscular hypertrophy were compared with SWE and CEUS measurements. Results: Mean in vivo SWE velocity for patients with and without surgery was 2.8 ± 0.7 and 2.2 ± 0.8 m/s (P < 0.01), respectively. In all ileal specimens, chronic exceeded active inflammatory change (P < 0.001). There was an inverse relationship between CEUS peak enhancement and both fibrosis, r = −0.59, P = 0.02, and SWE velocity measurements, r = −0.61, P = 0.03. Strictured bowel specimens had more smooth muscle hypertrophy than fibrosis, P < 0.001. There was moderate correlation between SWE and muscular hypertrophy, r = 0.59, P = 0.02 and no significant relationship between SWE and fibrosis scores (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Stiffer bowel from smooth muscle hypertrophy increases SWE measurements. We report a novel relation of high SWE with muscle hypertrophy, and inverse relationship with CEUS peak enhancement; providing differentiation between active and chronic bowel wall inflammation to improve selection between medical therapy and surgery.
Experimental Brain Research | 2010
Cathy Lu; Aamir Bharmal; Zelma H. T. Kiss; Oksana Suchowersky; Angela M. Haffenden
The role of attention in grasping movements directed at common objects has not been examined in Parkinson’s disease (PD), though these movements are critical to activities of daily living. Our primary objective was to determine whether patients with PD demonstrate automaticity in grasping movements directed toward common objects. Automaticity is assumed when tasks can be performed with little or no interference from concurrent tasks. Grasping performance in three patient groups (newly diagnosed, moderate, and advanced/surgically treated PD) on and off of their medication or deep brain stimulation was compared to performance in an age-matched control group. Automaticity was demonstrated by the absence of a decrement in grasping performance when attention was consumed by a concurrent spatial-visualization task. Only the control group and newly diagnosed PD group demonstrated automaticity in their grasping movements. The moderate and advanced PD groups did not demonstrate automaticity. Furthermore, the well-known effects of pharmacotherapy and surgical intervention on movement speed and muscle activation patterns did not appear to reduce the impact of attention-demanding tasks on grasping movements in those with moderate to advanced PD. By the moderate stage of PD, grasping is an attention-demanding process; this change is not ameliorated by dopaminergic or surgical treatments. These findings have important implications for activities of daily living, as devoting attention to the simplest of daily tasks would interfere with complex activities and potentially exacerbate fatigue.
Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology | 2016
Kerri L. Novak; Deepti Jacob; Gilaad G. Kaplan; Emma Boyce; Subrata Ghosh; Irene Ma; Cathy Lu; Stephanie R. Wilson; Remo Panaccione
Background. Approaches to distinguish inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from noninflammatory disease that are noninvasive, accurate, and readily available are desirable. Such approaches may decrease time to diagnosis and better utilize limited endoscopic resources. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy for gastroenterologist performed point of care ultrasound (POCUS) in the detection of luminal inflammation relative to gold standard ileocolonoscopy. Methods. A prospective, single-center study was conducted on convenience sample of patients presenting with symptoms of diarrhea and/or abdominal pain. Patients were offered POCUS prior to having ileocolonoscopy. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), as well as likelihood ratios, were calculated. Results. Fifty-eight patients were included in this study. The overall sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 80%, 97.8%, 88.9%, and 95.7%, respectively, with positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR) of 36.8 and 0.20. Conclusion. POCUS can accurately be performed at the bedside to detect transmural inflammation of the intestine. This noninvasive approach may serve to expedite diagnosis, improve allocation of endoscopic resources, and facilitate initiation of appropriate medical therapy.
Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology | 2011
Aito Ueno-Yamanouchi; Faisal Khan; Bazir Serushago; Tom Bowen; Cathy Lu; Joanne Luider; Jan Storek
BackgroundAllergen-specific IgE production is a hallmark of allergic asthma/rhinitis/eczema. Theoretically this could be due to a high number of allergen-specific B cells or allergen-specific T cells helping allergen-specific B cells differentiate into IgE-producing plasma cells. Here, we determined whether the number of allergen-specific B cells or T helper (Th) cells is higher in allergic individuals compared to nonallergic individuals.MethodsA total of 52 allergic individuals and 32 nonallergic individuals were studied. The allergen-specific B and Th cells were enumerated by culturing CFSE-loaded blood mononuclear cells for 7-days with allergen (cat, Timothy or birch), and determining the number of proliferating B or Th cells (diluting CFSE) by flow cytometry. Allergen-specific IgE concentration was determined by fluorescent enzymoimmunoassay (FEIA).ResultsThe quantities of proliferating Th cells but not proliferating B cells specific for cat, Timothy and birch were significantly higher in cat-, Timothy- and birch-allergic individuals compared to nonallergic individuals. The titer of allergen-specific IgE showed significant correlation with allergen-specific Th cells and not with allergen-specific B cells for all 3 allergens.ConclusionsA high number of allergen-specific proliferating Th cells, but not proliferating B cells, may play a role in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma/rhinitis/eczema.
Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology | 2015
Emily K. Wright; Kerri L. Novak; Cathy Lu; Remo Panaccione; Subrata Ghosh; Stephanie R. Wilson
Aims of treatment for Crohn disease have moved beyond the resolution of clinical symptoms to objective end points including endoscopic and radiological normality. Regular re-evaluation of disease status to safely, readily and reliably detect the presence of inflammation and complications is paramount. Improvements in sonographic technology over recent years have facilitated a growing enthusiasm among radiologists and gastroenterologists in the use of ultrasound for the assessment of inflammatory bowel disease. Transabdominal intestinal ultrasound is accurate, affordable and safe for the assessment of luminal inflammation and complications in Crohn disease, and can be performed with or without the use of intravenous contrast enhancement. Perianal fistulizing disease is a common, complex and often treatment-refractory complication of Crohn disease, which requires regular radiological monitoring. Endoanal ultrasound is invasive, uncomfortable and yields limited assessment of the perineal region. Although magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis is established, timely access may be a problem. Transperineal ultrasound has been described in small studies, and is an accurate, painless and cost-effective method for documenting perianal fluid collections, fistulas and sinus tracts. In the present article, the authors review the literature regarding perineal ultrasound for the assessment of perianal Crohn disease and use case examples to illustrate its clinical utility.
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics | 2018
Paulo Gustavo Kotze; Christopher Ma; Abdulelah Almutairdi; Ahmed Al-Darmaki; Shane M. Devlin; Gilaad G. Kaplan; Cynthia H. Seow; Kerri L. Novak; Cathy Lu; Jose G. P. Ferraz; Michael J. Stewart; Michelle Buresi; Humberto Jijon; Meena Mathivanan; Joan Heatherington; Marie-Louise Martin; Remo Panaccione
Vedolizumab is an α4β7 integrin antagonist with proven efficacy for inducing and maintaining clinical response and remission in Crohns disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).
Archive | 2016
Karen I. Kroeker; Cathy Lu
Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory condition that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. The human gut microbiome is altered in patients with Crohn’s disease. This knowledge has led to research directed at altering the microbiome for therapeutic potential. Probiotics are an attractive therapy, both from a researcher’s perspective and also from the patients’ perspective. In this chapter, we will review the current clinical evidence for the use of probiotics in the treatment of Crohn’s disease. These studies are divided into three categories: induction of remission, maintenance of medically induced remission, and maintenance of surgically induced remission. Unfortunately, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of probiotics in the management of Crohn’s disease at this time.
Gastroenterology | 2014
Deepti A. Jacob; Elnaz Ehteshami Afshar; Cathy Lu; Alexandra Wilson; Remo Panaccione; Gilaad G. Kaplan; Kerri L. Novak
and are still in follow up (17.5 mos). In the phlegmon group, 4 out of 12 patients were evaluated by CT or MRI that confirmed CEUS findings in 3 cases but in one patient a deep abscess was identified and surgery was scheduled. Eight out of 12 pts were clinically followed up (median: 16 mos). Two of these patients developed an abscess after one week from CEUS despite medical treatment. Overall CEUS correctly identified 19 out of 22 lesions (86%) on the basis of cross sectional imaging modalities and clinical follow up used as final diagnosis. Conclusion. CEUS is a non-invasive, radiation free and point-of-care technique able to differentiate phlegmons from abscesses driving a prompt clinical management in complicated CD patients.
Gastroenterology | 2014
Cathy Lu; Deepti A. Jacob; Elnaz Ehteshami Afshar; Amelia Kellar; Gilaad G. Kaplan; Subrata Ghosh; Alexandra Wilson; Yvette Leung; Remo Panaccione; Kerri L. Novak
and are still in follow up (17.5 mos). In the phlegmon group, 4 out of 12 patients were evaluated by CT or MRI that confirmed CEUS findings in 3 cases but in one patient a deep abscess was identified and surgery was scheduled. Eight out of 12 pts were clinically followed up (median: 16 mos). Two of these patients developed an abscess after one week from CEUS despite medical treatment. Overall CEUS correctly identified 19 out of 22 lesions (86%) on the basis of cross sectional imaging modalities and clinical follow up used as final diagnosis. Conclusion. CEUS is a non-invasive, radiation free and point-of-care technique able to differentiate phlegmons from abscesses driving a prompt clinical management in complicated CD patients.