Fertility treatment for people with epilepsy.

Fertility treatment, including assisted reproductive technology (ART), is increasingly used. Sex hormones influence seizure control as well as interacting with antiseizure medications, and so the hormonal manipulation involved in fertility treatments has direct implications for people with epilepsy. Here, we summarise the various fertility treatments and consider their important influences on epilepsy care. While early observations raised concerns about seizure exacerbation associated with ART, there are limited data to guide best practice in people with epilepsy, and further research is needed.

Sex differences in neurology: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVE: Historically, neurology research has demonstrated a sex bias with mainly male subjects included in clinical trials as well as lack of reporting of data by sex. In recent years, emphasis has been placed on increased participation of female participants and explicit declaration/evaluation of sex differences in clinical research.We aimed to review the available literature examining sex differences across four subspecialty areas in neurology (demyelination, headache, stroke, epilepsy) and whether sex and gender terms have been used appropriately. DESIGN: This scoping review was performed by searching Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, Ovid Emcare and APA PsycINFO databases from 2014 to 2020. Four independent pairs of reviewers screened titles, abstracts and full texts. Studies whose primary objective was to assess sex or gender differences among adults with one of four neurological conditions were included. We report the scope, content and trends of previous studies that have evaluated sex differences in neurology. RESULTS: The search retrieved 22 745 articles. Five hundred and eighty-five studies met the inclusion criteria in the review. The majority of studies were observational, often examining similar concepts designed for a different country or regional population, with rare randomised controlled trials designed specifically to assess sex differences in neurology. There was heterogeneity observed in areas of sex-specific focus between the four subspecialty areas. Thirty-six per cent (n=212) of articles used the terms sex and gender interchangeably or incorrectly. CONCLUSIONS: Sex and gender are important biological and social determinants of health. However, the more explicit recognition of these factors in clinical literature has not been adequately translated to significant change in neuroscience research regarding sex differences. This study illustrates the ongoing need for more urgent informed action to recognise and act on sex differences in scientific discovery and correct the use of sex and gender terminology. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The protocol for this scoping review was registered with Open Science Framework.

Sex differences in neurology: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Sex and gender are independently important in health and disease but have been incompletely explored in neurology. This is in part contributed to by the pre-existing male bias in scientific literature that results in fewer females being included in clinical research and the often interchangeable use of sex and gender in the literature. This scoping review intends to identify the advances as well as under-explored aspects of this field to provide a road map for future research. This paper outlines the methods for a scoping review of published, peer-reviewed literature on sex and gender differences in four subspecialty areas of neurology: demyelination, stroke, epilepsy and headache. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A detailed search strategy will be used to search five databases pertaining only to sex differences. Specific inclusion and exclusion criteria will be applied to capture relevant literature published from 2014 to 2020. Data will be collected and synthesised to provide an overview of information retrieved, a narrative synthesis of each subspecialty area and map of results. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Research ethics board approval was not required for this study. This study will aid in mapping recent trends in sex differences in four major neurological conditions and will help identify areas for further research. A manuscript will be compiled for publication and presentations of findings. REGISTRATION DETAILS: The final protocol is registered with the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/n937x/).

Presence with purpose: attitudes of people with developmental disability towards health care students.

CONTEXT: Early clinical encounters help medical and nursing students build professional competencies. However, there is a necessary emphasis on patient autonomy and appropriate consent. Although most individuals do not object to student involvement in clinical encounters, there are occasions when personal preference and health care education conflict. Many studies have evaluated patient attitudes towards students across a variety of specialties. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to identify the attitudes, comfort level and preferences of individuals with developmental disability (DD) towards the presence and involvement of medical and nursing students during clinical encounters. METHODS: Adults with DD across the Hamilton-Niagara region were invited to participate. Focus groups were moderated by two students with a health care facilitator and physician-educator. Participants were provided with focus group questions in advance and encouraged to bring communication aids or care providers. Data were analysed for emerging themes by two independent reviewers, who then compared results. RESULTS: Twenty-two individuals participated. A wide range of opinions were expressed. Some participants were positively disposed towards students and perceived better care and improved communication with the health care team. Others were indifferent to students in a clinical setting. The final group was opposed to the presence of health care students, expressing confusion over their role and purpose, uneasiness with deviation from the norm, and concerns about confidentiality. Informative introductions with confidentiality statements and the presence of a supervising clinician were seen as helpful. CONCLUSIONS: People with DD are affected by above-average health care needs. Their input into health care planning has been limited. Their opinions on health care learners varied considerably. Themes relating to attitudes, comfort and preferences about student involvement provide impetus for health care training practices that promote person-centred approaches and improvements to the quality of care received by people with DD.

Global asthma prevalence in adults: findings from the cross-sectional world health survey.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a major cause of disability, health resource utilization and poor quality of life world-wide. We set out to generate estimates of the global burden of asthma in adults, which may inform the development of strategies to address this common disease. METHODS: The World Health Survey (WHS) was developed and implemented by the World Health Organization in 2002-2003. A total of 178,215 individuals from 70 countries aged 18 to 45 years responded to questions related to asthma and related symptoms. The prevalence of asthma was based on responses to questions relating to self-reported doctor diagnosed asthma, clinical/treated asthma, and wheezing in the last 12 months. RESULTS: The global prevalence rates of doctor diagnosed asthma, clinical/treated asthma and wheezing in adults were 4.3%, 4.5%, and 8.6% respectively, and varied by as much as 21-fold amongst the 70 countries. Australia reported the highest rate of doctor diagnosed, clinical/treated asthma, and wheezing (21.0%, 21.5%, and 27.4%). Amongst those with clinical/treated asthma, almost 24% were current smokers, half reported wheezing, and 20% had never been treated for asthma. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a global estimate of the burden of asthma in adults, and suggests that asthma continues to be a major public health concern worldwide. The high prevalence of smoking remains a major barrier to combating the global burden of asthma. While the highest prevalence rates were observed in resource-rich countries, resource-poor nations were also significantly affected, posing a barrier to development as it stretches further the demands of non-communicable diseases.