Efficacy and safety of corpus callosotomy versus vagus nerve stimulation as long-term adjunctive therapies in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome: Experience of a tertiary care center.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy and safety of corpus callosotomy versus vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as long-term adjunctive therapies in children with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted in King Fahad Medical City between 2010 and 2019. The authors identified and followed 9 patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) who underwent corpus callosotomy or VNS implantation for at least 12 months; seizure frequency and major complications were monitored. Five patients with a mean age of 10.8±1.3 years had corpus callosotomy, and 4 patients with a mean age of 13.8±3.9 years were implanted with VNS stimulators. RESULTS: Reduction in seizure frequency was achieved in all 5 patients who underwent corpus callosotomy, with greater than 75% seizure reduction in more than 50% in one, and greater than 25% in 2 respectively. However, in those implanted with VNS, 2 (50%) patients achieved a reduction in seizure frequency of greater than 75% and 2 (50%) greater than 25%, respectively. No significant difference was observed between the 2 treatment groups. One patient who underwent corpus callosotomy suffered cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and swallowing difficulties in one patient who underwent VNS. CONCLUSION: Both corpus callosotomy and VNS are safe and effective as adjunctive treatments for LGS patients.

The Relationship Between Knee Osteoarthritis-Related Pain Severity and Daily Activities Involving the Upper and Lower Limbs in Saudi Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Earlier research has shown an association between pain intensity and everyday activities in adults. However, it is vital to examine the relationship within the context of Saudi people who have knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the connection between pain intensity and daily activities involving the lower and upper limbs among patients with knee osteoarthritis in Saudi Arabia. Methods This study enrolled 209 individuals aged 55 years and above who were diagnosed with radiographic knee osteoarthritis by physicians from five hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between March 2016 and March 2017. Participants were divided into two groups based on their pain intensity, measured using the visual analog scale. The first group included 141 individuals with mild or moderate pain, while the second group comprised 68 individuals with severe pain. The study assessed the physical functioning of these individuals by evaluating their ability to perform daily activities involving the lower and upper limbs, using the Physical Functioning Subscale of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey, which includes 10 items. Results Adjusted logistic regression analysis revealed that individuals experiencing severe pain related to knee osteoarthritis were more likely to encounter difficulties in climbing several flights of stairs (odds ratio [OR] = 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-1.29), and one flight of stairs (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.06-1.34), with challenges in bending, kneeling, or stooping (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.05-1.23), walking more than one mile (OR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.06-1.25), walking several blocks (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.08-1.27), and walking one block (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.06-1.34) than those with mild or moderate pain. Conclusion Our study results highlight the significant impact of severe pain on activities like climbing stairs, bending, kneeling, stooping, and walking longer distances among people with knee osteoarthritis in Saudi Arabia.

Associations Among Knee Osteoarthritis Severity, Body Mass Index, and Physical Functions in Saudi Arabian Adults: A Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Study.

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations among knee osteoarthritis severity, body mass index, and physical functions in Saudi Arabian adults. Methodology In this multi-center, cross-sectional study, we performed a secondary data analysis that included 189 adults aged 55 years or above with doctor-diagnosed knee osteoarthritis enrolled in five hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between March 2016 and March 2017. According to knee osteoarthritis severity, all of the individuals were divided into the following three groups: mild (n = 36), moderate (n = 75), and severe (n = 78). A high body mass index was defined as a body mass index score of >25 kg/m2. Physical function was evaluated using the 36-item physical functioning subscale. Results Severe knee osteoarthritis had a significantly 6.47-fold (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.95-14.22, p < 0.0001) higher risk of physical function than those with mild knee osteoarthritis after adjusting for age, sex, educational status, occupational status, affected knee with osteoarthritis, knee pain, and body mass index. However, moderate knee osteoarthritis had a 1.22-fold higher risk of physical function, but the association was not statistically significant (95% CI = 0.60-2.49, p = 0.578). Conclusions Severe but not moderate knee osteoarthritis was more likely to have the worst physical function than mild knee osteoarthritis among adults with a high body mass index in Saudi Arabia.

Knee pain and health-related quality of life among older patients with different knee osteoarthritis severity in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE: There is a lack of knowledge about health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Saudi patients with musculoskeletal impairment, particularly among older adult populations. Thus, the current research aimed to determine the association of knee osteoarthritis (OA) severity with knee pain (KP) and HRQoL among older patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: In a multicenter cross-sectional study, we recruited 209 consecutive males and females aged ≥55 years with radiographically diagnosed knee OA from five hospitals across Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. According to the Kellgren & Lawrence classification, patients were classified into two groups: mild/moderate knee OA (n = 126) and severe knee OA (n = 83). KP and HRQoL were assessed using the pain visual analogue scale (VAS) and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), respectively. A higher score on the pain VAS and the SF-36 represented worse KP and better HRQoL, respectively. RESULTS: Severe knee OA was significantly associated with an increased score of 3.47 (p <.0001) points on the pain VAS compared with the score reported by patients with mild/moderate knee OA. Additionally, it was significantly associated with reduced scores of 6.83 and 5.82 (both: p <.0001) points on the physical and mental composite summary subscales of the SF-36, respectively, compared with the scores of patients with mild/moderate knee OA, even after adjusting for all covariates. CONCLUSION: Older patients with severe knee OA had significantly worse KP and reduced HRQoL compared to patients with mild/moderate knee conditions, even after controlling for confounders.