Thalamic deep brain stimulation in traumatic brain injury: a phase 1, randomized feasibility study.

Converging evidence indicates that impairments in executive function and information-processing speed limit quality of life and social reentry after moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI). These deficits reflect dysfunction of frontostriatal networks for which the central lateral (CL) nucleus of the thalamus is a critical node. The primary objective of this feasibility study was to test the safety and efficacy of deep brain stimulation within the CL and the associated medial dorsal tegmental (CL/DTTm) tract.Six participants with msTBI, who were between 3 and 18 years post-injury, underwent surgery with electrode placement guided by imaging and subject-specific biophysical modeling to predict activation of the CL/DTTm tract. The primary efficacy measure was improvement in executive control indexed by processing speed on part B of the trail-making test.All six participants were safely implanted. Five participants completed the study and one was withdrawn for protocol non-compliance. Processing speed on part B of the trail-making test improved 15% to 52% from baseline, exceeding the 10% benchmark for improvement in all five cases.CL/DTTm deep brain stimulation can be safely applied and may improve executive control in patients with msTBI who are in the chronic phase of recovery.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02881151 .

Tai chi for enhanced inpatient mobilization: A feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether utilizing beginner, video-guided tai chi and qigong classes as an adjunct to physical therapy to enhance mobilization among hospitalized patients is feasible and acceptable. DESIGN: Single-arm feasibility study over a 15½-week period. SETTING: Three medical-surgical units at one hospital. INTERVENTIONS: Small-group video-guided beginner-level tai chi and qigong classes supervised by physical therapists occurred three times a week. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was weekly class attendance. Secondary outcomes included patient and staff satisfaction, collected by surveys and semi-structured interviews. Process measures included class duration. Balancing measures included falls. RESULTS: One-hundred and fifty-seven patients were referred for recruitment, 45 gave informed consent, and 38 patients attended at least one class. The number of weekly class attendees increased during the study period. Based on first-class experience, 68% (26/38) of patients reported enjoying the class "quite a bit" or "extremely," 66% (25/38) of patients reported feeling "more mobile" afterward, and 76% (29/38) of patients agreed that the class made them more comfortable going home. Average class duration was 29 minutes. Zero falls occurred during or immediately following class. CONCLUSIONS: Video-guided tai chi and qigong classes are feasible and well-received at our hospital. Future studies of the impact on preserving mobility and function or reducing length of stay are of interest.

Implications of a new definition of vitamin D deficiency in a multiracial us adolescent population: the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III.

OBJECTIVE: In children, vitamin D deficiency can interfere with bone mineralization, leading to rickets. In adults, it is linked to cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and hypertension. Accurate estimates of the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency are complicated by the lack of consensus as to optimal vitamin D status. Currently, individuals with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of <11 ng/mL are classified as vitamin D deficient. Experts collectively have proposed that minimum levels be at least 20 ng/mL. Our objectives were to (1) determine the national prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in adolescents by using both the current and recommended cutoffs and (2) examine the implications of the new recommendation after adjustment for various factors. METHODS: Data were obtained from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, a cross-sectional survey administered to a nationally representative sample of noninstitutionalized civilians aged 2 months and older. Analyses were restricted to 2955 participants aged 12 to 19 with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Relationships between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and sociodemographic variables were evaluated by using logistic regression. RESULTS: Changing the definition of vitamin D deficiency from <11 to <20 ng/mL increased the prevalence from 2% to 14%. After adjustment for all covariates, non-Hispanic black adolescents had 20 times the risk of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D <20 ng/mL compared with non-Hispanic white adolescents. The risk of deficiency was more than double for females compared with males. An inverse relationship between weight and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels was found. Overweight adolescents had increased risk of deficiency compared with normal-weight adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: There was a disproportionate burden of vitamin D deficiency in the non-Hispanic black adolescent population. Routine supplementation and monitoring of serum levels should be considered. Females and overweight adolescents are at increased risk. The consequences of chronic vitamin D deficiency in adolescents should be prospectively investigated.