Impact of insurance status on MRI phenotypes in MS.

BACKGROUND: Health insurance in the United States varies in coverage of essential diagnostic tests, therapies, and specialists. Health disparities between privately and publicly insured patients with MS have not been comprehensively assessed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of public versus private insurance on longitudinal brain outcomes in MS. METHODS: Lesional, thalamic, and gray and white matter volumes were extracted from longitudinal MRI of 710 MS patients. Baseline volumes and atrophy rates of lesional, thalamic, and gray and white matter volumes were compared across insurance groups. RESULTS: After image quality assessment, 376 (284 private / 92 public), 638 (499 / 139), and 331 (250 / 81), patients were in MS lesion, thalamic, gray and white matter analyses respectively. Baseline lesion volume was higher for publicly insured patients but increased at a slightly higher rate in those privately insured (p = 0.01). Baseline gray matter measurements were lower for patients with public insurance, but thalamic (p < 0.01) and gray matter (p < 0.01) atrophy rates were slightly higher in the private insurance group. CONCLUSION: Insurance type was associated with lesion, thalamic, and gray matter volumes. The results suggest that patients with public insurance may present with more advanced disease.

The Bridging the Gaps Program: Three Decades of Collaborative Service-Oriented Learning in the Health Professions.

ABSTRACT: Health professions educators are continuing to develop training programs for future health care professionals to understand social determinants of health and address practical needs of their training institutions via service-oriented learning. Although individual U.S. programs have piloted different models, evaluations of programs that have demonstrated longitudinal growth and sustainability in the community are lacking, which is important because these programs can have long-term impacts not only on students but also on the communities they serve. In this article, the authors describe the long-term impacts of the Bridging the Gaps (BTG) program. First established in 1991 as an academic health institution and community organization collaborative, by 2019, the BTG program encompassed 9 academic health institution-based programs, partnering with 96 community organizations and employing 187 health professions students across 15 disciplines. By 2019, the program had 5,648 alumni. Of 3,104 alumni, 2,848 (91.8%) felt that the program broadened their understanding of health issues encountered by vulnerable and/or economically disadvantaged populations, and 2,767 of 3,101 (89.2%) felt that the program increased their interest in working with these populations. A total of 142 of 156 (91.0%) reported an effect on their clinical practice, 169 of 180 (93.9%) reported an effect on their professional role, and 64 of 109 (58.7%) reported an effect on their research careers. Of the community partners, 1,401 of 1,441 (97.2%) felt that the partnership between their organization and the BTG program was beneficial, 955 of 1,423 (67.1%) felt that BTG students brought resources to their organization that had previously been unavailable, and 1,095 of 1,421 (77.1%) felt that the linkages between their agency and other organizations were strengthened. The BTG program demonstrates growth and sustainability in its ongoing efforts to integrate training on social determinants of health via service-oriented learning into health professions education.

Earnings of US Physicians With and Without Disabilities.

This cross-sectional study uses American Community Survey data to assess disability earnings gaps for physicians between 2005 and 2019.

Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapy in postpartum women with neurological conditions.

OBJECTIVE: Postpartum, patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have increased risk for disease activity. Anti-CD20 IgG1 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) are increasingly used as disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). Patients may wish to both breastfeed and resume DMT postpartum. This study aimed to determine the transfer of anti-CD20 IgG1 mAbs, ocrelizumab, and rituximab (OCR/RTX), into mature breastmilk and describe maternal and infant outcomes. METHODS: Fifty-seven cis-women receiving OCR/RTX after 59 pregnancies and their infants were enrolled and followed up to 12M postpartum or 90 days post-infusion. Breastmilk was collected pre-infusion and serially up to 90 days and assayed for mAb concentration. Medical records and patients' questionnaire responses were obtained to assess neurologic, breastfeeding, and infant development outcomes. RESULTS: The median average concentration of mAb in breastmilk was low (OCR: 0.08 µg/mL, range 0.05-0.4; RTX: 0.03 µg/mL, range 0.005-0.3). Concentration peaked 1-7 days post-infusion in most (77%) and was nearly undetectable after 90 days. Median average relative infant dose was <1% (OCR: 0.1%, range 0.07-0.7; RTX: 0.04%, range 0.005-0.3). Forty-three participants continued to breastfeed post-infusion. At 8-12 months, the proportion of infants' growth between the 3rd and 97th World Health Organization percentiles did not differ for breastfed (36/40) and non-breastfed (14/16, p > 0.05) infants; neither did the proportion with normal development (breastfed: 37/41, non-breastfed: 11/13; p > 0.05). After postpartum infusion, two mothers experienced a clinical relapse. INTERPRETATION: These confirm minimal transfer of mAb into breastmilk. Anti-CD20 mAb therapy stabilizes MS activity before conception to the postpartum period, and postpartum treatments appears to be safe and well-tolerated for both mother and infant.

Differential effects of anti-CD20 therapy on CD4 and CD8 T cells and implication of CD20-expressing CD8 T cells in MS disease activity.

A small proportion of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients develop new disease activity soon after starting anti-CD20 therapy. This activity does not recur with further dosing, possibly reflecting deeper depletion of CD20-expressing cells with repeat infusions. We assessed cellular immune profiles and their association with transient disease activity following anti-CD20 initiation as a window into relapsing disease biology. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from independent discovery and validation cohorts of MS patients initiating ocrelizumab were assessed for phenotypic and functional profiles using multiparametric flow cytometry. Pretreatment CD20-expressing T cells, especially CD20dimCD8+ T cells with a highly inflammatory and central nervous system (CNS)-homing phenotype, were significantly inversely correlated with pretreatment MRI gadolinium-lesion counts, and also predictive of early disease activity observed after anti-CD20 initiation. Direct removal of pretreatment proinflammatory CD20dimCD8+ T cells had a greater contribution to treatment-associated changes in the CD8+ T cell pool than was the case for CD4+ T cells. Early disease activity following anti-CD20 initiation was not associated with reconstituting CD20dimCD8+ T cells, which were less proinflammatory compared with pretreatment. Similarly, this disease activity did not correlate with early reconstituting B cells, which were predominantly transitional CD19+CD24highCD38high with a more anti-inflammatory profile. We provide insights into the mode-of-action of anti-CD20 and highlight a potential role for CD20dimCD8+ T cells in MS relapse biology; their strong inverse correlation with both pretreatment and early posttreatment disease activity suggests that CD20-expressing CD8+ T cells leaving the circulation (possibly to the CNS) play a particularly early role in the immune cascades involved in relapse development.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in anti-CD20 and other monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies used in multiple sclerosis: A review.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a subacute CNS inflammatory disease seen primarily among immunocompromised patients. It is caused by the JC virus (JCV), a polyomavirus that otherwise induces an insidious, latent infection in the general population. This reactivated disease is characterized by cognitive and behavioral changes, language disturbances, motor weakness, or visual deficits. Median survival in patients with AIDS is approximately 2-4 months, and mortality is high (around 4% in untreated AIDS). Recent scientific developments indicate that PML can also be associated with the increased utilization of monoclonal antibody (mAb) immunotherapy. In fact, PML has been witnessed with several mAbs, including natalizumab in multiple sclerosis, rituximab for lymphoma or lupus, efalizumab for psoriasis, and ofatumumab in leukemia; this leads us to the risk reassessment of PML due to treatment-induced immunosuppression. The range of clinical presentations of JCV-related disease has transformed over time and can pose significant challenges to the current diagnostic criteria. Most cases with PML suffer from persistent and irreversible neurological conditions, and some with chronic, low-level viral replication in the CNS. With the expanded use of mAbs for various autoimmune and lymphoproliferative disorders, we are now seeing this infection in non-HIV patients on drugs such as natalizumab, rituximab, and other recently approved therapies. This article aims to review the relationship between the incidence of PML and all four mAbs used in the treatment of MS. Currently, at least 18 FDA-approved medications carry label warnings for PML;to this date, no treatment has been convincingly effective.

Updates on efficacy and safety outcomes of new and emerging disease modifying therapies and stem cell therapy for Multiple Sclerosis: A review.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurodegenerative autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) and the most common cause of serious physical disability in working-age adults. Drug development and research in this field have rapidly evolved over the past two decades, leading to the broad array of treatment options available today. These disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) work through distinct mechanisms of action and exhibit varying safety and efficacy profiles to help manage symptoms and reduce exacerbations in MS patients. Our extensive understanding of this condition has also led to novel approaches, such as the discovery of specific biomarkers that allow us to monitor the therapeutic response towards DMTs. The development of new DMTs continues to progress quickly today, and it can be difficult for clinicians to remain up to date on the most recent advancements and new treatment options for their patients. In this comprehensive review, we provide an outline of current MS medications in the pipeline including emerging DMTs and stem cell therapy, as well as the unique characteristics of these medications, including their indications, pharmacokinetic effects, and the relevant advancements.

The elimination of circulating Epstein-Barr virus infected B cells underlies anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody activity in multiple sclerosis: A hypothesis.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system that has aspects of repetitive inflammatory activity as well as a slow neurodegenerative process. The immune assault on the nervous system is triggered by a complex interaction between immunogenetic and environmental factors. Among the different environmental factors, a compelling case, buttressed by strong epidemiological, serological and other data, has been made for the role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in the pathogenesis of MS. However, the ubiquity of EBV, lack of a well understood role in MS pathogenesis, and controversies regarding its presence in brains of people with MS has caused debate as to how exactly it contributes to MS. Recent years have seen the remarkable effect of anti-CD20 therapies on the inflammatory component of MS. How B cell depletion results in a salutary effect in MS remains incompletely understood. It has been proposed that depletion of CD20+ B-cells disrupts other pro-inflammatory pathways in the immune system, especially T-cells. In this paper, we make the case that the robust effect of anti-CD20 therapies on MS activity could actually be from removal of circulating EBV-infected memory B-cells that drive CNS inflammation and not through other immune pathways - in essence that this is from an anti-viral effect, and not necessarily an immuno-modulatory effect.

Curriculum Innovations: Virtual Didactics as a Tool for Harmonizing Education About Rare Topics in Neuroimmunology.

Introduction and Problem Statement: Neuroimmunology is a rapidly evolving subspecialty. At this time, fellowship training is not standardized. Discrepancies exist in fellowship programs across the United States, including in faculty expertise in rarer neuroimmunologic conditions. Many graduating fellows feel uncomfortable managing the full spectrum of diseases within neuroimmunology. Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a series of live, virtual, interinstitutional seminars educating neuroimmunology fellows on topics that may be infrequently encountered by trainees. Methods and Curriculum Description: A steering committee of 6 neuroimmunology and multiple sclerosis fellowship program directors selected 18 topics felt to be high yield but representing unique areas of expertise. A live, interactive seminar series was organized. Recognized experts on each topic led seminars using a teleconferencing platform over the 2020-2021 academic year. Recordings were subsequently made available for asynchronous learning. Trainees were surveyed before and after the seminar series and comfort levels with each topic were recorded. Results and Assessment Data: An average of 41 trainees participated in each live seminar and an additional average of 17 trainees viewed each seminar on demand. Trainee comfort levels with each topic increased after the seminar series was completed. An average of 72% of trainees self-identified as at least "comfortable" with each topic after the series compared with 26% beforehand (p < 0.0001). Discussion and Lessons Learned: A year-long series of live, interactive, interinstitutional seminars focusing on unique topics within a single subspecialty represents an effective way to increase trainee comfort levels with such topics.

Relevance of CSF, Serum and Neuroimaging Markers in CNS and PNS Manifestation in COVID-19: A Systematic Review of Case Report and Case Series.

BACKGROUND: The data on neurological manifestations in COVID-19 patients has been rapidly increasing throughout the pandemic. However, data on CNS and PNS inflammatory disorders in COVID-19 with respect to CSF, serum and neuroimaging markers is still lacking. METHODS: We screened all articles resulting from a search of PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus, using the keywords "SARS-CoV-2 and neurological complication", "SARS-CoV-2 and CNS Complication" and "SARS-CoV-2 and PNS Complication" looking for transverse myelitis, vasculitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, acute hemorrhagic necrotizing encephalitis (AHNE), cytotoxic lesion of the corpus callosum (CLOCC) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), published between 1 December 2019 to 15 July 2021. RESULTS: Of the included 106 CNS manifestations in our study, CNS inflammatory disorders included transverse myelitis (17, 14.7%), AHNE (12, 10.4%), ADEM (11, 9.5%), CLOCC/MERS (10, 8.6%) and vasculitis (4, 3.4%). Others were nonspecific encephalopathy, encephalitis, seizures and stroke. Most patients were >50 years old (75, 70.8%) and male (64, 65.3%). Most (59, 63.4%) were severe cases of COVID-19 and 18 (18%) patients died. Of the included 94 PNS manifestations in our study, GBS (89, 92.7%) was the most common. Most of these patients were >50 years old (73, 77.7%) and male (59, 64.1%). Most (62, 67.4%) were non-severe cases of COVID-19, and ten patients died. CONCLUSION: Our comprehensive review of the clinical and paraclinical findings in CNS and PNS manifestations of COVID-19 provide insights on the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 and its neurotropism. The higher frequency and severity of CNS manifestations should be noted by physicians for increased vigilance in particular COVID-19 cases.

Cellular and humoral immune responses following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in patients with multiple sclerosis on anti-CD20 therapy.

SARS-CoV-2 messenger RNA vaccination in healthy individuals generates immune protection against COVID-19. However, little is known about SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine-induced responses in immunosuppressed patients. We investigated induction of antigen-specific antibody, B cell and T cell responses longitudinally in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) on anti-CD20 antibody monotherapy (n = 20) compared with healthy controls (n = 10) after BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 mRNA vaccination. Treatment with anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (aCD20) significantly reduced spike-specific and receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific antibody and memory B cell responses in most patients, an effect ameliorated with longer duration from last aCD20 treatment and extent of B cell reconstitution. By contrast, all patients with MS treated with aCD20 generated antigen-specific CD4 and CD8 T cell responses after vaccination. Treatment with aCD20 skewed responses, compromising circulating follicular helper T (TFH) cell responses and augmenting CD8 T cell induction, while preserving type 1 helper T (TH1) cell priming. Patients with MS treated with aCD20 lacking anti-RBD IgG had the most severe defect in circulating TFH responses and more robust CD8 T cell responses. These data define the nature of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-induced immune landscape in aCD20-treated patients and provide insights into coordinated mRNA vaccine-induced immune responses in humans. Our findings have implications for clinical decision-making and public health policy for immunosuppressed patients including those treated with aCD20.

COVID-19 and neuroinflammation: a literature review of relevant neuroimaging and CSF markers in central nervous system inflammatory disorders from SARS-COV2.

BACKGROUND: The literature on neurological manifestations in COVID-19 patients has been rapidly increasing with the pandemic. However, data on CNS inflammatory disorders in COVID-19 are still evolving. We performed a literature review of CNS inflammatory disorders associated with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: We screened all articles resulting from a search of PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus, using the keywords; "SARS-CoV-2 and neurological complication", "SARS-CoV-2 and CNS Complication" looking for reports of transverse myelitis, longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis, neuromyelitis optica, myelitis, Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody Disorder (MOGAD), Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM), Acute Hemorrhagic Necrotizing Encephalitis/Acute Hemorrhagic Leukoencephalitis (AHNE/AHLE), Cytotoxic lesion of the Corpus Callosum/Mild Encephalopathy Reversible Splenium Lesion(CLOCC/MERS) and Optic neuritis published between December 01, 2019 and March 15, 2021. RESULTS: Our literature search revealed 43 patients meeting the diagnosis of myelitis, including Transverse Myelitis, ADEM, AHNE/AHLE or CLOCC/MERS and Optic neuritis. Acute myelitis was most commonly associated with non-severe COVID-19 and all reported cases of AHNE/AHLE had severe COVID-19 infection. Based on IDSA/ATS criteria of either requiring vasopressor for septic shock or mechanical ventilation, 49% (n = 18) patients were considered to have a severe COVID infection. There were 7 (n = 19%) fatalities. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is among the first reviews that includes the clinical features, neuroimaging, CSF findings and outcomes in COVID-19-associated CNS inflammatory disorders. Our observational review study reveals that although rare, myelitis, ADEM, AHNE and CLOCC can be associated with COVID-19 infection. Further studies using MRI imaging and CSF analysis in early diagnosis and intervention of these disorders are warranted.

Outcomes of status epilepticus and their predictors in the elderly-A systematic review.

Status epilepticus (SE) is associated with high mortality and morbidity. Although SE is frequently seen in elderly patients, there is a lack of a cohesive report of outcome measures and associated factors within this population. Our aim was to systematically review studies reporting outcomes of SE among elderly patients and factors influencing these outcomes. A literature search was conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL Complete, and Cochrane Library from database conception to April 22, 2018. A total of 85 studies were included in this systematic review. The included studies show that mortality is higher in elderly patients than in adult patients. Lesional etiologies, higher number of comorbidities, NCSE, RSE, longer hospital and intensive care unit stays, and infection during hospitalization are associated with poor outcome. Future studies should consider measuring functional outcomes, comparative studies between elderly and adults and AED clinical trials specific for elderly with SE.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Abnormalities in the Cerebral White Matter Correlate with Sex-Dependent Neurobehavioral Deficits in Adult Mice with Neonatal Ischemia.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal white matter injury (NWMI) is the leading cause of cerebral palsy in prematurely born children. In order to develop a test bed for therapeutics, we recently reported a mouse model of NWMI by using a modified Rice-Vannucci model of neonatal ischemia on postnatal day 5 (P5) in CD-1 mice. We have previously shown that these mice illustrate initial neuroinflammation and oligodendroglial differentiation arrest followed by long-term dysmyelination, periventricular astrogliosis and axonal injury, resembling human NWMI. The objective of this study was to determine the sex-dependent long-term effects of neonatal brain injury on neurobehavioral and advanced in vivo neuroimaging indices in this mouse model, and to correlate these variables with histopathology. METHODS: After right common artery ligation on P5, in vivo T2-weighted imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were performed on ligated and control animals at 4 and 8 weeks. Common sets of regions of interest were used to compare fractional anisotropy (FA) values between ischemic and control mice. Behavioral testing (open field, startle response and grip strength) was performed at adult age. Finally, the animals were sacrificed for immunohistochemical (IHC) assessment of major white matter tracts. RESULTS: DTI revealed significant sex-dependent changes in FA values ipsi- and contralateral to the ligation. Behavioral testing showed decreased reaction to acoustic stimuli in males but not females. Similarly, increased number of rearings and lack of novelty-induced habituation in the open field were encountered only in the male subgroup. Several regional correlations were found between FA values and these behavioral alterations. IHC studies revealed degeneration of mature oligodendrocytes and damage of white matter tracts in ligated animals, as previously reported in this model, and showed regional correlation with in vivo FA values and behavioral alterations. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest structural sex-dependent long-term abnormalities after neonatal ischemia. These changes lead to behavioral deficits resembling common problems of patients with cerebral palsy.