Health and Healthcare Disparities in Pediatric Epilepsy in the United States: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVES: Health disparities impact epilepsy care in children. Previous efforts to summarize data in this population have been limited. This study sought to understand how this information exists in the literature and identify gaps in knowledge. METHODS: A scoping review of peer-reviewed articles and gray literature was conducted using PRISMA guidelines. Disparity populations (e.g., Sex, Race/Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status) and disparity outcomes (e.g., Quality of Life (QOL)/Psychological, Utilization, Mortality/Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) were identified. A finding was defined as a single result from a discrete statistical analysis of a specific clinical outcome by disparity population. Data extraction identified where this information existed in the literature and how it was reported. RESULTS: A total of 307 publications revealed 769 unique disparity/equity findings. Disparity populations were unequally represented (p < 0.0001). Sex and Race/Ethnicity had the most findings while Language/Immigration had the fewest. Nearly a quarter of findings (23%) addressed QOL/Psychological outcomes. The highest percentages of disparities were found in the Utilization, Mortality/SUDEP, and Economic categories. Of the 204 publications reporting disparity findings, fewer than half actually intended to investigate disparities as one of their original objectives. Of the disparity findings identified in peer-reviewed articles, a third were not mentioned in the abstract and 20% were not addressed in the discussion. INTERPRETATION: A comprehensive scoping review of health disparities in pediatric epilepsy found that specific disparity populations like Sex and Race/Ethnicity were robustly explored, while Language/Immigration was under-represented, despite a high rate of disparities. Health-related outcome categories were also unequally investigated. Disparity findings were often difficult to access within publications. ANN NEUROL 2024;95:733-742.

Sunflower Syndrome: A Survey of Provider Awareness and Management Preferences.

BACKGROUND: Sunflower syndrome is a rare photosensitive pediatric epilepsy characterized by stereotyped hand-waving in response to bright lights. These stereotyped movements with maintained awareness can be mistaken for a movement disorder. This study assessed neurology providers' diagnostic reasoning, evaluation, and treatment of Sunflower syndrome. METHODS: A 32-question anonymized electronic survey, including a clinical vignette and video of hand-waving in sunlight, was distributed to child neurology providers to assess (1) initial diagnosis and evaluation based on clinical information, (2) updated diagnosis and management after electroencephalography (EEG), and (3) prior experience with Sunflower syndrome. RESULTS: Among 277 viewed surveys, 211 respondents provided information about initial diagnosis and evaluation, 200 about updated diagnosis, 191 about management, and 189 about prior clinical experience. Most providers (135, 64%) suspected seizure, whereas fewer suspected movement disorders (29, 14%) or were unsure of the diagnosis (37, 22%). EEG was recommended by 180 (85%). After EEG, 189 (95%) diagnosed epilepsy, 111 of whom specifically diagnosed Sunflower syndrome. The majority (149, 78%) recommended antiseizure medications (ASMs) and sun avoidance (181, 95%). Only 103 (55%) had managed Sunflower syndrome. Epileptologists and those with prior clinical experience were more likely to suspect a seizure, order an EEG, and offer ASMs than those without prior experience. CONCLUSIONS: Although many providers had not managed Sunflower syndrome, the majority recognized this presentation as concerning for epilepsy. Epilepsy training and prior clinical experience are associated with improved recognition and appropriate treatment. Educational initiatives that increase awareness of Sunflower syndrome may improve patient care.

Health technology assessment for oral health in the past decade: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Health technology assessment (HTA) is the systematic evaluation of various properties and effects of a health technology. HTA can serve as a bridge between the world of knowledge and that of decision making, offering decision makers the best summary of scientific evidence. Scoping HTA reports in the context of dentistry can help researchers identify grey areas; help practitioners make evidence-based decisions and further initiate better policy making. AIM: To provide an overview on HTAs pertaining to oral health and dentistry in the past decade, map the extension and scope of the methodological practices, key findings, and limitations. METHODOLOGY: A scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute framework. A comprehensive search for HTA reports was done through the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment Database from January 2010 to December 2020. Consecutively, electronic databases (PubMed and Google Scholar) were searched. Finally, thirty-six reports were included in this review and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 709 articles were initially identified, of which thirty-six met the inclusion criteria. Reviewed HTAs focused on various specialties of dentistry worldwide. Maximum number of reports (N = 5) were related to "prosthodontics and dental implants" and technologies related to preventive dentistry were most commonly assessed (N = 4). CONCLUSION: Functional, appropriate, and evidence-based information provided through HTA pertaining to oral health on a regular basis will enable decision makers to have enough data to make decisions on the future use of new technology, modify existing policies, accelerate its translation into practice, and ensure provision of robust dental healthcare services.

Personality Traits Influence on Perception and Hesitancy Towards COVID-19 Vaccination Among Tertiary Care Dental Hospital in Delhi: A Cross-Section Study.

Background  In the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination is recognized as a global public-health goal for preventing, containing, and stopping transmission. But the reluctance of people to receive safe and recommended available vaccines (i.e., vaccine hesitancy) was a growing concern. One of the key elements that influence how people are perceived and their reluctance to get the COVID-19 vaccine was found to be personality traits. Hence, the aim of the study was to assess the influence of personality traits on perception and hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination among patients attending tertiary dental care hospitals in Delhi. Methodology A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among a sample of 322 participants aged 15-70 years attending the outpatient department of a public sector tertiary care dental hospital in New Delhi. Data was collected over a two-month period using a validated self-administered questionnaire which recorded demographic variables, individual perceptions, hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination, and personality traits [using 20-item mini international personality item pool (IPIP)]. Descriptive analysis followed by a Chi-square test and correlation test was applied. Results A total of 322 participants were contacted among which 300 participants (93%) responded which comprised 157 males (52.3%) and 143 females (47.7%). Dominant agreeableness personality shows a statistically significant positive correlation with individual perception (r=0.124, p=0.032) while a negative correlation with vaccine hesitancy (r= -0.146, p= 0.011). Among reasons for vaccine hesitancy, fear of side effects showed a significant association with personality traits (p= 0.018). Conclusion This study concluded that personality trait (dominant agreeableness) was an important factor in shaping individual perception and hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination.

Health Disparities in Pediatric Epilepsy: Methods and Lessons Learned.

Epilepsy affects 1% of youth and is associated with neurocognitive and psychosocial comorbidities, increased risk of mortality, and poor health-related outcomes. Health disparities in children and youth with epilepsy (CYE) have been understudied. A Special Interest Group (SIG) within the Pediatric Epilepsy Research Consortium is conducting a scoping review to systematically assess the literature and highlight the gaps in access to clinical care and management of pediatric epilepsy. The methodology for this review is presented. In conducting a peer-reviewed assessment of the scope of health disparities in pediatric epilepsy, we learned that developing the methodology for and conducting a comprehensive scoping review with multiple contributors resulted in a time-intensive process. While there is an evidence to suggest that health disparities do exist in CYE, very few studies have focused on these disparities. Disparity results are often not included in key elements of articles, lending them to be underemphasized and underrecognized. Preliminary conclusions inform several important research considerations.

High-Density (HD) Scalp EEG Findings in "Benign" Childhood Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes (BCECTS).

Despite characteristic clinical and scalp EEG findings, BCECTS pathophysiology is unclear regarding involvement of large-scale neuronal networks. Higher number of scalp electrodes with HD-EEG may promote accurate localization of the cortical generators in BCECTS providing additional insight in those with neurocognitive problems. We aimed to determine the value of visual interpretation of topographical maps using 256 channels (when compared to standard 21 channel array) HD-EEG in BCECTS and attempted to source localize interictal discharges (IEDs) using Geosource 2 software. Patient records were reviewed for demographic, seizure, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) details; scalp and HD-EEG findings. HD-EEG software was used to review raw EEG data (21 scalp EEG electrodes were compared to 256 HD-EEG electrodes); select, average, and source localize IEDs.Five BCECTS patients with HD-EEG were identified. Seizure onset age ranged from 5-11 years with 1-18 lifetime seizures; both focal (n = 3) and focal to bilateral tonic-clonic (n = 2). Neurocognitive co-morbidities noted in our cohort included attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, speech/developmental delay and a specific learning disorder. Scalp EEG showed typical findings with IEDs over the centrotemporal regions (bilateral n = 3; unilateral n = 2). Visualization and inspection of expanded coverage topographic maps with HD-EEG showed well-defined islands of maximum negativity and positivity of a dipole compared to conventional channels where boundary delineation was obscured. Further, HD-EEG localized IEDs/"spike-generator" to areas such as the pre-and post-central, middle-frontal and temporal gyrus, and the inferior parietal lobule. In BCECTS, HD-EEG may show affection for a broader neural network and may provide a better insight into the associated neurocognitive morbidities.

Novel De Novo Heterozygous Variants in the SON Gene Causing ZTTK Syndrome: A Case Report of Two Patients and Review of Neurological Findings.

Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim (ZTTK) syndrome is a newly described autosomal dominant multisystem developmental disorder resulting from a mutation of the SON gene located on chromosome region 21q22.11. It is characterized by heterogeneous features such as intellectual disability, facial dysmorphisms, poor feeding, vision abnormalities, musculoskeletal anomalies, congenital heart and genitourinary system defects, as well as several unique neurological findings including seizures, tone abnormalities, autism spectrum disorder and variable brain abnormalities noted on neuroimaging. Unfortunately, we lack adequate information regarding the spectrum of these neurological symptoms. In this study, we report 2 new unrelated cases of ZTTK syndrome, and identify new pathogenic variants in the SON gene through microarray analysis and whole-exome sequencing. We also emphasize the neurological manifestations of the syndrome in our patients and discuss the significance of gathering more data regarding neurological presentation, particularly seizure characteristics and long-term developmental progression. This information will be crucial to help understand long-term neurodevelopmental prognosis in these patients.

Infodemiology for oral health and disease: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Increasing affordability, accessibility and penetration of internet services worldwide, have substantially changed the ways of gathering health-related information. This has led to the origin of concept infodemiology that allows the information to be collected and analysed in near real time. Globally, oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people; thus, volume and profile of oral health searches would help in understanding specific community dental needs and formulation of pertinent oral health strategies. AIM: To review the published literature on infodemiological aspects of oral health and disease. METHODOLOGY: This scoping review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Electronic search engines (Google Scholar) and databases (PubMed, Web of science, Scopus) were searched from 2002 onwards. RESULTS: Thirty-eight articles were included in this review. The infodemiological studies for oral health and disease were mainly used in two domains. Out of 38 articles, 24 accessed the quality of available online information and 15 studied online oral health-related information seeking behaviour. CONCLUSION: The most commonly searched oral diseases were toothache, oral cancer, dental caries, periodontal disease, oral maxillofacial surgical procedures and paediatric oral diseases. Most of the studies belonged to developed countries and Google was the most researched search engine.

Association of Time to Clinical Remission With Sustained Resolution in Children With New-Onset Infantile Spasms.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Standard therapies (adrenocorticotropic hormone [ACTH], oral steroids, or vigabatrin) fail to control infantile spasms in almost half of children. Early identification of nonresponders could enable rapid initiation of sequential therapy. We aimed to determine the time to clinical remission after appropriate infantile spasms treatment initiation and identify predictors of the time to infantile spasms treatment response. METHODS: The National Infantile Spasms Consortium prospectively followed children aged 2-24 months with new-onset infantile spasms at 23 US centers (2012-2018). We included children treated with standard therapy (ACTH, oral steroids, or vigabatrin). Sustained treatment response was defined as having the last clinically recognized infantile spasms on or before treatment day 14, absence of hypsarrhythmia on EEG 2-4 weeks after treatment, and persistence of remission to day 30. We analyzed the time to treatment response and assessed clinical characteristics to predict sustained treatment response. RESULTS: Among 395 infants, clinical infantile spasms remission occurred in 43% (n = 171) within the first 2 weeks of treatment, of which 81% (138/171) responded within the first week of treatment. There was no difference in the median time to response across standard therapies (ACTH: median 4 days, interquartile range [IQR] 3-7; oral steroids: median 3 days, IQR 2-5; vigabatrin: median 3 days, IQR 1-6). Individuals without hypsarrhythmia on the pretreatment EEG (i.e., abnormal but not hypsarrhythmia) were more likely to have early treatment response than infants with hypsarrhythmia at infantile spasms onset (hazard ratio 2.23, 95% CI 1.39-3.57). No other clinical factors predicted early responders to therapy. DISCUSSION: Remission after first infantile spasms treatment can be identified by treatment day 7 in most children. Given the importance of early and effective treatment, these data suggest that children who do not respond to standard infantile spasms therapy within 1 week should be reassessed immediately for additional standard treatment. This approach could optimize outcomes by facilitating early sequential therapy for children with infantile spasms.

Self-Perceived Halitosis and Related Factors Among the Mask-Wearing Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Delhi, India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Halitosis (oral malodor) is a common health condition throughout the world. In India, data on self-reported halitosis and related factors is limited. Mouth mask usage has been made compulsory after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This could possibly alter oral microflora and environment and contribute to halitosis. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of self-perceived halitosis (SPH) among mask-wearing patients visiting a tertiary care dental hospital in Delhi, India. Methods A cross­sectional study was conducted among a convenience sample of 300 patients visiting a tertiary care dental hospital in the capital of India. SPH status was measured using a self-designed and structured questionnaire containing socio-demographic factors, mask-related habits, and self-perceived oral health status. Statistical analysis was done using Jamovi software (The jamovi project, Sydney, Australia) version 1.8. Descriptive analysis followed by a chi-square test and a multivariate logistic regression test was applied. Results Bad breath was perceived by 86 study subjects. Of the participants, 16.7% felt that they had bad breath before the pandemic, and 38% of the participants had an increased perception or feeling of bad breath since regular mask usage. Of the participants, 42.7% felt that they had an increased feeling of dryness in the mouth post-pandemic. SPH status was associated with mask usage frequency (p<0.001), change (p<0.001) and type of mask (p=0.004), increased feeling of dryness (p<0.001), frequency of toothbrushing (p<0.001), self-reported oral disease (p=0.007), and dental treatment in the past 12 months (p=0.005). Conclusion The SPH status of the study population was associated with mask-related habits and self-reported oral health status. The findings highlight the importance of possible amendments in preventive and curative care for patients with halitosis post-COVID-19 pandemic.

Pleasure and Displeasure: Thunderclap Headache in a 13-Year-Old Boy.

Primary headache associated with sexual activity (PHASA) is a rare headache syndrome characterized by an acute, maximally intense headache during sexual activity and/or orgasm. While rare, it is a diagnosis that is widely accepted in adults; but, scarcely documented in children and adolescents. We aim to highlight the diagnostic process of this interesting headache syndrome in the pediatric population and add to the small list of reported cases in this group. Herein, we describe the case of a 13-year-old boy who presented with thunderclap headaches (TCH) associated with sexual activity. While more commonly diagnosed in adults, PHASA should be considered in sexually active children, though more ominous diagnoses should also be contemplated prior to establishing this diagnosis.

A Rare Case of Stroke in an Adolescent Violinist Due to Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), a rare condition, results from the compression of neurovascular structures traversing from the neck through the thoracic outlet into the axilla. It can develop from chronic repetitive activities of the upper extremities, commonly reported in athletes playing sports involving vigorous use of arms and shoulders. While symptoms of neurovascular compression can occur, stroke due to TOS in children is not commonly reported. We describe a rare case of a healthy 14-year-old boy, a competitive violinist, with acute limb ischemia from extensive occlusive thrombi involving several arteries in the right upper extremity as well as the right vertebral artery, which ultimately caused infarcts in the bilateral posterior circulation. The etiology was determined to be TOS leading to impingement of the right subclavian artery by a fused cervical rib aggravated by patient's prolonged violin practice. This case represents the first description of stroke from TOS in an adolescent violinist.

FARS2 (Phenylalanyl-tRNA Synthetase 2) Deficiency: A Novel Mutation Associated with EEG Phenotype of Epilepsy of Infancy with Migrating Focal Seizures (EIMFS).

Epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures (EIMFS) is a rare devastating infantile epileptic encephalopathy that is characterized by a unique electroencephalopgraphy (EEG) signature of multifocal simultaneous seizures. Although no definite etiology is understood for EIMFS, mutations in certain ion channels, are implicated. Similarly, phenylalanyl-tRNA synthetase 2 (FARS2) deficiency is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder of dysfunctional mitochondrial translation causing refractory seizures, lactic acidosis, and developmental regression with a variety of EEG findings. However, an EIMFS-like pattern on EEG in FARS2 deficiency has only recently been reported once. Herein, we describe a seven-week-old male with seizures where whole exome sequencing (WES) revealed pathogenic FARS2 variants and an EIMFS pattern on EEG. This case provides an insight on a novel genetic mechanism for EIMFS. We encourage early consideration of WES when EIMFS is detected to evaluate for FARS2 deficiency, especially in the setting of profound lactic acidosis.

Deep learning applied to whole-brain connectome to determine seizure control after epilepsy surgery.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated whether deep learning applied to whole-brain presurgical structural connectomes could be used to predict postoperative seizure outcome more accurately than inference from clinical variables in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). METHODS: Fifty patients with unilateral TLE were classified either as having persistent disabling seizures (SZ) or becoming seizure-free (SZF) at least 1 year after epilepsy surgery. Their presurgical structural connectomes were reconstructed from whole-brain diffusion tensor imaging. A deep network was trained based on connectome data to classify seizure outcome using 5-fold cross-validation. RESULTS: Classification accuracy of our trained neural network showed positive predictive value (PPV; seizure freedom) of 88 ± 7% and mean negative predictive value (NPV; seizure refractoriness) of 79 ± 8%. Conversely, a classification model based on clinical variables alone yielded <50% accuracy. The specific features that contributed to high accuracy classification of the neural network were located not only in the ipsilateral temporal and extratemporal regions, but also in the contralateral hemisphere. SIGNIFICANCE: Deep learning demonstrated to be a powerful statistical approach capable of isolating abnormal individualized patterns from complex datasets to provide a highly accurate prediction of seizure outcomes after surgery. Features involved in this predictive model were both ipsilateral and contralateral to the clinical foci and spanned across limbic and extralimbic networks.

Tip of the Iceberg: Forme Fruste Tuberous Sclerosis in a Child.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by dermatologic manifestations and growth of multiple benign tumors often involving the brain, skin, kidneys, heart, lungs, and liver. It exhibits wide phenotypic variation, ranging from the most severe cases with intellectual disability and intractable epilepsy to the mildest, clinically silent forms of the disease. The incidence of TSC is reported to be 1/6000; however, this does not account for those with milder forms of the disease, of which forme fruste is the mildest. Forme fruste is a French term for a "crude or unfinished form." In medicine, it refers to an atypical or attenuated manifestation of a clinical condition and implies an incomplete, partial, or an aborted disease state. Here, we describe a rare case of forme fruste TSC incidentally diagnosed in an otherwise healthy child, highlighting the implications of the diagnosis for treatment and screening in similarly affected pediatric patients.

Treating Immune-Related Epilepsy.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review explores different treatment modalities for immune-mediated epilepsy, including epilepsy caused by autoantibodies as well as epilepsy in the context of systemic autoimmune disease. RECENT FINDINGS: Autoimmune epilepsy is an increasingly recognized entity. Conventional treatments for epilepsy, such as antiseizure medications and epilepsy surgery, are less successful in treating epilepsy caused by autoimmune disease. Immunomodulatory therapies such as corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, and plasma exchange are generally more successful in treating immune-mediated epilepsy than conventional epilepsy therapies. Autoimmune epilepsy should be considered as a possible etiology for patients with frequent seizures of unknown etiology. The response to immunotherapies is often promising, particularly in patients with antibodies to neuronal cell surface antigens.

Tooth Jewellery- Its Knowledge and Practice Among Dentists in Tricity, India.

INTRODUCTION: The world of fashion is ever changing and this dynamics applies to dentistry. As dentistry and dental treatments have become necessary facet of a healthy life and therefore down the line fashion prospect of tooth jewellery are also getting fused into it. AIM: To assess the knowledge and practice of tooth jewellery among practicing dentists of Tricity, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among 310 dental practitioners in Tricity (Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula), India. A self-administered, close-ended questionnaire was distributed among all the dental practitioners in order to assess their knowledge and practice regarding tooth jewellery. Responses of the questionnaire was obtained on the dichotomous scale with Yes and No. Right answers were given a score of 2 whereas the wrong answers were given as score of 1. The data was analyzed using unpaired students t-test, one way ANOVA (analysis of variance) and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A significant difference was observed among the genders with males being three times more knowledgeable (OR=3.5, 95%CI: 0.8-2.8). It has been found that knowledge and practice scores of dental practitioners who spend more than 10 hours per day have two times more knowledge (OR= 2.3, 95%CI:0.08-1.1) than others. The dentists holding the masters degree were having three times more knowledge than the graduates' ones (OR= 2.3, 95%C.I:0.1-1.9). CONCLUSION: The present study concluded that dental practitioners had sufficient knowledge about tooth jewellery. Practice of tooth jewellery in the dental clinics was found to be adequate but it was also associated with some complications. To overcome this, it is advised that professional and government bodies should create strategies for enhancing and improving people's knowledge as well as make them aware of the pros and cons while using tooth jewellery which shall further enhance their smile.

Mondini dysplasia as a cause for recurrent bacterial meningitis: an early diagnosis.

Mondini dysplasia is a rare but an important cause for recurrent pyogenic meningitis in children and requires a high index of clinical suspicion for early diagnosis. We present the case of a 7-year-old boy, who presented with 2 episodes of pyogenic meningitis within a span of 1 month. There was no obvious history of hearing abnormalities, but pure tone audiometry suggested profound mixed hearing loss in the left ear. High-resolution computed tomographic scan and magnetic resonance imaging of temporal bones confirmed the diagnosis of Mondini dysplasia in the left ear. Computed tomographic cisternography failed to demonstrate any obvious cerebrospinal fluid leak. The child was managed conservatively and has been asymptomatic since then. Thus, in our patient, Mondini dysplasia as a cause for recurrent pyogenic meningitis was diagnosed (early) during the second episode of meningitis. The need for an early diagnosis of Mondini dysplasia has been stressed in this report.