Exploring the perspectives of caregivers of urban Inuit children on child health knowledge mobilisation.

Our study sought to explore the experiences of caregivers of urban Inuit children with respect to child health knowledge acquisition to develop community-specific best practices for health promotion initiatives. A needs assessment was conducted to understand how caregivers access child health knowledge and services; what child health issues require improved knowledge mobilisation; and how caregivers would like to access this knowledge. Four focus groups were held with twenty-four parents and caregivers of Inuit children. Child health knowledge acquisition was influenced by dynamics of trust and discrimination, making caregivers' social networks and Indigenous health services highly valued sources. Health topics identified as requiring improved knowledge mobilisation were those in which caregivers faced tensions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous ways of knowing. Such topics included parenting and development, adolescent mental and sexual health, common childhood illnesses, infant care, and nutrition. Caregivers preferred a multi-modal approach to health promotion, highlighting importance of in-person gatherings while also valuing accessible multi-media components. The presence of Elders as facilitators was especially important for child development, parenting, and nutrition. For health promotion to be effective, it must consider community-specific health knowledge sharing processes; tensions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous ways of knowing; and community ownership in health promotion endeavors.

Cognitive and Neuroimaging Profiles of Older Adults With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Presenting to a Memory Clinic.

OBJECTIVE: Some features of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may resemble those of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults, contributing to diagnostic uncertainty in individuals seeking assessment in memory clinics. We systematically compared cognition and brain structure in ADHD and MCI to clarify the extent of overlap and identify potential features unique to each. METHOD: Older adults from a Cognitive Neurology clinic (40 ADHD, 29 MCI, 37 controls) underwent neuropsychological assessment. A subsample (n = 80) underwent structural neuroimaging. RESULTS: Memory was impaired in both patient groups, but reflected a storage deficit in MCI (supported by relatively smaller hippocampi) and an encoding deficit in ADHD (supported by frontal lobe thinning). Both groups displayed normal executive functioning. Semantic retrieval was uniquely impaired in MCI. CONCLUSION: Although ADHD has been proposed as a dementia risk factor or prodrome, we propose it is rather a pathophysiologically-unique phenotypic mimic acting via overlap in memory and executive performance.

Association of Histologic Chorioamnionitis With Perinatal Brain Injury and Early Childhood Neurodevelopmental Outcomes Among Preterm Neonates.

Importance: Understanding the role of chorioamnionitis, a major factor leading to preterm birth, in the pathogenesis of neonatal brain injury and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes may help in identifying potentially modifiable perinatal variables affecting brain health and outcomes among children born preterm. Objective: To evaluate whether histologic chorioamnionitis among neonates born very preterm is associated with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and punctate white matter injury (WMI) or with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes during early childhood. Design, Setting, and Participants: Prospective cohort study conducted across 3 academic centers (from April 2006 to September 2013 in Canada, from March 2007 to March 2013 in the Netherlands, and from January 2004 to August 2011 in the United States). Children who were born preterm (24-32 weeks' gestation) and who had undergone a placental pathologic evaluation, magnetic resonance imaging as soon as clinically stable, and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) assessments between 18 and 24 months' corrected age (CA) were included. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were assessed for grade of IVH and volume of punctate WMI. Data analysis occurred between December 2016 and January 2018. Final multivariable analyses examining the association of chorioamnionitis with motor and cognitive outcomes accounted for academic center and perinatal and postnatal factors. Main Outcomes and Measures: Punctate WMI volume and IVH detected on neonatal magnetic resonance imaging scans; motor and cognitive outcomes defined using Bayley-III assessments conducted among these children between 18 and 24 months' CA. Results: Of 350 neonates (182 male) in the final cohort, 145 (41.4%) had histologic chorioamnionitis. Gestational age was significantly lower among those with chorioamnionitis (median, 26.4 weeks; interquartile range [IQR], 25.6-27.7 weeks) than among those without chorioamnionitis (median, 28.0 weeks; IQR, 27.0-29.7 weeks). Chorioamnionitis was not associated with IVH or WMI, nor was it associated with worse motor outcomes in univariable or multivariable analyses (adjusted Bayley-III motor score, -2.2; 95% CI, -5.6 to 1.3). Cognitive scores were marginally yet statistically significantly lower among children with chorioamnionitis (median, 105; IQR, 95-110) than among those without chorioamnionitis (median, 105; IQR, 100-115) in the univariable model. This difference was attenuated in the multivariable model (adjusted Bayley-III cognitive score, -3.0; 95% CI, -6.4 to 0.4). Conclusions and Relevance: Histologic chorioamnionitis was not associated with IVH or WMI near birth or with worse cognitive or motor outcomes from 18 to 24 months' CA after accounting for perinatal factors. Postnatal factors attenuated the association between chorioamnionitis and neurodevelopmental outcomes, highlighting the importance of preventing postnatal illness, such as infection, to promote optimal outcomes among children born preterm.

Adult ADHD: Risk Factor for Dementia or Phenotypic Mimic?

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has historically been considered a disorder of childhood and adolescence. However, it is now recognized that ADHD symptoms persist into adulthood in up to 60% of individuals. Some of the cognitive symptoms that characterize ADHD (inability to provide sustained attention or mental effort, difficulty organizing or multi-tasking, forgetfulness) may closely resemble symptoms of prodromal dementia, also often referred to as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), particularly in patients over age 50. In addition to the overlap in cognitive symptoms, adults with ADHD and those with MCI may also share a number of behavioral and psychiatric symptoms, including sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety. As a result, both syndromes may be difficult to distinguish clinically in older patients, particularly those who present to memory clinics with subjective cognitive complaints and fear the onset of a neurodegenerative process: is it ADHD, MCI, or both? Currently, it is unclear whether ADHD is associated with incipient dementia or is being misdiagnosed as MCI due to symptom overlap, as there exist data supporting either possibility. Here, we aim to elucidate this issue by outlining three hypothetical ways in which ADHD and MCI might relate to each other, providing an overview of the evidence relevant to each hypothesis, and delineating areas for future research. This is a question of considerable importance, with implications for improved diagnostic specificity of early dementia, improved accuracy of disease prevalence estimates, and better identification of individuals for targeted treatment.

Therapeutic angiogenesis with VEGF164 for facilitation of guidewire crossing in experimental arterial chronic total occlusions.

AIMS: Percutaneous revascularisation of chronic total occlusions (CTO) is limited by failure of guidewire crossing. Neovascularisation within the proximal CTO segment may be important for guidewire crossing and dramatically declines in CTO beyond six weeks of age. The aims of the current study were to determine whether local delivery of a pro-angiogenic growth factor increases neovascularisation in mature CTO and facilitates guidewire crossings. METHODS AND RESULTS: CTO (n=51) were created in the femoral arteries of 44 New Zealand white rabbits using the thrombin injection model. At 12 weeks, CTO were treated with poly-lactic-glycolic-acid (PLGA) microspheres containing either bovine serum albumin (BSA) (n=15) or recombinant mouse VEGF164 (n=14), or received no intervention (controls, n=12). Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CEMRA) was performed prior to treatment and at three weeks post treatment. Animals were sacrificed at three weeks post treatment and arterial samples were excised for micro-computed tomography imaging (µCT) and histologic morphometric analysis. Guidewire crossing was assessed at three weeks post treatment in an additional 10 VEGF164-treated CTO. In comparison to BSA-treated and control non-intervened CTO, VEGF164-treated CTO showed a significant increase in relative blood volume index in the proximal segment of the CTO lesion as determined by CEMRA and by µCT. Histologic measurements of microvessel area were also higher in VEGF164-treated CTO. Guidewire crossing across the proximal fibrous cap was successful in eight out of 10 VEGF164-treated CTO. CONCLUSIONS: Angiogenic therapy appears to be a promising strategy to improve neovascularisation and guidewire crossing rates in CTO.

Current perspectives on coronary chronic total occlusions: the Canadian Multicenter Chronic Total Occlusions Registry.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and management of coronary chronic total occlusions (CTOs) in current practice. BACKGROUND: There is little evidence in contemporary literature concerning the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and treatment decisions regarding patients who have coronary CTOs identified during coronary angiography. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing nonurgent coronary angiography with CTO were prospectively identified at 3 Canadian sites from April 2008 to July 2009. Patients with previous coronary artery bypass graft surgery or presenting with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction were excluded. Detailed baseline clinical, angiographic, electrocardiographic, and revascularization data were collected. RESULTS: Chronic total occlusions were identified in 1,697 (18.4%) patients with significant coronary artery disease (>50% stenosis in ≥1 coronary artery) who were undergoing nonemergent angiography. Previous history of myocardial infarction was documented in 40% of study patients, with electrocardiographic evidence of Q waves corresponding to the CTO artery territory in only 26% of cases. Left ventricular function was normal in >50% of patients with CTO. Half the CTOs were located in the right coronary artery. Almost half the patients with CTO were treated medically, and 25% underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CTO bypassed in 88%). Percutaneous coronary intervention was done in 30% of patients, although CTO lesions were attempted in only 10% (with 70% success rate). CONCLUSIONS: Chronic total occlusions are common in contemporary catheterization laboratory practice. Prospective studies are needed to ascertain the benefits of treatment strategies of these complex patients.