Disparities in Teleneurology Use in Medicaid Beneficiaries With Epilepsy by Practice Setting: Promoting Health Equity in Academic Centers.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Medicaid beneficiaries in many American academic medical centers can receive care in a separate facility than those not covered by Medicaid. We aimed to identify possible disparities in care by evaluating the association between facility type (integrated faculty practice or Medicaid-only outpatient clinic) and telehealth utilization in people with epilepsy. METHODS: We performed retrospective analyses using structured data from the Mount Sinai Health System electronic medical record data from January 2003 to August 2021. We identified people of all ages with epilepsy who were followed by an epileptologist after January 3, 2018, using a validated ICD-9-CM/10-CM coded case definition. We evaluated associations between practice setting and telehealth utilization, an outcome measure that captures the evolving delivery of neurologic care in a post-coronavirus disease 2019 era, using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: We identified 4,586 people with epilepsy seen by an epileptologist, including Medicaid beneficiaries in the Medicaid outpatient clinic (N = 387), Medicaid beneficiaries in the faculty practice after integration (N = 723), and non-Medicaid beneficiaries (N = 3,476). Patients not insured by Medicaid were significantly older (average age 40 years vs 29 in persons seen in Medicaid-only outpatient clinic and 28.5 in persons insured with Medicaid seen in faculty practice [p < 0.0001]). Medicaid beneficiaries were more likely to have drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE), with 51.94% of people seen in Medicaid-only outpatient clinic, 41.63% of Medicaid beneficiaries seen in faculty practice, and 37.2% of non-Medicaid beneficiaries having DRE (p < 0.0001). Medicaid outpatient clinic patients were less likely to have telehealth visits (phone or video); 81.65% of patients in the Medicaid outpatient clinic having no telehealth visits vs 71.78% of Medicaid beneficiaries in the faculty practice and 70.89% of non-Medicaid beneficiaries (p < 0.0001). In an adjusted logistic regression analysis, Medicaid beneficiaries had lower odds (0.61; 95% CI 0.46-0.81) of using teleneurology compared with all patients seen in faculty practice (p = 0.0005). DISCUSSION: Compared with the Medicaid-only outpatient clinic, we found higher telehealth utilization in the integrated faculty practice with no difference by insurance status (Medicaid vs other). Integrated care may be associated with better health care delivery in people with epilepsy; thus, future research should examine its impact on other epilepsy-related outcomes.

Provider Experience With the Use of Ketamine for Refractory Status Epilepticus.

OBJECTIVE: Refractory status epilepticus (RSE) treated with anesthetic agents can be associated with complications including respiratory depression and hypotension. Ketamine is an emerging RSE treatment, but optimal dosing and timing are unknown. We studied provider attitudes and practices regarding the use of ketamine for RSE. METHODS: A literature review informed the creation of the survey, developed by professionals in epilepsy, pharmacy, and neurocritical care. The survey was distributed to members of the Critical Care EEG Monitoring and Research Consortium, Neurocritical Care Society, American Academy of Neurology Synapse community, American Epilepsy Society, and the Canadian League Against Epilepsy. Descriptive statistics were calculated. RESULTS: There were 109 respondents. First-line agents for RSE were midazolam (53%), propofol (42%), pentobarbital (2%), and ketamine (1%). Reasons for ketamine use included failure of midazolam/propofol to control seizures (81%) or hypotension on another anesthetic (35%). Perceived contraindications included hypertension (37%), elevated intracranial pressure (24%), and heart failure (18%). Perceived benefits included decreased use of vasopressors (53%) and more rapid RSE control when used adjunctively (49%). Routine ketamine users often treated more than 10 RSE cases per year, worked as intensivists or at academic institutions. Of the respondents, 59% found ketamine useful for RSE and 94% were interested in learning more about its use. CONCLUSIONS: Although most participants found ketamine helpful for RSE, it is mainly used as a second-line agent adjunctively with midazolam or propofol. Perceived ketamine benefits included decreased need for hemodynamic support and more rapid seizure control when used in conjunction with other anesthetics. Perceived contraindications centered on cardiac and intracranial pressure concerns.

Elevated phase amplitude coupling as a depression biomarker in epilepsy.

Depression is prevalent in epilepsy patients and their intracranial brain activity recordings can be used to determine the types of brain activity that are associated with comorbid depression. We performed case-control comparison of spectral power and phase amplitude coupling (PAC) in 34 invasively monitored drug resistant epilepsy patients' brain recordings. The values of spectral power and PAC for one-minute segments out of every hour in a patient's study were correlated with pre-operative assessment of depressive symptoms by Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI). We identified an elevated PAC signal (theta-alpha-beta phase (5-25 Hz)/gamma frequency (80-100 Hz) band) that is present in high BDI scores but not low BDI scores adult epilepsy patients in brain regions implicated in primary depression, including anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex. Our results showed the application of PAC as a network-specific, electrophysiologic biomarker candidate for comorbid depression and its potential as treatment target for neuromodulation.

Ophthalmic and Systemic Factors of Acute Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy in the Quark207 Treatment Trial.

PURPOSE: We describe the baseline ophthalmic and cardiovascular risk factors across countries, race, and sex for the Quark207 treatment trial for acute nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). DESIGN: Prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS: Adults 50 to 80 years of age with acute NAION recruited from 80 sites across 8 countries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ophthalmic features of NAION and cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: We evaluated demographics and clinical and ophthalmologic data, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and average visual field total deviation (TD), in affected eyes and cup-to-disc ratio in fellow eyes at enrollment. We report the prevalence (mean and standard devition, and median and interquartile range [IQR]) of ophthalmic features and cardiovascular risk factors, stratified by country, race, and sex. We corrected for multiple comparisons using Dunn's test with Bonferroni correction for continuous variables and chi-square testing with Holm-Bonferroni correction for categorical variables. RESULTS: The study enrolled 500 men and 229 women with a median age of 60 and 61 years (P = 0.027), respectively. Participants were predominantly White (n = 570) and Asian (n = 149). The study eye BCVA was 71 characters (IQR, 53-84 characters; approximately 0.4 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution), and the TD was -16.5 dB (IQR, -22.2 to -12.6 dB) for stimulus III and -15.7 dB (IQR, -20.8 to -10.9 dB) for stimulus V. The vertical and horizontal cup-to-disc ratio was 0.1 (IQR, 0.1-0.3) for unaffected fellow eyes. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors varied among countries. The most notable differences were in the baseline comorbidities and ophthalmologic features, which differed between Asian and White races. Men and women differed with respect to a few clinically meaningful features. CONCLUSIONS: The cardiovascular risk factors in the NAION cohort varied among the 7 countries, race, and sex, but were not typically more prevalent than in the general population. Ophthalmic features, typical of NAION, generally were consistent across countries, race, and sex, except for worse BCVA and TD in China. Men have a frequency of NAION twice that of women. Having a small cup-to-disc ratio in the fellow eye was the most prevalent risk factor across all demographics. This study suggests that factors, not yet identified, may contribute to the development of NAION. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Variation in US acute ischemic stroke treatment by hospital regions: limited endovascular access despite evidence.

BACKGROUND: Although national organizations recognize the importance of regionalized acute ischemic stroke (AIS) care, data informing expansion are sparse. We assessed real-world regional variation in emergent AIS treatment, including growth in revascularization therapies and stroke center certification. We hypothesized that we would observe overall growth in revascularization therapy utilization, but observed differences would vary greatly regionally. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was carried out of de-identified national inpatient Medicare Fee-for-Service datasets from 2016 to 2019. We identified AIS admissions and treatment with thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy (ET) with International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification codes. We grouped hospitals in Dartmouth Atlas of Healthcare Hospital Referral Regions (HRR) and calculated hospital, demographic, and acute stroke treatment characteristics for each HRR. We calculated the percent of hospitals with stroke certification and AIS cases treated with thrombolysis or ET per HRR. RESULTS: There were 957 958 AIS admissions. Relative mean (SD) growth in percent of AIS admissions receiving revascularization therapy per HRR from 2016 to 2019 was 13.4 (31.7)% (IQR -6.1-31.7%) for thrombolysis and 28.0 (72.0)% (IQR 0-56.0%) for ET. The proportion of HRRs with decreased or no difference in ET utilization was 38.9% and the proportion of HRRs with decreased or no difference in thrombolysis utilization was 32.7%. Mean (SD) stroke center certification proportion across HRRs was 45.3 (31.5)% and this varied widely (IQR 18.3-73.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall growth in AIS treatment has been modest and, within HRRs, growth in AIS treatment and the proportion of centers with stroke certification varies dramatically.

Older adults with epilepsy and COVID-19: Outcomes in a multi-hospital health system.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity in older adults, especially those with pre-existing conditions. There is little work investigating how neurological conditions affect older adults with COVID-19. We aimed to compare in-hospital outcomes, including mortality, in older adults with and without epilepsy. METHODS: This retrospective study in a large multicenter New York health system included consecutive older patients (age ≥65 years) either with or without epilepsy who were admitted with COVID-19 between 3/2020-5/2021. Epilepsy was identified using a validated International Classification of Disease (ICD) and antiseizure medicationbased case definition. Univariate comparisons were calculated using Chi-square, Fisher's exact, Mann-Whitney U, or Student's t-tests. Multivariable logistic regression models were generated to examine factors associated with mortality, discharge disposition and length of stay (LOS). RESULTS: We identified 5384 older adults admitted with COVID-19 of whom 173 (3.21 %) had epilepsy. Mean age was significantly lower in those with (75.44, standard deviation (SD): 7.23) compared to those without epilepsy (77.98, SD: 8.68, p = 0.007). Older adults with epilepsy were more likely to be ventilated (35.84 % vs. 16.18 %, p < 0.001), less likely to be discharged home (21.39 % vs. 43.12 %, p < 0.001), had longer median LOS (13 days vs. 8 days, p < 0.001), and had higher in-hospital death (35.84 % vs. 28.29 %, p = 0.030) compared to those without epilepsy. Epilepsy in older adults was associated with increased odds of in-hospital death (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.55; 95 % CI 1.12-2.14, p = 0.032), non-routine discharge disposition (aOR, 3.34; 95 % CI 2.21-5.03, p < 0.001), and longer LOS (46.46 % 95 % CI 34 %-59 %, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In models that adjusted for multiple confounders including comorbidity and age, our study found that epilepsy was still associated with higher in-hospital mortality, longer LOS and worse discharge dispositions in older adults with COVID-19 higher in-hospital mortality, longer LOS and worse discharge dispositions in older adults with COVID-19. This work reinforces that epilepsy is a risk factor for worse outcomes in older adults admitted with COVID-19. Timely identification and treatment of COVID-19 in epilepsy may improve outcomes in older people with epilepsy.

Responsive Neurostimulation for People With Drug-Resistant Epilepsy and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PURPOSE: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have comorbid epilepsy at much higher rates than the general population, and about 30% will be refractory to medication. Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) should be referred for surgical evaluation, yet many with ASD and DRE are not resective surgical candidates. The aim of this study was to examine the response of this population to the responsive neurostimulator (RNS) System. METHODS: This multicenter study evaluated patients with ASD and DRE who underwent RNS System placement. Patients were included if they had the RNS System placed for 1 year or more. Seizure reduction and behavioral outcomes were reported. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis. RESULTS: Nineteen patients with ASD and DRE had the RNS System placed at 5 centers. Patients were between the ages of 11 and 29 (median 20) years. Fourteen patients were male, whereas five were female. The device was implanted from 1 to 5 years. Sixty-three percent of all patients experienced a >50% seizure reduction, with 21% of those patients being classified as super responders (seizure reduction >90%). For the super responders, two of the four patients had the device implanted for >2 years. The response rate was 70% for those in whom the device was implanted for >2 years. Improvements in behaviors as measured by the Clinical Global Impression Scale-Improvement scale were noted in 79%. No complications from the surgery were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the authors' experience in this small cohort of patients, the RNS System seems to be a promising surgical option in people with ASD-DRE.

Scoping review and expert-based consensus recommendations for assessment and management of psychogenic non-epileptic (functional) seizures (PNES) in children: A report from the Pediatric Psychiatric Issues Task Force of the International League Against Epilepsy.

Limited guidance exists regarding the assessment and management of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) in children. Our aim was to develop consensus-based recommendations to fill this gap. The members of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Task Force on Pediatric Psychiatric Issues conducted a scoping review adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-SR) standards. This was supplemented with a Delphi process sent to pediatric PNES experts. Consensus was defined as ≥80% agreement. The systematic search identified 77 studies, the majority (55%) of which were retrospective (only one randomized clinical trial). The primary means of PNES identification was video electroencephalography (vEEG) in 84% of studies. Better outcome was associated with access to counseling/psychological intervention. Children with PNES have more frequent psychiatric disorders than controls. The Delphi resulted in 22 recommendations: Assessment-There was consensus on the importance of (1) taking a comprehensive developmental history; (2) obtaining a description of the events; (3) asking about potential stressors; (4) the need to use vEEG if available parent, self, and school reports and video recordings can contribute to a "probable" diagnosis; and (5) that invasive provocation techniques or deceit should not be employed. Management-There was consensus about the (1) need for a professional with expertise in epilepsy to remain involved for a period after PNES diagnosis; (2) provision of appropriate educational materials to the child and caregivers; and (3) that the decision on treatment modality for PNES in children should consider the child's age, cognitive ability, and family factors. Comorbidities-There was consensus that all children with PNES should be screened for mental health and neurodevelopmental difficulties. Recommendations to facilitate the assessment and management of PNES in children were developed. Future directions to fill knowledge gaps were proposed.

Treatment of seizures in the neonate: Guidelines and consensus-based recommendations-Special report from the ILAE Task Force on Neonatal Seizures.

Seizures are common in neonates, but there is substantial management variability. The Neonatal Task Force of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) developed evidence-based recommendations about antiseizure medication (ASM) management in neonates in accordance with ILAE standards. Six priority questions were formulated, a systematic literature review and meta-analysis were performed, and results were reported following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) 2020 standards. Bias was evaluated using the Cochrane tool and risk of Bias in non-randomised studies - of interventions (ROBINS-I), and quality of evidence was evaluated using grading of recommendations, assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE). If insufficient evidence was available, then expert opinion was sought using Delphi consensus methodology. The strength of recommendations was defined according to the ILAE Clinical Practice Guidelines development tool. There were six main recommendations. First, phenobarbital should be the first-line ASM (evidence-based recommendation) regardless of etiology (expert agreement), unless channelopathy is likely the cause for seizures (e.g., due to family history), in which case phenytoin or carbamazepine should be used. Second, among neonates with seizures not responding to first-line ASM, phenytoin, levetiracetam, midazolam, or lidocaine may be used as a second-line ASM (expert agreement). In neonates with cardiac disorders, levetiracetam may be the preferred second-line ASM (expert agreement). Third, following cessation of acute provoked seizures without evidence for neonatal-onset epilepsy, ASMs should be discontinued before discharge home, regardless of magnetic resonance imaging or electroencephalographic findings (expert agreement). Fourth, therapeutic hypothermia may reduce seizure burden in neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (evidence-based recommendation). Fifth, treating neonatal seizures (including electrographic-only seizures) to achieve a lower seizure burden may be associated with improved outcome (expert agreement). Sixth, a trial of pyridoxine may be attempted in neonates presenting with clinical features of vitamin B6-dependent epilepsy and seizures unresponsive to second-line ASM (expert agreement). Additional considerations include a standardized pathway for the management of neonatal seizures in each neonatal unit and informing parents/guardians about the diagnosis of seizures and initial treatment options.

Health equity integrated epilepsy care and research: A narrative review.

BACKGROUND: With the unanimous approval of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders by the World Health Organization in May 2022, there are strong imperatives to work towards equitable neurological care. AIMS: Using epilepsy as an entry point to other neurologic conditions, we discuss disparities faced by marginalized groups including racial/ethnic minorities, Americans living in rural communities, and Americans with low socioeconomic status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The National Institute on Minority Health Disparities Research Framework (NIMHD) was used to conduct a narrative review through a health equity lens to create an adapted framework for epilepsy and propose approaches to working towards equitable epilepsy and neurological care. RESULTS: In this narrative review, we identified priority populations (racial and ethnic minority, rural-residing, and low socioeconomic status persons with epilepsy) and outcomes (likelihood to see a neurologist, be prescribed antiseizure medications, undergo epilepsy surgery, and be hospitalized) to explore disparities in epilepsy and guide our focused literature search using PubMed. In an adapted NIMHD framework, we examined individual, interpersonal, community, and societal level contributors to health disparities across five domains: (1) behavioral, (2) physical/built environment, (3) sociocultural, (4) environment, and (5) healthcare system. We take a health equity approach to propose initiatives that target modifiable factors that impact disparities and advocate for sustainable change for priority populations. DISCUSSION: To improve equity, healthcare providers and relevant societal stakeholders can advocate for improved care coordination, referrals for epilepsy surgery, access to care, health informatics interventions, and education (i.e., to providers, patients, and communities). More broadly, stakeholders can advocate for reforms in medical education, and in the American health insurance landscape. CONCLUSIONS: Equitable healthcare should be a priority in neurological care.

Sensitivity and specificity of alternative screening methods for systematic reviews using text mining tools.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of text mining (TM) on the sensitivity and specificity of title and abstract screening strategies for systematic reviews (SRs). STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Twenty reviewers each evaluated a 500-citation set. We compared five screening methods: conventional double screen (CDS), single screen, double screen with TM, combined double screen and single screen with TM, and single screen with TM. Rayyan, Abstrackr, and SWIFT-Review were used for each TM method. The results of a published SR were used as the reference standard. RESULTS: The mean sensitivity and specificity achieved by CDS were 97.0% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 94.7, 99.3) and 95.0% (95% CI: 93.0, 97.1). When compared with single screen, CDS provided a greater sensitivity without a decrease in specificity. Rayyan, Abstrackr, and SWIFT-Review identified all relevant studies. Specificity was often higher for TM-assisted methods than that for CDS, although with mean differences of only one-to-two percentage points. For every 500 citations not requiring manual screening, 216 minutes (95% CI: 169, 264) could be saved. CONCLUSION: TM-assisted screening methods resulted in similar sensitivity and modestly improved specificity as compared to CDS. The time saved with TM makes this a promising new tool for SR.

Recapitulation of pathophysiological features of AD in SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects.

Infection with the etiological agent of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, appears capable of impacting cognition in some patients with post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). To evaluate neuropathophysiological consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, we examine transcriptional and cellular signatures in the Brodmann area 9 (BA9) of the frontal cortex and the hippocampal formation (HF) in SARS-CoV-2, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and SARS-CoV-2-infected AD individuals compared to age- and gender-matched neurological cases. Here, we show similar alterations of neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier integrity in SARS-CoV-2, AD, and SARS-CoV-2-infected AD individuals. Distribution of microglial changes reflected by the increase in Iba-1 reveals nodular morphological alterations in SARS-CoV-2-infected AD individuals. Similarly, HIF-1α is significantly upregulated in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the same brain regions regardless of AD status. The finding may help in informing decision-making regarding therapeutic treatments in patients with neuro-PASC, especially those at increased risk of developing AD.

In-hospital outcomes in patients with and without epilepsy diagnosed with COVID-19-A cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with mortality in persons with comorbidities. The aim of this study was to evaluate in-hospital outcomes in patients with COVID-19 with and without epilepsy. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with COVID-19 admitted to a multicenter health system between March 15, 2020, and May 17, 2021. Patients with epilepsy were identified using a validated International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM)/ICD-10-CM case definition. Logistic regression models and Kaplan-Meier analyses were conducted for mortality and non-routine discharges (i.e., not discharged home). An ordinary least-squares regression model was fitted for length of stay (LOS). RESULTS: We identified 9833 people with COVID-19 including 334 with epilepsy. On univariate analysis, people with epilepsy had significantly higher ventilator use (37.70% vs 14.30%, p < .001), intensive care unit (ICU) admissions (39.20% vs 17.70%, p < .001) mortality rate (29.60% vs 19.90%, p < .001), and longer LOS (12 days vs 7 days, p < .001). and fewer were discharged home (29.64% vs 57.37%, p < .001). On multivariate analysis, only non-routine discharge (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.00-3.70; p < .001) and LOS (32.50% longer, 95% CI 22.20%-43.60%; p < .001) were significantly different. Factors associated with higher odds of mortality in epilepsy were older age (aOR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.08; p < .001), ventilator support (aOR 7.18, 95% CI 3.12-16.48; p < .001), and higher Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) (aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.04-1.34; p = .010). In epilepsy, admissions between August and December 2020 or January and May 2021 were associated with a lower odds of non-routine discharge and decreased LOS compared to admissions between March and July 2020, but this difference was not statistically significant. SIGNIFICANCE: People with COVID-19 who had epilepsy had a higher odds of non-routine discharge and longer LOS but not higher mortality. Older age (≥65), ventilator use, and higher CCI were associated with COVID-19 mortality in epilepsy. This suggests that older adults with epilepsy and multimorbidity are more vulnerable than those without and should be monitored closely in the setting of COVID-19.

Association of first anti-seizure medication choice with injuries in older adults with newly diagnosed epilepsy.

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy incidence increases exponentially in older adults, who are also at higher risk of adverse drug effects. Anti-seizure medications (ASM) may be associated with sedation and injuries, but discontinuation can result in seizures. We sought to determine whether there was an association between prescribing non-guideline concordant ASM and subsequent injury as this could inform care models. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of adults 50 years or older with newly-diagnosed epilepsy in 2015-16, sampled from the MarketScan Databases. The outcome of interest was injury within 1-year of ASM prescription (e.g., burns, falls) and the exposure of interest was ASM category (recommended vs. not recommended by clinical guidelines). Descriptive statistics characterized covariates and a multivariable Cox-regression model was built to examine the association between ASM category and subsequent injury. RESULTS: 5,931 people with newly diagnosed epilepsy were prescribed an ASM within 1-year. The three most common ASMs were: levetiracetam (62.86%), gabapentin (11.73%), and phenytoin (4.45%). Multivariable Cox-regression found that medication category was not associated with injury; however, older age (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) 1.01/year), history of prior injury (AHR 1.77), traumatic brain injury (AHR 1.55) and ASM polypharmacy (AHR 1.32) were associated with increased hazard of injury. CONCLUSIONS: Most older adults appear to be getting appropriate first prescriptions for epilepsy. However, a substantial proportion still receives medication that guidelines suggest avoiding. In addition, we show that ASM polypharmacy is associated with an increased hazard of injury within 1- year. Efforts to improve prescribing in older adults with epilepsy should consider how to reduce. both polypharmacy and exposure to medications that guidelines recommend avoiding.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Ambulatory EEG vs Routine EEG in Patients With First Single Unprovoked Seizure.

Background and Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the ambulatory EEG (aEEG) at detecting interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs)/seizures compared with routine EEG (rEEG) and repetitive/second rEEG in patients with a first single unprovoked seizure (FSUS). We also evaluated the association between IED/seizures on aEEG and seizure recurrence within 1 year of follow-up. Methods: We prospectively evaluated 100 consecutive patients with FSUS at the provincial Single Seizure Clinic. They underwent 3 sequential EEG modalities: first rEEG, second rEEG, and aEEG. Clinical epilepsy diagnosis was ascertained based on the 2014 International League Against Epilepsy definition by a neurologist/epileptologist at the clinic. An EEG-certified epileptologist/neurologist interpreted all 3 EEGs. All patients were followed up for 52 weeks until they had either second unprovoked seizure or maintained single seizure status. Accuracy measures (sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, and likelihood ratios), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of each EEG modality. Life tables and the Cox proportional hazard model were used to estimate the probability and association of seizure recurrence. Results: Ambulatory EEG captured IED/seizures with a sensitivity of 72%, compared with 11% for the first rEEG and 22% for the second rEEG. The diagnostic performance of the aEEG was statistically better (AUC: 0.85) compared with the first rEEG (AUC: 0.56) and second rEEG (AUC: 0.60). There were no statistically significant differences between the 3 EEG modalities regarding specificity and positive predictive value. Finally, IED/seizure on the aEEG was associated with more than 3 times the hazard of seizure recurrence. Discussion: The overall diagnostic accuracy of aEEG at capturing IED/seizures in people presenting with FSUS was higher than the first and second rEEGs. We also found that IED/seizures on the aEEG were associated with an increased risk of seizure recurrence. Classification of Evidence: This study provides Class I evidence supporting that, in adults with First Single Unprovoked Seizure (FSUS), 24-h ambulatory EEG has increased sensitivity when compared with routine and repeated EEG.

Palliative care referral across the disease trajectory in high-grade glioma.

PURPOSE: Adults with high-grade glioma (HGG), WHO grade III or IV, have substantial palliative care needs. Our aim was to determine occurrence, timing, and factors associated with palliative care consultation (PCC) in HGG at one large academic institution. METHODS: HGG patients receiving care between 08/1/2011 and 01/23/2020 were identified retrospectively from a multi-center healthcare system cancer registry. Patients were stratified by any PCC (yes/no), and timing of initial PCC by disease phase: diagnosis (before radiation), during initial treatment (first-line chemotherapy/radiation), second-line treatment(s), or end-of-life (after last chemotherapy). RESULTS: Of 621 HGG patients, 134 (21.58%) received PCC with the vast majority occurring during hospital admission [111 (82.84%)]. Of the 134, 14 (10.45%) were referred during the diagnostic phase; 35 (26.12%) during initial treatment; 20 (14.93%) during second-line treatment; and 65 (48.51%) during end of life. In multivariable logistic regression, only higher Charlson Comorbidity Index was associated with greater odds of PCC [OR 1.3 (95% CI 1.2-1.4), p < 0.01]; but not age or histopathology. Patients who received PCC prior to end of life had longer survival from diagnosis than those referred during end of life [16.5 (8, 24) months vs. 11 (4, 17); p < 0.01]. CONCLUSION: A minority of HGG patients ever received PCC, which primarily occurred in the inpatient setting, and nearly half during the end-of-life phase. Thus, only about one in ten patients in the entire cohort potentially received the benefits of earlier PCC despite earlier referral having an association with longer survival. Further studies should elucidate barriers and facilitators to early PCC in HGG.

Specific recommendations to improve the design and conduct of clinical trials.

There are many reasons why the majority of clinical trials fail or have limited applicability to patient care. These include restrictive entry criteria, short duration studies, unrecognized adverse drug effects, and reporting of therapy assignment preferential to actual use. Frequently, experimental animal models are used sparingly and do not accurately simulate human disease. We suggest two approaches to improve the conduct, increase the success, and applicability of clinical trials. Studies can apply dosing of the investigational therapeutics and outcomes, determined from animal models that more closely simulate human disease. More extensive identification of known and potential risk factors and confounding issues, gleaned from recently organized "big data," should be utilized to create models for trials. The risk factors in each model are then accounted for and managed during each study.

Neuroimaging findings and neurological manifestations in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: Impact of cancer and ventilatory support status.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is known to affect the central nervous system. Neurologic morbidity associated with COVID-19 is commonly attributed to sequelae of some combination of thrombotic and inflammatory processes. The aim of this retrospective observational study was to evaluate neuroimaging findings in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with neurological manifestations in cancer versus non-cancer patients, and in patients with versus without ventilatory support (with ventilatory support defined as including patients with intubation and noninvasive ventilation). Cancer patients are frequently in an immunocompromised or prothrombotic state with side effects from chemotherapy and radiation that may cause neurological issues and increase vulnerability to systemic illness. We wanted to determine whether neurological and/or neuroimaging findings differed between patients with and without cancer. METHODS: Eighty adults (44 male, 36 female, 64.5 ±14 years) hospitalized in the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City between March 2020 and April 2021 with reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19 underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during their admissions. The cohort consisted of four equal subgroups based on cancer and ventilatory support status. Clinical and imaging data were acquired and analyzed. RESULTS: Neuroimaging findings included non-ischemic parenchymal T2/FLAIR signal hyperintensities (36.3%), acute/subacute infarcts (26.3%), chronic infarcts (25.0%), microhemorrhages (23.8%), chronic macrohemorrhages (10.0%), acute macrohemorrhages (7.5%), and encephalitis-like findings (7.5%). There were no significant differences in neuroimaging findings between cancer and non-cancer subgroups. Clinical neurological manifestations varied. The most common was encephalopathy (77.5%), followed by impaired responsiveness/coma (38.8%) and stroke (26.3%). There were significant differences between patients with versus without ventilatory support. Encephalopathy and impaired responsiveness/coma were more prevalent in patients with ventilatory support (p = 0.02). Focal weakness was more frequently seen in patients without ventilatory support (p = 0.01). DISCUSSION: This study suggests COVID-19 is associated with neurological manifestations that may be visible with brain imaging techniques such as MRI. In our COVID-19 cohort, there was no association between cancer status and neuroimaging findings. Future studies might include more prospectively enrolled systematically characterized patients, allowing for more rigorous statistical analysis.

Medical and surgical treatment of epilepsy in older adults: A national survey.

OBJECTIVE: There are no clinical guidelines dedicated to the treatment of epilepsy in older adults. We investigated physician opinion and practice regarding the treatment of people with epilepsy aged 65 years or older. We also sought to study how our opinion and practice varied between geriatricians, general neurologists, and epilepsy neurologists (i.e., epileptologists). METHODS: We initially piloted our survey to measure test-retest reliability. Once finalized, we disseminated the survey via two rounds of facsimiles, and then conventional mail, to eligible individuals listed in a national directory of Canadian physicians. We used descriptive statistics such as stacked bar charts and tables to illustrate our findings. RESULTS: One hundred forty-four physicians (104 general neurologists, 25 geriatricians, and 15 epileptologists) answered our survey in its entirety (overall response rate of 13.2%). Levetiracetam and lamotrigine were the preferred antiseizure medications (ASMs) to treat older adults with epilepsy. Two thirds of epileptologists and almost half of general neurologists would consider prescribing lacosamide in >50% of people aged >65 years; only one geriatrician was of the same opinion. More than 40% of general neurologists and geriatricians erroneously believed that none of the ASMs mentioned in our survey was previously studied in randomized controlled trials specific to the treatment of epilepsy in older adults. Epileptologists were more likely as compared to general neurologists and geriatricians to recommend epilepsy surgery (e.g., 66.6% vs. 22.9%-37.5% among older adults). SIGNIFICANCE: Therapeutic decisions for older adults with epilepsy are heterogeneous between physician groups and sometimes misalign with available clinical evidence. Our surveyed physicians differed in their approach to ASM choice as well as perception of surgery in older adults with epilepsy. These findings likely reflect the lack of clinical guidelines dedicated to this population and the deficient implementation of best practices.

Analysis of Electrocorticography in Epileptic Patients With Responsive Neurostimulation Undergoing Scalp Electroencephalography Monitoring.

PURPOSE: To describe the relationship of electrocorticography events detected by a brain-responsive neurostimulation system (RNS) and their association with ictal and interictal activity detected on simultaneous scalp EEG. METHODS: We retrospectively identified patients with drug-resistant epilepsy implanted with RNS who subsequently underwent long-term scalp EEG monitoring. RNS detections were correlated to simultaneous activity recorded on scalp EEG to determine the characteristics of electrocorticography-stored long episodes associated with seizures or other findings on scalp EEG. RESULTS: Eleven patients were included with an average of 3.6 days of monitoring. Most RNS detections were of very brief duration (<10 seconds, 92.9%) and received one stimulation therapy (80.8%). A high proportion of long episodes (67.1%) were not identified as electrographic seizures on scalp EEG. Of those ictal-appearing (71.2%) long episodes, 68.2% had seizure correlates. Long episodes associated with seizures on scalp EEG had a longer median duration compared with those without (39.7 vs. 16.8 seconds, P < 0.002) and had broader spread pattern and were of higher amplitude on electrocorticography. Brief potentially ictal rhythmic discharges were the most common EEG findings associated with long episodes that did not have scalp EEG seizure correlates (100% for ictal- and 50% for non-ictal-appearing long episodes). CONCLUSIONS: Longer, broader spread and higher amplitude intracranial RNS detections are more likely to manifest as electrographic seizures on scalp EEG. Brief potentially ictal rhythmic discharges may serve as a scalp EEG biomarker of ictal intracranial episodes that are detected as long episodes by the RNS but not identified as electrographic seizures on scalp EEG.