Neurology Commons^™

Astrocytes Infected With Chlamydia Pneumoniae Demonstrate Altered Expression And Activity Of Secretases Involved In The Generation Of Β-Amyloid Found In Alzheimer Disease, Zein Al-Atrache, Danielle B Lopez, Susan Hingley, Denah Appelt

PCOM Scholarly Works

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies strongly suggest that the pathophysiology of late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD) versus early-onset AD has environmental rather than genetic causes, thus revealing potentially novel therapeutic targets to limit disease progression. Several studies supporting the "pathogen hypothesis" of AD demonstrate a strong association between pathogens and the production of β-amyloid, the pathologic hallmark of AD. Although the mechanism of pathogen-induced neurodegeneration of AD remains unclear, astrocytes, a key player of the CNS innate immune response and producer/metabolizer of β-amyloid, have been implicated. We hypothesized that Chlamydia pneumoniae infection of human astrocytes alters the expression of the amyloid precursor protein …

A Closer Look At Arsa Activity In A Patient With Metachromatic Leukodystrophy., Kathleen Doherty, S. Barron Frazier, Matthew Clark, Anna Childers, Sumit Pruthi, David A. Wenger, Jessica Duis

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease mainly caused by a deficiency of arylsulfatase A activity. The typical clinical course of patients with the late infantile form includes a regression in motor skills with progression to dysphagia, seizures, hypotonia and death. We present a case of a 4-year-old female with rapidly progressive developmental regression with loss of motor milestones, spasticity and dysphagia. MRI showed volume loss and markedly abnormal deep white matter. Enzymatic testing in one laboratory showed arylsulfatase A activity in their normal range. However, extraction of urine showed a large increase in sulfatide excretion in …

Early Progression Of Krabbe Disease In Patients With Symptom Onset Between 0 And 5 Months., Maria L. Beltran-Quintero, Nicholas A. Bascou, Michele D. Poe, David A. Wenger, Carlos A. Saavedra-Matiz, Matthew J. Nichols, Maria L. Escolar

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Krabbe disease is a rare neurological disorder caused by a deficiency in the lysosomal enzyme, β-galactocerebrosidase, resulting in demyelination of the central and peripheral nervous systems. If left without treatment, Krabbe disease results in progressive neurodegeneration with reduced quality of life and early death. The purpose of this prospective study was to describe the natural progression of early onset Krabbe disease in a large cohort of patients.

METHODS: Patients with early onset Krabbe disease were prospectively evaluated between 1999 and 2018. Data sources included diagnostic testing, parent questionnaires, standardized multidisciplinary neurodevelopmental assessments, and neuroradiological and neurophysiological tests.

RESULTS: We …

Treatment Combinations For Alzheimer’S Disease: Current And Future Pharmacotherapy Options, Jeffrey L. Cummings, Gary Tong, Clive Ballard

Integrated Health Sciences Faculty Research

Although Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the world’s leading cause of dementia and the population of patients with AD continues to grow, no new therapies have been approved in more than a decade. Many clinical trials of single-agent therapies have failed to affect disease progression or symptoms compared with placebo. The complex pathophysiology of AD may necessitate combination treatments rather than monotherapy. The goal of this narrative literature review is to describe types of combination therapy, review the current clinical evidence for combination therapy regimens (both symptomatic and disease-modifying) in the treatment of AD, describe innovative clinical trial study designs that …

Hemi-Eses Associated With Agenesis Of The Corpus Callosum And Normal Cognition., Mahmoud Mohammadi, Safoura Kowkabi, Ali Akbar Asadi-Pooya, Reza Azizi Malamiri, Reza Shervin Badv

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

• Corpus callosum plays the important role in bilateral synchronous expression of focal discharges of ESES.
• Sparing dominant hemisphere form continuous spike and slow waves during sleep accounts for normal cognitive scores.
• Early detection and treatment of ESES have a great impact on cognitive and language scores and final prognosis.

Gitelman Syndrome: A Rare Cause Of Seizure Disorder And A Systematic Review., Muhammad Asim Shahzad, Maryam Mukhtar, Asrar Ahmed, Waqas Ullah, Rehan Saeed, Mohsin Hamid

Abington Jefferson Health Papers

Gitelman syndrome is one of the few inherited causes of metabolic alkalosis due to salt losing tubulopathy. It is caused by tubular defects at the level of distal convoluted tubules, mimicking a thiazide-like tumor. It usually presents in late childhood or in teenage as nonspecific weakness, fatigability, polyuria, and polydipsia but very rarely with seizures. It is classically associated with hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, hypocalciuria, hyperreninemia, and hyperaldosteronism. However, less frequently, it can present with normal magnesium levels. It is even rarer to find normomagnesemic patients of GS who develop seizures as the main complication since hypomagnesemia is considered the principal etiology …

Combination Therapy With Fingolimod And Neural Stem Cells Promotes Functional Myelination, Yuan Zhang, Xin-Yu Lu, Ze-Qin Ye, Bogoljub Ciric, Cun-Gen Ma, A. M. Rostami, Xing Li, Guang-Xian Zhang

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Myelination, which occurs predominantly postnatally and continues throughout life, is important for proper neurologic function of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). We have previously demonstrated that the combination therapy of fingolimod (FTY720) and transplanted neural stem cells (NSCs) had a significantly enhanced therapeutic effect on the chronic stage of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of CNS autoimmunity, compared to using either one of them alone. However, reduced disease severity may be secondary to the immunomodulatory effects of FTY720 and NSCs, while whether this therapy directly affects myelinogenesis remains unknown. To investigate this important question, we used three myelination …

A Propensity-Matched Analysis Of Outcomes For Patients With M2 Branch Occlusions At Endovascular Stroke Centers, R. Ovando, L. Lucas, Elizabeth Baraban, Jason Tarpley

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Introduction: Endovascular therapy (EVT) for Emergent Large Vessel Occlusion (ELVO) is recommended for patients with acute proximal MCA (M1 segment) occlusions (Class I, level A evidence), but the benefits of EVT are uncertain in patients with M2 and more distal occlusions. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and outcomes of EVT-treated M2 ELVOs with EVT-treated M1 ELVOs, and to examine the outcomes of EVT-treated M2 ELVO patients with those whose M2 ELVOs were not treated.

Methods: Data were obtained from a multi-hospital system of patients from January 2014 and May 2018. Two propensity score (PS)-based nearest-neighbor …

Primary Trauma Care: A Training Course For Healthcare Providers In Developing Countries, Saqib Kamran Bakhshi, Rashid Jooma

Section of Neurosurgery

Outcomes of injury in low and middle income countries may be compromised by skill deficiencies of healthcare providers. Short subspecialty training courses can be a useful solution to skill-deficits. We report on the Primary Trauma Care programme, a 2-day course designed to train frontline health workers in resuscitation and early management of the injured with limited resources and equipment. Developed for use in weak health systems and now conducted in over 70 countries, the programme is cost-efficient with built-in design sustainability by way of early transfer of ownership to local partners to effect a cascade of trauma courses in their …

Repeat Neuro-Imaging In Patients Presenting With Traumatic Extra-Axial Intracranial Hemorrhage, Austin Saline, Anthony Stefanelli, Md, Omaditya Khanna, Md, Sol Feuerwerker, Somnath Das, Evan Selzer

Phase 1

Introduction: The management of extra-axial intracranial hemorrhage patients is complicated and lacks a systemic algorithm to determine the timing and necessity of head computed tomography (HCT). However, repeat HCTs weakly predict the need for an intervention after mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Objective: This study focused on assessing the safety, efficacy, and necessity of obtaining serial HCTs in patients presenting with subdural hemorrhages.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted of patients with subdural hemorrhages and a GCS between 13-15 on admission (n=116). The total number of HCTs, time between repeat HCTs, duration of hospital stay, and factors necessitating surgery …

Outcomes And Characteristics Of Large Vessel Occlusion Patients In A Multi-Hospital System With National Institute Of Health Stroke Scale (Nihss) ≤ 5 Treated With Endovascular Thrombectomy Vs Medical Management, Steven Augustine, Lindsay Lucas, Elizabeth Baraban, Jason Tarpley

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

No abstract provided.

Contact Sports As A Risk Factor For Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Systematic Review., Ronen Blecher, Michael A Elliott, Emre Yilmaz, Joseph R Dettori, Rod J Oskouian, Akil P Patel, Andrew Clarke, Mike Hutton, Robert Mcguire, Robert Dunn, John Devine, Bruce Twaddle, Jens R Chapman

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

Study Design: Systematic review.

Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, ultimately resulting in paralysis and death. The condition is considered to be caused by a complex interaction between environmental and genetic factors. Although vast genetic research has deciphered many of the molecular factors in ALS pathogenesis, the environmental factors have remained largely unknown. Recent evidence suggests that participation in certain types of sporting activities are associated with increased risk for ALS.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that competitive sports at the highest level that involve repetitive concussive head and cervical spinal trauma result in an increased …

Editorial., Jeffrey C Wang, Jens R Chapman, Karsten Wiechert

Articles, Abstracts, and Reports

No abstract provided.

Improving Door-To-Groin Time For Stroke-Alert Patients Arriving At Tjuh, Megan Carney, Mackenzie O'Connor, Robin Dharia, Md

Phase 1

Introduction: Due to the large number of endovascular-eligible acute ischemic stroke patients, the urgent nature of effective stroke treatment protocols has become increasingly recognized at TJUH. Due to the hospital’s unique situation with two city blocks between the ER and endovascular lab, in-hospital factors remain a significant reason for the delay of treatment.

Objective: The purpose was to conduct a quality-assurance trial to determine whether standardizing imaging modalities for inpatient and ER stroke-alert patients at our institution would improve door-to-puncture times.

Methods: After implementation of the new stroke alert protocol, data were prospectively collected for six months for two groups …

Network Influence Of The Cerebellum For Predicting Dbs Response In Patients With Advanced Parkinson’S Disease, Lucy Li, Jennifer Muller, Sara Thalheimer, Mackenzie D. Silverman, Mahdi Alizadeh, Tsao-Wei Liang, Kelly Layton, Daniel Kremens, Victor Romo, Feroze Mohamed, Chengyuan Wu

Phase 1

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a treatment option for reducing motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) when first-line medication becomes ineffective. Existing literature has hypothesized that the clinical outcome of DBS may depend on brain connectivity profiles of the stimulation site to distant brain regions. However, the potential of brain connectivity profiles to predict response to DBS in PD remains unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate how changes in structural and functional connectivity may relate to patient response to DBS, through the examination of brain network changes using graph theory.

Methods: Ten patients with advanced PD …

Managing Severe Tbi In The Icu Setting Using A Three Tier Approach, Mary Kay Bader

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Objectives:

• Assess the effects of injury to the brain in the neurologic injured patient and implement a tiered approach to manage severe TBI
• Evaluate TBI patients using multimodality monitoring
• Apply interventions to manage brain injury & integrate the complex multi-system issues and manage these patients using an actual case study.

Implementation Of Coordinated Telestroke Program In An Urban Setting Improves Acute Stroke Care, John Zurasky, Leslie Corless, Lindsay Lucas, Elizabeth Baraban

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Purpose: Telestroke has been shown to improve acute ischemic stroke (AIS) care in rural settings, but few studies have examined the impact of telestroke in an urban setting. In an urban area, there was a planned transition from an outpatient-based acute stroke provider pool to a centralized telehealth team of neurovascular and neurocritical care providers. This study assessed the impact of this change by comparing patient outcomes during three time periods: pre-initiation (PRE), transition after initiation (TRAN) and post-transition (POST).

Methods: Data for AIS patients 18 and older from five urban hospitals were used. Outcomes were hospital length of stay …

Impact Of Early Mobilization On 90-Day Outcomes In Thrombectomy Patients, Tamela Stuchiner, Diane Clark, Lindsay Lucas, John Robinson, Lisa Yanase

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Introduction: Early mobilization of ischemic stroke patients receiving IV alteplase (tPA) did not worsen 90-day outcome at two urban stroke centers in a prior study, but there are no studies evaluating outcomes of early mobilization after thrombectomy. The mobility protocol used in the previous study was also utilized to mobilize stroke patients receiving thrombectomy treatment at these two centers, once minimum number of hours for groin precautions was complete and the groin puncture site was stable. The objective of this study was to determine for post-thrombectomy patients mobilized within 24 hours, whether earlier mobilization worsened outcomes.

Methods: Medical records of …

Temperature Management: All Shook Up! Managing Shivering In Normothermia, Mary Kay Bader

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Objectives:

• Identify key factors related to maintaining normothermia
• Describe the use of the Bedside Shivering Assessment Scale
• Provide interventions to manage shivering in the Neuro patient population

Cost Analysis Of Implementing Standardized Stroke Patient Education Materials In A Large Five State Health System, Natalie Swearingen, Leslie Corless, Jessica Swann, Kailey Cox, Diane Lada, Elizabeth Baraban

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

No abstract provided.

Regional Stroke Program Coordinator Nurses Standardize Ems Feedback Utilizing Kurt Lewin’S Change Model, Molly Archer, Megan Fuller, Kailey Cox, Natalie Swearingen

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

No abstract provided.

Complications From Iv Alteplase In Mild Stroke Patients In A Multi-State Health System, Lisa R. Yanase, Lindsay Lucas, Leslie Corless, Elizabeth Baraban

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

No abstract provided.

Standardized Code Stroke Inpatient Activation Process Resulted In Consistent Acute Stroke Evaluation Times Regardless Of Primary Problem Or Patient Location, Kailey Cox, Brandon Sheets, Alyx Lesko, Lindsay Lucas, Elizabeth Baraban, Ronda Chandler, Diane Clark

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Introduction: Inpatient strokes have a higher mortality risk and longer length of stay compared to community-onset strokes. The inpatient stroke population is often not included in national registries. This study examines a hospital-wide standardized process for acute triage of Code Stroke Inpatient Activations (CSIAs) at a Comprehensive Stroke Center.

Methods: CSIA data collected between September 2016-July 2018 from the Stroke and Rapid Response Team pager were used. False CSIAs were excluded. Outcomes included percentage of CSIAs by patient location (PL), primary problem (PP), and final discharge diagnosis (FDD), as well as percentage treated with IV-alteplase (tPA) and thrombectomy. Evaluation times …

Large Five State Health System Standardizes Stroke Patient Education While Significantly Improving Health Literacy, Natalie Swearingen, Leslie Corless, Jessica Swann, Kailey Cox, Diane Lada, Elizabeth Baraban

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

No abstract provided.

Fast And Furious: Stroke Update 2019, Mary Kay Bader

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

This lecture focuses on the AHA guidelines and how the Acute Stroke Team focuses the efforts in the first few hours after presentation. Audience will be made up of physicians, nurses and EMT/EMS personnel. The aims of the event include providing a couple ‘cutting edge’ key note speakers with varying expertise from different parts of the acute stroke care continuum.

Increase In Video Evaluations But Not Complications Over Time In A Large Stroke Network, Archit Bhatt, Elizabeth Baraban, Leslie Corless, Lindsay Lucas

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Introduction: Telestroke technology allows evaluation of stroke patients remotely. We sought to determine if there was any change in the standard of care and evaluation of stroke patients over time and whether there were differences in complication rates between those who were evaluated using telestroke technology and those who were not.

Methods: Data from April 2010 to May 2018 from a large stroke network were used. Acute ischemic stroke patients who presented to the emergency departments (ED) with last-known-well-to-door less than 4.5 hours and were treated with IV-alteplase were included. The number of facilities ranged from 7 in 2010 to …

The Influence Of Unpredictable, Fragmented Parental Signals On The Developing Brain, Laura M. Glynn, Tallie Z. Baram

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Mental illnesses originate early in life, governed by environmental and genetic factors. Because parents are a dominant source of signals to the developing child, parental signals - beginning with maternal signals in utero - are primary contributors to children’s mental health. Existing literature on maternal signals has focused almost exclusively on their quality and valence (e.g. maternal depression, sensitivity). Here we identify a novel dimension of maternal signals: their patterns and especially their predictability/unpredictability, as an important determinant of children’s neurodevelopment. We find that unpredictable maternal mood and behavior presage risk for child and adolescent psychopathology. In experimental models, fragmented/unpredictable …

The Insula And Its Epilepsies, Barbara C. Jobst, Jorge Gonzalez-Martinez, Jean Isnard, Philippe Kahane, Nuria Lacuey, Samden D. Lahtoo, Dang K. Nguyen, Chengyuan Wu, Fred Lado

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Insular seizures are great mimickers of seizures originating elsewhere in the brain. The insula is a highly connected brain structure. Seizures may only become clinically evident after ictal activity propagates out of the insula with semiology that reflects the propagation pattern. Insular seizures with perisylvian spread, for example, manifest first as throat constriction, followed next by perioral and hemisensory symptoms, and then by unilateral motor symptoms. On the other hand, insular seizures may spread instead to the temporal and frontal lobes and present like seizures originating from these regions. Due to the location of the insula deep in the brain, …

Bilateral Acute Ocular Ischemic Syndrome Following Head And Neck Radiation, Dipali Nemade, Paul Ferguson, Vikram Shivkumar, Dennis Cole

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Previous literature has established a clear correlation between radiation therapy (RT) to the head and neck leading to aggressive atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries and subsequent increased risk for ischemic stroke. Stenosis of carotid arteries can lead to Ocular Ischemic syndrome (OIS). We present a case of acute bilateral OIS following head and neck RT for left tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in a 64 year-old Caucasian male. Routine large vessel cerebrovascular screening following head and neck radiotherapy should be considered as a means of potentially mitigating future stroke risk through initiation of medical therapy and interventional modalities as a …

Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging May Be Useful In Differentiating Fungal Abscess From Malignant Intracranial Lesion: Case Report, Syeda Maheen Batool, Fatima Mubarak, Ather Enam

Section of Neurosurgery

Background: Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance has a well-defined role in differentiating between important intracranial lesions. Sometimes, the surgeon is faced with a dilemma of how to diagnose an infectious versus malignant lesion.
Case Description: A 28-year-old male presented to the neurosurgery clinic with complaints of headache and left-sided weakness for 2 weeks. Neurological examination was intact. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan showed a large infiltrating heterogeneous mass involving the right parietal lobe. On further reviewing, there was homogenous diffusion restriction in the center of lesion. In addition, its aggressive behavior confirmed it to be a fungal abscess.
Conclusions: Correctly identifying an …