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Background: Directional deep brain stimulation (DBS) leads allow a fine-tuning control of the stimulation field, however, this new technology could increase the DBS programming time because of the higher number of the possible combinations used in directional DBS than in standard nondirectional electrodes. Neuroimaging leads localization techniques and local field potentials (LFPs) recorded from DBS electrodes implanted in basal ganglia are among the most studied biomarkers for DBS programing., Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether intraoperative LFPs beta power and neuroimaging reconstructions correlate with contact selection in clinical programming of DBS in patients with Parkinson disease (PD)., Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, routine intraoperative LFPs recorded from all contacts in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of 14 patients with PD were analyzed to calculate the beta band power for each contact. Neuroimaging reconstruction obtained through Brainlab Elements Planning software detected contacts localized within the STN. Clinical DBS programming contact scheme data were collected after one year from the implant. Statistical analysis evaluated the diagnostic performance of LFPs beta band power and neuroimaging data for identification of the contacts selected with clinical programming. We evaluated whether the most effective contacts identified based on the clinical response after one year from implant were also those with the highest level of beta activity and localized within the STN in neuroimaging reconstruction., Results: LFPs beta power showed a sensitivity of 67%, a negative predictive value (NPV) of 84%, a diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of 2.7 in predicting the most effective contacts as evaluated through the clinical response. Neuroimaging reconstructions showed a sensitivity of 62%, a NPV of 77%, a DOR of 1.20 for contact effectivity prediction. The combined use of the two methods showed a sensitivity of 87%, a NPV of 87%, a DOR of 2.7 for predicting the clinically more effective contacts., Conclusions: The combined use of LFPs beta power and neuroimaging localization and segmentations predict which are the most effective contacts as selected on the basis of clinical programming after one year from implant of DBS. The use of predictors in contact selection could guide clinical programming and reduce time needed for it., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare pre/post-COVID-19 changes in mental health-related emergency department visits among adolescents., Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all mental health-related emergency department visits in two large tertiary pediatric hospital centers between January 2018 and December 2020. We described monthly pre/post-COVID-19 changes in frequency and proportion of mental health visits as well as changes in hospitalization rates for eating disorders, suicidality, substance use, and other mental health conditions., Results: We found an increase in the proportion of mental health-related emergency department visits during the months of July-December 2020 (p < .01). There was a 62% increase in eating disorder visits between 2018-2019 and 2020 (p < .01). No pre pandemic/postpandemic changes were found in the proportion of visits resulting in hospitalization for any of the four diagnostic categories., Conclusions: Our study suggests significant impacts of COVID-19 on adolescent mental health and a need for further longitudinal research work in this area., (Copyright © 2021 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Intestinal bacterial flora plays a central role in human intestinal health and disease. Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS), a clinical condition deriving from extensive bowel resections, influence intestinal microbiota (IM) composition in order to reach a new metabolic balance. Little is known about IM in adult patients after wide intestinal resections., Material and Methods: Fecal samples from 12 SBS patients and 16 controls were analyzed in their microbial profile by using both culture-dependent method and quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR)., Results: The two methods revealed significant lower concentrations of Bacteroidetes (p-value = .02), Firmicutes (p-value = .05), Bifidobacterium (p-value < .01), and Methanobrevibacter Smithii (p-value = .04) in SBS patients than controls., Conclusions: The significantly different fecal microbiome in SBS patients compared with healthy controls could open new perspectives on the care of their intestinal functions., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate EEG functional connectivity in the sensory-motor network, during wake and sleep, in patients with Huntington Disease (HD)., Methods: 23 patients with HD and 23 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled. EEG connectivity analysis was performed by means of exact Low Resolution Electric Tomography (eLORETA)., Results: In wake, HD patients showed an increase of delta lagged phase synchronization (T=3.60; p<0.05) among Broadman's Areas (BA) 6-8 bilaterally; right BA 6-8 and right BA 1-2-3; left BA 1-2-3 and left BA 4. In NREM, HD patients showed an increase of delta lagged phase synchronization (T=3.56; p<0.05) among left BA 1-2-3 and right BA 6-8. In REM, HD patients showed an increase of lagged phase synchronization (T=3.60; p<0.05) among the BA 6-8 bilaterally (delta band); left BA 1-2-3 and right BA 1-2-3 (theta); left BA 1-2-3 and right BA 4 (theta); left BA 1-2-3 and right BA 1-2-3 (alpha)., Conclusions: Our results may reflect an abnormal function of the motor areas or an effort to counterbalance the pathological motor output., Significance: Our results may help to understand the pathophysiology of sleep-related movement disorders in Huntington's Disease, and to define therapeutically strategies., (Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)