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Contemporary information on health equity related efforts by scientific neurological journals, as measured by publications related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and health disparities related to social determinants of health (SDH) are lacking.To assess the yearly rates of DEI and SDH related publications in the highest cited general neurology and neurological sub-specialty journals and compare them to the highest cited medical journals over a 6-year period.We included publications from 15 general neurology and neurological subspecialty journals between January 1Total yearly proportion of DEI and SDH related publications in neurological journals was 3.9% compared to 6.2% in the highest cited medical journals for years 2015 to 2020 (p=0.001). There was no change in overall trend in publications related to DEI and SDH topics in neurological (ρ = -0.082, p=0.45) or highest cited medical journals between 2015 and 2020 (ρ = -0.065, p=0.54).Neurological journals had a significantly lower yearly proportion of DEI and SDH related publications compared to top-cited medical journals. Despite heightened awareness of racial/ethnic health disparities and inequities driven by SDH there was no change in related publications in neurological journals between 2015-2020.

Summary 1 million cases of tetanus are estimated to occur worldwide each year, with more than 200 000 deaths. Tetanus is a life-threatening but preventable disease caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium tetani —a Gram-positive bacillus found in high concentrations in soil and animal excrement. Tetanus is almost completely preventable by active immunisation, but very rarely unexpected cases can occur in individuals who have been previously vaccinated. We report a case of generalised tetanus in a 22-year-old woman that arose despite the protective antitoxin antibody in her serum. The patient received all her vaccinations in the USA; her last vaccination was 6 years ago. The case was unusual because the patient had received all standard vaccinations, had no defined port of entry at disease onset, and had symptoms lasting for 6 months. Tetanus can present with unusual clinical forms; therefore, the diagnosis and management of this rare but difficult disease should be updated. In this Grand Round, we review the clinical features, epidemiology, treatment, and prognosis of C tetani infections.

Haiti is a country rich in revolutionaries and visionaries. It has faced countless hardships, most recently the devastating earthquake of 2010. In 2011, the population was estimated at approximately 10 million people. WHO estimates show a stark difference in the health of Haitians compared to other inhabitants of the region (table 1).1

Summary Recent studies have provided much needed data on the probability of seizure remission among adults with chronic intractable epilepsy treated medically. Here we provide an extended follow-up to our earlier study in order to provide a more comprehensive picture of long-term prognosis in this patient population during medical treatment. The prevalence cohort was followed for two outcomes—complete seizure remission for ≥12 months and subsequent seizure relapse among those attaining a seizure remission. The study outcomes were estimated using Kaplan–Meier analysis. We found that the probability of attaining a ≥12 months of complete seizure freedom to be approximately 3–4% per year through 8 years of follow-up. By year 5 since the start of seizure remission, the cumulative probability of seizure relapse was 81%, although only half of the patients with seizure relapse went on to experience their previous seizure frequency.

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 Richter earthquake devastated Haiti and its public health infrastructure leading to a worldwide humanitarian effort. The United States sent forces to Haiti’s assistance including the USNS Comfort, a tertiary care medical center on board a ship. Besides setting a transparent triage and medical regulating system, the leadership on the Comfort instituted a multidisciplinary Healthcare Ethics Committee to assist in delivering the highest level efficient care to the largest number of victims. Allocation of resources was based on time-honored ethics principles, the concept of mass casualty triage in the setting of resource constraints, and constructs developed by the host nation’s Ministry of Health. In offering aid in austere circumstances, healthcare practitioners must not only adhere to the basic healthcare ethics principles but also practice respect for communities, cultures, and traditions, as well as demonstrate respect for the sovereignty of the host nation. The principles outlined herein should serve as guidance for future disaster relief missions. This work is in accordance with BUMEDINST 6010.25, Establishment of Healthcare Ethics Committees.

Objective To describe a patient with an acute fulminant delirium and eventual spinal fluid block secondary to sarcoid meningitis. Design Case report. Setting Hospital and Neurology Clinic. Patient A previously healthy, 24-year-old man. Interventions Antimicrobials, corticosteroids, lumbar puncture, myelography, and lymph node biopsy. Main Outcome Measures Cerebrospinal fluid, clinical status. Results The patient improved after treatment with corticosteroids. Conclusion Sarcoid meningitis may present with delirium and spinal block.

Improved recognition and availability of noninvasive testing of autonomic disorders has prompted a better understanding of disease mechanisms of some disease forms, especially potentially treatable immune-mediated autonomic neuropathies. Development is acute, subacute, or less commonly chronic. Autonomic involvement is common and an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Guillain-Barre syndrome. Acute autonomic neuropathy can affect parasympathetic, sympathetic, and enteric nerves or neurons and is associated with antibodies to ganglionic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. These antibodies appear to be causative based on a rabbit immunization model and serum transfer studies from patients and animals. Other important immune autonomic disorders discussed include Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, some forms of orthostatic intolerance, chronic autonomic neuropathy, and Sjogren syndrome. Paraneoplastic autonomic disorders are clinically indistinguishable and associated with various overlapping antibody associations, including anti-Hu (ANNA-1), ganglionic acetylcholine receptors, CRMP-5, and PCA-2.

On 12 January 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated the island nation of Haiti, leading to the world's largest humanitarian effort in over 6 decades. The catastrophe caused massive destruction of homes and buildings and overwhelmed the Haitian health care system. The United States responded immediately with a massive relief effort, sending U.S. military forces and civilian volunteers to Haiti's aid and providing a tertiary care medical center aboard the USNS COMFORT hospital ship. The COMFORT offered sophisticated medical care to a geographically isolated population and helped to transfer resource-intensive patients from other treatment facilities. Working collaboratively with the surgical staff, ancillary services, and nursing staff, internists aboard the COMFORT were integral to supporting the mission of the hospital ship and provided high-level care to the casualties. This article provides the perspective of the U.S. Navy internists who participated in the initial response to the Haitian earthquake disaster onboard the COMFORT.

Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) is a syndrome comprising headache, altered mentation, and seizures, associated with neuroimaging findings characteristic of subcortical edema in the posterior regions. It is usually seen in patients treated with immunosuppressants, in renal failure, or with eclampsia. Recurrent episodes of PRES in the same patient are rarely observed. Although seizures are often seen in PRES, EEG findings are not well described and include generalized and focal slowing with epileptiform discharges; there are limited reports of Periodic Lateralized Epileptiform Discharges (PLEDs) occurring during PRES, and there are no reports of PRES associated with PLEDs with subsequent development of epilepsy. We report a patient we followed for one year with recurrent episodes of PRES associated with posteriorly dominant independent bilateral PLEDs who subsequently developed epilepsy. Patients with PRES and PLEDs should be treated aggressively with anti-hypertensive and anti-epileptic agents in order to avoid potential complications. Although PRES is typically thought of as a reversible syndrome, this case illustrates that PRES may have serious long term sequelae after the reversible syndrome has resolved. This case highlights the importance of aggressive management of PRES as well as the prevention of subsequent episodes of PRES as patients may develop permanent brain dysfunction.