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Background: Endovascular treatment (ET) is standard of care in patients with acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion, but data on ET in young patients remain limited. Aim: We aim to compare outcomes for young stroke patients undergoing ET in a matched cohort. Methods: We analyzed patients from an observational multicenter cohort with acute ischemic stroke and ET, the German Stroke Registry—Endovascular Treatment trial. Baseline characteristics, procedural parameters, and functional outcome at 90 days were compared between young (Results: Out of 6628 acute ischemic stroke patients treated with ET, 363 (5.5%) were young. Young patients differed with regard to prognostic outcome characteristics. Specifically, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) at admission was lower (median 13, interquartile range (IQR) 8–17 vs. 15, IQR 9–19, p Conclusion: Young stroke patients undergoing ET have better outcomes compared to older patients, even when matched for prestroke condition, comorbidities, and stroke severity. Hence, more liberal guidelines to perform ET for younger patients may have to be established by future studies.

Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound of the ventral intermediate nucleus is a novel incisionless ablative treatment for essential tremor (ET).The aim was to study the structural and functional network changes induced by unilateral sonication of the ventral intermediate nucleus in ET.Fifteen essential tremor patients (66.2 ± 15.4 years) underwent probabilistic tractography and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during unilateral postural tremor-eliciting tasks using 3-T MRI before, 1 month (N = 15), and 6 months (N = 10) post unilateral sonication.Tractography identified tract-specific alterations within the dentato-thalamo-cortical tract (DTCT) affected by the unilateral lesion after sonication. Relative to the treated hand, task-evoked activation was significantly reduced in contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex and ipsilateral cerebellar lobules IV/V and VI, and vermis. Dynamic causal modeling revealed a significant decrease in excitatory drive from the cerebellum to the contralateral sensorimotor cortex.Thalamic lesions induced by sonication induce specific functional network changes within the DTCT, notably reducing excitatory input to ipsilateral sensorimotor cortex in ET. ©[2022] International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. © 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

James A. Arrighi, MD, FACC, Chair Lisa A. Mendes, MD, FACC, Co-Chair Jesse E. Adams iii, MD, FACC[∗][1] John E. Brush, Jr, MD, FACC[∗][1] G. William Dec, Jr, MD, FACC Ali Denktas, MD, FACC Susan M. Fernandes, LPD, PA-C Sanjeev A. Francis, MD, FACC Rosario Freeman, MD, MS, FACC[∗][1

Endovascular treatment (ET) in patients with large vessel occlusion stroke (LVOS) with unknown onset or an extended time window can be safe and effective if patients are selected by defined clinical and imaging criteria; however, it is unclear if these criteria should also be applied to patients with unknown onset and unknown time last known well. In this study, we aimed to assess whether absent information on the time patients were last known to be well impacts outcome in patients with unknown onset LVOS.We analyzed patients who were enrolled in the German Stroke Registry-Endovascular Treatment between 2015 and 2019. Patients with unknown onset and unknown time last known well (LKWu) were compared to patients with known onset (KO) and to patients with unknown onset but known time last known well (LKWk) regarding clinical and imaging baseline characteristics and outcome.Out of 5909 patients, 561 presented with LKWu (9.5%), 1849 with LKWk (31.3%) and 3499 with KO (59.2%). At 90 days, functional independency was less frequent in LKWu (27.0%) compared to KO (42.6%) and LKWk patients (31.8%). These differences were not significant after adjusting for confounders. A main confounder was the initial Alberta stroke program early CT score.The LKWu patients had a similar outcome after ET as KO and LKWk patients after adjusting for confounders. Thus, ET should not be withheld if the time last known well is unknown. Instead, LKWu patients may be selected for ET using the same criteria as in LKWk patients.

Introduction The ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (VIM) is an important relay station receiving cerebellar and pallidal fiber tracts. Data on structural visualization of the VIM however is limited and uncertainty prevails to what extent lesional approaches to treat tremor affect the VIM itself or passing tracts. The aim of the study was to analyze the localization of individual lesions with respect to the VIM and the cerebello-thalamic tract (CTT). Methods We employed ultrahigh resolution (7 Tesla) MRI to delineate the VIM and performed 3 T-DTI-imaging pre- and post-interventional in seven ET patients undergoing transcranial magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound (tcMRgFUS). Tremor improvement was measured using a modified subscore of the Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor. Results All subjects showed substantial tremor improvement (88.5%, range 80.7%–94,8%) after tcMRgFUS. We found only a minor overlap of the lesions with the VIM (4%, range 1%–7%) but a larger overlap with the CTT (43%, range 23%–60%) in all subjects. Conclusions Lesions within the CTT rather than the VIM seem to drive the tremorlytic response and clinical improvement in tcMRgFUS.

Purpose Transorbital sonography easily detects papilledema and enlarged optic nerve sheath diameters (ONSD) in IIH (idiopathic intracranial hypertension) patients. As the central retinal artery is located within the optic nerve, its hemodynamic properties might be affected by the increased pressure. In this study we assessed the diagnostic usefulness of transorbital sonography in IIH with a special focus on color Doppler imaging of the central retinal artery. IIH patients presented papilledema and enlarged ONSD. ONSD accurately predicted an increased intracranial pressure in IIH (cut-off: 5.8 mm, 81% sensitivity, 80% specificity). 24 h following therapeutic lumbar puncture ONSD diminished significantly, whereas papilledema was not changed. PSV (peak systolic velocity) and Vmean (mean flow velocity) of the central retinal artery were increased in IIH patients compared to controls. PSV accurately predicted an increase of intracranial pressure (cut-off: 11.0 cm/s, 70% sensitivity, 69% specificity). PI (pulsatility index), PSV and Vmean decreased following lumbar puncture. PSV and Vmean decreases were statistically significant for right eyes only in which the values changed to normal. In summary, besides ONSD enlargement and papilledema transbulbar sonography demonstrated an alteration of central retinal artery blood flow in IIH patients. Especially PSV might serve as valuable surrogate marker for intracranial pressure in IIH. Furthermore, the change of intra-individual central retinal arteries PI might be a valuable parameter to demonstrate response to lumbar puncture in IIH patients.

Sporadic degenerative ataxia patients fall into 2 major groups: multiple system atrophy with predominant cerebellar ataxia (MSA-C) and sporadic adult-onset ataxia (SAOA). Both groups have cerebellar volume loss, but little is known about the differential involvement of gray and white matter in MSA-C when compared with SAOA.The objective of this study was to identify structural differences of brain gray and white matter between both patient groups.We used magnetic resonance imaging to acquire T1-weighted images and diffusion tensor images from 12 MSA-C patients, 31 SAOA patients, and 55 healthy controls. Magnetic resonance imaging data were analyzed with voxel-based-morphometry, tract-based spatial statistics, and tractography-based regional diffusion tensor images analysis.Whole-brain and cerebellar-focused voxel-based-morphometry analysis showed gray matter volume loss in both patient groups when compared with healthy controls, specifically in the cerebellar areas subserving sensorimotor functions. When compared with controls, the SAOA and MSA-C patients showed white matter loss in the cerebellum, whereas brainstem white matter was reduced only in the MSA-C patients. The tract-based spatial statistics revealed reduced fractional anisotropy within the pons and cerebellum in the MSA-C patients both in comparison with the SAOA patients and healthy controls. In addition, tractography-based regional analysis showed reduced fractional anisotropy along the corticospinal tracts in MSA-C, but not SAOA.Although in our cohort extent and distribution of gray and white matter loss were similar between the MSA-C and SAOA patients, magnetic resonance imaging data showed prominent microstructural white matter involvement in the MSA-C patients that was not present in the SAOA patients. Our findings highlight the significance of microstructural white matter changes in the differentiation between both conditions. © 2020 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Perceived HIV stigma and mental health are fluid across the lifespan for people living with perinatally-acquired HIV (PHIV). The process of navigating discredited identities over time in the context of other life demands potentially exerts a toll on the mental health of adolescents and young adults living with PHIV (AYAPHIV). Based on data from a longitudinal study in New York City examining mental health and health risk behaviors among 182 AYAPHIV, we examined if increased perceived HIV stigma predicted mental health, future orientation, HIV-disclosure, and healthcare transition over time (2003–2018). Findings from linear mixed-effects modeling indicated that older age predicted poorer mental health, less future orientation, more HIV-serostatus disclosure, and adult medical services utilization. Perceived stigma was the only significant predictor of mental health and mediated the association between age and mental health - highlighting the importance of addressing stigma across development for AYAPHIV while addressing systems that perpetuate them.

The COVID‐19 pandemic has transformed cardiac surgical practices. Limitations in intensive care resources and personal protective equipment have required many practices throughout the globe to pause elective operations and now slowly resume operations. However, much of cardiac surgery is not elective and patients continue to require surgery on an urgent or emergent basis during the pandemic. This continued need for providing surgical services has introduced several unique considerations ranging from how to prioritize surgery, how to ensure safety for cardiac surgical teams, and how best to resume elective operations to ensure the safety of patients. Additionally, the COVID‐19 pandemic has required a careful analysis of how best to carry out heart transplantation, extra‐corporeal membrane oxygenation, and congenital heart surgery. In this review, we present the many areas of multidisciplinary consideration, and the lessons learned that have allowed us to carry out cardiac surgery with excellence during the COVID‐19 pandemic. As various states experience plateaus, declines, and rises in COVID‐19 cases, these considerations are particularly important for cardiac surgical programs throughout the globe.

Communication is key in optimizing medical care when a child is approaching end of life (EOL). Research is yet to establish best practices for how medical teams can guide intrafamily communication (including surviving siblings) when EOL care is underway or anticipated for a pediatric patient. While recommendations regarding how medical teams can facilitate communication between the medical team and the family exist, various barriers may prevent the implementation of these recommendations.This review aims to provide a summary of research-to-date on family and medical provider perceptions of communication during pediatric EOL care.Systematic review.Findings from a review of 65 studies suggest that when a child enters EOL care, many parents try to protect their child and/or themselves by avoiding discussions about death. Despite current recommendations, medical teams often refrain from discussing EOL care with pediatric patients until death is imminent for a variety of reasons (e.g., family factors and discomfort with EOL conversations). Parents consistently report a need for honest complete information, delivered with sensitivity. Pediatric patients often report a preference to be informed of their prognosis, and siblings express a desire to be involved in EOL discussions.Families may benefit from enhanced communication around EOL planning, both within the family and between the family and medical team. Future research should investigate a potential role for medical teams in supporting intrafamily communication about EOL challenges and should examine how communication between medical teams and families can be facilitated as EOL approaches.

Purpose Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) systems are increasingly used to non-invasively treat tremor; consensus on imaging follow-up is poor in these patients. This study aims to elucidate how MRgFUS lesions evolve for a radiological readership with regard to clinical outcome. Methods MRgFUS-induced lesions and oedema were retrospectively evaluated based on DWI, SWI, T2-weighted and T1-weighted 3-T MRI data acquired 30 min and 3, 30 and 180 days after MRgFUS (n = 9 essential tremor, n = 1 Parkinson’s patients). Lesions were assessed volumetrically, visually and by ADC measurements and compared with clinical effects using non-parametric testing. Results Thirty minutes after treatment, all lesions could be identified on T2-weighted images. Immediate oedema was rare (n = 1). Lesion volume as well as oedema reached a maximum on day 3 with a mean lesion size of 0.4 ± 0.2 cm3 and an oedema volume 3.7 ± 1.2 times the lesion volume. On day 3, a distinct diffusion-restricted rim was noted that corresponded well with SWI. Lesion shrinkage after day 3 was observed in all sequences. Lesions were no longer detectable on DWI in n = 7/10, on T2-weighted images in n = 4/10 and on T1-weighted images in n = 4/10 on day 180. No infarcts or haemorrhage were observed. There was no correlation between lesion size and initial motor skill improvement (p = 0.99). Tremor reduction dynamics correlated strongly with lesion shrinkage between days 3 and 180 (p = 0.01, R = 0.76). Conclusion In conclusion, cerebral MRgFUS lesions variably shrink over months. SWI is the sequence of choice to identify lesions after 6 months. Lesion volume is arguably associated with intermediate-term outcome.

Children admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) experience a unique set of challenges which place them at risk for trauma reactions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Mental health clinicians who work in the PICU have the opportunity to support pediatric patients’ physical and emotional health. In addition, clinicians often can provide emotional support to family members and facilitate communication within the family and between the family and medical team. This chapter recommends potential differential diagnoses to consider when providing psychological care for children during their PICU hospitalization and post-discharge. In addition, the chapter reviews common medical conditions that require intensive care as well as medications that are often used in the PICU. The evidence base for psychological interventions implemented in the PICU is limited but promising: this chapter provides an overview of evidence to date and offers recommendation of interventions that can be adapted for use in the PICU. Guidance on inpatient consultations in the PICU, how best to engage with families who have a child in the PICU, and consultations post-discharge is provided.

Background: Despite growing evidence that participation in psychological trauma research is well tolerated by children and parents, ethics boards may voice concerns regarding research with families with recent acute trauma exposure. Factors impacting child and parent experiences of research participation are not well documented, particularly for methodologies including observational components. Objectives: This study describes child and parent perceptions of research participation involving an observational task following an acute traumatic event and explores potential relationships between research experience and selected demographic factors (race/ethnicity, sex, age, prior trauma exposure), and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Methods: As part of a larger study on the role of biopsychosocial factors in post-traumatic stress symptoms, 96 child–parent dyads (ages 8–12 years, M = 10.6) participated in a three–time point study following hospitalization for pediatric injury. At baseline, children and parents completed measures of reactions to research participation, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and trauma history. Measures of post-traumatic stress symptoms were repeated at 6- and 12-week follow-up assessments. Results: The majority of families reported they were glad they participated in the research study (61% children; 72% parents) and felt good about helping others (74% children; 93% parents). Negative feelings were uncommon (Conclusion: Current results extend past research to suggest that most children’s and parents’ research experience is positive, even when completing an observational task during hospitalization for an injury. Children under the age of 10 years may perceive their participation as less voluntary, supporting prior findings that additional steps be taken to ensure their understanding of their choice in participation.

BACKGROUND Pediatric medical conditions have the potential to result in challenging psychological symptoms (eg, anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms [PTSS]) and impaired health-related quality of life in youth. Thus, effective and accessible interventions are needed to prevent and treat psychological sequelae associated with pediatric medical conditions. Electronic health (eHealth) interventions may help to meet this need, with the capacity to reach more children and families than in-person interventions. Many of these interventions are in their infancy, and we do not yet know what key components contribute to successful eHealth interventions. OBJECTIVE The primary objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to summarize current evidence on the efficacy of eHealth interventions designed to prevent or treat psychological sequelae in youth with medical conditions. METHODS MEDLINE (PubMed) and PsycINFO databases were searched for studies published between January 1, 1998, and March 1, 2019, using predefined search terms. A total of 2 authors independently reviewed titles and abstracts of search results to determine which studies were eligible for full-text review. Reference lists of studies meeting eligibility criteria were reviewed. If the title of a reference suggested that it might be relevant for this review, the full manuscript was reviewed for inclusion. Inclusion criteria required that eligible studies (1) had conducted empirical research on the efficacy of a Web-based intervention for youth with a medical condition, (2) had included a randomized trial as part of the study method, (3) had assessed the outcomes of psychological sequelae (ie, PTSS, anxiety, depression, internalizing symptoms, or quality of life) in youth (aged 0-18 years), their caregivers, or both, (4) had included assessments at 2 or more time points, and (5) were available in English language. RESULTS A total of 1512 studies were reviewed for inclusion based on their title and abstracts; 39 articles qualified for full-text review. Moreover, 22 studies met inclusion criteria for the systematic review. Of the 22 included studies, 13 reported results indicating that eHealth interventions significantly improved at least one component of psychological sequelae in participants. Common characteristics among interventions that showed an effect included content on problem solving, education, communication, and behavior management. Studies most commonly reported on child and caregiver depression, followed by child PTSS and caregiver anxiety. CONCLUSIONS Previous research is mixed but suggests that eHealth interventions may be helpful in alleviating or preventing problematic psychological sequelae in youth with medical conditions and their caregivers. Additional research is needed to advance understanding of the most powerful intervention components and to determine when and how to best disseminate eHealth interventions, with the goal of extending the current reach of psychological interventions.

Background Pediatric medical conditions have the potential to result in challenging psychological symptoms (eg, anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms [PTSS]) and impaired health-related quality of life in youth. Thus, effective and accessible interventions are needed to prevent and treat psychological sequelae associated with pediatric medical conditions. Electronic health (eHealth) interventions may help to meet this need, with the capacity to reach more children and families than in-person interventions. Many of these interventions are in their infancy, and we do not yet know what key components contribute to successful eHealth interventions. Objective The primary objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review to summarize current evidence on the efficacy of eHealth interventions designed to prevent or treat psychological sequelae in youth with medical conditions. Methods MEDLINE (PubMed) and PsycINFO databases were searched for studies published between January 1, 1998, and March 1, 2019, using predefined search terms. A total of 2 authors independently reviewed titles and abstracts of search results to determine which studies were eligible for full-text review. Reference lists of studies meeting eligibility criteria were reviewed. If the title of a reference suggested that it might be relevant for this review, the full manuscript was reviewed for inclusion. Inclusion criteria required that eligible studies (1) had conducted empirical research on the efficacy of a Web-based intervention for youth with a medical condition, (2) had included a randomized trial as part of the study method, (3) had assessed the outcomes of psychological sequelae (ie, PTSS, anxiety, depression, internalizing symptoms, or quality of life) in youth (aged 0-18 years), their caregivers, or both, (4) had included assessments at 2 or more time points, and (5) were available in English language. Results A total of 1512 studies were reviewed for inclusion based on their title and abstracts; 39 articles qualified for full-text review. Moreover, 22 studies met inclusion criteria for the systematic review. Of the 22 included studies, 13 reported results indicating that eHealth interventions significantly improved at least one component of psychological sequelae in participants. Common characteristics among interventions that showed an effect included content on problem solving, education, communication, and behavior management. Studies most commonly reported on child and caregiver depression, followed by child PTSS and caregiver anxiety. Conclusions Previous research is mixed but suggests that eHealth interventions may be helpful in alleviating or preventing problematic psychological sequelae in youth with medical conditions and their caregivers. Additional research is needed to advance understanding of the most powerful intervention components and to determine when and how to best disseminate eHealth interventions, with the goal of extending the current reach of psychological interventions.

The influence of the patient's position (sitting or supine) on the intraocular pressure has been examined by means of Goldmann applanation-tonometry. The statistical analysis shows that the intraocular pressure decreases after the first measurement. This is the reason for measuring higher values in the first position, irrespective wether the first measurement is done in sitting or supine position. Analysing the values of steady state pressure i.e. 12 min after taking or changing position indicates a little higher mean value of intraocular pressure in the sitting position of the patient. The difference of mean valuse of sitting ans supine position of the patient is not significant. There are patients who have always higher others have always lower values of intraocular pressure in the supine position. These observations described earlier by Strobl and Follmann, have been confirmed by repeated measurements on 19 patients with differences in both directions of 2 to 4 mm Hg. For this reason it seems not feasible to use a statistical mean value of a population to correct the intraocular pressure of a particular case after changing position.