Faculty Bibliography

Background: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a recognized pain condition the treatment of which can be very challenging. Various surgical interventions can be applied in cases of therapy-resistance to drug treatments. The central lateral thalamotomy (CLT) against neurogenic (or neuropathic) pain is based on multiarchitectonic histological as well as physiopathological studies, and integrates the nucleus in a large thalamocortical (TC) and corticocortical network responsible for the sensory, cognitive and affective/emotional components of pain. The advent of the magnetic resonance imaging guided high intensity focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) brought a strong reduction in morbidity and increase in accuracy compared to penetration techniques. Objective: This study was aimed at analyzing the outcome of bilateral MRgFUS CLT for chronic therapy-resistant trigeminal pain, all performed in one single center. Methods: Patients were categorized in Classical, Idiopathic and Secondary TN. By definition, paroxysms lasted for seconds up to 2 min. All patients were screened for trigeminal neurovascular conflict. In case of classical TN, microvascular decompression was proposed. Therapy-resistance and thus indication for MRgFUS CLT was based on the lack of efficacy and/or side effects of antiepileptic and antidepressant drugs. Good outcome was defined by a pain relief ≥50%. Results: Eight patients suffering from chronic therapy-resistant trigeminal neuralgia were treated. All suffered from pain with paroxysmal character. Six patients reported additionally continuous pain. Mean follow-up was 53 months (range: 12-92, median: 60 months). The mean pain relief assessed by patients was 51% (median: 58%, range: 0-90%) at 3 months, 71% (median: 65%, range: 40-100%) at 1 year and 78% (median: 75%, range: 50-100%) at their longest follow-up. This represents 63% good outcomes at 3 months, 88% at 1 year and 100% at last follow-up. Frequency of the mean pain paroxysms decreased from 84 per day preoperative to 3.9 at 1 year postoperatively. There were no serious adverse events in this series. Conclusion: Our study provides preliminary support for the safety and efficacy of MRgFUS CLT, a histologically and pathophysiologically based medial thalamotomy against chronic therapy-resistant trigeminal neuralgia.

How does neural activity generate perception? The spatial identities and temporal latencies of activated units correlate with external sensory features, but finding the subspace of activity that is consequential for perception, remains challenging. We trained mice to recognize synthetic odors: optogenetically-driven spatiotemporal patterns of glomerular activity in the olfactory bulb. We then performed precise spatial or temporal perturbations on trained patterns and measured how recognition changes. Changes in recognition reflect the perceptual relevance of the modified feature. We modeled recognition as the matching of glomerular activity to learned templates, and uncovered what forms a perceptually-meaningful pattern template: activation sequences ordered by latencies relative to each other, with surprisingly minimal effect of sniff. Within templates, spatially-identified glomeruli contribute additively, with larger contributions from earlier-activated glomeruli. Template matching with these perceptually-meaningful features can account for animals' responses, with the degree of mismatch predicting changes in recognition. The model accurately generalizes to novel spatio-temporal manipulations of patterns, and produces non-linear responses that resemble the non-linear responses in the data. This is the first report to our knowledge, that not only establishes a causal role for neural activity sequences in perception, but also uncovers the perceptually-relevant coding schemes governing these sequences. Our synthetic approach reveals the fundamental logic of the olfactory code, and provides a general framework for testing links between sensory activity and perception

The affective state is the combination of emotion and mood, with mood reflecting a running average of sequential emotional events together with an underlying internal affective state. There is now extensive evidence that odors can overtly or subliminally modulate mood and emotion. Relying primarily on neurobiological literature, here we review what is known about how odors can affect emotions/moods and how emotions/moods may affect odor perception. We take the approach that form can provide insight into function by reviewing major brain regions and neural circuits underlying emotion and mood, and then reviewing the olfactory pathway in the context of that emotion/mood network. We highlight the extensive neuroanatomical opportunities for odor-emotion/mood convergence, as well as functional data demonstrating reciprocal interactions between these processes. Finally, we explore how the odor- emotion/mood interplay is, or could be, used in medical and/or commercial applications.

Background: Our previous study showed that PH without a transplant (tx) had worse HRQoL compared to the US Standard Population and worsened with increased stone frequency. We now show the first longitudinal HRQoL profiles for PH patients with transplants.
Method(s): PH participants were enrolled from the Rare Kidney Stone Consortium registry. HRQoL was measured with a generic non-disease specific instrument (SF-36v2). Results were calculated as norm-based scores (NBS) based on US Standard Population (Mean domain score = 50). We created three groups based on the time of last stone event (<= 30 days, 31 - 365 days, >;366 days). The study compared HRQoL for participants with a kidney and/or liver transplant over 5 different time points.
Result(s): This sub-sample included 100 surveys of 32 PH participants (16 males and 16 females) with a tx. The mean age was 47 years for both males and females. This subsample includes 24 participants with liver/kidney tx (75%) and 8 with kidney tx only (25%). Participants with only a kidney tx reported significantly more stone events within a year (26% vs 13%, X2 =0.028). Two way ANOVA did not find a change in HRQoL profiles over time for PH participants with kidney or kidney/liver tx (figure). Most mean domain scores are 50 or above, except for the domain of General Health which was less. Participants with only a kidney tx scored significantly lower in role physical, bodily pain, general health, social function, and physical component score (data not shown) than participants with kidney/liver tx. There was no difference between male and female participants over time.
Conclusion(s): PH participants with kidney/liver tx achieve better HRQoL, measured with a non-disease specific generic instrument, than those with kidney alone; both are better when compared to the US Standard Population. The majority of PH participants with a tx are stone-free, with a direct beneficial impact on their HRQoL

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a greater incidence of AKI than expected. At the NY Harbor VA we faced an overwhelming number of AKI patients who were critically ill with multi-organ failure. We needed to invoke new mechanisms of providing kidney replacement therapy (KRT).
Method(s): We obtained 3 Tablo systems in late March, 2019. The machines have selfcontained reverse osmosis capabilities and so do not require other equipment to operate. They can make dialysate from concentrate and tap water and so do not require special plumbing adaptation. Their self-contained step-by-step procedures are relatively simple to follow and allow rapid training of previously unskilled personnel. Tablo generates 300 ml dialysate per minute, and blood flow was increased to up to 400 ml/min as tolerated.
Result(s): Training was completed by 2 nephrologists and 2 RNs without previous dialysis experience. We used the Tablo Hemodialysis System to provide KRT to critically ill patients. In the first week we demonstrated that water cultures and endotoxin testing were negative, and that AAMI water tests were acceptable. We used the machines to provide KRT for ICU patients with double-lumen dialysis catheters. In addition we used the machines on hospital wards where KRT had not been provided before because of a lack of the plumbing needs of conventional HD machines. We provided multiple treatments 3-6 times per week for 15 AKI patients, mean age 65 years. The mean of the best urea reduction ratio achieved in the first 1-4 treatments, if available, was 41% (often limited by hypotension and fulfillment of ultrafiltration, UF, needs). Most treatments were successful and were slowed for hypotension or tachycardia. Some were aborted because of water pressure alarms if sediment filters needed replacement, or lines clotted due to hypercoagulability associated with COVID-19. Personnel availability dictated that most treatments were 3-4 hours (and up to 8h), and generally achieved UF goals. Later HD nurses cannulated arteriovenous fistulas in ESKD patients and left treatment to non-HD nurses to complete.
Conclusion(s): By incorporating a user-friendly platform and an accelerated training program including nephrologists and RNs without previous dialysis experience, we were able to nearly double our capacity to deliver KRT during the surge