Faculty Bibliography

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common but underdiagnosed and undertreated sleep disorder among people with epilepsy (PWE). In PWE, this sleep disorder is often managed as a comorbid condition rather than a contributor to epilepsy outcomes. For many years, OSA has been associated with higher seizure burden and interictal epileptiform discharges. Emerging evidence links OSA to late onset epilepsy (LOE) and increased risk markers for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). This evidence also suggests that treating OSA with continuous positive airway pressure may improve seizure control. This critical review of the literature posits that OSA should be viewed as a modifiable risk factor for PWE. We apply the Bradford Hill criteria for causation as a framework to appraise the evidence connecting OSA with (1) seizure severity, (2) incident LOE, and (3) SUDEP risk. OSA supports eight of nine Bradford Hill criteria to varying degrees: strength, consistency, temporality, biological gradient, plausibility, coherence, analogy, and experiment, but not specificity. Key limitations include confounding, selection and adherence biases, and limited randomized evidence. However, the evidence supports integrating systematic OSA screening and evidence-based treatment into epilepsy care. Future research should prioritize randomized trials to assess the impact of OSA treatment on epilepsy incidence, severity, and SUDEP risk.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Retained foreign bodies (RFB), or those left behind following spine surgery, are considered "Never Events (NE < 1/1000: they should never happen)," or "Near Never Events (NNE < 1/100; they should nearly never happen)", but are not just "Adverse Events (AE >/= 1/100)." The vast majority of NE/NNE are due to cotton sponges, cottonoids, or residual cotton strands (i.e., collectively called Textilomas or Gossypibomas). However, RFB additionally included; fractured needles, guidewires, fractured screws/implants/drains, and/or broken instruments (i.e., scalpels). Notably, the spine surgeon of record, as captain of the ship, is primarily liable for RFB and is central to ensuing medicolegal suits. However, secondarily liable are the adjunctive surgical/medical personnel, (i.e., physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists), and others who are independent or work full-time for hospitals. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:Patients with RFB may present with acute, subacute, or chronic/delayed pain and suffering. Additional complaints include; lost wages, sustained physical disability and/or injury attributed to these objects. Most RFB are diagnosed on plain X-rays, followed by MR and/or CT studies. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:RBS's may include; retained drain fragments, broken needles, fractured guidewires, broken scalpel blades, fractured screws, and/or instruments. Retrieval procedures warrant a wide variety of different techniques, some of which fail. Notably, RFB's largely occur due to the performance of; emergent procedures, doing an unfamiliar operation, encountering anatomical variants, or operating on patients with elevated body mass indexes (BMI). Additionally these include; surgeons' failure to order and/or radiologists' failure to correctly read intraoperative X-rays/fluoroscopic images, and/or nurses' failures to correctly perform end of surgery counts. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:RFBs, or foreign bodies left behind following spine surgery, are considered "Never Events (< 1/1000)" or "Near Never Events (< 1/100)," and are not just "Adverse Events (> 1/100)". When they do occur, the operating surgeon bears primary responsibility, but the nursing/adjunctive staff and hospital are also liable.

Prediction of future events is essential for guiding effective actions in dynamic environments. Studies on the neural mechanisms for time-forward predictions have typically used stimuli with relatively simple statistical regularities. Here, we investigated time-forward predictions using stimuli containing statistical regularities similar to those found in natural auditory stimuli. Using intracranial EEG recordings in neurosurgical patients, we found that prediction signals were primarily carried by low-frequency activity across widespread cortical regions, including sensory, parietal, and frontal areas. Prediction-error (PE) signals were found in both low- and high-frequency activity, with high-frequency components localized mainly to sensory areas. Contrary to previous hypotheses, prediction and PE signals did not show a clear spatial or spectral segregation. Directed connectivity between brain regions decreased over the course of the stimulus sequence as predictability increased, except for pathways originating from the parietal cortex. These results reveal integrative and distributed predictive processing and highlight the dorsal auditory pathway in time-forward prediction.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) affects approximately 20 per 100,000 individuals annually, with surgical recurrence rates of 10-20%. Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) has emerged as a promising minimally invasive treatment, but the optimal timing remains unclear. We evaluated the association between MMAE timing and radiological and functional outcomes in cSDH. METHODS:We conducted a retrospective multicenter international cohort study across 33 centres, including patients who underwent MMAE for cSDH between January 2018 and December 2024. Patients were stratified by timing from diagnosis: Q1 (≤1 day), Q2 (2 days), Q3 (3-6 days), and Q4 (>6 days). The primary composite endpoint required radiological success (hematoma thickness <5 mm at 1-3 months), absence of emergency surgical evacuation, and either functional improvement or good functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0-2). Propensity score matching compared Q1 and Q4. RESULTS:Of 1,781 patients screened, 908 met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 73.7 ± 12.2 years, and 70.9% were female. Early embolization (Q1) achieved the primary composite endpoint more frequently than delayed embolization (Q4), with concordant improvements in radiological and functional components and no difference in rescue surgery. Good functional outcome was achieved in 76.0% of Q1 patients versus 63.8% in Q4 (absolute difference, 12.2%; P=.003; number needed to treat approximately 8). Hospital length of stay was 21.0 days shorter in Q1 versus Q4 (P<.001), partly attributable to the timing definition. In 174 propensity score-matched pairs, early embolization was associated with higher odds of achieving the primary endpoint (odds ratio, 6.41; 95% confidence interval, 3.29-12.48; P<.001), with pronounced benefit among patients receiving antithrombotic therapy (odds ratio, 8.06; 95% confidence interval, 3.65-17.80). CONCLUSIONS:Early MMAE (≤1 day from diagnosis) was overall associated with better outcomes compared with delayed intervention, particularly among patients receiving antithrombotic therapy. Prospective confirmation is warranted.

We report a case of opisthotonos following propofol for induction of general anaesthesia in a man in his 30s who underwent elective dental extraction. Within minutes of arrival in the post-anaesthesia care unit, he developed intermittent involuntary motor episodes characterised by retrocollis, axial hyperextension and decorticate-like posturing. He remained alert and oriented throughout, and neuroimaging and laboratory studies were unremarkable. The patient later reported a similar experience after a previous anaesthetic involving propofol. This case highlights the importance of recognising propofol-induced opisthotonos as a rare but distinct clinical entity that may be mistaken for seizure or stroke.

BACKGROUND:People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) frequently experience invisible symptoms, including cognitive impairment, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and psychosocial factors such as stigma, which can substantially affect social role participation (SRP). These factors are often under-recognized in clinical care despite their functional impact. OBJECTIVE:To examine the unique contributions of invisible MS-related symptoms to SRP after accounting for demographic characteristics and objective cognitive performance. METHODS:A cross-sectional sample of 434 PwMS was recruited from a large outpatient neurology clinic specializing in MS care. The sample was predominantly female (75%), largely white (85%), and middle-aged (M = 51.0, SD = 11.7), with mild-to-moderate disability. Participants completed a computerized cognitive battery and validated patient-reported outcome measures assessing disease impact, mood, fatigue, stigma, and SRP. Hierarchical regression models evaluated the variance explained by demographics, cognitive performance, and patient-reported symptoms. RESULTS:Demographic variables were not significant predictors of SRP. Cognitive performance accounted for 13.3% of the variance. Adding patient-reported outcomes increased explained variance to 70.6%. Depression, disease impact, fatigue, and executive functioning remained significant predictors, whereas stigma did not. CONCLUSIONS:Patient-reported symptom burden showed strong associations with SRP and explained more variance than demographic factors and most cognitive measures, while executive functioning also contributed independently.

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of a multicomponent intervention to address the burden of drug use-related infectious diseases and overdose in rural settings. DESIGN/METHODS:Single-arm hybrid implementation-effectiveness design. SETTING/METHODS:Rural area comprising the Illinois counties of the Delta Regional Authority. PARTICIPANTS/METHODS:People who use opioids and/or stimulants nonmedically. INTERVENTION/METHODS:Expansion of community-based harm reduction services, capacity-building for opioid use disorder and hepatitis C treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES/METHODS:Harm reduction service expansion intervention Reach, Effectiveness (injection equipment sharing), Adoption and Cost (per participant and budget impact analysis). RESULTS:Three hundred six people who use drugs were enrolled. Of the 207 of who were not previously engaged in harm reduction services, 121 (59%) accepted referral and were retained in services at 6 months past study enrollment (intervention reach). In regards to intervention efficacy, among these individuals, 41 (35%) completed follow-up surveys; compared with their baseline self-report, there was a significant increase in obtaining sterile equipment from the harm reduction organization (43.9% vs. 68.3%, P = 0.03) and decrease in sharing injection equipment (46.3%-19.5%, P = .02). The harm reduction organization experienced an increase of approximately 100-550 program participants and an increase in service delivery area coverage from 1258 to 5509 square miles after intervention implementation (adoption). Cost per participant served by the harm reduction organization was $1486 per year, with annual budget impact to the program of $817 295. In regards to treatment capacity building, a total of 80 providers in the study area completed training in opioid use and/or hepatitis C management. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:The pragmatic evaluation of harm reduction service expansion supported by a suite of implementation strategies serves to inform the practical considerations and decision-making by community-based organizations seeking to increase services in rural areas heavily affected by substance use, overdose, and related infectious diseases.

BackgroundPeople with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are at increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Prior research has suggested that amygdala volume may be more sensitive than hippocampal volume in detecting differences between SCD and age-matched controls, as well as in predicting SCD conversion to mild cognitive impairment. However, the microstructure underlying this volumetric change remains unclear.ObjectiveThis study evaluated amygdala microstructural differences in SCD versus control participants as well as associations between amygdala microstructure and volume, age, memory performance, anxiety, and depression using diffusion imaging.MethodsDiffusion tensor imaging, diffusion kurtosis imaging, and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging were fit to diffusion MRI images. Group differences and correlations between diffusion metrics, age, memory, anxiety, and depression were assessed in 123 SCD versus 194 age-matched controls over age 55.ResultsIn the left amygdala, SCD participants had significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA), lower kurtosis fractional anisotropy (KFA), and higher free water fraction (FWF). KFA was lower in the right amygdala in SCD. There were no significant group differences in the amygdala volume. Bilateral KFA negatively correlated with FWF, a marker of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Left FA negatively correlated with orientation dispersion index, a marker of neuritic branching. Right KFA correlated with age only in SCD, while left FA correlated with anxiety only in controls.ConclusionsKFA is sensitive to group differences between SCD and controls in bilateral amygdala. KFA may reflect neuroinflammation and increased sensitivity to aging in the amygdala in SCD.