Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:Cognitive impairment is common in multiple sclerosis (MS). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with adaptive cognitive training (aCT) may improve clinical outcomes. OBJECTIVE/UNASSIGNED:To evaluate the effect of active vs. sham home-based tDCS + aCT on cognitive function. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:-scores. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED: = .411). CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:Active vs. sham tDCS + aCT resulted in significantly better cognitive outcomes, with the greatest benefit in those with high neurologic disability.CLINICALTRIALS.GOV; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03838770; IDENTIFIER: NCT03838770.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:that requires emergent postoperative MR confirmation of the classical "white cord" (i.e., high intrinsic T2W MR cord signal reflecting edema/swelling). METHODS/UNASSIGNED:Most frequently, postoperative MR studies in newly paretic/injured patients following cervical operations will show evidence of direct intraoperative ("iatrogenic") spinal cord injury. Less frequently, findings may include new non-operative vs. operative pathology (i.e., hematomas/hematomyelia, graft extrusions/malpositioning, new/residual/recurrent disc/stenosis/Ossification of the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament (OPLL), and other pathology). RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:WCS/RI after cervical spine surgery is extremely rare, being reported in only 17 cases as of 2020, and cannot be diagnosed based on "clinical judgment" alone; rather, it requires a STAT corroborate postoperative MR to demonstrate the classical "white cord". However, most likely postoperative MR studies document "iatrogenic" cord injuries, and less likely show new non-surgical and/or new surgical compressive pathology warranting reoperations to remediate the extent/severity of neurological injuries. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:that requires STAT postoperative MR documentation of the classical swollen/edematous "white cord".

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:A central vestibular neural mechanism known as velocity storage may be inappropriately conditioned in mal de débarquement syndrome (MdDS), a rare chronic vestibular disorder with a continuous false sensation of self-motion described as non-spinning vertigo. Visual-vestibular therapy approaches designed to recondition the three-dimensional properties of velocity storage have yielded much clinical success, but not without limitations. An alternative therapeutic approach, designed to attenuate the contribution of malfunctioning velocity storage in higher-order neural processing, has also yielded positive results, but at a lower success rate. We sought a possible explanation for the latter shortcoming using a mathematical model. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:The three-dimensional orientation properties of velocity storage can be modeled as a dynamical system using a 3 × 3 system matrix. For normal upright, the system matrix is diagonal, with its eigenvectors aligning with the head-fixed roll, pitch, and yaw axes, and the yaw eigenvector with gravity. A pull sensation of MdDS has been expressed with a system matrix with off-diagonal elements representing cross-axis coupling and interpreted as a misalignment between the yaw eigenvector and the head vertical. We manipulated the velocity storage's yaw time constant and output weight. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:The model predicted that attenuating the velocity storage contribution could exaggerate the pull sensation. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:The present model-based exploration points to a possible weakness in the MdDS treatment approach focused on velocity storage attenuation, while likely beneficial otherwise. When a pulling sensation is present, the treatment protocol may need to be supplemented with another approach that specifically counters this problem, such as optokinetic stimulation.

Individuals with Lewy body dementia (LBD) rely on family caregivers. Caregiving demands limit caregivers' ability to attend to their own health needs, increasing their vulnerability to the psychological effects of caregiving. We previously piloted a peer mentoring intervention with experienced (mentor) and less experienced (mentee) LBD caregivers. Matched mentor-mentee dyads spoke weekly for 16 weeks, guided by an intervention handbook. LBD knowledge and attitudes towards dementia improved post-intervention. We hypothesized that caregiver health status moderates response to peer mentoring. Post hoc analyses (N = 30 dyads) showed that 75% of mentees and 66% of mentors endorsed ≥1 comorbidity. Mentees and mentors with comorbidities showed greater improvement in LBD knowledge postintervention (P = 0.039) and dementia attitudes post-training (P = 0.016), respectively. Caregivers with comorbidities and thus greater exposure to health care may derive excess benefit from an effective LBD caregiver intervention than healthier counterparts, enhancing both the objective knowledge and their confidence in caring for their loved ones.

INTRODUCTION/UNASSIGNED:Gait is a critical indicator of neurological health, with changes often signaling underlying decline. We developed a remote gait monitoring protocol using off-the-shelf shoe-based sensors (RunScribe) to assess gait parameters in real-world home settings. This protocol, known as Gait Assessment with Innovative Technologies - Home-based Use and Benefit (GAIT-HUB), was tested in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), a population at high risk for gait impairment due to the disease's variable progression. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:Participants with MS completed an in-clinic baseline gait assessment using a validated sensor (G-Sensor®) and three weekly, remotely supervised gait assessments at home using the RunScribe sensors. Gait parameters were compared across devices using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman analyses. Longitudinal reliability of remote assessments and system usability score (SUS) were evaluated. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Twenty-nine participants (76% women, ages 19-67, PDDS range 0-5) successfully completed the home-based assessments. High agreement between devices was observed for gait speed, stride length, and cadence (ICCs >0.90), though phases like stance and swing showed more variability. Bland-Altman analyses indicated minimal bias in most parameters. Longitudinal assessments demonstrated strong reliability (ICCs >0.87) for key metrics, and SUS indicated good-to-excellent usability of the remote protocol. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:The GAIT-HUB protocol enables reliable and feasible home-based gait monitoring using wearable sensors that patients can easily self-apply. This approach provides valuable insights into daily mobility patterns beyond clinical visits, supporting more precise and timely assessments of functional status between appointments and offering the potential for seamless integration into telemedicine routine care.

INTRODUCTION/UNASSIGNED:White matter hyperintensity (WMH) is a hallmark imaging biomarker of cerebral small vessel disease and are strongly associated with vascular cognitive impairment in the elderly. Morphological changes in large extracranial brain-feeding arteries, such as the internal carotid (ICA) and vertebral arteries (VA), may alter intracranial hemodynamics and contribute to WMH development. This study examined the relationship between arterial tortuosity and WMHs using magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). METHODS/UNASSIGNED:Seventy-eight participants underwent time-of-flight (TOF) MRA and phase-contrast (PC) MRI to assess arterial morphology and blood flow. After excluding three for poor image quality, 75 subjects were analyzed. Arterial tortuosity was quantified using the inflection count metric (ICM) and ICA angle. Global cerebral blood flow (CBF) was estimated with PC-MRI and compared against pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) to determine whether it could be a reliable surrogate measurement to reflect intracranial blood supply. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Participants with severe WMHs (Fazekas ≥2) demonstrated greater tortuosity (higher ICM and larger ICA angles) and lower blood flow than those with mild WMHs. Females showed more tortuous arteries, greater WMH burden, and higher susceptibility to hypoperfusion. Correlation analyses revealed a positive association between tortuosity and WMH volume. DISCUSSION/UNASSIGNED:These findings highlight the role of extracranial arterial tortuosity in WMH burden and reveal sex-specific differences in vascular vulnerability. The results underscore the need for further investigation into how age-related vascular remodeling contributes to WMH development and cognitive decline.

SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with increased autoimmune disease risk. Past studies have not aligned regarding the most prevalent autoimmune diseases after infection, however. Furthermore, the relationship between infection severity and new autoimmune disease risk has not been well examined. We used RECOVER's electronic health record (EHR) networks, N3C, PCORnet, and PEDSnet, to estimate types and frequency of autoimmune diseases arising after SARS-CoV-2 infection and assessed how infection severity related to autoimmune disease risk. We identified patients of any age with SARS-CoV-2 infection between April 1, 2020 and April 1, 2021, and assigned them to a World Health Organization COVID-19 severity category for adults or the PEDSnet acute COVID-19 illness severity classification system for children (<age 21). We collected baseline covariates from the EHR in the year pre-index infection date and followed patients for 2 years for new autoimmune disease, defined as ≥ 2 new ICD-9, ICD-10, or SNOMED codes in the same concept set, starting >30 days after SARS-CoV-2 infection index date and occurring ≥1 day apart. We calculated overall and infection severity-stratified incidence ratesper 1000 person-years for all autoimmune diseases. With least severe COVID-19 severity as reference, survival analyses examined incident autoimmune disease risk. The most common new-onset autoimmune diseases in all networks were thyroid disease, psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Among adults, inflammatory arthritis was the most common, and Sjögren's disease also had high incidence. Incident type 1 diabetes and hematological autoimmune diseases were specifically found in children. Across networks, after adjustment, patients with highest COVID-19 severity had highest risk for new autoimmune disease vs. those with least severe disease (N3C: adjusted Hazard Ratio, (aHR) 1.47 (95%CI 1.33-1.66); PCORnet aHR 1.14 (95%CI 1.02-1.26); PEDSnet: aHR 3.14 (95%CI 2.42-4.07)]. Overall, severe acute COVID-19 was most strongly associated with autoimmune disease risk in three EHR networks.

BACKGROUND/UNASSIGNED:In this short review/perspective, we asked what the frequencies would be for both postoperative spinal epidural hematomas (SpEH) and postoperative surgical site infections (SSI) in predominantly posterior lumbar procedures performed with or without the placement of wound drains? METHODS/UNASSIGNED:Many spine surgeons are trained to use wound drains to decrease the risk of postoperative SpEH, despite the potential increased risk of SSI. Alternatively, avoiding drains may increase the risk of SpEH but likely decrease the potential for SSI. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:Performing predominantly posterior lumbar procedures with or without wound drains resulted in largely comparable frequencies of postoperative spinal epidural hematomas (SpEH; range of 0.10%-0.69%) and postoperative surgical site infections (SSI: range of 0.75%-7.3%). Notably, however, two studies documented that drains increased transfusion requirements, with one study showing a prolongation of the in-hospital length of stay. Critically, these series emphasized the importance of early/emergent diagnosis (i.e., with MR) and surgical treatment of SpEH to minimize residual neurological deficits. CONCLUSION/UNASSIGNED:Here, we showed that patients undergoing predominantly lumbar spine surgery performed with or without wound drains demonstrated comparable frequencies of postoperative SpEH and SSI. Nevertheless, spine surgeons must assess on a case-by-case basis whether, based on their education, training, and experience, placing a wound drain is appropriate for their particular patient.