Background And Importance: Bilateral vestibular schwannomas (VS) are a distinctive feature of neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) that result in a serious reduction in the quality of life for patients. The growth rates of these schwannomas are variable, and the early detection of increased growth is fundamental for improving outcomes.
Clinical Presentation: A 17-year-old man with NF2 and bilateral VS presented with complete right facial paralysis and sudden right hearing loss less than 1 month after resection of a left VS.
Background: Many transgender women with HIV achieve suboptimal advancement through the HIV Care Continuum, including poor HIV health care usage, retention in HIV medical care, and rates of viral suppression. These issues are exacerbated by comorbid conditions, such as substance use disorder, which is also associated with reduced quality of life, increased overdose deaths, usage of high-cost health care services, engagement in a street economy, and cycles of incarceration. Thus, it is critical that efforts to End the HIV Epidemic include effective interventions to link and retain transgender women in HIV care through full viral suppression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlioblastoma is the deadliest primary brain tumor, largely due to inevitable recurrence of the disease after treatment. While most recurrences are local, patients rarely present with a new discontiguous focus of glioblastoma. Little is currently known about the genetic profile of discontiguous recurrences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt is becoming more broadly accepted that human-based models are needed to better understand the complexities of the human nervous system and its diseases. The recently developed human brain organotypic culture model is one highly promising model that requires the involvement of neurosurgeons and neurosurgical patients. Studies have investigated the electrophysiological properties of neurons in such human tissues, but the maintenance of other cell types within explanted brain remains largely unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe development of cell-type-specific gene therapy vectors for treating neurological diseases holds great promise, but has relied on animal models with limited translational utility. We have adapted an organotypic model to evaluate adeno-associated virus (AAV) transduction properties in living slices of human brain tissue. Using fluorescent reporter expression and single-nucleus RNA sequencing, we found that common AAV vectors show broad transduction of normal cell types, with protein expression most apparent in astrocytes; this work introduces a pipeline for identifying and optimizing AAV gene therapy vectors in human brain samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAddict Sci Clin Pract
November 2024
Background: In the United States, most (~ 70%) annual newly diagnosed HIV infections are among substance-using sexual minority men (SMM) and gender minority transgender women (trans women). Trans women and SMM are more likely to report or be diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD) than their cisgender or heterosexual counterparts and the presence of an SUD substantially increases the risk of HIV infection in both groups. Although Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective, initiation, adherence, and persistence are exclusively behavioral outcomes; thus, the biomedical benefits of PrEP are abrogated by substance use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Aims: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a surge in opioid overdose deaths (OODs) in Massachusetts, USA, particularly among Black and Hispanic/Latinx populations. Despite the increasing racial and ethnic disparities in OODs, there was no compensatory increase in naloxone distributed to these groups. We aimed to evaluate two community-based naloxone expansion strategies, with the objective of identifying approaches that could mitigate mortality and racial and ethnic disparities in OODs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurol Surg B Skull Base
October 2024
Objectives: Trauma screening is recommended for pregnant persons with opioid use disorder (OUD), but there is limited literature on screening results from buprenorphine treatment. This study's objectives were to 1) describe the types, and severity, of traumatic events reported and 2) evaluate the associations between trauma and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
Methods: Baseline data from an ongoing trial were analyzed.
Background: Offering medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in carceral settings significantly reduces overdose. However, it is unknown to what extent individuals in jails continue MOUD once they leave incarceration. We aimed to assess the relationship between in-jail MOUD and MOUD continuity in the month following release.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExpert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res
June 2024
Introduction: The health and economic consequences of inadequately treated opioid use disorder (OUD) are substantial. Healthcare systems in the United States (US) and other countries are facing a growing healthcare crisis due to opioids. Although effective medications for OUD exist, relying solely on clinical information is insufficient for addressing the opioid crisis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Non-fatal overdose is a leading predictor of subsequent fatal overdose. For individuals who are incarcerated, the risk of experiencing an overdose is highest when transitioning from a correctional setting to the community. We assessed if enrollment in jail-based medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is associated with lower risk of non-fatal opioid overdoses after jail release among individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Expanding access to naloxone through pharmacies is an important policy goal. Our objective was to characterize national county-level naloxone dispensing of chain versus independent pharmacies.
Methods: The primary exposure in our longitudinal analysis was the proportion of chain pharmacies in a county, identified through the U.
Background: Treatment with methadone and buprenorphine medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) during incarceration may lead to better community re-entry, but evidence on these relationships have been mixed. We aimed to identify community re-entry patterns and examine the association between in-jail MOUD and a pattern of successful reentry defined by rare occurrence of reincarceration and preventable healthcare utilization.
Methods: Data came from a retrospective, observational cohort study of 6066 adults with opioid use disorder who were incarcerated in New York City jails and released to the community during 2011-14.
Importance: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and potential MRI-guided biopsy enable enhanced identification of clinically significant prostate cancer. Despite proven efficacy, MRI and potential MRI-guided biopsy remain costly, and there is limited evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness of this approach in general and for different prostate-specific antigen (PSA) strata.
Objective: To examine the cost-effectiveness of integrating annual MRI and potential MRI-guided biopsy as part of clinical decision-making for men after being screened for prostate cancer compared with standard biopsy.
Designing and manufacturing memristor devices with simple and less complicated methods is highly promising for their future development. Here, an Ag/SnO/FTO(F-SnO) structure is used through the deposition of the SnO layer attained by its sol via the air-brush method on an FTO substrate. This structure was investigated in terms of the memristive characteristics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: We evaluated racial/ethnic differences in the receipt of naloxone distributed by opioid overdose prevention programs (OOPPs) in New York City (NYC).
Methods: We used naloxone recipient racial/ethnic data collected by OOPPs from April 2018 to March 2019. We aggregated quarterly neighborhood-specific rates of naloxone receipt and other covariates to 42 NYC neighborhoods.
Background: No consensus germline testing guidelines currently exist for glioma patients, so the prevalence of germline pathogenic variants remains unknown. This study aims to determine the prevalence and type of pathogenic germline variants in adult glioma.
Methods: A retrospective review at a single institution with paired tumor/normal sequencing from August 2018-April 2022 was performed and corresponding clinical data were collected.
Objective: Accurate naloxone distribution data are critical for planning and prevention purposes, yet sources of naloxone dispensing data vary by location, and completeness of local datasets is unknown. We sought to compare available datasets in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York City (NYC) to a commercially available pharmacy national claims dataset (Symphony Health Solutions).
Data Sources And Study Setting: We utilized retail pharmacy naloxone dispensing data from NYC (2018-2019), Rhode Island (2013-2019), and Massachusetts (2014-2018), and pharmaceutical claims data from Symphony Health Solutions (2013-2019).
The tumour microenvironment plays an essential role in malignancy, and neurons have emerged as a key component of the tumour microenvironment that promotes tumourigenesis across a host of cancers. Recent studies on glioblastoma (GBM) highlight bidirectional signalling between tumours and neurons that propagates a vicious cycle of proliferation, synaptic integration and brain hyperactivity; however, the identity of neuronal subtypes and tumour subpopulations driving this phenomenon is incompletely understood. Here we show that callosal projection neurons located in the hemisphere contralateral to primary GBM tumours promote progression and widespread infiltration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study evaluated the association between medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and health care utilization over time among a sample of treatment-seeking individuals with opioid use disorder. In contrast to previous studies, this study used a novel measure of MOUD adherence, more comprehensive utilization data, and analyses that controlled for detailed individual and social determinants of health.
Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of a comparative effectiveness trial (N=570) of extended-release naltrexone versus buprenorphine-naloxone.
Introduction: We evaluated racial/ethnic differences in the receipt of naloxone distributed by opioid overdose prevention programs (OOPPs) in New York City (NYC).
Methods: We used naloxone recipient racial/ethnic data collected by OOPPs from April 2018 to March 2019. We aggregated quarterly neighborhood-specific rates of naloxone receipt and other covariates to 42 NYC neighborhoods.