Real-world use of the updated refractory epilepsy screening tool for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

Objective: To evaluate the Refractory Epilepsy Screening Tool for Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (REST-LGS) for real-world identification of LGS in adults and to develop a scoring system for the tool.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of adults with drug resistant epilepsy (DRE) and intellectual development disorder (IDD) was conducted by 2 primary care providers blinded to diagnosis. The REST-LGS was designed via the Modified Delphi Consensus and was previously validated.

Olfactory dysfunction and training in children with COVID-19 infection: A prospective study Post-COVID pediatric olfactory training.

Objective: Postviral olfactory dysfunction (OD) including corona 2019 viral disease (COVID-19) OD occurs in both adults and children. Despite limited reports of efficacy in treating adult postviral including COVID-19 OD with olfactory training (OT), its effects on children in general, and post-COVID-19 in specific, is unknown. The study aimed at evaluating the effects of OT in a COVID-19 OD pediatric cohort.

Retrospective study and outcome of 307 cats with feline infectious peritonitis treated with legally sourced veterinary compounded preparations of remdesivir and GS-441524 (2020-2022).

Objectives: Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a serious disease that arises due to feline coronavirus infection. The nucleoside analogues remdesivir and GS-441524 can be effective in its treatment, but most studies have used unregulated products of unknown composition. The aim of the present study was to describe the treatment of FIP using legally sourced veterinary-prescribed regulated veterinary compounded products containing known amounts of remdesivir (injectable) or GS-441524 (oral tablets).

A journey into the unknown: An ethnographic examination of drug-resistant epilepsy treatment and management in the United States.

Patients often recognize unmet needs that can improve patient-provider experiences in disease treatment management. These needs are rarely captured and may be hard to quantify in difficult-to-treat disease states such as drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). To further understand challenges living with and managing DRE, a team of medical anthropologists conducted ethnographic field assessments with patients to qualitatively understand their experience with DRE across the United States.

A multidisciplinary care model to increase access to neurologic ambulatory care.

Background: Expert patient care has been associated with improved outcomes for neurology patients, yet timely access to specialists is challenging. The employment of nurse practitioners (NPs) holds great potential to increase access to neurologic ambulatory care, however little practical guidance exists to date for how this may be achieved.

Local Problem: To improve timely care provision for patients with neurologic disease, we employed a multidisciplinary care utilization framework that used NPs to expand clinic appointment availability.

The refractory epilepsy screening tool for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (REST-LGS).

Background: The complex clinical presentation and progression of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) can complicate the accurate diagnosis of this severe, lifelong, childhood-onset epilepsy, often resulting in suboptimal treatment. The Refractory Epilepsy Screening Tool for LGS (REST-LGS) was developed to improve the identification of patients with LGS.

Methods: Using the Modified Delphi Consensus, a group of experts developed and tested the REST-LGS Case Report Form (CRF) comprising 8 criteria (4 major, 4 minor) considered potentially indicative of LGS.

Improved availability and quality of care with epilepsy nurse practitioners.

Background: This study investigated the quality of care delivered by nurse practitioner (NP)-physician teams employed to expand clinic appointment availability for patients with epilepsy.

Methods: We performed a retrospective observational cohort study of patients with epilepsy presenting to the Penn Epilepsy Center for a new patient appointment in 2014. During this time, patients were seen either by an NP-physician team care model or a more traditional physician-only care model.