Measuring quality and safety of epilepsy monitoring units in Brazil: Adoption of quality indicators.

Purpose: Drug-resistant epilepsy affects a substantial proportion (30-40 %) of patients with epilepsy, often necessitating video-electroencephalography (video-EEG) monitoring. In 2016, Sauro et al. introduced a set of measures aimed at improving the quality and safety indicators reported in video-EEG evaluations.

Teleconsultations in neurology in a universal health system amid COVID-19: a descriptive study.

Objective: This study aimed to characterize teleconsultations in neurology executed by Regula+Brasil project in Recife, a capital city in northeastern Brazil.

Methods: A descriptive study carried out by four private hospitals, in a partnership with the Ministry of Health in Brazil. Teleconsultation was performed preferably in the video modality.

Telehealth for Supporting Referrals to Specialized Care During COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to the suspension or postponement of care for non-urgent conditions worldwide. is an initiative of the Unified Health System (SUS) in Brazil to optimize the management of referrals to specialized care by using telehealth. To report the expansion of telehealth activities of in response to COVID-19 and to assess qualification of referrals in primary health care (PHC) units as well as the added value of teleconsultation in qualifying referral cases.

CSF Aβ but not p-Tau differentiates aMCI from SCI.

Aim: Individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) are at a high risk to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD). We compared CSF levels of biomarkers of amyloidosis (Aβ) and neurodegeneration (p-Tau) in individuals with aMCI and with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) in order to ascertain diagnostic accuracy and predict the odds ratio associated with aMCI.

Methods: We collected CSF of individuals clinically diagnosed with aMCI (33) and SCI (12) of a memory clinic of Southern Brazil.

Development of a novel set of microsatellite markers for castor bean, Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae).

Premise Of Study: Microsatellite primers were developed for castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) to investigate genetic diversity and population structure, and to provide support to germplasm management.

Methods And Results: Eleven microsatellite loci were isolated using an enrichment cloning protocol and used to characterize castor bean germplasm from the collection at the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas (IAC).

Imaging correlates of differential expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase in human brain tumors.

Background: Tryptophan catabolism via the kynurenine pathway, mediated by indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), is a mechanism involved in tumor immunoresistance. Positron emission tomography (PET) with alpha-[(11)C]methyl-L-tryptophan (AMT) can quantify transport and metabolism of tryptophan in infiltrating gliomas and glioneuronal tumors. In the present study, we investigated whether increased tryptophan metabolism in brain tumors measured by PET is related to expression of IDO in resected brain tumor specimens.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging detects abnormalities in normal-appearing frontal lobe of patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome.

Background: In Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS), structural MRI abnormalities are most common in the posterior brain regions. Frontal lobe involvement increases the risk of motor impairment. The goal of this study was to determine whether Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Imaging (MRSI) can improve detection of frontal lobe involvement in children with SWS.

Focal decreases of cortical GABAA receptor binding remote from the primary seizure focus: what do they indicate?

Purpose: To determine the electroclinical significance and histopathological correlates of cortical gamma-aminobutyric acid(A)(GABA(A)) receptor abnormalities detected in and remote from human neocortical epileptic foci.

Methods: Cortical areas with decreased(11)C-flumazenil (FMZ) binding were objectively identified on positron emission tomography (PET) images and correlated to intracranial electroencephalography (EEG) findings, clinical seizure variables, histology findings, and surgical outcome in 20 patients (mean age, 9.9 years) with intractable partial epilepsy of neocortical origin and nonlocalizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Increased visual cortex glucose metabolism contralateral to angioma in children with Sturge-Weber syndrome.

Functional reorganization after focal brain injury can lead to altered cerebral metabolism of glucose. Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) with unilateral involvement is a clinical model for evaluating the effects of early focal brain injury on brain metabolism and function. In this study, 2-deoxy-2[(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) was used to measure glucose metabolism in cortex and basal ganglia, both ipsilateral and contralateral to the angioma, in 17 children (eight males, nine females; age range 1y 8mo-10y 4mo; mean 5y 7mo [SD 2y 11mo]) with unilateral SWS and epilepsy.

Transient hypermetabolism of the basal ganglia following perinatal hypoxia.

Positron emission tomography can be used to evaluate brain function following perinatal hypoxia. This case report demonstrates transient hypermetabolism in the basal ganglia detected by glucose metabolism positron emission tomography study in a newborn who suffered hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and developed dystonic cerebral palsy later. A scan repeated at 4 years of age showed severe hypometabolism in the lentiform nuclei and thalami.