Sociodemographic and Socioeconomic Factors Correlate with Late-Stage Pediatric Hodgkin Lymphoma and Rhabdomyosarcoma: A Report from the Children's Oncology Group Registries.

Background: We examined the association between late-stage diagnosis and individual- and community-level sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics among patients with pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma and rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS).

Methods: We obtained Children's Oncology Group data from 1999 to 2021 including summary stage [local (L), regional (R), and distant (D)], tumor subtype, demographics, and ZIP Code at diagnosis. We linked ZIP Codes to county-level redlining scores (C, D = greatest redlining), the Child Opportunity Index, and measures of segregation (racial dissimilarity indices).

Stability of mismatch negativity event-related potentials in a multisite study.

Objectives: Mismatch negativity (MMN), an auditory event-related potential sensitive to deviance detection, is smaller in schizophrenia and psychosis risk. In a multisite study, a regression approach to account for effects of site and age (12-35 years) was evaluated alongside the one-year stability of MMN.

Methods: Stability of frequency, duration, and frequency + duration (double) deviant MMN was assessed in 167 healthy subjects, tested on two occasions, separated by 52 weeks, at one of eight sites.

Clinical and Cognitive Significance of Auditory Sensory Processing Deficits in Schizophrenia.

Objective: Although patients with schizophrenia exhibit impaired suppression of the P50 event-related brain potential in response to the second of two identical auditory stimuli during a paired-stimulus paradigm, uncertainty remains over whether this deficit in inhibitory gating of auditory sensory processes has relevance for patients' clinical symptoms or cognitive performance. The authors examined associations between P50 suppression deficits and several core features of schizophrenia to address this gap.

Method: P50 was recorded from 52 patients with schizophrenia and 41 healthy comparison subjects during a standard auditory paired-stimulus task.

The clinical spectrum and natural history of pure akinesia with gait freezing.

Gait freezing as a presenting and relatively restricted condition is uncommon but a distinctive disorder. This entity was initially defined as "pure akinesia with gait freezing", and later a neuropathological substrate of progressive supranuclear palsy has been recognized. Limited studies have reported the clinical evolution after presentation, which is important for patient counseling.

Highly specific radiographic marker predates clinical diagnosis in progressive supranuclear palsy.

Introduction: The diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy is often challenging early in the course of the disease, when clinical signs of the condition may be less apparent and patients do not clearly meet diagnostic criteria. In this study, we examine a potential radiographic marker in progressive supranuclear palsy, and assess the timing of its presence in relation to diagnosis.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients fulfilling clinical research criteria for multiple system atrophy, Parkinson's disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy (total n = 75) was performed.

Electrophysiological Endophenotypes for Schizophrenia.

Endophenotypes are quantitative, heritable traits that may help to elucidate the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying complex disease syndromes, such as schizophrenia. They can be assessed at numerous levels of analysis; here, we review electrophysiological endophenotypes that have shown promise in helping us understand schizophrenia from a more mechanistic point of view. For each endophenotype, we describe typical experimental procedures, reliability, heritability, and reported gene and neurobiological associations.

Procedural Variations in the Stroop and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test: impact on patients with multiple sclerosis.

Decreased information processing speed is often cited as the primary cognitive deficit occurring in conjunction with multiple sclerosis (MS). Two common tools for assessing this deficit are the Stroop Test and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). However, there are procedural variations in these rapid serial processing (RSP) tests pertaining to the response format (e.

Mild traumatic brain injury from primary blast vs. blunt forces: post-concussion consequences and functional neuroimaging.

Introduction: Primary blast forces may cause dysfunction from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Objective: To investigate the effects of primary blast forces, independent of associated blunt trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, on sensitive post-concussive measures.

Methods: This study investigated post-concussive symptoms, functional health and well-being, cognition, and positron emission tomography (PET) neuroimaging among 12 Iraq or Afghanistan war veterans who sustained pure blast-force mTBI, compared to 12 who sustained pure blunt-force mTBI.

Difficulties in planning among patients with multiple sclerosis: a relative consequence of deficits in information processing speed.

Previous studies show that MS patients take longer than healthy controls to plan their solutions to Tower of London (TOL) problems but yield conflicting results regarding the quality of their solutions. The present study evaluated performance under untimed or timed conditions to assess the possibility that differences in planning ability only occur when restrictions in solution times are imposed. MS patients (n = 39) and healthy controls (n = 43) completed a computerized version of the TOL under one of two conditions.

Changes in personality after mild traumatic brain injury from primary blast vs. blunt forces.

Introduction: Injuries from explosive devices can cause blast-force injuries, including mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Objective: This study investigated changes in personality from blast-force mTBI in comparison to blunt-force mTBI.

Methods: Clinicians and significant others assessed US veterans who sustained pure blast-force mTBI (n = 12), as compared to those who sustained pure blunt-force mTBI (n = 12).

Deficits in planning time but not performance in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Studies of planning ability typically involve some version of the Tower of Hanoi or Tower of London (TOL). When these tests are administered to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), the findings pertaining to planning "performance" have been conflicting. Possible reasons for failures to find deficits in planning performance among MS patients are: (a) the patients typically have relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) of mild severity and short duration and thus little cognitive impairment relative to those with more advanced disease; (b) the problems composing the tests are too simple and differences between patients and controls are therefore obscured by ceiling effects; and (c) the scoring system typically used permits participants to earn points for successful solutions on later trials after failing the initial attempt on each problem, thereby further diluting the difference between patients and controls.

CT scan for suspected acute abdominal process: impact of combinations of IV, oral, and rectal contrast.

BACKGROUND There are limited data available on the ability of computed tomography (CT) to accurately diagnose abdominopelvic pathology in acutely ill inpatients suspected of having an acute abdominal process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of abdominal/pelvic CT with varying use of contrast agents in hospitalized patients. METHODS A retrospective review of all hospital inpatients (3/1/07-5/31/07) who underwent urgent or emergent abdominal/pelvic CT with any combination of contrast, intravenous (IV), oral, rectal, or unenhanced for a suspected acute abdominal process was performed.