Measuring expertise in identifying interictal epileptiform discharges.

Objective: Interictal epileptiform discharges on EEG are integral to diagnosing epilepsy. However, EEGs are interpreted by readers with and without specialty training, and there is no accepted method to assess skill in interpretation. We aimed to develop a test to quantify IED recognition skills.

Minimum clinically important difference (MCID) of the personal impact of epilepsy scale (PIES).

Introduction: The Personal Impact of Epilepsy Scale (PIES) assesses patient functional status in subscales of (1) seizure impact, (2) medication effects, (3) mood & social status, and (4) overall quality of life. This study was designed to determine the Minimal Clinically Important Change (MCID) in PIES subscale and total scores that demonstrate improvement.

Methods: To ascertain the correspondence of PIES score change and clinical status change (improved, same, worse) in each PIES subscale and total score, we used two distinct retrospective anchor-based assessments of clinical status (patient self-assessment and trained rater assessment) across two clinic visits.

Rates of Synthetic Cannabinoid Use in Adolescents Admitted to a Treatment Facility.

Objective: Many forms of synthetic marijuana are available in the United States for recreational use. Although the composition of these synthetic forms is unclear, consumption has been on the rise among adolescents. The objective of this study is to understand the usage rates and identify the reasons and risk factors for synthetic cannabinoid use.

Interictal Epileptiform Discharge Detection in EEG in Different Practice Settings.

Objective: The goal of the study was to measure the performance of academic and private practice (PP) neurologists in detecting interictal epileptiform discharges in routine scalp EEG recordings.

Methods: Thirty-five EEG scorers (EEGers) participated (19 academic and 16 PP) and marked the location of ETs in 200 30-second EEG segments using a web-based EEG annotation system. All participants provided board certification status, years of Epilepsy Fellowship Training (EFT), and years in practice.

Characteristics of EEG Interpreters Associated With Higher Interrater Agreement.

Purpose: The goal of the project is to determine characteristics of academic neurophysiologist EEG interpreters (EEGers), which predict good interrater agreement (IRA) and to determine the number of EEGers needed to develop an ideal standardized testing and training data set for epileptiform transient (ET) detection algorithms.

Methods: A three-phase scoring method was used. In phase 1, 19 EEGers marked the location of ETs in two hundred 30-second segments of EEG from 200 different patients.