Analyzing direct effects of education level and estimated IQ between cognitively intact Mexican Americans and Non-Hispanic whites on a confrontational naming task.

Confrontational naming is widely used in diagnosing neurodegenerative disorders like MCI and dementia, and previous research indicates that healthy Non-Hispanic Whites outperform Hispanics in such tasks. However, understanding the factors contributing to score differences among ethnic groups remains limited. This study focuses on cognitively intact Mexican Americans and Non-Hispanic White older adults from the TARCC Hispanic Cohort project.

An analysis of racial inequities in emergency department triage among patients with stroke-like symptoms in the United States.

Background: Racial inequities exist in treatment and outcomes in patients with acute stroke.

Objectives: Our objective was to determine if racial inequities exist in the time-lapse between patient presentation and provider assessment in patients with stroke-like symptoms in Emergency Departments (ED) across the U.S.

Antihypertensive use for stroke in United States emergency departments.

Objective: Timely emergency department (ED) control of hypertension in the acute phase of stroke is associated with improved outcomes. It is unclear how emergency physicians use antihypertensive medications to treat severe hypertension associated with stroke. We sought to determine national patterns of antihypertensive use associated with ED visits for stroke in the United States.

Validity of the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Sum of Boxes in Staging and Detection of Cognitive Impairment in Mexican Americans.

Objective: We evaluated the utility of the Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes score (CDR-SB) in staging and detecting amnestic-mild cognitive impairment (a-MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) among Mexican Americans.

Methods: Receiver operator curves were generated to evaluate the validity of the CDR-SB in staging and detecting a-MCI and AD in 1,073 Mexican Americans (758 controls, 163 a-MCI, and 152 AD).

Results: Optimal ranges of the CDR-SB were 0, 0.

Isolated left posterior insular infarction and convergent roles in verbal fluency, language, memory, and executive function.

The posterior insular cortex-a complex structure interconnecting various brain regions for different functions-is a rare location for ischemic stroke. We report a patient with isolated left posterior insular infarction who presented with multiple cognitive impairment, including impairment in semantic and phonemic verbal fluency.

Topiramate-induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy in a patient with mental retardation: A case report and review of the literature.

Hyperammonemia is an uncommon side effect of topiramate (TPM) that has only been reported when it is used as an adjunct to valproate. We report a patient with mental retardation who developed reversible encephalopathy from TPM. Ammonia level was monitored during the course of TPM treatment.

Pupil to limbus ratio: Introducing a simple objective measure using two-box method for measuring early anisocoria and progress of pupillary change in the ICU.

Introduction: Measurement of static pupillary size in the ICU is of importance in cases of acutely expanding intracranial mass lesions. The inaccuracies with subjective assessment of pupillary size by medical personnel preclude its use in emergent neurological situations.

Objective: To determine if the ratio of pupil to limbus diameter (PLD ratio) measured by a two-box method is a reliable measure of pupil size for detecting early anisocoria and measuring pupillary changes.

Pathophysiological processes in multiple sclerosis: focus on nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 and emerging pathways.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system that is characterized by the demyelination of neuronal axons. Four different patterns of demyelination have been described, showing the heterogeneity in the immunopathologic processes involved in the demyelination. This review will focus on reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related inflammation in MS.

Pregnancy in epilepsy: issues of concern.

Every pregnancy, even under the best of circumstances, carries risks with it. Having epilepsy and taking medications to treat seizures further increase these risks and not all patients are willing to accept risks. The issues related to pregnancy, epilepsy, and antiepileptic drugs and pregnancy are fraught with confusion and misperceptions.

Microwave oven injuries in patients with complex partial seizures.

Microwave ovens are often recommended as a safe cooking alternative for persons with epilepsy. We report four patients who suffered serious burns to their hands while handling microwave-heated liquids during a complex partial seizure (CPS). Injuries were due to the contact of the skin with a very hot container.

Risk of aspiration pneumonia after an epileptic seizure: a retrospective analysis of 1634 adult patients.

We reviewed the incidence of aspiration pneumonia secondary to seizures in three populations of patients with chronic epilepsy: 733 outpatients seen in an Epilepsy Foundation clinic; 806 adult patients admitted to two university video telemetry units; and 95 institutionalized, profoundly retarded adult patients with chronic epilepsy. Two of the 733 adults who had seizures in the outpatient setting and 2 of the 806 patients who had one or more epileptic seizures in the telemetry units developed aspiration pneumonia. In the 95 institutionalized patients, there were 17 instances of aspiration pneumonia after a generalized seizure and 32 instances of aspiration unrelated to seizures over a 12-month period.

Behaviors mimicking seizures in institutionalized individuals with multiple disabilities and epilepsy: a video-EEG study.

We reviewed 824 video-EEG telemetry requests of institutionalized patients with epilepsy, searching for evaluations of "new seizure types" identified by staff (caregivers, teachers, therapists, LPNs, RNs). Of the 63 newly identified "seizure types," epilepsy was confirmed in 4 (6.3%); 59 represented nonepileptic events.

The Case for Different Severity of Burns in "Contagious" versus "Possession" Seizures.

Serious seizure-related burns are reportedly common in cultures that use ground fire for cooking, heating, or ceremonial purposes. The seriousness of injuries in these cases has been ascribed to the reluctance of bystanders to assist individuals having a seizure either because of fear of contagion (Africa, New Guinea highlands) or because of fear of revenge by the occult (Haiti). We report four Haitian patients who fell into open fires during an epileptic seizure in religious gatherings.