Experience with telemedicine in neuromuscular clinic during COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of telehealth for the care of neuromuscular patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Neuromuscular patients or their caregivers, as well as health care providers (HCPs), who completed a televisit during the pandemic received an online survey, assessing satisfaction with the visit, quality of care, and experience with the televisit interference.

Results: Surveys from 46 neuromuscular patients (including 18 with motor neuron disease [MND])/caregivers and 7 HCPs were completed.

Ultrasound-guided lumbar puncture improves success rate and efficiency in overweight patients.

Background: Approximately 400,000 diagnostic lumbar punctures (LPs) are performed by neurologists yearly in the United States. There has been a transition from neurologists performing >40% of LPs 2 decades ago to now <15% of the time. High body mass index (BMI) is one of the key obstacles of LP for neurology residents, and the success rates drop to 58% when BMI is >35 kg/m.

Influence of eye pigmentation on retinal degeneration in P23H and S334ter mutant rhodopsin transgenic rats.

Dark-rearing has been found to slow the rate of retinal degeneration in albino P23H but not S334ter mutant rhodopsin transgenic (Tg) rats. Since eye pigmentation has the same protective slowing effect as dark-rearing in RCS rats, we examined whether eye pigmentation has a comparable slowing effect in the different mutant rhodopsin Tg rats. Different lines of albino P23H and S334ter Tg rats on the Sprague-Dawley (SD) background were bred to Long-Evans (LE) rats to produce pigmented Tg rats.

Education Research: The current state of neurophysiology education in selected neurology residency programs.

Objective: Prior research has illustrated there is a knowledge gap in neurology residents' neurophysiology education (EEG and EMG), and we sought to understand whether this is still an issue and to recognize the barriers in order to create solutions and improve education.

Methods: Surveys were developed for adult neurology residents and one for program directors asking about confidence in neurophysiology knowledge, percent of graduates reaching level 4 ACGME (American Council of Graduate Medical Education) milestones in EEG and EMG, methods of learning used, interest in the subjects, and suggestions for improvements.

Results: Twenty-six program directors (19% responder rate) and 55 residents (from at least 16 different programs) completed the survey.

Discordant anatomical, electrophysiological, and visual behavioral profiles of retinal degeneration in rat models of retinal degenerative disease.

Purpose: To assess structural, functional, and visual behavioral relationships in mutant rhodopsin transgenic (Tg) rats and to determine whether early optokinetic tracking (OKT) visual experience, known to permanently elevate visual thresholds in normal rats, can enhance vision in rats with photoreceptor degeneration.

Methods: Eight lines of pigmented Tg rats and RCS rats were used in this study. OKT thresholds were tested at single ages (1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 months) in naïve groups of rats, or daily in groups that began at eye-opening (P15) or 10 days later (P25).