Diagnostic accuracy of paroxysmal spells: Clinical history versus observation.

Our goal was to evaluate how accurate neurologists are at differentiating between different paroxysmal events based on clinical history versus observation of the spell in question. Forty-seven neurologists reviewed 12 clinical histories and videos of recorded events of patients admitted in the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU). They were asked to diagnose events as epileptic seizures, non-epileptic behavioral spells (NEBS), or other physiologic events as well as rate their confidence in their diagnosis.

Short-term neurocognitive outcomes following anterior temporal lobectomy.

Changes in cognitive function are a well established risk of anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL). Deficits in verbal memory are a common postoperative finding, though a small proportion of patients may improve. Postoperative evaluation typically occurs after six to 12months.

Thoughts, emotions, and dissociative features differentiate patients with epilepsy from patients with psychogenic nonepileptic spells (PNESs).

Psychogenic nonepileptic spells (PNESs) are often very difficult to treat, which may be, in part, related to the limited information known about what a person experiences while having PNESs. For this retrospective study, thoughts, emotions, and dissociative features during a spell were evaluated in 351 patients diagnosed with PNESs (N=223) or epilepsy (N=128). We found that a statistically higher number of thoughts, emotions, and dissociative symptoms were endorsed by patients with PNESs versus patients with epilepsy.

Panic attack symptoms differentiate patients with epilepsy from those with psychogenic nonepileptic spells (PNES).

Psychogenic nonepileptic spells (PNES) are frequently challenging to differentiate from epileptic seizures. The experience of panic attack symptoms during an event may assist in distinguishing PNES from seizures secondary to epilepsy. A retrospective analysis of 354 patients diagnosed with PNES (N=224) or with epilepsy (N=130) investigated the thirteen Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV-Text Revision panic attack criteria endorsed by the two groups.

Medical comorbidities in patients with psychogenic nonepileptic spells (PNES) referred for video-EEG monitoring.

Differentiating between psychogenic nonepileptic spells (PNES) and epileptic seizures without video-EEG monitoring is difficult. The presence of specific medical comorbidities may discriminate the two, helping physicians suspect PNES over epilepsy earlier. A retrospective analysis comparing the medical comorbidities of patients with PNES with those of patients with epilepsy was performed in 280 patients diagnosed with either PNES (N = 158, 74.

Fractionation of cellulase and fermentation inhibitors from steam pretreated mixed hardwood.

The purpose of liquid hot water and steam pretreatment of wood is to fractionate hemicelluloses, partially solubilize lignin, and enhance enzyme hydrolysis of cellulose. The pretreatment also solubilizes sugar oligomers, lignin-derived phenolic compounds, acetic acid, and furan derivatives that inhibit cellulase enzymes and/or impede fermentation of hydrolysates by yeasts. This work extends knowledge of the relative contribution of identified inhibitors, and the effect of temperature on their release when pretreated materials are washed and filtered with hot water.

Effect of compositional variability of distillers' grains on cellulosic ethanol production.

In a dry grind ethanol plant, approximately 0.84kg of dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS) is produced per liter of ethanol. The distillers' grains contain the unhydrolyzed and unprocessed cellulosic fraction of corn kernels, which could be further converted to ethanol or other valuable bioproducts by applying cellulose conversion technology.

Survey results of Internet and computer usage in veterans with epilepsy.

After our study of a self-management intervention for epilepsy, we gathered data on Internet use and computer availability to assess the feasibility of computer-based interventions in a veteran population. Veterans were asked to complete an anonymous questionnaire that gathered information regarding seizures/epilepsy in addition to demographic data, Internet use, computer availability, and interest in distance education regarding epilepsy. Three hundred twenty-four VA neurology clinic patients completed the survey.

Liquid hot water pretreatment of cellulosic biomass.

Lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant and renewable resource for fuel ethanol production. However, the lignocellulose is recalcitrant to enzymatic hydrolysis because of its structural complexity. Controlled-pH liquid hot water (LHW) pretreatment of cellulosic feedstock improves its enzymatic digestibility by removing hemicellulose and making the cellulose more accessible to cellulase enzymes.

Enzyme hydrolysis and ethanol fermentation of liquid hot water and AFEX pretreated distillers' grains at high-solids loadings.

The dry milling ethanol industry produces distiller's grains as major co-products, which are composed of unhydrolyzed and unfermented polymeric sugars. Utilization of the distiller's grains as an additional source of fermentable sugars has the potential to increase overall ethanol yields in current dry grind processes. In this study, controlled pH liquid hot water pretreatment (LHW) and ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) treatment have been applied to enhance enzymatic digestibility of the distiller's grains.

Composition of corn dry-grind ethanol by-products: DDGS, wet cake, and thin stillage.

DDGS and wet distillers' grains are the major co-products of the dry grind ethanol facilities. As they are mainly used as animal feed, a typical compositional analysis of the DDGS and wet distillers' grains mainly focuses on defining the feedstock's nutritional characteristics. With an increasing demand for fuel ethanol, the DDGS and wet distillers' grains are viewed as a potential bridge feedstock for ethanol production from other cellulosic biomass.

A psychosocial self-management program for epilepsy: a randomized pilot study in adults.

Objective: The goal of the work described here was to develop and pilot a theoretically based self-management intervention in adults with epilepsy.

Methods: A randomized, controlled trial examined intervention effectiveness of a 6-week psychosocial intervention designed to improve self-efficacy and quality of life for 61 adults with diagnosed epilepsy. Measures included the Quality of Life in Epilepsy-89 inventory (QOLIE-89), the Washington Psychosocial Seizure Inventory (WPSI), a locus of control scale (LOC), and the Epilepsy Self-Efficacy Scale-2000 (ESES).

Cognitive correlates of brain MRI subcortical signal hyperintensities in non-demented elderly.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) subcortical gray and capsular (SGCH) and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and cognitive functions in non-demented community dwelling elderly.

Methods: The severity of SGCH and WMH on proton density and T2 MR images in 16 subjects was scored using the semi-quantitative rating scale of Scheltens et al. (1993).

Cognitive correlates of alterations in acetylcholinesterase in Alzheimer's disease.

We recently reported findings of modest loss of cortical acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in patients with overall mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) using N-[11C]methyl-pi-peridin-4-yl propionate ([11C]PMP) AChE positron emission tomography (PET). To determine cognitive correlates of in vivo cortical AChE activity in patients with mild to moderate AD (n=15), and in normal controls (NC, n=12) using [11C]PMP AChE PET imaging. Mean cortical AChE activity in the AD subjects was mildly reduced (-11.