Background: As of June 2023, a majority of states had legalized the sale of cannabis, which past research has found to be associated with increased exposures. In 2018, a change in federal policy increased access to cannabidiol (CBD) and derived psychoactive cannabis products, but there has been limited study of reported exposures following this change.
Methods: This observational retrospective study analyzed exposures involving synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) and derived cannabis products, including CBD, reported to the California Poison Control System (CPCS) from 2010 to 2022.
Background And Objectives: We conducted a multisite, pragmatic replication trial at 4 New England epilepsy centers to determine the effectiveness of Home-Based Self-Management and Cognitive Training Changes Lives (HOBSCOTCH) in a real-world setting and to assess feasibility of a virtual intervention.
Methods: HOBSCOTCH is an 8-session intervention addressing cognitive impairment and quality of life (QoL) for people with epilepsy (PWE). Participants were recruited from epilepsy centers in 4 states and block-randomized into the following groups: in-person HOBSCOTCH (H-IP), virtual HOBSCOTCH (H-V), and waitlist control.
Background: People with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are at elevated risk of multiple psychiatric comorbidities. Current treatment gaps highlight the need for time-limited, distance-delivered interventions that can be cost-effectively delivered to patients with PNES. Project UPLIFT is a self-management program addressing mood problems in epilepsy that has not previously been adapted for PNES.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRationale: Cognitive problems are common in adults with epilepsy and significantly affect their quality of life. HOBSCOTCH (HOme Based Self-management and COgnitive Training CHanges lives) was developed to teach problem-solving and compensatory memory strategies to these individuals. This study examined whether HOBSCOTCH is associated with improvement in specific aspects of subjective executive functions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRationale: Cognitive impairment is one of the most common complaints for persons with epilepsy (PWE). These impairments are not only associated with seizures, but are also regularly reported as adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Previous studies have examined cognitive effects of both AED monotherapy and polytherapy, yet there is limited research on these differences with respect to both subjective and objective cognition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To assess depressive symptom outcomes in a pooled sample of epilepsy self-management randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from the Managing Epilepsy Well (MEW) Network integrated research database (MEW DB).
Methods: Five prospective RCTs involving 453 adults with epilepsy compared self-management intervention (n = 232) versus treatment as usual or wait-list control outcomes (n = 221). Depression was assessed with the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire.
Epilepsy self-management practices enhance a patient's competence and confidence in managing their chronic condition, which is assumed to lead to an improved quality of life (QoL). We analyzed the relationship between the Epilepsy Self-Management Scale (ESMS) responses and the Quality of Life in Epilepsy (QOLIE-31) scores. Baseline questionnaires from HOBSCOTCH, a self-management program for cognitive problems, were administered in four New England epilepsy centers on adults (n = 100) with epilepsy and subjective memory complaints.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Purpose: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease that represents a tremendous burden on both patients and society in general. Studies have addressed how demographic variables, socioeconomic variables, and psychological comorbidity are related to the quality of life (QOL) of people with epilepsy (PWE). However, there has been less focus on how these factors may differ between patients who exhibit varying degrees of seizure control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Implementation of a standardized daptomycin dosing protocol in a community teaching hospital to determine potential cost savings, effectiveness, and safety is presented.
Methods: A retrospective review of randomly selected patients receiving daptomycin therapy from October 2013 to January 2014 was performed to establish a preimplementation patient control group. A specific time for preparing daptomycin in the i.