Mortality of chronic disorders of consciousness in adults and adolescents - a retrospective community based study from Salzburg, Austria.

Introduction: Epidemiological data on disorders of consciousness (DoC) is rare and very heterogeneous due to difficulties in case ascertainment and differences in health care pathways between countries. This study reports data on mortality and survival time for DoC patients in Salzburg, Austria.

Methods: All patients with DoC were registered in the health care region of Salzburg North, Austria between 2007 and 2022 and their death data retrieved from the Statistik Austria.

Association of early general anesthesia with outcome in adults with status epilepticus: A propensity-matched observational study.

General anesthesia (GA) earlier than recommended (as first- or second-line treatment) was recently described to improve status epilepticus (SE) outcome. We aimed to assess the impact of early GA on outcome in matched groups. Data from a multicenter, prospective cohort of 1179 SE episodes in 1049 adults were retrospectively analyzed.

Stress and the City: Mental Health in Urbanized vs. Rural Areas in Salzburg, Austria.

Background: Living in the city is associated with a higher risk of suffering from stress, anxiety, and depression. Due to an increase of migration to the city, the association between mental health and city life is highly relevant to society.

Methods: We analyzed data of 9573 participants (Ø 55.

Vitamin D prophylaxis in persons with epilepsy?

Limited guidelines exist regarding osteoporosis prevention in the general population. Despite being a subject of controversy, the majority of research suggests that decreased vitamin D levels correlate with increased bone turnover, that is, an important risk factor for osteoporosis development. In most guidelines, daily vitamin D supplementation is recommended.

Brain damage caused by status epilepticus: A prospective MRI study.

Background: Status epilepticus (SE) is a severe neurological condition that might lead to long-term consequences such as neuronal death. This study investigated whether SE leads to brain volume loss by characterizing the dynamic of peri-ictal MRI abnormalities (PMA) through follow-up MRIs and assessing whether SE duration and specific outcome characteristics are associated with brain atrophy.

Methods: A prospective single-center cohort study enrolled 590 adult patients with definitive or possible SE.

Including educational status may improve cardiovascular risk calculations such as SCORE2.

Background: The association between education and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) has been well described for decades. Nevertheless, most cardiovascular risk models, including SCORE2, still do not take educational status into account even if this factor is easily assessed and costs nothing to acquire. Using carotid plaques as a proxy for ASCVD, we analysed educational status as associated with carotid plaque development, to determine if the relationship remains, how it relates to traditional risk factors and, how it impacts the European cardiovascular risk model, SCORE2.

Treatment of Parkinson's Disease Psychosis-A Systematic Review and Multi-Methods Approach.

Objectives: Parkinson's disease psychosis (PDP) is a prevalent non-motor symptom associated with Parkinson's disease. The treatment options for PDP are limited, and its pharmacological management remains ambiguous. This study aimed to evaluate the existing evidence in relation to clinical practice.

Autoimmune and infectious encephalitis: development of a discriminative tool for early diagnosis and initiation of therapy.

Background: Encephalitis originates from diverse autoimmune and infectious etiologies. Diagnostic challenges arise due to the spectrum of presentation and the frequent absence of specific biomarkers. This study aimed to comprehensively characterize and differentiate autoimmune encephalitis (AE) from infectious encephalitis (IE) in adults, and disentangle clinical, paraclinical, and therapeutic differences.

Quantitative MRI Measures and Cognitive Function in People With Drug-Resistant Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy.

Background And Objectives: Neuroimaging studies have so far identified structural changes in individuals with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) when compared with controls. However, the underlying mechanisms of drug-resistant JME remain unknown. In this study, we aimed at characterizing the structural underpinnings of drug-resistant JME using MRI-derived cortical morphologic markers.

Prognostic value of the 5-SENSE Score to predict focality of the seizure-onset zone as assessed by stereoelectroencephalography: a prospective international multicentre validation study.

Introduction: Epilepsy surgery is the only curative treatment for patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) is the gold standard to delineate the seizure-onset zone (SOZ). However, up to 40% of patients are subsequently not operated as no focal non-eloquent SOZ can be identified.

Investigating the Added Value of Beck's Depression Inventory in Atherosclerosis Prediction: Lessons from Paracelsus 10,000.

Depression is the most common mental illness worldwide and generates an enormous health and economic burden. Furthermore, it is known to be associated with an elevated risk of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD), particularly stroke. However, it is not a factor reflected in many ASCVD risk models, including SCORE2.

The attitudes, knowledge and confidence of healthcare professionals about cannabis-based products.

Background: Use of cannabis-based products is becoming more frequent, and it is important that healthcare professionals are informed and confident about them when making evidence-based decisions about their use. This study aimed to gain an international perspective on the attitudes, knowledge, and confidence of healthcare professionals about cannabis-based products.

Methods: An online questionnaire regarding these products was completed by 1580 healthcare professionals (neurologists, psychiatrists, general practitioners, pharmacists and nurses) from 16 countries across Asia, Europe, Oceania, South America, and the Middle East.

Sodium valproate is associated with cortical thinning of disease-specific areas in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

Background: Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is associated with cortical thinning of the motor areas. The relative contribution of antiseizure medication to cortical thickness is unknown. We aimed to investigate how valproate influences the cortical morphology of JME.

The Fingerprint of Scalp-EEG in Drug-Resistant Frontal Lobe Epilepsies.

Purpose: Scalp-EEG incompletely covers the frontal lobe cortex. Underrepresentation of frontobasal or frontomesial structures, fast ictal spreading, and false lateralization impede scalp-EEG interpretation. Hence, we investigated the significance of scalp-EEG in the presurgical workup of frontal lobe epilepsy.

Reduced TMS-evoked EEG oscillatory activity in cortical motor regions in patients with post-COVID fatigue.

Objective: Persistent fatigue is a major symptom of the so-called 'long-COVID syndrome', but the pathophysiological processes that cause it remain unclear. We hypothesized that fatigue after COVID-19 would be associated with altered cortical activity in premotor and motor regions.

Methods: We used transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with EEG (TMS-EEG) to explore the neural oscillatory activity of the left primary motor area (l-M1) and supplementary motor area (SMA) in a group of sixteen post-COVID patients complaining of lingering fatigue as compared to a sample of age-matched healthy controls.

Outpatient management of prolonged seizures and seizure clusters to prevent progression to a higher-level emergency: Consensus recommendations of an expert working group.

Objective: The management of prolonged seizures (PS) and seizure clusters (SC) is impeded by the lack of international, evidence-based guidance. We aimed to develop expert recommendations regarding consensus definitions of PS, SC, and treatment goals to prevent progression to higher-level emergencies such as status epilepticus (SE).

Methods: An expert working group, comprising 12 epileptologists, neurologists, and pharmacologists from Europe and North America, used a modified Delphi consensus methodology to develop and anonymously vote on statements.

Influence of sports on cortical excitability in patients with spinal cord injury: a TMS study.

Background: Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) show abnormal cortical excitability that might be caused by deafferentation. We hypothesize a reduced short-interval intracortical inhibition preceding movement in patients with SCI compared with healthy participants. In addition, we expect that neuroplasticity induced by different types of sports can modulate intracortical inhibition during movement preparation in patients with SCI.

Movement Termination of Slow-Wave Sleep-A Potential Biomarker?

The duration of slow-wave sleep (SWS) is related to the reported sleep quality and to the important variables of mental and physical health. The internal cues to end an episode of SWS are poorly understood. One such internal cue is the initiation of a body movement, which is detectable as electromyographic (EMG) activity in sleep-electroencephalography (EEG).

Electroconvulsive Therapy in Refractory and Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus in Adults: A Scoping Review.

Background: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) has been suggested as a treatment option for refractory status epilepticus (RSE) and super-refractory status epilepticus (SRSE).

Objective: The objective of this scoping review was to conduct an extensive literature review on the role of ECT as a treatment option for RSE and SRSE.

Methods: We searched Ovid MEDLINE and Scopus for journal articles from database inception until February 2024.

The effects of slow wave sleep characteristics on semantic, episodic, and procedural memory in people with epilepsy.

Slow wave sleep (SWS) is highly relevant for verbal and non-verbal/spatial memory in healthy individuals, but also in people with epilepsy. However, contradictory findings exist regarding the effect of seizures on overnight memory retention, particularly relating to procedural and non-verbal memory, and thorough examination of episodic memory retention with ecologically valid tests is missing. This research explores the interaction of SWS duration with epilepsy-relevant factors, as well as the relation of spectral characteristics of SWS on overnight retention of procedural, verbal, and episodic memory.