Objectives: Positive visual phenomena, although reported in lesions of visual cortex, are often overlooked in patients with acute neurological conditions. Yet, their occurrence without structural abnormalities or other underlying neurological disorders represents a unique observation. This report aims to raise awareness of these phenomena, their implications for understanding visual consciousness and to propose a practical, structured algorithm for the clinical assessment of visual hallucinations related to neurological conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are a common neurologic condition, there remains a paucity of literature on the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on these patients. Using a cross-sectional questionnaire study, our group examined the experience of patients with PNES at a single Comprehensive Epilepsy Center in New York City, the epicenter of the initial COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. Among our cohort of 18 subjects with PNES, 22.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Parkinson's disease (PD) patient population, with an already reduced life expectancy, is rendered particularly vulnerable by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Objectives: We determined the risk factors that increase the risk of death in patients with Parkinson's disease who are infected by SARS-CoV-2.
Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of PD admitted to Montefiore Hospital (Bronx, New York) and tested for SARS-CoV-2 were identified.
Objective: To determine whether there is a disparity in access to telemedical care that may be a function of socioeconomic status, language, or other demographic factors during the peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at a highly affected urban center (Montefiore Medical Center) in Bronx, NY.
Methods: We retrospectively investigated potential patient characteristics that might be associated with an increased likelihood of receiving a telephone visit as opposed to a televideo visit for patients followed in the pediatric neurology, adult epilepsy, and general neurology practices at Montefiore Medical Center during the 30-day period starting April 2, 2020, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York.
Results: We found that patients who had telephone encounters, as opposed to televideo encounters, were overall older, less likely to have commercial insurance, and more likely to have Medicaid.
Objective: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is protean in its manifestations, affecting nearly every organ system. However, nervous system involvement and its effect on disease outcome are poorly characterized. The objective of this study was to determine whether neurologic syndromes are associated with increased risk of inpatient mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Our epilepsy population recently experienced the acute effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. Herein, we aimed to determine patient-perceived seizure control during the surge, specific variables associated with worsened seizures, the prevalence of specific barriers to care, and patient-perceived efficacy of epilepsy care delivered via telephone and live video visits during the pandemic.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional questionnaire study of adult epilepsy patients who had a scheduled appointment at a single urban Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (Montefiore Medical Center) between March 1, 2020 and May 31, 2020 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Bronx.
Objective: Acute encephalopathy may occur in COVID-19-infected patients. We investigated whether medically indicated EEGs performed in acutely ill patients under investigation (PUIs) for COVID-19 report epileptiform abnormalities and whether these are more prevalent in COVID-19 positive than negative patients.
Methods: In this retrospective case series, adult COVID-19 inpatient PUIs underwent EEGs for acute encephalopathy and/or seizure-like events.
Objective: Seizure clusters are often encountered in people with poorly controlled epilepsy. Detection of seizure clusters is currently based on simple clinical rules, such as two seizures separated by four or fewer hours or multiple seizures in 24 h. Current definitions fail to distinguish between statistically significant clusters and those that may result from natural variation in the person's seizures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To analyze data from Seizure Tracker, a large electronic seizure diary, including comparison of seizure characteristics among different etiologies, temporal patterns in seizure fluctuations, and specific triggers.
Methods: Zero-inflated negative binomial mixed-effects models were used to evaluate temporal patterns of seizure events (during the day or week), as well as group differences in monthly seizure frequency between children and adults and between etiologies. The association of long seizures with seizure triggers was evaluated using a mixed-effects logistic model with subject as the random effect.
The unpredictability of seizures causes distress to patients with epilepsy and their caretakers. To date, no studies have explored seizure prediction specifically in the pediatric population. If the period of time preceding a seizure can be reliably identified, either by child or caretaker, there may be a role for pre-emptive interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Clustered seizures are characterized by shorter than usual interseizure intervals and pose increased morbidity risk. This study examines the characteristics of seizures that cluster, with special attention to the final seizure in a cluster.
Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of long-term inpatient monitoring data from the EPILEPSIAE project.
Background And Purpose: Recent MR studies have shown that, in multiple sclerosis, selective regional, but not global gray matter atrophy occurs in multiple sclerosis. Our aim was to identify specific areas of gray matter volume changes and explore the relationship between atrophy and clinical motor outcomes.
Methods: Nine patients with relapsing remitting MS and 9 matched healthy controls were recruited.