Adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes associated with maternal schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and prenatal antipsychotic use: a meta-analysis of 37,214,330 pregnancy deliveries and propensity-score weighted population-based cohort study assessing confounder dependency of risk estimates.

Studies demonstrated increased obstetric and neonatal complications in women with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder (SSD), but most inadequately addressed confounders and rarely considered antipsychotic effects. We conducted a meta-analysis and a population-based cohort study evaluating associations of adverse obstetric/neonatal outcomes with SSD and prenatal antipsychotic use. In the meta-analysis, we searched four databases from inception to October-31-2023 and generated pooled risk estimates using random-effect models.

Prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety and trauma-like symptoms in Chinese psychiatric patients during the fifth wave of COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Hong Kong.

Background: Psychiatric patients are susceptible to adverse mental health outcome during COVID-19 pandemic, but its associated factors are understudied. This observational cross-sectional study aimed to comprehensively examine prevalence and correlates of psychological distress, in terms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms, among Chinese adult psychiatric outpatients amidst the peak of fifth COVID-19 wave in Hong-Kong.

Methods: A total of 415 patients (comprising 246 patients with common-mental-disorders [CMD] and 169 with severe-mental-disorders [SMD]) and 399 demographically-matched controls without mental disorders were assessed with self-rated questionnaires between 28-March and 8-April-2022, encompassing illness profile, mental health symptoms, psychosocial measures (loneliness, resilience, coping styles) and COVID-19 related factors.

Network analysis on psychopathological symptoms, psychological measures, quality of life and COVID-19 related factors in Chinese psychiatric patients in Hong Kong.

Background: Psychiatric patients are susceptible to adverse mental health impacts during COVID-19, but complex interplays between psychopathology and pandemic-related variables remain elusive. This study aimed to investigate concomitant associations between psychopathological symptoms, psychological measures and COVID-19 related variables in Chinese psychiatric patients during the peak of fifth pandemic wave in Hong Kong.

Methods: We employed network analysis to investigate inter-relationships among psychopathological symptoms (including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder-like [PTSD-like] symptoms, insomnia, psychotic symptoms), cognitive complaints, health-related quality of life, loneliness, resilience and selected pandemic-related factors in 415 psychiatric outpatients between 28 March and 8 April, 2022.

Relationships between psychopathological symptoms, pandemic-related stress, perceived social support, and COVID-19 infection history: a network analysis in Chinese college students.

Introduction: Previous coronavirus, 2019 (COVID-19) research has applied network analysis to examine relationships between psychopathological symptoms but rarely extended to potential risk and protective factors or the influence of COVID-19 infection history. This study examined complex inter-relationships between psychopathological symptoms, COVID-19-related stressors, perceived social support, and COVID-19 infection history among Chinese university/college students during the peak of fifth pandemic wave using a network analysis approach.

Methods: A Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator-regularized partial correlation network using Gaussian graphical model was constructed in 1,395 Chinese university/college students in Hong Kong who completed a survey between 15 March and 3 April, 2022.

Rates and correlates of medication non-adherence behaviors and attitudes in adult patients with early psychosis.

Purpose: Literature on antipsychotic medication adherence in early psychosis primarily assessed adherence behaviors and focused on young patients. There is a paucity of research investigating negative medication attitude and its determinants in the early illness course, particularly in older-aged sample. We aimed to examine prevalence and correlates of medication non-adherence behaviors and negative medication attitudes separately in adult patients with early psychosis.

Prevalence and correlates of subjective cognitive impairment in Chinese psychiatric patients during the fifth wave of COVID-19 in Hong Kong.

Introduction: The extent of cognitive impairment and its association with psychological distress among people with pre-existing mental illness during COVID-19 is understudied. This study aimed to investigate prevalence and correlates of subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) in Chinese psychiatric patients during fifth-wave of COVID-19 in Hong Kong (HK).

Methods: Four-hundred-eight psychiatric outpatients aged 18-64 years were assessed with questionnaires between 28 March and 8 April 2022, encompassing illness profile, psychopathological symptoms, coping-styles, resilience, and COVID-19 related factors.

COVID-19 perseverative cognition and depressive symptoms in Hong Kong: The moderating role of resilience, loneliness and coping strategies.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased depression prevalence in general population. However, the relationship between persistent dysfunctional thinking associated with COVID-19 (perseverative-cognition) and depression, and its potential moderators are understudied. We aimed to examine the association between COVID-19 perseverative-cognition and depression, and the moderating effect of potential risk and protective factors on this association in general public during the peak of fifth COVID-19 wave in Hong Kong.

Machine learning suggests polygenic risk for cognitive dysfunction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a multi-system disease characterized primarily by progressive muscle weakness. Cognitive dysfunction is commonly observed in patients; however, factors influencing risk for cognitive dysfunction remain elusive. Using sparse canonical correlation analysis (sCCA), an unsupervised machine-learning technique, we observed that single nucleotide polymorphisms collectively associate with baseline cognitive performance in a large ALS patient cohort (N = 327) from the multicenter Clinical Research in ALS and Related Disorders for Therapeutic Development (CReATe) Consortium.

Hexane exposure and persistent peripheral neuropathy in automotive technicians.

Automotive technicians are commonly exposed to organic and chlorinated solvents, particularly through use of cleaning products. Mainly during the period 1989-2002, n-hexane was a component of some of these products. In other occupational contexts, n-hexane has been shown to be a cause of peripheral neuropathy.

Ambient geothermal hydrogen sulfide exposure and peripheral neuropathy.

The mechanism of toxicity of hydrogen sulfide (HS) gas is thought mainly to operate through effects on the nervous system. The gas has high acute toxicity, but whether chronic exposure causes effects, including peripheral neuropathy, is yet unclear. The city of Rotorua, New Zealand, sits on an active geothermal field and the population has some of the highest measured ambient HS exposures.

Establishing high-quality reference values for nerve conduction studies: A report from the normative data task force of the American Association Of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine.

Introduction: There are not uniform standards for nerve conduction testing across the United States. The objective of this study is to present a set of methodologically sound criteria to evaluate the literature for the purpose of identifying high-quality normative nerve conduction studies (NCS) suitable for widespread use.

Methods: The Normative Data Task Force (NDTF) was formed to review published studies on methodological issues related to NCS.

Electrodiagnostic reference values for upper and lower limb nerve conduction studies in adult populations.

Introduction: To address the need for greater standardization within the field of electrodiagnostic medicine, the Normative Data Task Force (NDTF) was formed to identify nerve conduction studies (NCS) in the literature, evaluate them using consensus-based methodological criteria derived by the NDTF, and identify those suitable as a resource for NCS metrics.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted of published peer-reviewed scientific articles for 11 routinely performed sensory and motor NCS from 1990 to 2012.

Results: Over 7,500 articles were found.

Practice guideline update summary: Botulinum neurotoxin for the treatment of blepharospasm, cervical dystonia, adult spasticity, and headache: Report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology.

Objective: To update the 2008 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) guidelines regarding botulinum neurotoxin for blepharospasm, cervical dystonia (CD), headache, and adult spasticity.

Methods: We searched the literature for relevant articles and classified them using 2004 AAN criteria.

Results And Recommendations: Blepharospasm: OnabotulinumtoxinA (onaBoNT-A) and incobotulinumtoxinA (incoBoNT-A) are probably effective and should be considered (Level B).

Amifampridine phosphate (Firdapse(®)) is effective and safe in a phase 3 clinical trial in LEMS.

Objective: We evaluated the efficacy and safety of amifampridine phosphate (Firdapse(®)) for symptomatic treatment in Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS).

Methods: Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, study. Patients were treated initially with amifampridine phosphate for 7-91 days, followed by randomization to continue amifampridine phosphate for 14 days or placebo (7-day taper, 7-day placebo).

Progressive cerebral injury in the setting of chronic HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy.

Emerging evidence suggests that CNS injury and neurocognitive impairment persist in the setting of chronic HIV infection and combination antiretroviral therapy (CART). Yet, whether neurological injury can progress in this setting remains uncertain. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and neurocognitive and clinical assessments were performed over 2 years in 226 HIV-infected individuals on stable CART, including 138 individuals who were neurocognitively asymptomatic (NA).

Effects of noninvasive ventilation on sleep outcomes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Study Objectives: The objective was to study the effects on noninvasive ventilation on sleep outcomes in patient with ALS, specifically oxygenation and overall sleep quality.

Methods: Patients with ALS who met criteria for initiation of NIV were studied with a series of 2 home PSG studies, one without NIV and a follow-up study while using NIV. Primary outcome was a change in the maximum overnight oxygen saturation; secondary outcomes included change in mean overnight oxygen saturation, apnea and hypopnea indexes, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, sleep arousals, and sleep architecture.

Immune-mediated neuropathies.

Purpose Of Review: The immune-mediated neuropathies are an important group of treatable neuropathies that often lead to severe neurologic disability. This review guides clinicians in the recognition and treatment of these disorders.

Recent Findings: Advances include new insights in classification and new treatment paradigms in many of these disorders.

Cost comparison between the atraumatic and cutting lumbar puncture needles.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine which type of spinal needle is preferred from a cost perspective, taking into account costs of the spinal needle and treatment of postlumbar puncture headache.

Methods: A decision-analytic model was created to determine the cost of diagnostic lumbar punctures using atraumatic and cutting needles. We assumed a health care system perspective and based the analysis on the treatment of a patient facing event probabilities derived from prior studies.

Analysis of continuous diaphragm electromyographic signal: results from a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Introduction: Analysis of continuous diaphragm electromyography (dEMG) has not been well studied. We describe a system of analyzing continuous dEMG using implanted electrodes.

Methods: dEMG signal was acquired via two pairs of electrodes near the diaphragm motor points.