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Byline: Rutul. Shah, Rohan. Mahale, Kalpana. Babu, Dhwani. Shah, Manu. Vincent, Satabdi. Nanda, T. Sangeeth, Neeharika. Sriram, Ravindu. Tiwari, Hansashree. Padmanabha, Pooja. Mailankody, Mathuranath. Pavagada Sir, Optic neuritis is the [...]

Byline: Rutul. Shah, Rohan. Mahale, Hansashree. Padmanabha, Pooja. Mailankody Dear Sir, Kennedy's disease or spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is a rare, X-linked trinucleotide repeat expansion-related hereditary degenerative condition [...]

Introduction: The ongoing coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has witnessed rampant use of the repurposed drug, remdesivir, despite its conflicting evidence and rapidly changing guidelines. Methods: A cross-sectional, country-wide, questionnaire-based, electronic survey was conducted among the healthcare professionals involved in COVID-19 management from April 18 to May 18, 2021. Results: Out of 231 responses, 185 were included. Significantly, greater knowledge of trials was reported by the frontline healthcare professionals compared to those who are not involved in COVID-19 care. Medicine practitioners and pulmonologists expressed greater willingness to continue remdesivir (Odds ratio (OR) 5.329, 95% Confidence interval (CI) 2.31–12.291 and 5.063, 95% CI 1.414–18.129, respectively). The rationale attributed was personal experience, current guidelines, non-availability of any alternate antiviral drug, expert recommendations, and local hospital policy either alone (20%, 8.1%, 5.9%, 2.7%, and 2.2%, respectively) or in combination (46.5%, 39.5%, 29.2%, 21.1%, and 15.7%, respectively). Awareness of evidence and knowledge of landmark studies made no statistically significant impact on clinical decision-making. Improved clinical outcomes were reported by 10/22 (45.4%) practitioners who used remdesivir for unconventional indications. Conclusion: The study throws critical insights into the current perspectives of doctors on remdesivir in clinical management and its potential impact on current health planning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Little is known regarding the cognitive and behavioral status of patients with dementia and their caregivers in lower middle-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to understand the impact of the pandemic on persons with dementia and their caregivers in India. Methods: This was an observational study. A cohort of 66 persons with dementia and their caregivers were evaluated during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2 specialist hospitals in South India. Caregivers were interviewed at 2 distinct time points of the pandemic: during the national lockdown and 5 months after during later periods of the "cluster of cases" transmission phase. Participants were assessed via telephone utilizing validated instruments (Neuropsychiatric Inventory [NPI], Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR] Scale, and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale [DASS-21]) and a semi-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire documented sociodemographic information, clinical history, infection measures adopted, changes in caregiving routines, involvement in functional rehabilitation activities, and access to medical and long-term care support services. Results: The 2-phase follow-up study found a significant worsening of behavior in dementia patients, demonstrated by a difference in the NPI sub-domain scores for anxiety (mean difference [standard deviation, SD] = −0.552 [1.993], t58 = −2.109, p = 0.039) and eating disturbances (mean difference [SD] = −1.121 [2.493], t59 = −3.424, p = 0.001). A relatively high proportion of patients developed anxiety (cumulative incidence = 24.53%) and eating disturbances (cumulative incidence = 26.92%), without having these symptoms at baseline. There was a trend toward an increase in proportion of persons with severe dementia (19.7% vs. 39.4%) on follow-up. Caregiver distress reported was significantly associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms (r = 0.712, p < 0.001) and dementia severity (ρ = 0.365, p = 0.004). In addition, difficulties in accessing medical care persisted between the 2 assessments, and there were statistically significant differences between functional rehabilitation activities such as indoor activities (p < 0.001), outdoor activities (p = 0.013), and physical exercises (p = 0.003) between baseline and follow-up. Conclusion: Findings suggest interruption of functional rehabilitation activities and disruption in medical care services are likely to have had an adverse impact on patients with dementia and contributed toward caregiver distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sporadic Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease, the most common reported prion disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by the misfolding of protein PrPC to PrPSC. EEG is the first in vivo test to support the clinical diagnosis of sporadic CJD (sCJD). This study is carried out to describe the comprehensive electroencephalography changes in a cohort of patients with probable sCJD from south India. Methodology: This retrospective observational study is conducted by reviewing case records from 2013–2020. Demographic, clinical, imaging details were noted. Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings were retrieved and reviewed independently by two qualified epileptologists and the findings were visually analyzed and correlated with clinical and imaging abnormalities. Results: Fifty patients with probable sCJD with the availability of artefact-free EEG were included in the study. The mean age was 59.76 ± 8.17 years and M: F was 31:19. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain showed abnormality defining CJD in 48/50, i.e., 96%patients. EEG showed specific and or nonspecific abnormalities in 88%. The specific abnormalities, i.e., periodic sharp wave complexes (PSWC), were noted 66%. PSWC were mostly asymmetric (90%) and more frequently seen in the right hemisphere (57.6%). Amplitude maximum in the occipital region was noted in 42.4% and in frontal region in 36.4%. The sensitivity of EEG specific abnormalities to diagnose probable sCJD according to CDC 2018 criteria with positive MRI findings was 68.75%. Conclusion: This study showed that EEG is a relatively inexpensive and sensitive tool and assists in the diagnosis of sCJD. However, it can be normal or show nonspecific abnormalities in the early stages of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-resolution crystal structures of CC chemokine ligand 14 (CCL14) are determined. The results have indicated that the ability of CCL14 to monomerize has played a role for cellular activation.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had multifaceted and enduring impacts on people with dementia and their caregivers; however, our understanding of the long-term outcomes remains limited. We aimed to explore the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on cognitive symptoms and vaccination rates in people living with dementia., Methods: This study was conducted as a part of a longitudinal study design in two specialized hospitals in South India. In this study, patients with dementia and their caregivers assessed in earlier phases ('period of lockdown with phased relaxations - phase-I' and 'cluster of cases transmission phase - phase-II') were telephonically interviewed. We adopted a quantitative approach to understand disease progression during the three-year course of the pandemic. Changes in cognition and disease severity were measured using the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale. In brief, semistructured interviews were carried out with caregivers of people with dementia to gain insights into vaccination rates. Data obtained from the current study (phase III) were compared against phase I data, which served as the baseline. Among the 72 participants contacted in the current phase, 59 (81·9%) could be reevaluated for dementia severity and vaccination status, whereas 13 (18·0%) had died. Among the 59 participants, 33 (55·9%) had severe dementia (CDR 3). This is in contrast to phases I and II, when 17·6% and 19·2% of the participants, respectively, were classified as CDR 3., Results: A significant difference in dementia severity between the two phases (phases I and III) was observed. In addition, we observed vaccination hesitancy among caregivers of patients with dementia. This study would provide valuable insights into the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cognitive outcomes and vaccination status of patients with dementia., Conclusion: This overall longitudinal study has compared dementia severity between different phases throughout the pandemic, with implications for future studies to tailor home-based support and healthcare interventions in order to meet these evolving needs., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background and Purpose: Autoimmune encephalitis (AIE) following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an underexplored condition. This study aims to systematically review the clinico-investigational and pathophysiologic aspects of COVID-19 and its vaccines in association with AIE, and identify the factors predicting neurological severity and outcomes., Methods: Relevant data sources were searched using appropriate search terms on January 15, 2022. Studies meeting the criteria for AIE having a temporal association with COVID-19 or its vaccines were included., Results: Out of 1,894 citations, we included 61 articles comprising 88 cases: 71 of COVID-19-associated AIE, 3 of possible Bickerstaff encephalitis, and 14 of vaccine-associated AIE.There were 23 definite and 48 possible seronegative AIE cases. Anti-NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor; n =12, 16.9%) was the most common definite AIE. Males were more commonly affected (sex ratio=1.63) in the AIE subgroup. The neurological symptoms included alteredmental state ( n =53, 74.6%), movement disorders ( n =28, 39.4%), seizures ( n =24, 33.8%), behavioural ( n =25, 35.2%), and speech disturbances ( n =17, 23.9%). The median latency to AIE diagnosis was 14 days (interquartile range=4-22 days). Female sex and ICU admission had higherrisks of sequelae, with odds ratio (OR) of 2.925 (95% confidence interval [CI]=1.005-8.516)and 3.515 (95% CI=1.160-10.650), respectively. Good immunotherapy response was seen in42/48 (87.5%) and 13/13 (100%) of COVID-19-associated and vaccine-associated AIE patients, respectively. Sequelae were reported in 22/60 (36.7%) COVID-19 associated and 10/13 (76.9%) vaccine-associated cases., Conclusions: The study has revealed diagnostic, therapeutic, and pathophysiological aspects of AIE associated with COVID-19 and its vaccines, and its differences from postinfectious AIE., Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO registration number CRD42021299215., Competing Interests: The authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 Korean Neurological Association.)

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with dreadful changes in the cardiovascular and renal systems, causing increased morbidity and mortality. Sodium-glucose cotransport-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors belong to the oral hypoglycemic group of drugs believed to reduce these events by various mechanisms in DM. We performed a systematic review to determine the effectiveness of SGLT2 inhibitors in reducing cardiovascular and renal complications and address safety concerns in participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We explored PubMed, PubMed Central, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Cochrane library, and ResearchGate for randomized controlled trials and observational studies done on the advantages of SGLT2 inhibitors in the prevention or reduction of worsening cardiovascular and renal changes in T2DM. Studies were screened for the quality assessment using the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool and Newcastle-Ottawa scale. We screened 5615 articles, out of which 22 articles with 7,02,977 diabetes mellitus patients treated with SGLT2 inhibitors were used for the systematic review after meticulously filtering articles based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The trials included one of the following drugs - empagliflozin, dapagliflozin, canagliflozin, and luseogliflozin. SGLT2 inhibitors significantly reduced the risk of heart failure (HF), frequency of hospitalizations due to HF, all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and nonfatal myocardial infarction. Renal outcomes showed a significant lowering of risk of acute kidney failure, progression of chronic kidney disease, renal mortality, and improvement in urinary albumin creatinine ratio. We noticed an initial worsening of the estimated glomerular filtration rate followed by stabilizing and reaching the baseline on long-term treatment, especially in end-stage renal failure patients. The review showed that SGLT2 inhibitors have adverse reactions similar to that of a placebo, with a slight increase in treatable genital mycotic and urinary tract infections but no evidence of diabetic ketoacidosis, fractures, and amputations. According to the available data, SGLT2 inhibitors can significantly prevent or reduce cardiovascular diseases and kidney abnormalities in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with tolerable safety outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Kalluri et al.)

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a persistent public health problem in the United States (U.S.) due to its increasing prevalence and its positive correlation with type-2 diabetes (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). According to National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria, MetS has six main components, which are obesity, dyslipidemia, raised blood pressure (BP), insulin resistance (IR) or glucose intolerance, pro-inflammatory state, and prothrombotic state. Vitamin D (Vit D) regulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus and thus, is universally accepted as an essential vitamin for bone strength as well as a facilitator of immune system function. Vit D was also shown to reduce the risks of CVD, multiple sclerosis, and developing seasonal flu. We conducted a systematic review to identify the general association between Vit D level and MetS, to highlight specific associations between Vit D level and individual components of MetS, and finally, to explore the effects of Vit D supplementation on each component of MetS. In this paper, we reviewed 14 recent studies investigating the relationships between Vit D, MetS, and components of MetS. From the review of seven studies, we confirmed a significant association between Vit D and MetS as a whole. Four out of the five observational studies we reviewed support that Vit D level is significantly associated with the following components of MetS: obesity and BMI, dyslipidemia, BP, and insulin and glucose metabolism. We did not discover any significant relationship between Vit D level and other MetS components. The review of seven additional randomized clinical trials (RCT)-based studies suggest that Vit D supplementation has significant effects on BP, abdominal obesity, and insulin and glucose metabolism., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Theik et al.)

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a principal cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Recent studies have suggested poorer outcomes in ACS patients who have a concurrent diagnosis of schizophrenia as compared with those without. However, the degree of interplay between schizophrenia and ACS remains poorly understood. For this reason, we conducted a systematic review on ACS outcomes in patients with schizophrenia by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We collected relevant data from PubMed, Cochrane Library, PubMed central, Jisc Library Hub Discover, and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) and performed a thorough quality appraisal. Fourteen shortlisted, relevant studies were meticulously reviewed. Mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE), bleeding, and stroke were more prevalent in patients with a schizophrenia diagnosis compared to those without. Additionally, schizophrenia patients received suboptimal care and follow-up when compared to patients without a psychiatric diagnosis. Clinicians need to be aware that patients with schizophrenia have worse outcomes following ACS which may relate to biological, health care, or patient-related factors., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Hannoodee et al.)

Objective To investigate the trends of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and find the correlation with effects on the pulmonary system in such patients. Methodology A multicentric prospective study was conducted in the city of Solapur, India. Data were collected from 250 patients through interpersonal interrogation using a questionnaire to capture basic demographic details, the history of ESRD, and relevant respiratory symptoms like breathlessness, cough, fever, etc. related to their disease. Symptoms that are likely associated with the pulmonary system were analyzed and referred to the pulmonology department. Appropriate diagnoses were made using relevant diagnostic tools like X-rays and sputum studies. The association between various disease attributes and pulmonary diagnoses was analyzed using the chi-square (χ2) test, with a p-value of value less than or equal to 0.05 considered statistically significant. Various socio-demographic variables, existing comorbidities, occupation-related risk factors, smoking history, past or current history of any respiratory conditions, the association between the causes of ESRD, time since the first dialysis and sociodemographic factors, and frequency of pulmonary complications were the other covariates in the study. Results Our study reports that 31.6% of our patients had significant impairment in their functioning due to respiratory complaints. The prevalence of respiratory complications was 27.2%. Major contributors were pleural effusion (33.8), pneumonia (25), pulmonary edema (20.58), pleuritis (11.76), collapse (8.8), tuberculosis (5.8), fibrosis (4.4), pericardial effusion (4.4), calcification (2.9), and hydrothorax (1.47). We report one case of Urinothorax as a rare cause of hydrothorax in such patients. Overall, our analysis found a significant association between non-reporting of respiratory complaints and acute admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) with a respiratory cause at p-value 0.0076 with a greater predilection toward the rural populations. Conclusion Our study results highlight the prevalence of pulmonary complications in ESRD patients. The occurrence of pulmonary complications, irrespective of the presence of symptoms and a greater association between non-reporting of respiratory symptoms and acute admissions to the ICU, is a hallmark to consider the importance of history and clinical vigilance during patient visits., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Shaik et al.)