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Background: DATATOP was a study of early Parkinson's disease (PD) conducted in the 1980 s, before mandatory folic acid fortification in the United States. Our analysis of its baseline serum samples revealed a geometric mean vitamin B12 of 369 pg/mL and homocysteine (tHcy) of 9.5μmol/l. We also found that low B12 predicted greater worsening of ambulatory capacity (AC) and elevated tHcy (>15μmol/L) predicted greater declines in cognitive function. Objective: We sought to measure B12 and tHcy in contemporary trial participants with early PD who had not started dopaminergic treatment and to determine whether these analytes were associated with clinical progression. Methods: We measured B12 and tHcy from baseline and end-of-study blood samples from three recent clinical trials. Results: Baseline geometric mean B12 levels for these studies ranged from 484– 618 pg/ml and for tHcy ranged from 7.4– 10μmol/L. Use of B12-containing supplements ranged from 41– 61%, and those taking supplements had higher B12 and lower tHcy. Those who began levodopa, but were not taking B12-supplements, had greater end-of-study tHcy. There was no association of baseline tHcy > 15μmol/L with annualized change in Montreal Cognitive Assessment and no association of baseline B12 tertiles with change in AC. Conclusions: In these longitudinal trials, B12 levels were higher than for DATATOP, due in large part to increased B12-supplement intake, while tHcy levels were similar. Initiation of levodopa was associated with increases of tHcy in those not taking a B12-containing supplement. These smaller studies did not replicate prior findings of low B12 and elevated tHcy with features of progression, possibly due to higher baseline B12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing interventions to prevent firearm-related violence and to address its consequences requires an improved understanding of when these violent events are most likely to occur. We explored gunshot events in 6 of the most populated cities in the United States by time of day, day of week, holiday/non-holiday, and month using publicly available datasets. In some of these cities, gunshot events occurred most often at nighttime, on holidays and weekends, and during summer months, with significant interaction effects. There were also time-related changes in characteristics of the victims. Primary prevention efforts aimed at curbing firearm-related violence should consider these differential risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) has emerged as a key area of interest among researchers worldwide, including those in India, who have actively studied the disorder over the past several decades. This review meticulously explores the extensive range of Indian research on PSP up to the present and offers insights into both current initiatives and potential future directions for managing PSP within the region. Historical research contributions have spanned 80 publications from 1974 to 2023, encompassing diverse themes from clinical phenotyping and historical analysis to isolated investigative studies and therapeutic trials. Traditionally, these studies have been conducted in single centers or specific departments, involving a broad range of recruitment numbers. The most frequently encountered phenotype among these studies is PSP-Richardson's syndrome, with patients typically presenting at an average age of 64 years, alongside various other subtypes. Recently, there has been a significant shift toward more collaborative research models, moving from isolated, center-based studies to expansive, multicentric, and pan India projects. A prime example of this new approach is the PAn India Registry for PSP (PAIR-PSP) project, which represents a comprehensive effort to uniformly examine the demographic, clinical, and genetic facets of PSP across India. Looking ahead, there is a critical need for focused research on unraveling genetic insights, identifying risk factors, and developing effective treatment interventions and preventive models. Given its vast population, India's role in advancing our understanding of PSP and other tauopathies could be pivotal, and this work reflects the work on PSP in India till now., (Copyright © 2024 Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology.)

Background: One-time atrial fibrillation (AF) screening trials have produced mixed results; however, it is unclear if there is a subset for whom screening is effective. Identifying such a subgroup would support targeted screening., Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of VITAL-AF, a randomized trial of one-time, single-lead ECG screening during primary care visits. We tested two approaches to identify a subgroup where screening is effective. First, we developed an effect-based model using a T-learner. Specifically, we separately predicted the likelihood of AF diagnosis under screening and usual care conditions; the difference in probabilities was the predicted screening effect. Second, we used a validated AF risk model to test for a heterogeneous screening effect. We used interaction testing to determine if observed AF diagnosis rates in the screening and usual care groups differed when stratified by decile of the predicted screening effect and predicted AF risk., Results: Baseline characteristics were similar between the screening (n=15187) and usual care (n=15078) groups (mean age 74 years, 59% female). In the effect-based analysis, in the highest decile of predicted screening effectiveness (n=3026), AF diagnosis rates were higher in the screening group (6.50 vs. 3.06 per 100 person-years, rate difference 3.45, 95%CI 1.62 to 5.28). In this group, the mean age was 84 years and 68% were female. The risk-based analysis did not identify a subgroup where screening was more effective. Predicted screening effectiveness and predicted baseline AF risk were poorly correlated (Spearman coefficient 0.13)., Conclusions: In a secondary analysis of the VITAL-AF trial, we identified a small subgroup where one-time screening was associated with increased AF diagnoses using an effect-based approach. In this study, predicted AF risk was a poor proxy for predicted screening effectiveness. These data caution against the assumption that high AF risk is necessarily correlated with high screening effectiveness.

The Internet is a common source of sleep information but may be subject to commercial bias and misinformation. We compared the understandability, information quality, and presence of misinformation of popular YouTube videos on sleep to videos with credible experts. We identified the most popular YouTube videos on sleep/insomnia and 5 videos from experts. Videos were assessed for understanding and clarity using validated instruments. Misinformation and commercial bias were identified by consensus of sleep medicine experts. The most popular videos received, on average, 8.2 (± 2.2) million views; the expert-led videos received, on average, 0.3 (± 0.2) million views. Commercial bias was identified in 66.7% of popular videos and 0% of expert videos ( P < .012). The popular videos featured more misinformation than expert videos ( P < .001). The popular videos about sleep/insomnia on YouTube featured misinformation and commercial bias. Future research may explore methods for disseminating evidence-based sleep information., Citation: Robbins R, Epstein LJ, Iyer JM, et al. Examining understandability, information quality, and presence of misinformation in popular YouTube videos on sleep compared to expert-led videos. J Clin Sleep Med . 2023;19(5):991-994., (© 2023 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.)