Effect of Emotional Valence on Emotion Recognition in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

This study investigated how emotional valence of a perceived emotional state impacted performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task (RMET) in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) controls. Valence of items on the RMET, Adult (RMET-A) and Child (RMET-C) versions, was first classified in a survey of 113 medical students. Adolescents with ASD (N = 33) and TD adolescents (N = 30) were administered both RMET versions. Individuals with ASD made more errors than TD controls on positive and negative, but not neutral, valence items. The difference in performance was accentuated on the RMET-A compared to the RMET-C. Both emotional valence and complexity of language contribute to RMET performance in individuals with ASD.

The Impact of Pre-Procedural Renal Impairment on Outcomes Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: An Analysis of 45,287 Patients From the British Columbia Cardiac Registry.

BACKGROUND: Renal disease confers a strong independent risk for morbidity and mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We evaluated the relationship between baseline pre-procedural renal function and outcomes following PCI. METHODS: We examined 45,287 patients who underwent PCI in British Columbia. We evaluated all-cause mortality and target vessel revascularisation (TVR) at 2 years. Pre-procedural renal impairment was categorised by creatinine clearance (CrCl, mL/min): CrCl≥90 (n=14,876), 90>CrCl≥60 (n=10,219), 60>CrCl≥30 (n=14,876), 30>CrCl≥0 (n=2,594) and dialysis (n=579). RESULTS: Declining CrCl values less than 60 mL/min were progressively associated with greater mortality: 60>eGFR≥30 (HR=2.01, 95% CI 1.71-2.37, p<0.001); 30>eGFR≥0 (HR=4.10, 95% CI 3.39-4.95, p<0.001); and dialysis (HR=6.22, 95% CI 5.07-7.63, p<0.001). A reduction in eGFR was not associated with TVR in non-dialysis patients. However, dialysis was a strong independent predictor for TVR (HR=1.69, 95% CI 1.37-2.08, p<0.001). This was confirmed in propensity-matched analyses where, dialysis was strongly associated with TVR (HR=1.53, 95% CI 1.24-1.89, p<0.001). This association was consistently seen in stratified analyses for diabetic versus non-diabetic patients; stent length >30 mm versus <30 mm; stent diameter >3 mm versus <3 mm; and receipt of bare metal stents versus drug-eluting stents. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates the association with declining renal function and mortality in patients undergoing PCI. Whilst renal disease was not associated with increased TVR in non-dialysis patients, dialysis-dependence was a strong independent predictor for increased TVR.

Complete revascularization in stable multivessel coronary artery disease: A real world analysis from the British Columbia Cardiac Registry.

BACKGROUND: More than half of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have multivessel disease (MVD). The prognostic significance of PCI in stable patients has recently been debated, but little data exists about the potential benefit of complete revascularization (CR) in stable MVD. We investigated the prognostic benefit of CR in patients undergoing PCI for stable disease. METHODS: We compared CR versus incomplete revascularization (IR) in 8,436 patients with MVD. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 5 years. RESULTS: A total of 1,399 patients (17%) underwent CR during the index PCI procedure for stable disease. CR was associated with lower mortality (6.2 vs. 10.7%, p < .001) and lower repeat revascularization at 5 years (12.7 vs. 18.4%, p < .001). Multivariable-adjusted analyses indicated that CR was associated with lower mortality (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.58-0.91, p = .005) and repeat revascularization at 5 years (HR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66-0.93, p = .005). These findings were also confirmed in propensity-matched cohorts. Subgroup analyses indicated that CR conferred survival in older patients, male patients, absence of renal disease, greater angina (CCS Class III-IV) and heart failure (NYHA Class III-IV) symptoms, and greater burden of coronary disease. In sensitivity analyses where patients with subsequent repeat revascularization events were excluded, CR remained a strong predictor for lower mortality (HR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.54-0.89, p = .004). CONCLUSIONS: In this study of stable patients with MVD, CR was an independent predictor of long-term survival. This benefit was specifically seen in higher risk patient groups and indicates that CR may benefit selected stable patients with MVD.

Quality-of-Life Outcomes After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in a "Real World" Population: Insights From a Prospective Canadian Database.

BACKGROUND: Documentation of quality of life (QOL) of patients after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a Canadian Cardiovascular Society quality indicator. National results have not been reported to date. METHODS: We conducted an observational cohort study including all TAVI patients, irrespective of surgical risk, treated between January 2016 and June 2019 as documented in the British Columbia TAVI Registry. QOL was measured at baseline, 30 days, and 1 year, using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire overall score (KCCQ-OS). We used linear regression modelling to examine factors associated with 30-day changes in QOL, logistic regression modelling to identify predictors of sustaining a poor outcome, and Cox regression modelling to ascertain risk estimates of the effect of QOL on 1-year mortality. RESULTS: The cohort included 1706 patients (742 women [43.5%]); median age 83 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 77, 86). Median (IQR) baseline KCCQ-OS was 45 (28.2, 67), indicating severe impairment. Patients alive at 1 year (91.3%) reported a mean improvement of 24.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 22.7-25.6) points in the KCCQ-OS at 30 days, which was sustained at 1 year (25.3; 95% CI, 23.8, 26.8). Older age, lower baseline health status, lower aortic valve gradient, lower hemoglobin, atrial fibrillation, and non-transfemoral access were associated with worse 30-day QOL. At 1 year, 65% of patients had a favorable outcome; additional risk factors for 1-year mortality (8.7%) were male sex, New York Heart Association Class IV, severe pulmonary and renal disease, diabetes, and in-patient status. CONCLUSIONS: TAVI is associated with significant early improvement in QOL, which is sustained at 1 year. The inclusion of QOL can support treatment decisions and patient-centred evaluation.

INTRODUCTION: Les données sur la qualité de vie (QdV) des patients après l'implantation valvulaire aortique par cathéter (IVAC) sont un indicateur de qualité de la Société canadienne de cardiologie. Jusqu'à ce jour, les résultats nationaux n'ont pas été présentés. MÉTHODES: Nous avons mené une étude de cohorte observationnelle portant sur tous les patients ayant subi une IVAC, sans tenir compte du risque lié à l'intervention chirurgicale, qui ont été traités entre janvier 2016 et juin 2019 selon le registre d'IVAC de la Colombie-Britannique. L'évaluation de la QdV a été établie au début, 30 jours après et 1 an après au moyen du score global au Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (SG-KCCQ). Nous avons utilisé le modèle de régression linéaire pour examiner 30 jours après les facteurs associés aux changements dans la QdV, le modèle de régression logistique pour déterminer les prédicteurs du maintien d'issues médiocres et le modèle de régression de Cox pour établir les estimations du risque en fonction des effets de la QdV sur la mortalité 1 un après. RÉSULTATS: La cohorte regroupait 1 706 patients (742 femmes [43,5 %]); l'âge médian était de 83 ans (écart interquartile [ÉI] : 77; 86). Le SG-KCCQ médian (ÉI) au début était de 45 (28,2; 67), soit une détérioration importante. Les patients en vie un an après (91,3 %) ont signalé une amélioration moyenne de 24,1 (intervalle de confiance [IC] à 95 %, 22,7-25,6) points au SG-KCCQ 30 jours après, qui a été maintenue jusqu'à un an (25,3; IC à 95 %; 23,8; 26,8). L'âge avancé, l'état de santé initial inférieur, le gradient de la valve aortique plus faible, l'hémoglobine plus faible, la fibrillation auriculaire et l'accès non transfémoral ont été associés à une plus mauvaise qualité de vie 30 jours après. Un an après, 65 % des patients avaient des issues favorables; les facteurs additionnels de risque de mortalité un an après (8,7 %) étaient le sexe masculin, la classe IV selon la New York Heart Association, la pneumopathie et la néphropathie graves, le diabète et l'état du patient hospitalisé. CONCLUSIONS: L'IVAC est associée à une amélioration précoce significative de la QdV, qui est maintenue un an après. L'inclusion de la QdV peut contribuer aux décisions de traitement et à l'évaluation axée sur le patient.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Coronary Angiography for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, Use of Mechanical Support, and Mechanical Complications in Canada: A Canadian Association of Interventional Cardiology National Survey.

BACKGROUND: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic first wave, reductions in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) invasive care, ranging from 23% to 76%, have been reported from various countries. Whether this change had any impact on coronary angiography (CA) volume or on mechanical support device use for STEMI and post-STEMI mechanical complications in Canada is unknown. METHODS: We administered a Canada-wide survey to all cardiac catheterization laboratory directors, seeking the volume of CA use for STEMI performed during the period from March 1 2020 to May 31, 2020 (pandemic period), and during 2 control periods (March 1, 2019 to May 31, 2019 and March 1, 2018 to May 31, 2018). The number of left ventricular support devices used, as well as the number of ventricular septal defects and papillary muscle rupture cases diagnosed, was also recorded. We also assessed whether the number of COVID-19 cases recorded in each province was associated with STEMI-related CA volume. RESULTS: A total of 41 of 42 Canadian catheterization laboratories (98%) provided data. There was a modest but statistically significant 16% reduction (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.84; 95% confidence interval 0.80-0.87) in CA for STEMI during the first wave of the pandemic, compared to control periods. IRR was not associated with provincial COVID-19 caseload. We observed a 26% reduction (IRR 0.74; 95% confidence interval 0.61-0.89) in the use of intra-aortic balloon pump use for STEMI. Use of an Impella pump and mechanical complications from STEMI were exceedingly rare. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a modest 16% decrease in use of CA for STEMI during the pandemic first wave in Canada, lower than the level reported in other countries. Provincial COVID-19 caseload did not influence this reduction.

INTRODUCTION: Après la première vague de la pandémie de COVID-19, de nombreux pays ont déclaré une réduction de 23 % à 76 % des soins invasifs de l'infarctus du myocarde avec élévation du segment ST (STEMI). On ignore si ce changement a entraîné des répercussions sur le volume d'angiographies coronariennes (AC) ou sur l'utilisation des dispositifs d'assistance mécanique lors de STEMI et des complications mécaniques post-STEMI au Canada. MÉTHODES: Nous avons réalisé un sondage pancanadien auprès de tous les directeurs de laboratoire de cathétérisme cardiaque pour obtenir le volume d'utilisation des AC lors des STEMI réalisées durant la période du 1er mars 2020 au 31 mai 2020 (période de pandémie) et durant 2 périodes témoins (1er mars 2019 au 31 mai 2019 et 1er mars 2018 au 31 mai 2018). Le nombre de dispositifs d'assistance ventriculaire gauche utilisés et le nombre de cas de communications interventriculaires et de ruptures du muscle papillaire diagnostiqués ont également été enregistrés. Nous avons aussi évalué si le nombre de cas de COVID-19 enregistrés dans chaque province était associé au volume d'AC liées aux STEMI. RÉSULTATS: Au total, 41 des 42 laboratoires canadiens de cathétérisme (98 %) ont fourni des données. Lors de la comparaison de la première vague de la pandémie aux périodes témoins, nous avons noté une réduction modeste, mais significative, sur le plan statistique de 16 % (ratio du taux d'incidence [RTI] 0,84; intervalle de confiance à 95 % 0,80-0,87) des AC lors de STEMI. Le RTI n'était pas associé au nombre provincial de cas de COVID-19. Nous avons observé une réduction de 26 % (RTI 0,74; intervalle de confiance à 95 % 0,61-0,89) de l'utilisation de pompes à ballonnet intra-aortique lors de STEMI. L'utilisation d'une pompe Impella et les complications mécaniques après les STEMI étaient extrêmement rares. CONCLUSIONS: Nous avons observé une diminution modeste de 16 % de l'utilisation des AC lors de STEMI durant la première vague de la pandémie au Canada, soit une diminution plus faible que ce que les autres pays ont signalé. Le nombre provincial de cas de COVID-19 n'a pas influencé cette réduction.

Psychiatric Symptomatology, Mood Regulation, and Resting State Functional Connectivity of the Amygdala: Preliminary Findings in Youth With Mood Disorders and Childhood Trauma.

BACKGROUND: As mood dysregulation and hyperarousal are overlapping and prominent features of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and mood disorders (MD) including bipolar disorder (BD), we aimed to clarify the role of trauma and MD on the resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) of amygdala in MD youth with or without trauma exposure, and healthy controls (HC). METHODS: Of 23 subjects, 21 completed the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol, 5 were excluded for subject motion, leaving final sample size of 16: nine subjects with MD (5/9 with trauma), and 7 HC. Youth were assessed with Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), and other behavioral measures including Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). Imaging data were acquired using functional MRI in 3-T scanner. Imaging included T1-weighted structural MRI and 6-min resting state acquisition. RESULTS: In between group analysis, the average correlation coefficients between left anterior cingulate cortex (Acc) and left insula cortex with left amygdala regions were significantly larger in HC compared to the patient population. Connectivity between left amygdala and left cingulate cortex shows a significant negative correlation with YMRS severity. CONCLUSIONS: In this preliminary study, MD with trauma youth had more manic symptoms and difficulties regulating anger. While MD youth showed reduced RSFC of left amygdala with left acc and left insula, no significant difference between the subgroups of children with MD was observed. However, when looking at both clinical groups together, we observed a significant correlation of RSFC of left amygdala to left acc, and YMRS scores.

An assessment of the autism neuroimaging literature for the prospects of re-executability.

Background: The degree of reproducibility of the neuroimaging literature in psychiatric application areas has been called into question and the issues that relate to this reproducibility are extremely complex. Some of these complexities have to do with the underlying biology of the disorders that we study and others arise due to the technology we apply to the analysis of the data we collect. Ultimately, the observations we make get communicated to the rest of the community through publications in the scientific literature. Methods: We sought to perform a 're-executability survey' to evaluate the recent neuroimaging literature with an eye toward seeing if the technical aspects of our publication practices are helping or hindering the overall quest for a more reproducible understanding of brain development and aging. The topic areas examined include availability of the data, the precision of the imaging method description and the reporting of the statistical analytic approach, and the availability of the complete results. We applied the survey to 50 publications in the autism neuroimaging literature that were published between September 16, 2017 to October 1, 2018. Results: The results of the survey indicate that for the literature examined, data that is not already part of a public repository is rarely available, software tools are usually named but versions and operating system are not, it is expected that reasonably skilled analysts could approximately perform the analyses described, and the complete results of the studies are rarely available.  Conclusions: We have identified that there is ample room for improvement in research publication practices. We hope exposing these issues in the retrospective literature can provide guidance and motivation for improving this aspect of our reporting practices in the future.

Everything Matters: The ReproNim Perspective on Reproducible Neuroimaging.

There has been a recent major upsurge in the concerns about reproducibility in many areas of science. Within the neuroimaging domain, one approach is to promote reproducibility is to target the re-executability of the publication. The information supporting such re-executability can enable the detailed examination of how an initial finding generalizes across changes in the processing approach, and sampled population, in a controlled scientific fashion. ReproNim: A Center for Reproducible Neuroimaging Computation is a recently funded initiative that seeks to facilitate the "last mile" implementations of core re-executability tools in order to reduce the accessibility barrier and increase adoption of standards and best practices at the neuroimaging research laboratory level. In this report, we summarize the overall approach and tools we have developed in this domain.

The prognostic impact of revascularization strategy in acute myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock: Insights from the British Columbia Cardiac Registry.

BACKGROUND: In patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and cardiogenic shock (CS), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the culprit vessel is associated with improved outcomes. A large majority of these patients have multivessel disease (MVD). Whether or not PCI of non-culprit disease in the acute setting improves outcomes continues to be debated. We evaluated the prognostic impact of revascularization strategy for patients presenting with AMI and CS. METHODS: We compared culprit vessel intervention (CVI) versus multivessel intervention in 649 patients with AMI, CS, and MVD enrolled in the British Columbia Cardiac Registry. We evaluated mortality at 30 days and 1 year. RESULTS: CVI was associated with lower mortality at 30 days (23.7% vs. 34.5%, P = 0.004) and 1 year (32.6% vs. 44.3%, P = 0.003). CVI was an independent predictor for survival at 30 days (HR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.45-0.88, P = 0.009) and 1 year (HR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.54-0.96, P = 0.027). These findings were confirmed in propensity-matched cohorts. Subgroup analyses indicated that CVI was associated with lower mortality in patients aged <80 years; non-diabetics; and those presenting with ST-elevation MI. When analyzing non-culprit anatomy, PCI of non-culprit LAD disease was associated with higher 1-year mortality (HR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.13-2.01, P = 0.006), primarily with non-culprit proximal LAD disease (HR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.20-2.76, P = 0.005). However, PCI of non-culprit non-proximal LAD, LCx, and RCA disease was not associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with AMI and CS, a strategy of CVI appears to be associated with lower mortality. These findings are consistent with recently published randomized-controlled trial data.

Culprit Vessel Versus Multivessel Versus In-Hospital Staged Intervention for Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Multivessel Disease: Stratified Analyses in High-Risk Patient Groups and Anatomic Subsets of Nonculprit Disease.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated revascularization strategies for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel disease. BACKGROUND: In patients with STEMI and multivessel disease, it is unclear whether multivessel intervention (MVI), culprit vessel intervention (CVI) only (CVI-O) or CVI with staged revascularization (CVI-S) is associated with improved outcomes. Whether MVI at primary percutaneous coronary intervention may benefit specific patient groups is unclear. METHODS: We compared revascularization strategies (MVI, CVI-O, and CVI-S) in 6,503 patients with STEMI and multivessel disease enrolled in the British Columbia Cardiac Registry (2008 to 2014). We evaluated all-cause mortality and repeat revascularization at 2 years. RESULTS: Compared with MVI, CVI-O (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64 to 0.97; p = 0.023) and CVI-S (HR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.36 to 0.82; p = 0.004) were associated with lower mortality. Comparing CVI-O with CVI-S, CVI-S was associated with lower mortality (HR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.47 to 0.91; p = 0.013). Compared with MVI, CVI-O was associated with increased repeat revascularization (HR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.54; p = 0.036). Comparing CVI-O versus CVI-S, CVI-S was associated with lower repeat revascularization (HR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.90; p = 0.012). CVI was associated with lower mortality in the presence of nonculprit left circumflex artery disease (HR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.45 to 0.89; p = 0.011) and right coronary artery disease (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.44 to 0.99; p = 0.050), but not nonculprit left anterior descending artery disease (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.54 to 1.28; p = 0.399). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention, a strategy of CVI-S seems to be associated with lower mortality and repeat revascularization rates. However, MVI may be considered in selected patients and in the setting of nonculprit left anterior descending artery disease. These findings warrant prospective evaluation in large adequately powered randomized controlled trials.

Long-term outcomes following drug-eluting stents versus bare metal stents for primary percutaneous coronary intervention: A real-world analysis of 11,181 patients from the british columbia cardiac registry.

BACKGROUND: Drug eluting stents (DES) are associated with reduced risk of restenosis when compared with bare metal stents (BMS). Their use in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is debated, owing to concerns about stent thrombosis. There are limited real-world data comparing DES versus BMS in STEMI. We conducted an observational analysis in this setting and rigorously adjusted for treatment selection bias. METHODS: We analyzed 11,181 consecutive patients with acute STEMI who received either DES or BMS during 2008-2014 in the British Columbia Cardiac Registry. We analyzed target vessel revascularization (TVR) and mortality at 2 years. RESULTS: Multivariable-adjusted, propensity-matched and inverse probability-treatment weighted analyses found DES to be associated with early and late survival up to 2 years but not TVR. However, when adjusting for measured and unmeasured confounders, instrumental variable (IV) analyses demonstrated that DES use was associated with reduced TVR up to 2 years (Δ = -6.7%, 95% CI: -10.0%, -3.4%, P < 0.001). DES use was not associated with mortality at 1 year (Δ = -2.3%, 95% CI: -5.0%, 0.4%, P = 0.100) but associated with reduced mortality at 2 years (Δ = -5.4%, 95% CI: -8.3%, -2.5%, P < 0.001). Stratified IV analyses indicated that this long-term survival benefit was largely attributable to the second generation DES. CONCLUSIONS: In this study of patients with STEMI, when adjusting for measured and unmeasured factors, DES use was associated with reduced TVR and long-term survival beyond 1 year. This long-term survival was largely attributable to the second generation DES. These real-world data are reassuring and support the use of DES for STEMI. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump Counterpulsation during Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Cardiogenic Shock: Insights from the British Columbia Cardiac Registry.

BACKGROUND: Cardiogenic shock complicating ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In the primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) era, randomized trials have not shown a survival benefit with intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) therapy. This differs to observational data which show a detrimental effect, potentially reflecting bias and confounding. Without robust and valid risk adjustment, findings from non-randomized studies may remain biased. METHODS: We compared long-term mortality following IABP therapy in patients with cardiogenic shock undergoing PPCI during 2008-2013 from the British Columbia Cardiac Registry. We addressed measured and unmeasured confounding using propensity score and instrumental variable methods. RESULTS: A total of 12,105 patients with STEMI were treated with PPCI during the study period. Of these, 700 patients (5.8%) had cardiogenic shock. Of the patients with cardiogenic shock, 255 patients (36%) received IABP therapy. Multivariable analyses identified IABP therapy to be associated with increased mortality up to 3 years (HR = 1.67, 95% CI:1.20-2.67, p<0.001). This association was lost in propensity-matched analyses (HR = 1.23, 95% CI: 0.84-1.80, p = 0.288). When addressing measured and unmeasured confounders, instrumental variable analyses demonstrated that IABP therapy was not associated with mortality at 3 years (Δ = 16.7%, 95% CI: -12.7%, 46.1%, p = 0.281). Subgroup analyses demonstrated IABP was associated with increased mortality in non-diabetics; patients not undergoing multivessel intervention; patients without renal disease and patients not having received prior thrombolysis. CONCLUSIONS: In this observational analysis of patients with STEMI and cardiogenic shock, when adjusting for confounding, IABP therapy had a neutral effect with no association with long-term mortality. These findings differ to previously reported observational studies, but are in keeping with randomized trial data.

Prognostic Significance of Polymer Coatings in Zotarolimus-Eluting Stents.

Polymer coatings on drug-eluting stents (DES) serve as a vehicle for delivery of antirestenotic drugs. Whether they influence outcomes for contemporary DES is unknown. The evolution of polymer coatings for zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES) provides a natural experiment that facilitates such analysis. The Resolute ZES (R-ZES) uses the same antirestenotic drug as the Endeavor ZES (E-ZES) but has a more biocompatible polymer with enhanced drug release kinetics. However, there are limited data on the real-world comparative efficacy of R-ZES and the preceding E-ZES. Thus, we analyzed 17,643 patients who received either E-ZES or R-ZES from 2008 to 2014 from the British Columbia Cardiac Registry. A total of 9,869 patients (56%) received E-ZES and 7,774 patients (44%) received R-ZES. Compared with E-ZES, R-ZES was associated with lower 2-year mortality (4.1% vs 6.4%, p <0.001) and 2-year target vessel revascularization (TVR; 6.8% vs 10.7%, p <0.001). R-ZES use was an independent predictor of lower mortality rate and TVR. This was confirmed in propensity-matched analyses for 2-year mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.59, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.71, p <0.001) and 2-year TVR (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.98, p = 0.032). Instrumental variable analyses demonstrated R-ZES to be associated with lower 2-year mortality (Δ = -2.2%, 95% CI -4.3% to -0.2%, p = 0.032) and 2-year TVR (Δ = -3.3% to 95% CI -6.1% to -0.7%, p = 0.015). Acknowledging the limitations of observational analyses, this study has shown that R-ZES was associated with lower long-term TVR and mortality. These data are reassuring for the newer R-ZES and demonstrate how polymer coatings may influence the clinical performance of DES with wider implications for future DES development and design.

Embolic protection device use and its association with procedural safety and long-term outcomes following saphenous vein graft intervention: An analysis from the British Columbia Cardiac registry.

BACKGROUND: Embolic protection devices (EPDs) have been designed and introduced to reduce distal embolization and peri-procedural myocardial infarction during saphenous vein graft (SVG) intervention. Current guidelines give a class I recommendation to EPD use during SVG intervention when technically feasible. However, the routine use of these devices has recently been debated. METHODS: We analyzed 1,359 patients undergoing isolated SVG intervention between 2008 and 2013 in the British Columbia Cardiac Registry. We analyzed (a) post-procedural TIMI flow; and (b) target vessel revascularization (TVR) and mortality at 1 and 2 years. RESULTS: EPD use was an independent predictor of post-procedural TIMI 2/3 flow (OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.51-3.74, P < 0.001). At 1 year, EPD use was an independent predictor for lower TVR (HR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.14-0.85, P = 0.021) and a trend towards lower mortality (HR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.18-1.10, P = 0.082). These associations were lost at 2 years where EPD use was not predictive of mortality (HR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.33-1.17, P = 0.144) or TVR (HR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.41-1.17, P = 0.176). These findings were confirmed in propensity-matched and inverse probability treatment weighted analyses. CONCLUSIONS: In this analysis of patients undergoing SVG intervention, EPD use was a strong predictor for improved post-procedural TIMI flow. Whilst EPD use was associated with lower TVR and a trend for lower mortality at 1 year, these associations were lost at 2 years. These findings would appear to support the use of EPD for SVG intervention. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Connectivity in Autism: A Review of MRI Connectivity Studies.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects 1 in 50 children between the ages of 6 and 17 years. The etiology of ASD is not precisely known. ASD is an umbrella term, which includes both low- (IQ < 70) and high-functioning (IQ > 70) individuals. A better understanding of the disorder and how it manifests in individual subjects can lead to more effective intervention plans to fulfill the individual's treatment needs.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive investigational tool that can be used to study the ways in which the brain develops or deviates from the typical developmental trajectory. MRI offers insights into the structure, function, and metabolism of the brain. In this article, we review published studies on brain connectivity changes in ASD using either resting state functional MRI or diffusion tensor imaging.The general findings of decreases in white matter integrity and in long-range neural coherence are well known in the ASD literature. Nevertheless, the detailed localization of these findings remains uncertain, and few studies link these changes in connectivity with the behavioral phenotype of the disorder. With the help of data sharing and large-scale analytic efforts, however, the field is advancing toward several convergent themes, including the reduced functional coherence of long-range intra-hemispheric cortico-cortical default mode circuitry, impaired inter-hemispheric regulation, and an associated, perhaps compensatory, increase in local and short-range cortico-subcortical coherence.

Relationship among Glutamine, γ-Aminobutyric Acid, and Social Cognition in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: An imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been proposed. We compared glutamate (Glu), glutamine (Gln), and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of 13 males with ASD and 14 typically developing (TD) males (ages 13-17), and correlated these levels with intelligence quotient (IQ) and measures of social cognition. METHODS: Social cognition was evaluated by administration of the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). We acquired proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) data from the bilateral ACC using the single voxel point resolved spectroscopy sequence (PRESS) to quantify Glu and Gln, and Mescher-Garwood point-resolved spectroscopy sequence (MEGA-PRESS) to quantify GABA levels referenced to creatine (Cr). RESULTS: There were higher Gln levels (p=0.04), and lower GABA/Cre levels (p=0.09) in the ASD group than in the TD group. There was no difference in Glu levels between groups. Gln was negatively correlated with RMET score (rho=-0.62, p=0.001) and IQ (rho=-0.56, p=0.003), and positively correlated with SRS scores (rho=0.53, p=0.007). GABA/Cre levels were positively correlated with RMET score (rho=0.34, p=0.09) and IQ (rho=0.36, p=0.07), and negatively correlated with SRS score (rho=-0.34, p=0.09). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest an imbalance between glutamatergic neurotransmission and GABA-ergic neurotransmission in ASD. Higher Gln levels and lower GABA/Cre levels were associated with lower IQ and greater impairments in social cognition across groups.

Decreased cortical thickness in drug naïve first episode schizophrenia: in relation to serum levels of BDNF.

This study was to examine cortical thickness in drug naïve, first episode schizophrenia patients, and to explore its relationship with serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Forty-five drug naive schizophrenia patients and 28 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Freesurfer was used to parcellate cortical regions, and vertex-wise group analysis was used for whole brain cortical thickness. The clusters for the brain regions that demonstrated group differences were extracted, and the mean values of thickness were calculated. Serum levels of BDNF were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). After controlling for age and gender, significantly thinner cortical thickness was found in left insula and superior temporal gyrus in the patient group compared with the healthy control group (HC group) (p's < 0.001). Lower serum levels of BDNF were also found in the patient group compared with the HC group (p = 0.001). Correlation analysis showed a significant positive relationship between thickness of left insula and serum levels of BDNF within the HC group (r = 0.396, p = 0.037) but there was no such relationship within the patient group (r = 0.035, p = 0.819). Cortical thinning is present in drug naïve, first episode schizophrenia patients, indicating neurodevelopmental abnormalities at the onset of schizophrenia. Left insula might be an imaging biomarker in detecting the impaired protective role of neurotrophic factor for the brain development in schizophrenia.

Structure-centered portal for child psychiatry research.

The real world needs of the clinical community require a domain-specific solution to integrate disparate information available from various web-based resources for data, materials, and tools into routine clinical and clinical research setting. We present a child-psychiatry oriented portal as an effort to deliver a knowledge environment wrapper that provides organization and integration of multiple information and data sources. Organized semantically by resource context, the portal groups information sources by context type, and permits the user to interactively "narrow" or "broaden" the scope of the information resources that are available and relevant to the specific context. The overall objective of the portal is to bring information from multiple complex resources into a simple single uniform framework and present it to the user in a single window format.

The internet brain volume database: a public resource for storage and retrieval of volumetric data.

Every month, numerous publications appear that include neuroanatomic volumetric observations. The current and past literature that includes volumetric measurements is vast, but variable with respect to specific species, structures, and subject characteristics (such as gender, age, pathology, etc.). In this report we introduce the Internet Brain Volume Database (IBVD), www.nitrc.org/projects/ibvd , a site devoted to facilitating access to and utilization of neuroanatomic volumetric observations as published in the literature. We review the design and functionality of the site. The IBVD is the first database dedicated to integrating, exposing and sharing brain volumetric observations across species and disease. It offers valuable functionality for quality assurance assessment of results as well as support for meta-analysis across large segments of the published literature that are obscured from traditional text-based search engines.