Use of Innovative SPECT Techniques in the Presurgical Evaluation of Patients with Nonlesional Extratemporal Drug-Resistant Epilepsy.

Up to 30% of patients with epilepsy may not respond to antiepileptic drugs. Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) should undergo evaluation for seizure onset zone (SOZ) localization to consider surgical treatment. Cases of drug-resistant nonlesional extratemporal lobe epilepsy (ETLE) pose the biggest challenge in localizing the SOZ and require multiple noninvasive diagnostic investigations before planning the intracranial monitoring (ICM) or direct resection. Ictal Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (i-SPECT) is a unique functional diagnostic tool that assesses the SOZ using the localized hyperperfusion that occurs early in the seizure. Subtraction ictal SPECT coregistered to MRI (SISCOM), statistical ictal SPECT coregistered to MRI (STATISCOM), and PET interictal subtracted ictal SPECT coregistered with MRI (PISCOM) are innovative SPECT methods for the determination of the SOZ. This article comprehensively reviews SPECT and sheds light on its vital role in the presurgical evaluation of the nonlesional extratemporal DRE.

Clinical, radiological, and electroencephalographic features of HHV-6 encephalitis following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND: To study the clinical, radiological, electroencephalographic, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) features of Human Herpes Virus 6 (HHV-6) encephalitis in leukemia patients underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all leukemia patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT between January 2010 and December 2018. The clinical, radiological, electroencephalographic, and CSF features of those with HHV6 encephalitis were recorded. RESULTS: A total of five cases of HHV6 encephalitis were identified. Three patients had Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, one had Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and one had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. All of them presented a few months after transplantation with altered mental status. Comorbidities included pancytopenia, sepsis, graft versus host disease, and multi-organ failure. EEG showed focal seizures originating from temporal lobes in two patients, generalized or focal periodic discharges in three patients, focal slowing in two patients, and diffuse slowing in three patients. MRI brain showed T2/FLAIR hyper-intensities in four patients; two of them in bilateral temporal lobes, one in the thalamus/hypothalamus/brainstem/cerebellum/basal ganglia, and one in the periventricular areas. CSF showed pleocytosis, high protein, and positive HHV-6 PCR. Foscarnet was used as an anti-viral agent. Anti-epileptics used were phenytoin, levetiracetam, and valproic acid. Four patients died in a few months, whereas one recovered completely. CONCLUSIONS: HHV-6 encephalitis can add significant morbidity and mortality to leukemic patients following allogeneic HSCT. Patients present with typical clinical features of encephalitis. Salient EEG characteristics include periodic discharges or overt temporal lobe seizures. MRI findings are T2/FLAIR signal hyperintensities, mainly in the temporal lobes.

Prevalence of seropositivity of selected herpesviruses in patients with multiple sclerosis in the North of Jordan.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease that is caused by an autoimmune response that results in the neuron's demyelination in the central nervous system. The exact etiology of MS is not clear; however, several environmental and genetic factors are believed to participate in its initiation and development, including exposure to viruses. This study aims to investigate the association between the seropositivity and antibody titer of selected herpesviruses and MS in Jordanian MS patients. METHOD: In this study, 55 MS patients and 40 age- and gender-matching apparently healthy volunteers were recruited from two main hospitals in the north of Jordan. MS patients were grouped into three types of MS based on the clinical presentation of the disease. Blood samples were collected from the participants and the IgG antibodies for human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen (EBNA), EBV viral capsid antigen (VCA) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) were assayed by ELISA. The prevalence of seropositivity and the antibody level for each of the antibodies were compared between MS patients and controls and between the three types of MS. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the prevalence of seropositivity and in the levels of antibodies for HHV-6, EBNA and VCA between MS patients and controls and between the three types of MS. In contrast, the number of seropositive patients and the level of IgG antibodies for VZV were significantly higher in MS patients compared to the control. CONCLUSION: This study showed that patients with MS in the north of Jordan were more likely to be seropositive for VZV than the general population. Based on this finding, we recommend further studies to evaluate the seropositivity to VZV to be carried out in other parts of Jordan and the greater middle east to find out if there is a correlation between MS and previous infection with VZV.

Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Predictors of Disability in a Cohort of Jordanian Patients with the First Ischemic Stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the risk factors, etiologies, length of stay, severity, and predictors of disability among patients with the first ischemic stroke in Jordan. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of 142 patients who were admitted to the Neurology Department at King Abdullah University Hospital between July/2017 and March/2018 with a first ischemic stroke. Etiology was classified according to the TOAST criteria. Severity was represented by NIHSS score, disability by mRS score, and prolonged length of stay as hospitalizations more than 75th percentile of the cohort's median length of stay. Analysis of the sample demographics and descriptive statistics were done, including frequencies of prevalence of independent variables (risk factors) and frequencies of stroke and etiology work-up. Chi-square and univariate analysis of variance "ANOVA" were used to investigate the relationship between risk factors and type of stroke. Finally, logistic regression analysis was used to measure the contribution of each of the independent variables. IRB approval was obtained as necessary. RESULTS: The mean age for the cohort was 66.5 years. The most common risk factors were hypertension (78.8%), diabetes mellitus (60.5%), and ischemic heart disease (29.4%). The most common stroke etiology was small-vessel occlusion (54.2%). Median length of stay was 4 days. Prolonged length of stay was observed in 23.23% of patients, which was associated with several factors, the most common of which were persistent dysphagia (57.5%), nosocomial infection (39.3%), and combined dysphagia and nosocomial infection (21.2%). The mean admission NIHSS score was 7.94, and on discharge was 5.76. In-hospital mortality was 2.81%, while 50% of patients had a favorable outcome on discharge (mRS score between 0-2). The mean discharge mRS score for the cohort was 2.47 (SD ± 1.79). Large artery atherosclerosis was associated with the highest residual disability with a mean score of 3.67 (SD ± 1.88), while the stroke of undetermined etiology was associated with the lowest residual disability with a mean score of 1.60 (SD ± 1.78). Significant predictors of mRS score were smoking (t 3.24, P < 0.001), age (t 1.98, P < 0.049), and NIHSS score (t 9.979, P 0.000). CONCLUSION: Ischemic strokes have different etiologies that are associated with different levels of impact on the patient's clinical status and prognosis. Large artery atherosclerosis was associated with the highest residual disability. Regarding predictors of prognosis, current smoking status, age above 50, gender, and NIHSS on admission appear to be the strongest predictors of prognosis. Finally, higher NIHSS score on admission resulted in a longer hospital stay.

Piloting the development of a cost-effective evidence-informed clinical pathway: managing hypertension in Jordanian primary care.

OBJECTIVES: The UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Jordan office of the Medicines Transparency Alliance embarked on a pilot project to design an evidence-based guideline for cost-effective pharmacological treatment of essential hypertension in Jordan. The project's objectives were to directly address a major health problem for Jordan by producing a guideline; and to delineate the strengths and weaknesses of Jordan's healthcare process to allow similar future efforts to be planned more efficiently. METHODS: The pilot spanned a period of approximately 8 months. Activities were overseen by local technical and guideline development teams, as well as experts from NICE. NICE's hypertension guidelines and economic model were used as a starting point. Parameters in the economic model were adjusted according to input and feedback from local experts with regards to Jordanian physician and patient practices, resource costs, and quality of life estimates. The results of the economic model were integrated with the updated available clinical trial literature. RESULTS: The outputs of the economic model were used to inform recommendations, in the form of a clinical algorithm. A report of the process and the strengths and weaknesses observed was developed, and recommendations for improvements were made. CONCLUSIONS: The pilot represented the start of what is intended to be a healthcare process change for the country of Jordan. Issues emerged which can inform strategies to ensure a more cohesive and comprehensive approach to the cost-effective use of appropriate drugs in managing chronic disease in Jordan and countries operating in a similarly resource-constrained environment. Furthermore, our pilot highlights how richer countries with relevant experience in evidence-informed healthcare policy making can assist others in strengthening their decision-making methods and processes.

Impact of NSAIDs prior authorization policy on patients' QoL.

BACKGROUND: In 1996, the West Virginia Medicaid program targeted nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for prior authorization (PA) to ensure cost-effective and appropriate utilization. PA guidelines required that patients must have tried and failed treatment with 2 different classes of generic NSAIDs before a brand-name NSAID could be approved. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of the requirement of PA for branded NSAIDs on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients who are chronic users of NSAIDs. DESIGN: Pre- and postintervention quasiexperimental design was used for this study. The sample consisted of continuously eligible Medicaid recipients who were <65 years old and who were diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, spondylitis, or chronic pain syndromes. Data were collected through a mail survey using the abbreviated version of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales. RESULTS: A total of 181 (37.1%) completed surveys were received, 110 (39.2%) from the branded-NSAID user group and 71 (32.7%) from the generic-NSAID user group. Patients who were restricted to generic NSAIDs did not report deterioration in any of the HRQoL domains measured, including mobility, walking and bending, hand and finger function, self care, household activities, social activities, and tension. CONCLUSIONS: The requirement of PA for the use of branded NSAIDs did not compromise patients' HRQoL at 8 weeks follow-up.