Is EEG Entropy a Useful Measure for Alzheimer's Disease?

BACKGROUND: The number of individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD) has increased, and it is estimated to continue rising in the coming years. The diagnosis of this disease is challenging due to variations in onset and course, its diverse clinical manifestations, and the indications for measuring deposit biomarkers. Hence, there is a need to develop more precise and less invasive diagnostic tools. Multiple studies have considered using electroencephalography (EEG) entropy measures as an indicator of the onset and course of AD. Entropy is deemed suitable as a potential indicator based on the discovery that variations in its complexity can be associated with specific pathologies such as AD. METHODOLOGY: Following PRISMA guidelines, a literature search was conducted in 4 scientific databases, and 40 articles were analyzed after discarding and filtering. RESULTS: There is a diversity in entropy measures; however, Sample Entropy (SampEn) and Multiscale Entropy (MSE) are the most widely used (21/40). In general, it is found that when comparing patients with controls, patients exhibit lower entropy (20/40) in various areas. Findings of correlation with the level of cognitive decline are less consistent, and with neuropsychiatric symptoms (2/40) or treatment response less explored (2/40), although most studies show lower entropy with greater severity. Machine learning-based studies show good discrimination capacity. CONCLUSIONS: There is significant difficulty in comparing multiple studies due to their heterogeneity; however, changes in Multiscale Entropy (MSE) scales or a decrease in entropy levels are considered useful for determining the presence of AD and measuring its severity.

Infectious Endocarditis by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an Immunocompetent Adult.

In the following case review, we present a 49-year-old male without a history of injection drug (IDU) use nor any known structural heart disease, who developed left-sided pseudomonal infectious endocarditis. The only known risk factors were urinary tract infection (UTI) with secondary bacteremia and prolonged healthcare contact with admission to the intensive care unit. Infectious endocarditis (IE) is the infection of the endocardium. The official diagnosis can only be established after histological and microbiological studies confirm microorganism-colonized vegetations in the heart valves, but a clinical suspicion with high sensitivity and specificity can be approached with modified Duke's criteria. Even though structural heart disease is the major predisposing factor for IE, healthcare-associated IE has risen with the new therapeutic interventions. Transient bacteremia, which might result after various procedures, forms part of the factors causing healthcare-associated IE. Although both, community-acquired and hospital-acquired infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been reported, pure community-acquired infections without previous exposure to the hospital or healthcare environment are extremely rare. Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are at special risk for this microbe. It is considered an important causative agent in ventilator/associated pneumonia, catheter-associated urinary tract infection (UTI), and catheter-associated bloodstream infections. IE by P. aeruginosa remains a rare form of IE. Though 95% of cases are associated with injection drug use (IDU), healthcare contact is becoming more important each day as the primary risk factor. The most common complications include abscesses in the ring and annulus, congestive heart failure (CHF), embolisms, inability to sterilize valves, splenic abscesses, recurrent bacteremia, and neurologic complications. This condition is highly fatal, with a mortality rate of over 73% for patients older than 30 years. Recommended antibiotic treatment for IE caused by P. aeruginosa consists of high-dose tobramycin in combination with antipseudomonal penicillin or high-dose ceftazidime, cefepime, or imipenem.

Acido folico y su relación con malformaciones por defectos de cierre tubo neural / Folic Acid and its relationship to malformations due to neural tube closure defects

En la presente revisión bibliográfica se hace referencia del ácido fólico, vitamina perteneciente al complejo B,cuya ingestión en etapa preconcepcional contribuye a la prevención de defectos congénitos y otros problemas relacionados con la salud del ser humano. El Ácido Fólico (AF) es necesario para la formación de proteínas estructurales y hemoglobina. La deficiencia de AF es la condición en que cuerpo carece de reservas adecuadas de vitamina B9. Durante toda la gestación se debe ingerir AF, debido al continuo proceso de crecimiento y desarrollo del embrión y feto, donde el AF participa en la metilación del ADN, proceso imprescindible para la constante división y crecimiento celular. El cierre de neuroporos del tubo neural ocurre antes que finalice el primer mes de embarazo. Cuando la mujer se da cuenta que está embarazada, las consecuencias de una dieta deficiente en AF ya habrán mostrado sus consecuencias, provocando varias deformaciones congénitas denominadas malformaciones por Defectos de cierre del Tubo Neural (DTN). La ingesta de AF debe recomendarse en toda la vida reproductiva de la mujer (pubertad-antes de menopausia), esto evita el aumento de la homocisteína; productor importante de DTN...