Lancet neurology
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Observational Study
Early predictors of outcome after mild traumatic brain injury (UPFRONT): an observational cohort study.
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) accounts for most cases of TBI, and many patients show incomplete long-term functional recovery. We aimed to create a prognostic model for functional outcome by combining demographics, injury severity, and psychological factors to identify patients at risk for incomplete recovery at 6 months. In particular, we investigated additional indicators of emotional distress and coping style at 2 weeks above early predictors measured at the emergency department. ⋯ Dutch Brain Foundation.
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Review
The promise of telemedicine for chronic neurological disorders: the example of Parkinson's disease.
Disparities in access to health care, particularly specialist care, exist worldwide. As the prevalence of chronic neurological disorders increases with ageing populations, access to neurologist care is likely to worsen in many regions if there are no changes to models of care. ⋯ Further research is needed to establish whether telemedicine can deliver on the promise of improved access to neurologist care and whether telemedicine-delivered care is comparable to in-person care in terms of clinical outcomes. Many barriers to widespread implementation of telemedicine services remain to be addressed, including reimbursement, legal considerations, and technological issues.
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Emerging evidence has linked MRI signal changes in deep nuclei of the brain with repeated administration of gadolinium-based contrast agents. Gadolinium deposits have been confirmed in brain tissue, most notably in the dentate nuclei and globus pallidus. Although some linear contrast agents appear to cause greater MRI signal changes than some macrocyclic agents, deposition of gadolinium has also been observed with macrocyclic agents. ⋯ No data are available in human beings or animals to show adverse clinical effects due to the gadolinium deposition in the brain. On behalf of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, we present recommendations for the clinical and research use of gadolinium-based contrast agents. These recommendations might evolve as new evidence becomes available.