Neurocritical care
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Neurologic complications contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality in acute liver failure (ALF). However, clinical assessment of neurologic function in this population is often challenging. Continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) is a low-risk, noninvasive diagnostic tool that can monitor real-time cerebral function. We aimed to investigate cEEG findings and prognostic significance of specific EEG features in a cohort of strictly defined patients with ALF. ⋯ Worsening cEEG background continuity or frequency is associated with poor outcome in adults with ALF. cEEG may contribute useful prognostic information in these patients, in conjunction with other laboratory and clinical markers of disease severity.
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Understanding the risk factors for hematoma expansion (HE) in different regions of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) can help in the development of more accurate HE prediction tools and in implementing more effective clinical treatment interventions. This study aims to investigate the risk factors for HE in patients with lobar and deep ICH. ⋯ Fluid level, low admission Glasgow Coma Scale score, and shorter time from onset to NCCT are independent predictors of HE in deep ICH, whereas irregular shape and low fibrinogen levels are independent predictors of HE in lobar ICH. These findings are of great significance for elucidating the mechanisms underlying HE in different locations of ICH and for developing precise predictive models of HE.
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Despite advancements in the neuroscience of consciousness, no new medications for disorders of consciousness (DOC) have been discovered in more than a decade. Repurposing existing US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs for DOC is crucial for improving clinical management and patient outcomes. ⋯ Our findings suggest incretin-based medications in general, and saxagliptin in particular, as potential novel therapeutic agents for DOC. Further prospective clinical trials are needed to confirm their efficacy and safety in DOC.
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The objective of this study was to assess the prognostic significance of identical bursts (IBs) in cardiac arrest survivors with burst suppression on continuous electroencephalogram (cEEG) monitoring. Burst suppression with IBs is associated with poor neurological outcomes and mortality. ⋯ Using a single-center US cohort, IBs within 72 h post cardiac arrest were strongly associated with poor outcomes. Quantitative analysis revealed that including the first 2 s of the bursts was superior to limiting the analysis to 0.5-1 s.