0809 A Randomized Double-blind, Placebo Controlled Trial With Cross-over, To Assess The Efficacy Of Correcting Vitamin D Deficiency In Improving The Symptoms Of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)

Introduction

Recent studies have shown an association of low Vitamin D levels and severity of RLS symptoms. However, effect of treatment of Vit D deficiency on RLS symptoms was not reported, nor were other exacerbating factors for RLS such as iron deficiency or OSA addressed in prior studies, but have been addressed in our study.

Methods

This is an ongoing study at the JFKMC Sleep Clinic. Eligible Patients with RLS include those with vitamin D 25,hydroxy deficiency (<20 ng/ml), or insufficiency (<30 ng/ml). Such patients will be enrolled in the study after comorbid conditions like iron deficiency and OSA have been adequately corrected. Randomization of the patients will be done by the JFK pharmacy so the patient and provider are blinded to the substance. Substance A or B could be either Vitamin D3 Capsule 50,000 IU, or placebo. Each patient takes A for 6 weeks and then crosses over to B for 6 weeks. Weekly iRLS questionnaires will be collected. Actiwatch Device, to assess activity count per minute, will be worn on the ankle at night for one week time periods: at baseline, at end of 6 weeks of taking A and then at the end of 6 weeks of taking B. Vitamin D levels will also be assessed after each course of supplementation and correlated with subjective and objective findings.

Results

Between July 7, 2019 to current, 50 consecutive patients seen in sleep clinic with RLS were assessed for vitamin D levels. Ages ranged from 23-86 years. 27 patients were female (54%). Two patients met inclusion criteria and have started their 13-week study.

Conclusion

This study will help to establish the role of Vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for RLS, independent of ferritin levels, and comorbid OSA, in affected individuals. This may help to discover a potentially treatable form of RLS.

Support

No financial support.

1149 A Pilot Quality Improvement (QI) Study To Assess Whether Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (bipap) Support In Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients With Sleep Disordered Breathing, Can Improve Neurological Recovery During Acute Stroke Care

Introduction

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with adverse outcomes in patients with stroke. While data is limited, it suggests that treatment of OSA may improve neurological recovery. With this quality improvement (QI) project, we aim to develop an interprofessional-team workflow process for screening and correction of OSA in acute ischemic stroke, with the goal to improve outcomes of neurological recovery.

Methods

This is an ongoing study to screen all eligible patients admitted to JFK Medical Center stroke unit, with MRI-proven Supratentorial acute ischemic stroke. The patients are screened using an overnight Pulse Oximetry test. A 3% oxygen desaturation index (ODI) of ≥10/hr or 4% ODI of ≥ 5/hr is considered at high risk for OSA. Such Patients will receive nocturnal Auto-adjusting BIPAP therapy during their acute care stay, for up to 5 days, for at least 4 hours per night. Eligible Patients who refused BiPAP therapy or were non-compliant will be considered as a controls. Baseline NIH stroke scale (NIHSS), and bilateral MCA mean flow velocity (MFV) in the morning, by transcranial doppler (TCD) will be assessed at baseline for cases and controls, and after BiPAP therapy, for the case group. The two groups of patients will also be compared in terms of Modified Rankin Scale at time of discharge and at phone follow-up after 6 weeks.

Results

Between Oct 17th, 2019 to current, 15 patients were admitted to the stroke unit with MRI confirmed stroke. Ages ranged from 34 - 88 years (average age 66.5 years). 8 patients (60%) were female. Of those, 6 patients consented to being screened for OSA. Of these, 1 had 4%ODI >5/hr, and therefore received treatment with BIPAP. However, compliance was < 4 hrs on 2 consecutive nights.

Conclusion

This is ongoing QI project and results will be available after few more months of continued recruitment.

Support

Auto-adjusting BIPAP machines were provided by RESMED.

Impaired decision-making and time perception in individuals with stroke: Behavioral and neural correlates

Several studies have demonstrated that stroke subjects present impairment of functions related to decision-making and timing, involving the information processing in the neural circuits of the cerebellum in association with the prefrontal cortex. This review is aimed to identify the gaps, and demonstrate a better understanding of decision-making and timing functions in the patients with stroke. Electronic literature database was searched and the findings of relevant studies were used to explore the mechanisms of decision-making and timing in patients with stroke, as well as the circuit connections in timing mediated by prefrontal cortex and cerebellum. A literature review was conducted with 65 studies that synthesized findings on decision-making and time perception in individuals with stroke. Types of neurobiological modalities in this study included: Relationships among decision-making, time perception, related cognitive aspects (such as discrimination tasks, verbal estimation, bisection tasks, time production and motor reproduction), and motor control. We demonstrate that the timing processes are important for the performance in cognitive tasks and that the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex are involved in decision-making and time perception. In the context, the decision-making is impaired in stroke patients has a great impact on executive functions, and this seems to be important in determining neurobiological aspects relevant to the time interval interpretation.

Comparative evaluation of Myolaxin and EM LA cream for attenuation of venous cannulation pain: A prospective, randomised, double blind study

We evaluated the efficacy of topical Myolaxin (capsaican ointment, Geno, Mumbai) ointment over EMLA (eutectic mixture of lignocaine, prilocaine; Neon, Goa) cream for attenuating venous cannulation pain in this prospective, randomised, double blind study. Sixty adult patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly assigned into two equal groups. Group I (EMLA) received EMLA cream, whereas Group II (Myolaxin) received Myolaxin ointment. For both groups the cream was applied at the venous cannulation site (dorsum of the non-dominant hand) one hour prior to venous cannulation and was covered with an occlusive dressing. Following venous cannulation patients were asked if they felt pain during venous cannulation. If the answer was yes, they were asked to rate the severity of venous cannulation pain using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of O-10. The incidence of venous cannulation pain was similar between groups: in the EMLA group 65% (18/28) compared to 67% (20/30) in the Myolaxin group (P=0.19). The severity of pain (median VAS with inter quartile range) was also similar between the groups: in the EMLA group 1.5 (3) compared to 1.5 (2) in the Myolaxin group (P=0.46). As the topical application of Myolaxin ointment is cheaper than EMLA and has similar efficacy, it may be a suitable alternative for reducing the incidence and severity of venous cannulation pain.

Pain during Injection of Propofol: The Effect of Prior Administration of Ephedrine

Propofol causes pain on intravenous injection in 28 to 90% of patients. A number of techniques have been tried to minimize propofol-induced pain, with variable results. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we compared the efficacy of ephedrine 30 μg/kg pretreatment to lignocaine 40 mg for prevention of propofol-induced pain. Ninety-three adult patients, ASA 1 and 2, undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly assigned to three groups of 31 each. Group 1 received normal saline, group 2 received lignocaine 2% (40 mg) and group 3 received 30 μg/kg ephedrine. All pretreatment drugs were made up to 2 ml. Pain at the time of propofol injection was assessed on a four-point scale: 0=no pain, 1=mild pain, 2=moderate pain, and 3=severe pain. Twenty-seven patients (87%) of ephedrine pretreatment patients had pain during intravenous injection of propofol as compared to 24 (77%) in the normal saline group. In the lignocaine group, propofol-induced pain was observed in only 13 (42%) when compared with other study groups (P<0.05). Pretreatment with ephedrine 30 μg/kg did not attenuate pain associated with intravenous injection of propofol, nor did it improve haemodynamic stability during induction. However, pretreatment with 2% lignocaine (40 mg) was effective in attenuating propofol-associated pain.

Lower eyelid excursion: A functional and cosmetically relevant parameter in the treatment of lower eyelid retraction

The purpose of this study was to assess and quantify lower lid excursion following repair of lower lid retraction. In this retrospective cohort study, a case review of patients who had undergone ear cartilage grafting for lower lid retraction was undertaken. Surgical correction involved the placement of autologous cartilage between the tarsal plate and lower lid retractors. Measurements taken preoperatively and postoperatively were the marginal reflex 2 (MRD2) and the lower scleral show (LSS). The lower lid excursion on downgaze (LLE) was measured only postoperatively with a comparison made between operated eyes and control eyes. Thirteen eyelids of 10 patients were included in the study. Preoperatively, MRD-2 ranged from 4 to 8 mm (6.5 ± 1.5 mm) - mean ± SD. Postoperatively, MRD-2 ranged from 4 to 6 mm (5.1 ± 0.7 mm). The difference in mean MRD2 was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Preoperatively, LSS ranged from 0 to 5 mm (2.5 ± 1.6 mm). Postoperatively, LSS ranged from 0-1 mm (0.1 ± 0.3 mm). The difference in mean LSS was statistically significant (p < 0.01). Postoperatively, all lower eyelids achieved movement on downgaze. On the operated eyes, the eyelid excursion ranged from 2 to 5 mm (3.1 ± 1.0 mm) on downgaze. On the nonoperated (control) eyes (where the operations were not performed bilaterally), the eyelid excursion ranged from 1 to 4 mm (2.8 ± 1.2 mm). There was no statistically significant difference in the lid excursion of operated and nonoperated eyes (p > 0.05). It is possible to correct lower lid retraction in both primary and secondary positions of gaze if an appropriate surgical technique is employed.

Jet outflow and open field line measurements on the C-2W advanced beam-driven field-reversed configuration plasma experiment

Accurate operation and high performance of the open field line plasma surrounding the field reversed configuration is crucial to achieving the goals of successful temperature ramp up and confinement improvement on C-2W. Knowledge and control of the open field line plasma requires extensive diagnostic efforts. A suite of diagnostics, which consists of microwave interferometry, dispersive spectroscopy, and spatial heterodyne spectroscopy, is being developed to measure electron density, ion temperature, and particle outflow velocity at various locations along the open magnetic field lines. A detailed overview of these diagnostics is presented.

Development of a Z eff diagnostic using visible and near-infrared bremsstrahlung light for the C-2W field-reversed configuration plasma

In C-2W, an elevated impurity concentration can lead to significant degradation of plasma performance and energy losses through radiation. To gauge plasma contamination from impurities, the effective ion charge (Z _eff) can be determined from measurements of bremsstrahlung continuum radiation over a small spectral range free from line radiation. To this end, a diagnostic system including visible and near-infrared bremsstrahlung detectors was deployed in C-2W to measure time-dependent radial distributions of Z _eff. The system is complemented by an array of survey spectrometers which enable full-range spectroscopic measurements of impurity emission lines from the vacuum ultraviolet to the near infrared, providing a good picture of the plasma composition. Here, the design scheme for this integrated diagnostic system is presented and discussed.

Effect of Hemodialysis on Corrected QT Interval and QTc Dispersion

Hemodialysis patients are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease due to traditional and dialysis-related risk factors. Our aim was to study the effects of hemodialysis on the corrected QT interval (QTc) and QTc dispersion in chronic kidney disease (CKD) without clinically manifest heart disease. Two hundred cases of CKD on chronic intermittent hemodialysis of >3 months' duration were included in the study. Twelve-lead electrocardiography and samples for serum creatinine, potassium, calcium, and magnesium were taken before and after dialysis. The mean age of patients was 52.4 ± 17 years with male-to-female ratio of 3:1. QTc interval and QTc dispersion were prolonged in 47% and 59% before and 50% and 89% of patients after hemodialysis, respectively. The mean values of QTc were 433.4 ± 36.9 ms before and 451.4 ± 39.6 ms after hemodialysis (p = 0.001) and the mean values of QTc dispersion were 60.5 ± 19.3 ms before and 81.5 ± 24.4 ms after hemodialysis (p = 0.001). Similar pattern was observed in all etiological groups of CKD, except for QTc dispersion in malignancy-related CKD (p = 0.216). After hemodialysis, there was a significant fall in the mean values of serum potassium (p = 0.001), rise in serum calcium (p = 0.001), and no change in magnesium (p = 0.424). Patients with post hemodialysis QTc dispersion >74 ms had significantly low mean values of serum potassium and calcium as compared to <74 ms group. Large numbers of hemodialysis patients have a prolonged QTc interval and QTc dispersion with a significant increase in the mean values after hemodialysis. There is a significant fall in serum potassium and rise in serum calcium after dialysis.