European Academy of Neurology guidance for developing and reporting clinical practice guidelines on rare neurological diseases

Awareness and care practices for rare neurologic diseases among senior neurologists: A global survey

OBJECTIVE

Rare neurologic diseases (RNDs) are difficult to diagnose and treat due to their low prevalence and complex nature. This survey evaluated awareness and current care status of RNDs among esteemed neurologists affiliated with the World Federation of Neurology (WFN).

METHODS

A 34-question survey was distributed to renowned neurologists, including delegates from national neurology societies in the WFN Assembly, various WFN committees, and members of the Rare Neurologic Diseases Specialist group. Responses were stratified by geographical regions, including Africa, the Americas, Asia/Oceania, and Europe, and into four income groups based on the World Bank Indicator. Descriptive statistics summarized responses, stratified by geographical regions or income groups, and significant differences were assessed by Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS

Of 190 invited neurologists, 64 responded (34 % response rate). Among respondents, 89 % agreed that RND patients should receive timely and effective care on par with more common neurological conditions. Additionally, 77 % of respondents overall thought most RNDs could be accurately diagnosed in their country. However, there were significant differences in the perceived ability of respondents' country of practice to diagnose RNDs by region, specifically in Africa (25 %), and by income of country of practice, specifically in the lower-income group (17 %).

CONCLUSIONS

This global survey highlights varying RND diagnosis and care by country socioeconomic status, suggesting potential disparities in resources and preparedness. To improve outcomes and quality-of-life for RND patients, efforts should focus on improving diagnostic capabilities, fostering collaboration among neurology centers, and promoting education on the unique challenges and treatment options of RNDs.

Acupuncture-assisted therapy for prolonged disorders of consciousness: study protocol for a randomized, conventional-controlled, assessor-and-statistician-blinded trial

Background

Acupuncture is a promising non-pharmaceutical complementary therapy in treating prolonged Disorders of consciousness (pDOC), but solid evidence to support its effectiveness and safety is still lacking. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture-assisted therapy for pDOC patients.

Methods

A single-center, prospective, randomized, conventional-controlled, assessor-and-statistician-blinded trial has been designed and is being conducted at West China Hospital of Sichuan University. A total of 110 participants will be randomly assigned to the experimental group and the control group in a 1:1 allocation ratio and evaluated using Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) at 8 a.m., 12 p.m., and 4 p.m. on 2 consecutive days before enrollment to determine the consciousness level. The experimental group will receive acupuncture combined with conventional treatment, while the control group will receive only conventional treatment during the trial observation period. The treatment duration of both groups will be 20 days. Among them, the frequency of acupuncture-assisted therapy is once a day, with 10 consecutive sessions followed by a day's rest for a total of 24 days. Data will be collected separately during baseline and after the final treatment. For data analysis, both Full Analysis Set (FAS) and Per Protocol Set (PPS) principles will be performed together by applying SPSS 27.0 software. The primary outcome measures are the changes of CRS-R before and after treatment, while the secondary outcome measures are the changes of Full Outline of Unresponsiveness Scale (FOUR), the changes of Nociception Coma Scale-Revised (NCS-R), the changes of Disability Rating Scale (DRS), the changes of Mismatch Negativity (MMN) and P300 before and after treatment, respectively.

Discussion

This trial aims to rationally assess the consciousness level from multiple 2 perspectives through subjective evaluation and objective detection by selecting several standardized clinical scales combined with Event-Related Potential (ERP) detection technology. In this way, we will be able to reduce the subjectivity of consciousness assessment and objectively evaluate the clinical efficacy of acupuncture-assisted therapy for pDOC. The study, if proven to be effective and safe enough, will provide a favorable evidence to guide medical decision-making choices and future researches.

Clinical trial registration

https://www.chictr.org.cn/, identifier ChiCTR2300076180.

Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine Position Statement: Approach to a Patient with Poisoning in the Emergency Room and Intensive Care Unit

Poisoning and its aftermath are globally observed and acknowledged concerns. India has a large burden of "self-harm/suicides" with 12.4/per 100,000 population committing suicide. Consumption of poisonous substances is the second most common mode of self-harm in India. Patients present to both public and private institutions in a critically ill state. The Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM) and Indian College of Critical Care Medicine (ICCCM) decided to address common and contentious issues related to poisoning by developing a position statement that is expected to be appropriate in the Indian scenario by the constitution of an "expert group" to provide a "set of statements" aimed at addressing the common issues faced by intensivists in their practice in managing such patients. The structured approach, framework, and process adopted in developing the position statement on the approach to poisoning have been detailed in this statement. The formation of an expert advisory panel was followed by a literature search, and multiple sessions of consensus-building exercises to reach the current statement presented below. The statement consists of relevant questions with possible answers thereof. Each answer was further weighed against the data and evidence available in the literature. Recommendations were made using a simplified score to make the statement qualitatively meaningful.

How to cite this article

Rungta N, Ray B, Bhalla A, DP Samaddar, Paul G, Prasad S, et al. Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine Position Statement: Approach to a Patient with Poisoning in the Emergency Room and Intensive Care Unit. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(S2):S217-S232.

Prognostic value of pathogenic variants in Lafora Disease: systematic review and meta-analysis of patient-level data

BACKGROUND

Lafora disease (LD) is a fatal form of progressive myoclonic epilepsy caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in EPM2A or NHLRC1. With a few exceptions, the influence of genetic factors on disease progression has yet to be confirmed. We present a systematic review and meta-analysis of the known pathogenic variants to identify genotype-phenotype correlations.

METHODS

We collected all reported cases with genetically-confirmed LD containing data on disease history. Pathogenic variants were classified into missense (MS) and protein-truncating (PT). Three genotype classes were defined according to the combination of the variants: MS/MS, MS/PT, and PT/PT. Time-to-event analysis was performed to evaluate survival and loss of autonomy.

RESULTS

250 cases described in 70 articles were included. The mutated gene was NHLRC1 in 56% and EPM2A in 44% of cases. 114 pathogenic variants (67 EPM2A; 47 NHLRC1) were identified. The NHLRC1 genotype PT/PT was associated with shorter survival [HR 2.88; 95% CI 1.23-6.78] and a trend of higher probability of loss of autonomy [HR 2.03, 95% CI 0.75-5.56] at the multivariable Cox regression analysis. The population carrying the homozygous p.Asp146Asn variant of NHLRC1 genotype was confirmed to have a more favourable prognosis in terms of disease duration.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the existence of prognostic genetic factors in LD, namely the genotype defined according to the functional impact of the pathogenic variants. Although the reasons why NHLRC1 genotype PT/PT is associated with a poorer prognosis have yet to be fully elucidated, it may be speculated that malin plays a pivotal role in LD pathogenesis.

What is a clinical practice guideline? A roadmap to their development. Special report from the Guidelines Task Force of the International League Against Epilepsy

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are statements that provide evidence-based recommendations aimed at optimizing patient care. However, many other documents are often published as "guidelines" when they are not; these documents, although also important in clinical practice, are usually not systematically produced following rigorous processes linking the evidence to the recommendations. Specifically, the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) guideline development toolkit aims to ensure that high-quality CPGs are developed to fill knowledge gaps and optimize the management of epilepsy. In addition to adhering to key methodological processes, guideline developers need to consider that effective CPGs should lead to improvements in clinical processes of care and health care outcomes. This requires monitoring the effectiveness of epilepsy-related CPGs and interventions to remove the barriers to epilepsy CPG implementation. This article provides an overview of what distinguishes quality CPGs from other documents and discusses their benefits and limitations. We summarize the recently revised ILAE CPG development process and elaborate on the barriers and facilitators to guideline dissemination, implementation, and adaptation.