Featured Publications
Do psychotropic drugs cause seizures?
Gopaul M, Altalib H. Do psychotropic drugs cause seizures? Epilepsy & Behavior Reports 2024, 27: 100679. PMID: 38881884, PMCID: PMC11179069, DOI: 10.1016/j.ebr.2024.100679.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderPsychiatric comorbiditiesPsychotropic medicationsTricyclic antidepressantsCNS stimulantsSerotonin reuptake inhibitorsConcurrent psychiatric disordersSeizure riskReuptake inhibitorsAttention-deficit/hyperactivityPsychiatric disordersPsychiatric symptomsIncreased seizure riskPsychotropic drugsBidirectional associationsAnticonvulsant effectsAntidepressantsIatrogenic seizuresAntipsychoticsTreatment outcomesDisordersHigh dosesClinical decision-makingSeizure onsetEpilepsyMood and Anxiety Disorders and Suicidality in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Focal Epilepsy
Kanner A, Saporta A, Kim D, Barry J, Altalib H, Omotola H, Jette N, O'Brien T, Nadkarni S, Winawer M, Sperling M, French J, Abou-Khalil B, Alldredge B, Bebin M, Cascino G, Cole A, Cook M, Detyniecki K, Devinsky O, Dlugos D, Faught E, Ficker D, Fields M, Gidal B, Gelfand M, Glynn S, Halford J, Haut S, Hegde M, Holmes M, Kalviainen R, Kang J, Klein P, Knowlton R, Krishnamurthy K, Kuzniecky R, Kwan P, Lowenstein D, Marcuse L, Meador K, Mintzer S, Pardoe H, Park K, Penovich P, Singh R, Somerville E, Szabo C, Szaflarski J, Thio K, Trinka E, Burneo J, Project A. Mood and Anxiety Disorders and Suicidality in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Focal Epilepsy. Neurology 2022, 100: e1123-e1134. PMID: 36539302, PMCID: PMC10074468, DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000201671.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMajor depressive disorderFocal epilepsyBipolar disorderSuicidal ideationAnxiety disordersGeneral populationSuicidal attemptsPanic disorderMini International Neuropsychiatric InterviewPrevalence of moodInternational Neuropsychiatric InterviewLogistic regression analysisActive suicidal ideationComparable prevalence ratesSeverity Rating ScaleConsecutive adultsDepressive disorderNeuropsychiatric InterviewEpilepsy evaluationHigh prevalencePrevalence ratesTypes of moodPatientsPsychiatric diagnosisEpilepsySuicide and Seizures
Bornovski Y, Jackson-Shaheed E, Argraves S, Hitchins A, Tolchin B, Galluzzo D, Cheung KH, Goulet J, Skanderson M, Brandt CA, Pugh MJ, Altalib H. Suicide and Seizures. Neurology Clinical Practice 2021, 11: 372-376. PMID: 34840864, PMCID: PMC8610527, DOI: 10.1212/cpj.0000000000001070.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPsychogenic nonepileptic seizuresSuicide-related behaviorsCohort studyRates of suicideRelative riskHigh riskVeterans Health Administration (VHA) servicesRetrospective cohort studyComparison groupNational cohort studyStandardized mortality ratioGeneral veteran populationIllicit drug abusePosttraumatic stress disorderElectronic health recordsDecreased riskPsychotropic medicationsMortality ratioMajor depressionNonepileptic seizuresAlcohol abuseVeteran populationEpilepsySeizuresPoisson regression
2021
The Military Injuries: Understanding Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Study: Understanding Relationships among Lifetime Traumatic Brain Injury History, Epilepsy, and Quality of Life
Pugh MJ, Kennedy E, Gugger JJ, Mayo J, Tate D, Swan A, Kean J, Altalib H, Gowda S, Towne A, Hinds S, Van Cott A, Lopez MR, Jaramillo CA, Eapen BC, McCafferty RR, Salinsky M, Cramer J, McMillan KK, Kalvesmaki A, Diaz-Arrastia R, Amuan M, Henion A, Padilla S, McCafferty M, Elizondo B, Wells M. The Military Injuries: Understanding Post-Traumatic Epilepsy Study: Understanding Relationships among Lifetime Traumatic Brain Injury History, Epilepsy, and Quality of Life. Journal Of Neurotrauma 2021, 38: 2841-2850. PMID: 34353118, PMCID: PMC8820288, DOI: 10.1089/neu.2021.0015.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTraumatic brain injuryPost-traumatic epilepsyHistory of TBIQuality of lifeEvidence of TBILifetime traumatic brain injuryMild traumatic brain injuryHealth recordsHealth-related qualityVA medical recordsWorse physical functioningPopulation-based assessmentVeterans Health AdministrationHealth record dataTraumatic brain injury historyBrain injury historyComplex comorbiditiesMedical recordsBrain injuryPhysical functioningTBI severityInjury historyEpilepsyHealth AdministrationEpilepsy studies
2017
Care coordination in epilepsy: Measuring neurologists' connectivity using social network analysis
Altalib HH, Fenton BT, Cheung KH, Pugh MJV, Bates J, Valente TW, Kerns RD, Brandt CA. Care coordination in epilepsy: Measuring neurologists' connectivity using social network analysis. Epilepsy & Behavior 2017, 73: 31-35. PMID: 28605631, DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2017.05.026.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsVeterans Health AdministrationCare coordinationHealth care providersCare providersVA facilitiesEpilepsy centersSpecialty careEpilepsy careEpilepsy patientsHealth AdministrationFacility levelNumber of providersNeurologistsFacility typeCareProvidersType of facilityMixed modelsSame facilityPatientsEpilepsyAdministration
2013
Validating a natural language processing tool to exclude psychogenic nonepileptic seizures in electronic medical record-based epilepsy research
Hamid H, Fodeh SJ, Lizama AG, Czlapinski R, Pugh MJ, LaFrance WC, Brandt CA. Validating a natural language processing tool to exclude psychogenic nonepileptic seizures in electronic medical record-based epilepsy research. Epilepsy & Behavior 2013, 29: 578-580. PMID: 24135384, DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.09.025.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPsychogenic nonepileptic seizuresPositive predictive valueNonepileptic seizuresDefinite PNESAfghanistan veteransEpilepsy researchNational Clinical DatabaseVideo electroencephalograph monitoringDiagnosis of epilepsySeizure disorderDefinitive diagnosisElectronic health record systemsEpidemiologic dataHealth record systemsPredictive valueClinical databaseElectroencephalograph monitoringPatientsEpilepsyVEEGEpidemiologic researchVeteransRecord systemSeizuresDiagnosis