Featured Publications
Suicide 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
2019
Managing Functional Neurological Disorders: Protocol of a Cohort Study on Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures Study
Altalib HH, Galluzzo D, Argraves S, Goulet J, Bornovski Y, Cheung KH, Jackson-Shaheed E, Tolchin B, Fenton BT, Pugh MJ. Managing Functional Neurological Disorders: Protocol of a Cohort Study on Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures Study. Neuropsychiatric Disease And Treatment 2019, 15: 3557-3568. PMID: 31920316, PMCID: PMC6939176, DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s234852.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPsychogenic non-epileptic seizuresFunctional neurological disorderVeterans Affairs Healthcare SystemEmergency room visitsModel of careSuicide-related behaviorsElectronic health recordsSeizure frequencyCohort studyHospital admissionPNES diagnosisRoom visitsOutcome measurementsTreatment of PNESNeurological disordersOutcomes of veteransCourse of illnessNon-epileptic seizuresCourse of treatmentUtilization of psychotherapySeizure outcomeEmergency visitsMedical illnessNeurological symptomsNeurological lesions
2016
Incidence of Mental Health Diagnoses in Veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and New Dawn, 2001-2014.
Ramsey C, Dziura J, Justice AC, Altalib HH, Bathulapalli H, Burg M, Decker S, Driscoll M, Goulet J, Haskell S, Kulas J, Wang KH, Mattocks K, Brandt C. Incidence of Mental Health Diagnoses in Veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and New Dawn, 2001-2014. American Journal Of Public Health 2016, 107: 329-335. PMID: 27997229, PMCID: PMC5227942, DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2016.303574.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMental health diagnosesMajor depressive disorderPosttraumatic stress disorderHealth diagnosisIncidence rateDrug use disorder diagnosisIncident posttraumatic stress disorderOperation Iraqi FreedomAge 18Veterans Health Administration electronic health recordsDisorder diagnosisIncident bipolar disorderHigh-risk groupSociodemographic risk factorsAlcohol use disorder diagnosisMental health conditionsEnduring FreedomIraqi FreedomRace/ethnicityElectronic health recordsIncident schizophreniaRisk factorsDepressive disorderAge 45MDD diagnosisCommunicating diagnostic certainty of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures — a national study of provider documentation
Altalib HH, Elzamzamy K, Pugh MJ, Gonzalez JB, Cheung KH, Fenton BT, Kerns RD, Brandt CA, LaFrance WC. Communicating diagnostic certainty of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures — a national study of provider documentation. Epilepsy & Behavior 2016, 64: 4-8. PMID: 27723497, DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.08.032.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPsychogenic nonepileptic seizuresElectronic health recordsNonepileptic seizuresVeterans Affairs electronic health recordsDiagnosis of PNESInappropriate health careMajority of patientsPrimary care providersImpressions of patientsHealth care professionalsMental health professionalsEpilepsy criteriaProvider documentationClinical impressionCare providersCare professionalsInternational LeagueDiagnostic certaintyHealth professionalsPatientsProgress notesHealth recordsHealth careSeizuresNeurologistsIncrease in migraine diagnoses and guideline-concordant treatment in veterans, 2004–2012
Altalib H, Fenton B, Sico J, Goulet J, Bathulapalli H, Mohammad A, Kulas J, Driscoll M, Dziura J, Mattocks K, Kerns R, Brandt C, Haskell S. Increase in migraine diagnoses and guideline-concordant treatment in veterans, 2004–2012. Cephalalgia 2016, 37: 3-10. PMID: 26950804, DOI: 10.1177/0333102416631959.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBurden of migraineMigraine diagnosisVeterans Health Administration electronic health recordsGuideline-concordant treatmentGuideline-concordant careMigraine-specific medicationsICD-9 codesChi-square testHealth care systemNumber of veteransElectronic health recordsTriptan prescriptionMigraine preventionGuideline adherenceMigraine medicationsComorbid conditionsNational health care systemMigraine headacheMedicationsMigraineTime-series studyLogistic regressionCare systemPreventive medicineHealth administrators