Browsing by Author "Calvo, Nicholas E."

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    Atypical presentation of Lyme neuroborreliosis related meningitis and radiculitis
    Dabiri, Iman; Calvo, Nicholas E.; Nauman, Feryal; Pahlavanzadeh, Mahsa; Burakgazi, Ahmet Z. (PAGEPress, 2019-10-11)
    Lyme disease related central and peripheral nervous system manifestations can occur in isolation or together. Radiculitis or inflammation of the nerve root can be seen 3-5% of the time in acute neuroborreliosis affecting the PNS with a typical presentation and meningitis affecting the CNS is usually seen 1% of the time. The appropriate diagnosis and management of neuroborelliosis can be challenging and require meticulous medical approaches. Herein we present a unique case of Lyme disease with neurologic manifestations including both radiculitis and meningitis due to its atypical and challenging clinical presentation and management with updated literature review.
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    Case report: An EEG captured case of migralepsy/migraine aura-triggered seizures
    Hareem, Anam; Pahlavanzadeh, Mahsa; Calvo, Nicholas E.; Monjazeb, Sanaz; Anyanwu, Chinekwu (Frontiers, 2022-08-11)
    Introduction: Migraine and epilepsy are common chronic neurological disorders presenting with paroxysmal attacks of transient cerebral dysfunction, followed by subsequent return to baseline between episodes. The term “migralepsy” has been proposed to define migraine-triggered epileptic seizures classified by the ICHD-III as a complication of migraine with an aura. Case: A 55-year-old man with a 30-year history of migraine without aura presented with a new onset left parietal pain accompanied by visual disturbances occurring up to 20 times per day. His visual distortions included kaleidoscopic vision, flashes of shadows, and a right superior quadrantanopia lasting 20 min. He described discrete 2-min episodes of scintillating scotomas in his right visual field. Ictal EEG demonstrated a left occipital onset focal aware seizure with his clinical symptoms. The patient was started on valproic Acid and has remained asymptomatic. Discussion: The diagnostic criteria as set out by the ICHD-III for migralepsy and other syndromes with migrainous and ictal features remain confusing for practitioners as there is much overlap in clinical manifestations of these entities. EEG should be obtained when ictal features are noted among patients presenting with headache.
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    Diagnosis of orthostatic tremor using smartphone accelerometry
    Calvo, Nicholas E.; Ferrara, Joseph M. (2021-11-22)
    Background Primary orthostatic tremor (OT) is a rare movement disorder characterized by a 13–18 Hz leg tremor, which arises when standing and is relieved by walking/sitting. Those affected generally do not fall, but experience fear of falling, lessened by ambulation. Because of its low amplitude, the tremor is not readily visible, and diagnosis requires confirmation with surface electromyography (sEMG). Recently, applications using the accelerometer feature of smartphones have been used to detect and quantify tremors, including OT, though the accuracy of smartphone accelerometry (SPA) in diagnosing OT is unknown. Methods We completed SPA in consecutive adults (18+ years), who presented to our neurology clinic with either subjective leg shakiness upon standing or unsteadiness when standing that lessened with ambulation, which comprised 59 of 2578 patients. We assessed tremor using the StudyMyTremor application on an iPhone 6 s adhered with tape to the patient’s tibialis anterior. Surface electromyography was completed on the same muscle. The primary outcome of this study was to determine SPA’s sensitivity and specificity in detecting OT compared with surface electromyography. Results Fifty-nine patients with the following diagnoses were included: OT (6), Parkinson’s disease, Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, orthostatic hypotension, essential tremor, spinal cerebellar ataxia, sensory ataxia and functional movement disorder. Smartphone accelerometry detected a 13–18 Hz tremor in 5 of 6 patients diagnosed with OT by sEMG with no false positives in other conditions, yielding a sensitivity of 83%, specificity Conclusions Though a larger sample size is desirable, preliminary data suggest that smartphone accelerometry is an alternative to surface electromyography in diagnosing OT.