Birmingham VA Medical Center

Neurometabolite abnormalities and associations with epilepsy duration and cognition in patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsies

Abstract Objective This study investigated whether idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGEs) are associated with neuroinflammation by measuring neurometabolite levels and brain temperature using whole‐brain magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging (MRSI). We compared patients with...

Porphyromonas gingivalis Promotes Lipid Droplet–Mediated Microglial Dysfunction

Growing evidence supports a strong association between periodontitis and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), yet the mechanisms linking these conditions remain poorly defined. In neurodegenerative disorders, including AD, microglia are often characterized by increased accumulation of lipid...

Development and pilot implementation of an educational program for concurrent use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucocorticoids in older veterans with rheumatic diseases

Abstract Background Polypharmacy is common among aging Veterans with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). Veterans who concurrently use glucocorticoids (GCs) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have higher risk of adverse events. We created the ScaLable M...

Updated COVID ‐19 Vaccines and Health Outcomes in Patients With Autoimmune Rheumatic Conditions

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the association between COVID-19 vaccination status and COVID-19-related hospital admissions, need for mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and death in people with autoimmune rheumatic conditions. METHODS: We conduct...