Clinical outcome of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis among Hong Kong Chinese

PosterBACKGROUND: Many relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients develop irreversible progressive neurological disability. Reported clinical outcome varied. We aimed to study clinical outcome of Chinese RRMS patients. METHODS: Only RRMS patients …published_or_final_versio

Intracerebral haemorrhage complicating anticoagulant therapy among Hong Kong Chinese

PosterBACKGROUND: Anticoagulation is effective to prevent cardioembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and prosthetic heart valves, but carries risk of potentially life-threatening intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). The ideal international normalised ratio (INR) for Chinese patients on warfarin treatment is uncertain. We aimed to study the clinical and radiological characteristics of Chinese patients who developed acute ICH while on warfarin …published_or_final_versio

Central nervous system inflammatory demyelinating disorders in Hong Kong Chinese

Poster PresentationBACKGROUND: Classical multiple sclerosis (CMS) must be differentiated from neuromyelitis optica (NMO) as treatments are different. Serum aquaporin-4 autoantibodies (AQP4 Ab) are specific for NMO spectrum disorders (NMOSD). We aimed to study the diagnoses of CNS inflammatory demyelinating disorder (IDD) patients presenting to a hospital over 29 years. METHODS: Chinese patients presenting with CNS IDD to our hospital from 1981 to 2009 were studied. Patients referred from other centres were excluded. Since 2008, patients had yearly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain and cord for 3 years even without relap…published_or_final_versio

Myasthenic crisis in patients with generalised myasthenia gravis

INTRODUCTION: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an important autoimmune disease causing generalised weakness and even mortality, which is amenable to immunotherapies. Myasthenic crisis (MC) is the most serious presentation of MG typically requiring ventilator support under the care of intensive care unit. We studied factors which predict development of MC in generalised MG (gMG) patients and patients’ serum cytokine levels as potential biomarkers for MG exacerbation and crisis ...published_or_final_versio

Depression in multicultural Australia: Policies, research and services

BACKGROUND: Depression is one of the leading causes of disability in Australia. The cultural and linguistic diversity of the Australian population poses a significant challenge to health policy development, service provision, professional education, and research. The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which the fact of cultural and linguistic diversity has influenced the formulation of mental health policy, the conduct of mental health research and the development of mental health services for people with depression from ethnic minority communities. METHODS: The methods used for the different components of the study included surveys and document-based content and thematic analyses. RESULTS: Policy is comprehensive but its translation into programs is inadequate. Across Australia, there were few specific programs on depression in ethnic minority communities and they are confronted with a variety of implementation difficulties. The scope and scale of research on depression in Ethnic minority communities is extremely limited. CONCLUSION: A key problem is that the research that is necessary to provide evidence for policy and service delivery is lacking. If depression in Ethnic minority communities is to be addressed effectively the gaps between policy intentions and policy implementation, and between information needs for policies and practice and the actual research that is being done, have to be narrowed

Aspirin failure in noncardioembolic ischemic stroke: a retrospective cohort study on its incidence, choice of antiplatelet treatment and clinical outcome

The 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN 2010), Toronto, Canada, 10–17 April 2010

Guillain-Barre syndrome associated with acute hepatitis E infection

Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is a neurological emergency that warrants prompt diagnosis and treatment. Occasionally, the clinical, laboratory and electrophysiological features are neither typical nor diagnostic. It requires a high index of suspicion and clinical judgement for early diagnosis and commencement of treatment in those scenarios. Some pathogens are potential triggers of this serious neurological disease, including: Campylobacter jejuni, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and cytomegalovirus. Although uncommon, hepatotrophic viruses (hepatitis A, B and C) are increasingly recognized to be triggering microbes. Here, we report a patient with unusual GBS triggered by an atypical microbe, hepatitis E virus, in a Chinese patient, via a common route of transmission in this locality.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Viral encephalitis in Hong Kong: a hospital-based study

Session M4 Infections/AIDS/Prion Disease: P03.255This journal supplement is 2012 AAN Meeting AbstractsOBJECTIVE: To study the clinical, laboratory & radiological characteristics of viral encephalitis in Hong Kong (HK), especially focusing on poor ...link_to_OA_fulltextThe 64th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN 2012), San Diego, CA., 21-28 April 2012. In Neurology, 2012, v. 78 meeting abstracts 1, p. abstract no. P03.25