Objective. Current generation smartphones' video camera technologies enable photoplethysmographic (PPG) acquisition and heart rate (HR) measurement. The study objective was to develop an Android application and compare HRs derived from a Motorola Droid to electrocardiograph (ECG) and Nonin 9560BT pulse oximeter readings during various movement-free tasks.Materials and Methods. HRs were collected simultaneously from 14 subjects, ages 20 to 58, healthy or with clinical conditions, using the 3 devices during 5-minute periods while at rest, reading aloud under observation, and playing a video game. Correlation between the 3 devices was determined, and Bland-Altman plots for all possible pairs of devices across all conditions assessed agreement.Results. Across conditions, all device pairs showed high correlations. Bland-Altman plots further revealed the Droid as a valid measure for HR acquisition. Across all conditions, the Droid compared to ECG, 95% of the data points (differences between devices) fell within the limits of agreement.Conclusion. The Android application provides valid HRs at varying levels of movement free mental/perceptual motor exertion. Lack of electrode patches or wireless sensor telemetric straps make it advantageous for use in mobile-cell-phone-delivered health promotion and wellness programs. Further validation is needed to determine its applicability while engaging in physical movement-related activities.

Introduction: Vitamin D (VitD) has been shown to impact neurodevelopment. Studies have shown that higher 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations (the indicator of vitD status) may be associated with better neurodevelopmental outcomes, although current data are conflicting. This study examined the relationship between total circulating 25(OH)D concentrations and neurodevelopmental outcomes in 3–5-year-old (3–5 yo) children. Methods: In this study, pregnant women were randomized to receive 400 (standard dose), 2000, or 4000 IU vitD₃/day. Offspring then underwent the Brigance Screen at 3–5 yo. The 25(OH)D concentration was measured at birth and 3–5 yo. Relationships between Brigance scores and 25(OH)D and Brigance scores and vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) genotype were examined. Results: Higher 25(OH)D at the time of testing was associated with better overall performance on neurodevelopmental testing as measured by the Brigance quotient (B = 0.208, p = 0.049). Scores were then broken down into sub-scores. Children born to mothers in the 2000 IU/day group scored higher on the Brigance language component of the assessment versus the standard dose group (B = 4.667, p = 0.044). The group of children who had the Gc1f-1s or Gc1f-2 genotypes scored higher on the Brigance academic component (B = 9.993, p < 0.001) and lower on the Brigance language component versus the 1f1f genotype (B = −9.313, p < 0.001). Children with the Gc1s-1s, Gc1s-2, or Gc2-2 genotypes also scored lower than the Gc1f-1f genotype (B = −6.757, p = 0.003). Conclusion: These results suggest that higher 25(OH)D concentrations early in life and higher doses of maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy may have a positive association with neurodevelopmental outcomes. This study also suggests that the VDBP genotype is associated with neurodevelopment and differentially affects various fields of neurodevelopment.

Background. Everyday discrimination scale scores are associated with increased ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and reduced nocturnal dipping, and the en

Burnout is a context-dependent, global issue among physicians in the medical field who often face job-related stressors, high workloads, and limited or lack of social support or autonomy. Within medicine, neurology is a specialty with high levels of burnout and low levels of work-life satisfaction. We, therefore, conducted this study to evaluate burnout rates among neurologists globally and identify the tools used to evaluate it. Among the 14 articles analyzed, the mean burnout prevalence rate among neurologists ranged from 18.1% to 94% (N = 8,735) across 6 countries (the United States, China, Philippines, Spain, Greece, and Brazil). Assessment of burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) revealed that almost two-thirds (65.9%) of neurologists (N = 7,816) report experiencing burnout. Ten studies (71.4%) assessed burnout by using the MBI; the other 4 studies used the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, a survey questionnaire generated by the American Academy of Neurology Stroke Practice Resources Workgroup, the Mini-Z survey, and a single question from the Physician Work Life Study. Among the 5 studies that used the same tool for measuring burnout (22-item MBI) and burnout criteria cutoff (emotional exhaustion [EE] ≥ 27 and/or depersonalization (DP) ≥ 10 subscale), the mean burnout rate ranged from 45% to 67% (p < 0.05, N = 7,816) across 3 countries (China, the United States, and Brazil). Of the studies that used the MBI and reported the 3 subscales of EE, DP, and personal accomplishment (PA), only the mean EE score was statistically different between studies. There were no significant differences detected in burnout rates among residents, among attending physicians, or residents compared with attendings. This meta-analysis of burnout among practicing neurologists reveals that available published data span different levels of training, different sample sizes, and different survey tools with different cutoffs used for burnout within the same tool. Although burnout rates among neurologists were found to differ by country, it is evident from this systematic review that a great deal of neurology physicians are experiencing burnout across the globe. This systematic review may inform future approaches to reduce burnout among neurologists.