System Effects of Mental Health Agency Expenditures and Mental Health Parity Legislation at the State Level.

The escalating mental health crisis in the USA has left over fifty percent of adults with a mental illness without mental health services. Federal mental health parity legislation addresses financial barriers to mental healthcare by requiring that insurance coverage for mental health services is equivalent to coverage for other medical services. Using data from the top ten and bottom ten states ranked by per capita State Mental Health Agency expenditures, this paper examines the impact of parity implementation and enforcement on three system-level access to care measures: (1) mental health workforce availability, (2) percent of state population living in a mental health shortage area, and (3) percent of total health expenditure spent on mental health by state agencies.

Intraventricular dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) induces hydrocephalus in a dose-dependent pattern.

Introduction: Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a widely utilized solvent in the medical industry, has been associated with various adverse effects, even at low concentrations, including damage to mitochondrial integrity, altered membrane potentials, caspase activation, and apoptosis. Notably, therapeutic molecules for central nervous system treatments, such as embolic agents or some chemotherapy drugs that are dissolved in DMSO, have been associated with hydrocephalus as a secondary complication. Our study investigated the potential adverse effects of DMSO on the brain, specifically focusing on the development of hydrocephalus and the effect on astrocytes.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated catheters decrease choroid plexus adhesion and improve flow/pressure performance in an in vitro model of hydrocephalus.

Purpose: Proximal catheter obstruction is the leading cause of ventricular shunt failure in pediatric patients. Our aim is to evaluate various types of shunt catheters to assess in vitro cellular adhesion and obstruction.

Methods: Four catheter types were tested: (1) antibiotic and impregnated, (2) barium-stripe polyvinylpyrrolidone coated (PVP), (3) barium-stripe, and (4) barium-impregnated.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Coated Catheters Decrease Astrocyte Adhesion and Improve Flow/Pressure Performance in an Invitro Model of Hydrocephalus.

The leading cause of ventricular shunt failure in pediatric patients is proximal catheter occlusion. Here, we evaluate various types of shunt catheters to assess in vitro cellular adhesion and obstruction. The following four types of catheters were tested: (1) antibiotic- and barium-impregnated, (2) polyvinylpyrrolidone, (3) barium stripe, and (4) barium impregnated.