Background and objectives: Rapid advances in diagnostics and treatments are shifting child neurology practice, but child neurology training requirements have been much slower to change. Previous literature confirms strong support for modernization, but no formal consensus exists regarding maintaining or changing training. We aimed to develop a holistic consensus regarding the optimal training pathway and requirements using a modified Delphi process.
Methods: The authors invited 48 child neurologists as panelists, intentionally selecting to represent the diverse geography, practice type, subspecialties, and other demographics of child neurologists practicing in the United States. Panelists participated in an anonymized modified Delphi study with 4 rounds evaluating statements regarding current training requirements, core rotation durations, and mandatory subspecialty rotations with the option to agree or disagree. Statements were derived from current Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and American Board of Pediatrics requirements for child neurology training and recent literature. Statements that did not reach a predefined level of consensus (≥75% agreement or disagreement on a 7-point Likert scale) were re-queried or modified for subsequent rounds. Panelists had access to all previous anonymized results and comments. The final modifications were presented in round 4 as a comprehensive training proposal.
Results: Twenty-seven panelists agreed to participate, with most completing all 4 rounds. In round 1, consensus was reached on 45 of 118 (38%) items; round 2, 28 of 87 (32%); round 3, 16 of 25 (64%); and round 4, 1 of 1 (100%). There was consensus regarding the age scope of practice and certain subspecialties that should be required, but no initial consensus regarding time-based requirements. By round 4, consensus emerged for the following rotations-months: neonatal and pediatric intensive care-4, adolescent medicine-0.5, emergency medicine-1.5, inpatient pediatrics-3, outpatient pediatrics-3.5, inpatient child neurology-9.5, outpatient child neurology-6, inpatient adult neurology-3, outpatient adult neurology-2, genetics-2, EEG/neurophysiology-2, neuroimaging-1, child psychiatry-1, and electives-7.5. The consensus schedule consists of 46.5 total months of requirements.
Discussion: This study suggests that, despite diverging views prevalent among child neurologists, a diverse panel can, through a multiround Delphi process, arrive at consensus regarding many core features of the child neurology training structure and certification requirements.
Background and objectives: There is growing evidence that sleep disturbances are associated with cognitive impairment risk, but their association with the incidence of motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR)-a predementia syndrome characterized by slow gait speed and cognitive complaints-is unknown. We aimed to examine the association of sleep disturbances, overall and specific subtypes, with (1) incident and (2) prevalent MCR in older adults.
Methods: Community-residing adults aged 65 years and older without dementia were recruited from population lists and included in Central Control of Mobility and Aging, a prospective cohort study, in Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY. We included participants with available data for MCR and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). MCR was defined as cognitive complaints reported on standardized questionnaires and slow gait speed as recorded on an electronic treadmill and was adjudicated at baseline and annual follow-up visits. Participants were divided into "good" sleepers (≤5) and "poor" sleepers (>5) based on an established PSQI cut score. Among participants without MCR at baseline, Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for (1) age, sex, and education and (2) further for comorbidity index, Geriatric Depression Scale score, and global cognitive score were used to examine the association of baseline sleep disturbances with MCR incidence. Association between poor sleep quality and prevalent MCR at baseline in the overall population was explored using multivariate logistic regression analysis.
Results: 445 participants were included (56.9% women, mean age: 75.9 years [75.3; 76.5]). In MCR-free participants at baseline (n = 403), 36 developed incident MCR over a mean follow-up of 2.9 years. Poor sleepers had a higher risk of incident MCR (HR = 2.7 [1.2; 5.2]) compared with good sleepers, but this association was not significant after adjustment for depressive symptoms (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.6 [0.7-3.4]). Among the 7 PSQI components, only sleep-related daytime dysfunction (excessive sleepiness and lower enthusiasm) showed a significant risk of MCR in fully adjusted models (aHR = 3.3 [1.5-7.4]). Prevalent MCR was not associated with poor sleep quality (OR [95% CI] = 1.1 [0.5-2.3]).
Discussion: Overall poor sleep quality was associated with incident MCR, but not with prevalent MCR. Specifically, older adults with sleep-related daytime dysfunction are at increased risk of developing MCR. Further studies are needed to validate mechanisms of this relationship.