American Academy of Neurology 2009

The AAN 2009 Annual Meeting provides an overview of recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of various neurological disorders, ranging from dementia to sleep disorders. ConsultantLive will capture the highlights of the meeting with reports on key presentations and interviews with the leading experts in education and research.

— Julie Bowen, editor of Consultant

 

American Academy of Neurology 2009

Survival in ALS Plus FTD Influenced by Timing of Symptom Onset
May 1, 2009

What is the prognosis for patients with frontotemporal dementia and motor neuron disease? A new study suggests the answer depends not on which occurs first, but whether cognitive and motor symptoms develop simultaneously.

Improved Acute Ischemic Stroke Outcomes With tPA
May 1, 2009

An analysis of 1274 patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) admitted to a single Colorado medical center over a 2-year period found that application of any acute stroke treatment strategy improved the patients’ NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score.

Orthostatic Hypotension Increases the Risk of Alzheimer Disease
May 1, 2009

Alzheimer disease (AD) is more than twice as likely to develop in elderly persons with orthostatic hypotension (OH) as in those without OH, according to a new study presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Chronic Migraine Patients Also Burdened With Higher Medical Costs
April 30, 2009

The total direct and indirect costs for treating patients with chronic migraines (CM) are 2.6 times higher than costs associated with episodic migraine (EM). Containing those costs through better management of the illness should be a priority, according to migraine researchers who led a nationwide study comparing the costs of CM and EM as part of the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) Study.

Adding Corticosteroid to MS Regimen May Reduce Disease Activity
April 30, 2009

The addition of methylprednisolone to interferon ß (IFN-ß) therapy may reduce disease activity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) to a greater degree than treatment with IFN-ß alone. “These results indicate that these 2 drugs may have a synergy when taken together and provide a more beneficial effect on the disease activity,” said study author Mads Ravnborg, MD, of the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Research Center at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark.

Weight Loss Lowers Intracranial Hypertension, Controlled Study Shows
April 30, 2009

Losing weight can significantly reduce intracranial pressure and the complications it causes, including headache and optic nerve anomalies.

Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: Options for Treatment
April 30, 2009

New treatment options for pain caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. While oral medications from 2 different drug classes appear effective, injection of botulinum toxin does not.

Essential Tremor Increases Risk of Dementia
April 29, 2009

Elderly persons with essential tremor (ET) are almost twice as likely to have dementia as those without ET, according to a new study from Elan Louis, MD, professor of neurology, and colleagues at Columbia University in New York. “There has been a sense that there are cognitive abnormalities in essential tremor, and patients frequently complain of memory problems, but the question is whether we are looking at something greater, namely dementia,” he said.

Are Primary Stroke Centers Living Up to Potential?
April 29, 2009

Thirteen years have passed since intravenous tissue plasminogen activator was approved for treating patients with acute ischemic stroke, but some experts think hospitals—even those designated as primary stroke centers—have been slow to implement the strategy.

Natalizumab for MS May Reactivate Herpes Viruses
April 29, 2009

Multiple sclerosis patients treated with natalizumab risk reactivation of latent herpes virus infections.

Large Mayo Clinic Study Finds Sleep Disorders Common in the Elderly
April 29, 2009

Sleep disorders are common in persons older than 70 years, according to a large community-based study of age-related diseases and cognitive functioning. The most common disorder, sleep-related leg cramps, occurred in 32% of the study participants, according to investigator Jennifer Molano, MD, a behavioral neurology fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

New Guidelines Issued for Treatment of Epilepsy in Pregnant Women
April 28, 2009

Valproate should be avoided in women with epilepsy who are pregnant, according to new guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Epilepsy Society.

Study Finds Parkinson Disease in the United States More Common in White Men
April 28, 2009

In the Unites States, Parkinson disease is more common in white men than in persons in other ethnic groups, and most patients with the disease live in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, according to the results of an epidemiological study.

Researchers Identify Potential Pharmacogenetic Biomarker for MS
April 28, 2009

Researchers have identified 2 gene variations that are resistant to interferon ß therapy. This finding could lead to a biomarker for determining when IFN-ß is appropriate for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Obesity Linked to Prevalence of Migraine in Adults
April 27, 2009

Prevalence of migraine is higher in men and women who have total body obesity (TBO) or abdominal obesity (Abd-O), according to the results of a study by Lee B. Peterlin, DO, assistant professor in the Department of Neurology, and colleagues at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Hyperglycemia Predicts Adverse Outcomes in Patients With Intracerebral Hemorrhage
April 23, 2009

Several poster presentations this week confirm that hyperglycemia is a risk factor for poor outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).