Neurology Alert – August 1, 2006
August 1, 2006
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Pharmacology Watch
Do long-acting beta agonist inhalers increase the severity of asthma? Yes, according to the results from a large meta-analysis recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. -
Clinical Briefs in Primary Care Supplement
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Pregnancy and Ischemic Stroke: Is Thrombolysis an Option?
Pregnancy is a prothrombotic state which is rarely associated with ischemic arterial stroke. However, when a stroke occurs, especially in later pregnancy, the options for therapy may be limited. -
Do Sleeping Pills Work?
When patients complain that they have difficulty getting to sleep or returning to sleep when they awaken during the night, the usual response is a prescription for a sleep aide. -
The Clinical Spectrum of Mitochondrial POLG Mutations
The clinical heterogeneity of most mitochondrial disorders presents a diagnostic challenge to clinicians and geneticists. -
Oral Anticoagulation for Stroke Prevention in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
Warfarin remains superior to antiplatelet agents for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. -
Idiopathic HyperCKemia
Persistent elevation of serum CK without symptoms should be aggressively investigated, including a muscle biopsy, since half will have HyperCKemia, and half will have a specific pathology. -
Can Non-Invasive Imaging Differentiate Benign from Malignant Brain Tumors?
When biopsy of a brain tumor is not possible due to high surgical risk, perfusion MRI can help distinguish tumor types with high sensitivity and specificity. -
β-Amyloid Plaque Load Correlates with Brain Atrophy in Alzheimer's Disease
This study on patients with a diagnosis of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease demonstrated a positive correlation of brain β-amyloid load using 11C-PIB positron emission tomography with the rate of brain atrophy using serial volumetric MRI. -
How Long is the Incubation Period for Prion Diseases?
The incubation period for the prion disease Kuru can be very long in some cases and suggests that the risk for development of new cases of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease will continue for quite some time.