Neurology Alert – June 1, 2015
June 1, 2015
View Issues
-
REM Behavior Disorder — A Unique Window into the Mysteries of Neurodegenerative Disease
REM behavior disorder may precede α-synucleinopathies by decades and may be a biomarker of future disease.
-
Linking Traumatic Brain Injury and Parkinson’s Disease: The Evidence Builds
A retrospective study based on an administrative database compared more than 50,000 admissions with traumatic brain injury (TBI) with more than 100,000 admissions for other traumatic injury, and found that TBI in individuals older than 55 years of age led to a 44% increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in the ensuing 5-7 years.
-
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
In several randomized, sham-controlled trials, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation was shown to be effective in reducing the motor manifestations of Parkinson’s disease, with minimal side effects.
-
Non-Ischemic Forearm Exercise Testing for McArdle’s Disease
Traditionally, the ischemic forearm exercise test has been used to help in the diagnosis of glycogen storage diseases of muscle, but this test is fraught with dangerous complications. A non-ischemic forearm test has been proven to be highly sensitive and specific, with minimal side effects, and should replace the traditional test.
-
Cognitive Function in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
The cognitive dysfunction profile in CJD impairs executive function, expressive speech, and parietal function more than memory functions.
-
Natriuretic Peptide Measurements May Help Diagnose Cardioembolic Stroke
The accurate diagnosis of cardioembolic stroke is extremely important since secondary prevention for this disorder, with antithrombotic therapy, is different than for other patients who might be treated with antiplatelet therapy. -
Cryptogenic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation
In large prospective databases of ischemic stroke, cryptogenic stroke occurs in as many as 30% of all ischemic stroke patients.