Neurology Alert – September 1, 2017
September 1, 2017
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Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Induces Altered Sleep and Impaired Memory
Traumatic brain injury may induce a chronic state of altered sleep with impaired memory consolidation and mood disorders.
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Is Sleep a Clue to a Modifiable Risk Factor for Alzheimer’s Disease?
Evidence is accumulating that disruptions in sleep patterns, particularly slow-wave and REM sleep, alter amyloid-β production and clearance through the cerebrospinal fluid pathways and may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
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P-syn in Nerve Fibers on Skin Biopsy May Help Diagnose Dementia with Lewy Bodies
This study compared 18 subjects diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), 23 with nonsynucleinopathy dementia, and 25 healthy controls and demonstrated that phosphorylated alpha-synuclein was found only in the skin nerve fibers of DLB subjects, helping distinguish this type of dementia from other types.
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Risk Factors for Seizures in Critically Ill Patients Monitored by Continuous EEG
Investigators prospectively analyzed 72-hour continuous electroencephalograms to identify clinical and electroencephalogram risk factors for having seizures and developed a model for “time-dependent” seizure risk. Electrographic seizures occurred in 23% of all patients. The only significant clinical predictors of seizures were presence of coma and prior clinical seizure history.
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EEG-based Metrics After Severe Brain Injury
In this cohort study of 104 patients with disorders of consciousness, the authors demonstrated a strong correlation between EEG-based metrics and clinical diagnosis using quantitative behavioral scales, brain metabolism as measured by PET, and clinical outcomes at one year.
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Optimizing Electromyography in ALS
In the appropriate clinical setting, electromyography studies of multiple, distal muscle groups in three separate spinal regions showing acute and chronic denervation, are pathognomonic for the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.