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What Is the Right Dose of Immunoglobulin to Treat CIDP?

In this comparative trial of different doses of intravenous immunoglobulin treatment for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, higher doses appeared to result in a higher percentage of patients who improved. However, there was no control group and there were many confounding issues that make it difficult to reach a definitive conclusion around optimal dosing.

Intensive Blood Pressure Control May Augment Cerebral Blood Flow

Patients with hypertension were randomized to intensive vs. standard blood pressure control and underwent baseline and follow-up cerebral perfusion imaging. Intensive blood pressure treatment was associated with improved cerebral perfusion over time.

Polygenic Associations of Chronic Axonal Polyneuropathy

In most cases of chronic axonal polyneuropathy, no specific cause is found. Using a polygenic risk score for potential risk factors, based on whole genome sequencing, these investigators identified multiple significant risk factors, including diabetes, body mass index, alcohol intake, and vitamin B12 level.

Use of Serum Biomarkers in Determining Prognosis After Cardiac Arrest

Used in conjunction with the clinical exam and brain imaging, serum biomarkers, such as neurofilament light, can help refine the prognostication for patients who have experienced severe anoxic/ischemic brain injury after cardiac arrest.

Neurodegeneration Biomarkers in Patients with Subjective Cognitive Complaints

In individuals with subjective cognitive decline, multiple biomarkers of neurodegeneration were found to add predictive values beyond amyloid and tau biomarkers; however, the various neurodegeneration biomarkers were not equivalent and should not be used interchangeably.

Antibody Profile in Refractory Myasthenia Gravis

In retrospective studies of patients with generalized myasthenia gravis, those who are refractory to multiple treatments have disease onset at an earlier age, are more likely to have thymic pathology, and are more likely to be double-seronegative (neither acetylcholine receptor nor muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase antibodies).

Outcomes of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy Treated with IL-7

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a severe demyelinating disease of the central nervous system caused by the reactivation of the JC virus. The authors of this study conducted a multi-centered retrospective observational study on 64 patients with PML who were treated with recombinant human IL-7 (RhIL-7). Overall, the one-year all-cause survival following start of RhIL-7 was 55% and similar among human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, hematological malignancies, and primary immunodeficiencies.

Does Amantadine Treatment Reduce Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesias?

This retrospective cohort study compared the effect of amantadine on levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) onset with use of anticholinergics and monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The authors concluded that early treatment with amantadine may delay LID onset more than treatment with other symptomatic agents.

Cognitive Outcomes After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) may lead to adverse cognitive and neuropsychiatric outcomes. The pathways that lead to adverse cognitive outcomes remain to be scientifically elucidated. A prospective cohort study of 656 participants enrolled in the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in TBI (TRACK-TBI) study found that at one year, 13.5% of participants with mTBI had poor cognitive outcome compared to 4.5% of controls, highlighting the need for better understanding of the mechanisms leading to poor cognitive and functional outcomes after mTBIs and interventions to optimize cognitive recovery.

It Is Uncertain if Men and Women Present with Different Symptoms at the Onset of Ischemic Stroke

There have been anecdotal reports and small case series that have suggested women may present with symptoms that are different from men at the onset of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attacks. These investigators conducted a systematic review to determine if there was a difference in presenting symptoms between men and women.