Browse Neurology Alert Articles by Topic

How Helpful Is Bevacizumab in Recurrent Glioblastoma?

In a randomized Phase III trial, the addition of bevacizumab to lomustine did not improve overall survival in patients with recurrent glioblastoma compared to lomustine alone.

Neurologic Complications of Checkpoint Inhibitors

Anti-programmed death 1 antibodies (checkpoint inhibitors) have become a mainstay in the treatment of many types of cancers, and now are known to cause frequent neuromuscular adverse effects that can cause severe disability or death if not recognized or treated promptly.

Systemic Immune Activation and the Course of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Activation of the immune system has been recognized in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and immune activation may influence the course of the disease and the speed of progression.

Optimizing Brain Oxygen in Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

In a Phase II, single-blind, randomized, multicenter trial, the use of intraparenchymal brain tissue oxygenation monitoring reduced brain tissue hypoxia in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

MRI-guided FUS Thalamotomy for Medically Refractory Parkinson’s Tremor

This study comparing 20 individuals who received MRI-guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy with seven individuals who received sham treatment showed improvements in Parkinson’s disease tremor. Side effects were similar to prior studies of this technology for essential tremor, with ataxia and limb/orofacial paresthesias being most common.

Neurologic Consequences of Zika Virus Infection

Neurologic sequelae of Zika virus infections include Guillain-Barré syndrome, encephalitis, transverse myelitis, and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

Treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

In a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study of infants with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1, nusinersen treatment led to significant improvement in motor milestones and survival without significant adverse reactions. A safety trial of gene therapy for SMA type 1 demonstrated prolonged ventilator-free survival and improved motor milestones with minimal side effects.

Migraine With Aura, Stroke Risk, and Biomarkers

A longitudinal cohort study of twins found no increased stroke risk related to migraine overall, but there was a modestly increased risk for stroke related to migraine with aura. Familial factors and vascular biomarkers associated with migraine with aura may explain its correlation with vascular disease.

Diabetes, HbA1c, and Neuropathy

The hallmark of neuropathy associated with type 2 diabetes is reduction of sensory nerve action potential amplitude and not a reduction in conduction velocity, supporting the hypothesis that hyperglycemia causes axonal dysfunction and injury.

Noninvasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation for Indomethacin-Sensitive Headaches

Trigeminal autonomic cephalgias are notoriously difficult to treat and may be responsive to noninvasive vagus nerve stimulation.