Neurology Alert
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Does Therapeutic Hypothermia Improve Functional Outcomes After Convulsive Status Epilepticus?
In a multicenter trial in France, patients admitted to the ICU from 2011-2015 for convulsive status epilepticus were randomly assigned to receive standard therapy (control group) or hypothermia plus standard therapy (treatment group). The primary outcome measure was an absence of functional impairment at 90 days after seizure onset, as measured by the Glasgow Outcome Scale (score of 5). There was no significant difference in outcomes between the two groups.
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Imaging of Glial Cell Activation in the Brains of Professional Football Players
In this case-controlled study, PET scanning reflective of microglial activation and diffusion-tensor imaging assessing white matter integrity was performed on 14 National Football League players (four current, 10 retired) and compared to 16 matched controls, suggesting significant ongoing localized brain injury and repair along with subtle white matter changes in professional football players.
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Polyneuropathy in the Metabolic Syndrome
The metabolic syndrome, independent of the diagnosis of diabetes, is associated with the development of polyneuropathy.
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U.S. Mortality from Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Declining
Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage continues to be one of the most morbid stroke subtypes with a continuing high mortality. However, in most advanced centers around the world, mortality has been declining.
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Migraine and Stroke: Data Are Accumulating
this study shows a strong association between cardioembolic ischemic stroke and migraine with visual aura, but it does not explain the pathophysiology and mechanism for this association.
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Rituximab Treatment in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders
Based on a meta-analysis and review of rituximab use in the treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders, the authors reported that rituximab was efficacious in reducing relapse rate and disability, but cautioned about potential side effects and adverse events, especially when considering rituximab as first-line therapy.
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How Useful is Amyloid PET Imaging in the Diagnosis of Dementia?
In a prospective, observational study in multiple centers in Italy, amyloid PET imaging was shown to be negative in 35% of patients who met clinical criteria for a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Bull’s-eye Sign in Parsonage-Turner Syndrome
High-resolution MRI of peripheral nerves can help make an accurate diagnosis of the Parsonage-Turner syndrome by revealing a bull’s-eye sign in cross-sectional images of the nerve.
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Electrical Brain Stimulation for Primary Progressive Aphasia
In this pilot study, transcranial direct current stimulation appeared to improve some aspects of verbal object identification and naming in a small number of patients with primary progressive aphasia.
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Zika Virus Infection and Guillain-Barré Syndrome: The Evidence Grows
A recent Zika outbreak in Colombia was associated with a significant increase in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) rates, with laboratory evidence of definite or probable Zika infection in more than half of the GBS cases.