Browse Neurology Alert Articles by Topic

Does Rivastigmine Prevent Falls in Parkinson’s Disease?

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II clinical trial of oral rivastigmine in 130 patients with moderate-stage Parkinson’s disease demonstrated improved gait stability as measured by accelerometry, and suggested an association with lower rate of falls.

Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring: Does it Change the Outcome from Spinal Surgery?

In non-complex spine surgeries (spinal decompression and spinal fusion), intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring improved clinical outcomes and reduced the risk of neurological complications by nearly one-half (49%).

Sonographic Diagnosis of Inclusion Body Myositis

Inclusion body myositis has remained a clinical diagnosis assisted by a muscle biopsy, but now muscle ultrasound and biomarker identification may aid diagnosis.

Optimal Antiplatelet Therapy for Secondary Prevention of Ischemic Stroke

This study strongly suggests that compared with maintaining patients on aspirin alone, switching to a different antiplatelet agent, or adding a second antiplatelet agent to aspirin may be better in preventing subsequent vascular events in patients who experienced a new ischemic stroke while taking aspirin.

Treatment of AVM-related Epilepsy

There is insufficient evidence to recommend invasive AVM management to reduce epileptic seizure frequency, and this will have to be evaluated in a long-term randomized, controlled clinical trial.

ICH May Clinically Mimic TIA

In a large retrospective review of 2137 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, 34 had transient symptoms that could have been misclassified as “transient ischemic attack” if brain imaging had not been performed.

Idiopathic Phrenic Neuropathy

Isolated phrenic neuropathy is a rare syndrome, often associated with a surgical procedure and diabetes mellitus, and has no proven, effective therapy other than respiratory support.

Prevalence and Progression of Epilepsy in Adults with Mitochondrial Disease

In a prospective study of 182 consecutive patients at a specialized mitochondrial clinic in the United Kingdom, followed for more than 7 years, recording the initial prevalence of epilepsy, and subsequently tracking occurrences of new seizure activity, status epilepticus, stroke-like episodes, and death during the follow-up period, epilepsy was found to be a common feature of these disorders.

Pregnancy Outcomes in Patients with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders

Based on a retrospective analysis of an international cohort of women with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders who had at least one pregnancy, the authors report a higher risk for miscarriage and preeclampsia in patients who were diagnosed before pregnancy.

Inflammatory Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy: Can We Avoid the Biopsy?

Refinement of the imaging criteria for cerebral amyloid angiopathy-related inflammation may increase sensitivity and specificity enough to forgo brain biopsy.