Browse Neurology Articles by Topic

Intensive Lowering of Blood Pressure Does Not Affect the Progression of Small Vessel Disease

Small vessel disease of the brain accounts for 20% to 25% of all ischemic strokes and is a common cause of vascular cognitive impairments. The major risk factor for small vessel disease is hypertension. Targeting a systolic blood pressure of 120 mmHg to 125 mmHg has been recommended, but this has not been confirmed as effective in preventing stroke or long-term cognitive impairment in these patients.

Pregnancy-Associated Stroke Is Increasing in Frequency

Stroke during pregnancy or the puerperium is a rare event but accounts for a considerable part of maternal morbidity and mortality. The incidence has been increasing in all countries, particularly in wealthy industrialized countries, where pregnancy is being delayed considerably and other cardiovascular risk factors have taken on greater importance.

Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Sclerosis

This retrospective study of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with active relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis or progressive multiple sclerosis showed efficacy in relapse rate reduction and on magnetic resonance imaging and disability outcomes during a median post-transplant follow-up of about two years. There were risks, including death, associated with the treatment.

Diagnostic Utility of CSF Alpha-Synuclein

This observational study investigated whether the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) α-synuclein (α-syn) real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assay, applied to 289 CSF samples, accurately identified patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) caused by probable Lewy body (LB) disease. RT-QuIC identified patients with MCI-LB against cognitively unimpaired controls with 95% sensitivity, 97% specificity, and 96% accuracy and showed 98% specificity in neuropathologic controls, indicating that CSF α-syn RT-QuIC is a robust biomarker for prodromal dementia with Lewy bodies.

Surgical Approaches to Decompression in Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis

A multicenter, randomized, noninferiority trial of people with symptomatic lumbar stenosis and single-level spondylolisthesis who were refractory to conservative treatment found no significant difference between outcomes in those who underwent decompression surgery with instrumented fusion vs. decompression surgery without fusion.

COVID-19 Vaccine mRNA Injection (Comirnaty)

Comirnaty is the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive full FDA approval.

Functional Cognitive Disorder: An Important Condition to Recognize

Functional cognitive disorder (FCD) can describe cognitive difficulties that are present where there is no biologic cause, but a lack of consensus in diagnostic criteria limits its use in clinical practice and research. The authors proposed an operational definition for FCD as the cognitive phenotype of functional neurological disorder.

Vitamin and Mineral Supplements for Cardiovascular Disease

A meta-analysis of systematic reviews and randomized, controlled trials to analyze the role of commonly used dietary supplements for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease suggests no significant effect on cardiovascular outcomes or all-cause mortality, although some B vitamins appear to reduce stroke incidence, and B3 appears to increase all-cause mortality.

Fermented Foods Help the Immune System, Alleviate Inflammation

A diet rich in fermented foods from dairy and other sources reduced 19 inflammatory markers compared with a high-fiber diet.

Asymptomatic Transmission of COVID-19 in Households

Efforts to control secondary transmission should be given to households and those contact groups where any case of secondary transmission has been identified.