Neurology Alert – March 1, 2004
March 1, 2004
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Biochemical Pathogenesis of Intractable Epilepsy Due to Mesial Temporal Sclerosis
The concept that epilepsy arises from an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory influences in epileptogenic tissue has become fundamental to further investigations of the pathophysiology of this disorder. The primary observation motivating the study of Eid and colleagues is that glutamate levels are elevated in patients with mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS), perhaps the most common cause of medication-resistant epilepsy. -
Disorders of Gait and Balance Classified
Martin and ONeill called attention to and commented upon a revised classification of higher-level gait disorders (HLGD) proposed by Liston and associates. -
Overview of Newer Antiepileptic Drugs for Neuropathic Pain and Migraine
Shared pathophysiologic mechanisms for migraine, neuropathic pain, and epilepsy underscore the notion that antiepileptic drugs (AED) should be standard treatment for the former. Five new AEDs and their use in these nonepileptic painful disorders are summarized. -
Vitamin D Reduces Risk of MS
Munger and colleagues reviewed a database of 187,563 women enrolled in the Nurses Health Study, which longitudinally surveyed participants aged 25-55. There were 173 women with probable or definite multiple sclerosis (MS). Vitamin D intake was determined through the study questionnaire and 4 1-week diet records. -
Are Those White Matter Lesions in Migraine Real?
The possible association of migraine and stroke remains an active area of controversy in clinical neurology. Since migraines predominantly affect young people and the medications used can cause vasoconstriction, assessing the full vascular risk profile of migraine is important from a diagnostic and therapeutic point of view. To date, the literature is incomplete. -
Retrospectoscope: Did FDR Have Polio or Polyneuropathy?
In August 1921, Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) was stricken with poliomyelitis, then also referred to as infantile paralysis. Afterward, he made a courageous, lifetime effort to overcome the ravages of the disease. In time, he helped create a foundation to help other polio victims, and he inspired, as well as directed, the March of Dimes program that eventually funded an effective polio vaccine. -
Quetiapine for Psychosis in Parkinson’s Disease
Visual hallucinations and delusions are common in patients with moderate to advanced Parkinsons disease (PD). Typically fleeting images of people, children, or animals are easily ignored; however, hallucinations often become more intense and frequent, with loss of insight. -
Treatment for McArdle’s Disease
In this simple yet elegant, single-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, 12 patients with McArdles disease were given a sucrose, or artificially sweetened placebo load, prior to aerobic exercise to determine if this might improve exercise tolerance. Average age of the 7 men and 5 women was 37 years, and all had lifelong exercise intolerance, episodic muscle cramps, and myoglobinuria triggered by exercise. -
Clinical Briefs in Primary Care Supplement
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Pharmacology Watch: Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership Releases New Guidelines for Treatment of Bacterial Rhinosinusitis
New guidelines for the treatment of bacterial rhinosinusitis were published in the January supplement of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery by the Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership.