Neurology Alert – May 1, 2017
May 1, 2017
View Issues
-
Blood-brain Barrier Breakdown in RCVS
In this single-center, prospective trial, patients with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction were found to have evidence of blood-brain barrier breakdown on MRI.
-
Rituximab for Myasthenia Gravis
In uncontrolled, observational case series, rituximab treatment for myasthenia gravis appears to be effective and safe, but more studies are needed for confirmation.
-
Fludrocortisone for Orthostatic Hypotension Associated With Parkinson’s Disease
This double-center, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial compared the efficacy of pyridostigmine bromide vs. fludrocortisone and demonstrated that pyridostigmine bromide was not as effective as fludrocortisone. The authors also provided evidence for the efficacy of fludrocortisone in treating neurogenic orthostatic hypotension.
-
Bright-light Therapy for Daytime Sleepiness in Parkinson’s Disease Patients
Light therapy has been shown to be beneficial in treating excessive daytime sleepiness in Parkinson’s disease patients and also may improve sleep quality.
-
Outcomes After Surgical Treatment of Nonlesional Neocortical Epilepsy
In this study of 109 consecutive patients with medically refractory neocortical epilepsy without MRI-identifiable lesions who underwent focal resection at a single hospital from 1995 to 2005, almost 60% of patients achieved long-term seizure freedom, with anti-epileptic drugs being withdrawn successfully in about a third of these patients.
-
A Novel Target for Migraine Prevention Through Modulation of Stress Receptors
Kappa opioid receptors (KORs) modulate response to stress, a common migraine trigger, so KOR blockade may be a novel preventive treatment for migraine as well as other stress-related diseases.