Neurology Alert
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Polyradiculoneuropathy from Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have become an important part of the armamentarium for the medical treatment of cancers such as melanoma and lung carcinomas. A number of immune-mediated neurological complications have been identified during the use of these agents, including polyradiculoneuropathy.
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Cognitive Deficits in Patients Recovering from COVID-19
Hospitalized COVID-19 patients with cognitive complaints demonstrate reduced attention and executive dysfunction on formal cognitive testing consistent with the same frequency and pattern of cognitive changes associated with critical illness.
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Phospho-Tau217 Blood Biomarker May Help to Diagnose Early Alzheimer’s Disease
Serum phospho-tau217, a biomarker of tau protein that can be detected in the blood, is increased in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease and may have clinical utility for the early detection of brain pathology.
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Stem Cell Transplantation for MS Treatment
In this small study of the effect of mesenchymal stem cell treatment, both intravenous and intrathecal, in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis, the treatment was shown to be safe, and there was a trend showing some benefit in slowing disease progression, compared to the sham group. A larger randomized controlled trial is needed to confirm these early findings.
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Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension Syndrome
A systematic review of spontaneous intracranial hypotension demonstrates heterogeneity in clinical and radiographic presentations. Diagnostic studies, such as brain imaging and lumbar puncture, may be unrevealing, and the clinician may have to rely on symptom patterns alone to make a diagnosis.
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Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol in Treatment of Focal Seizures Associated with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
Cannabidiol used as an add-on therapy for intractable focal seizures in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex was efficacious. Cannabidiol also had an acceptable adverse event profile, but frequently induced transient elevation of liver enzymes.
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Gluten/Celiac Disease Neuropathy
Gluten neuropathy should be suspected in any patient who presents with a neuropathy and has a history of gastrointestinal disease. The diagnosis is made using blood serology plus intestinal mucosal biopsy.
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Long-Term Treatment of Hereditary Amyloid Neuropathy with Patisiran
Hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis with polyneuropathy is effectively treated by patisiran, a lipid nanoparticle ribonucleic acid interference that binds to transthyretin (TTR) messenger RNA and inhibits TTR production in the liver, resulting in reduction of the serum TTR concentration. Treatment effect has been sustained during a five-year open-label extension study.
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Clinical and Genetic Characterizations to Diagnose Sarcoglycanopathies
Sarcoglycanopathies, caused by various genetic mutations, may cause limb-girdle forms of muscular dystrophy early in life. Although there are no specific treatments for these disorders at this time, the clinical and genetic characterizations will assist in more precise diagnosis that will be critical to develop new molecular-based therapies.
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Prednisone vs. Placebo in Short-Term Prevention of Episodic Cluster Headaches
Prednisone, given at 100 mg for five days and then tapering by 20 mg every three days, is a safe and effective short-term prevention for episodic cluster headaches while waiting for longer-acting preventive agents to be initiated.