Neurology Alert
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MRI of the Brachial and Lumbar Plexus Assists in the Diagnosis of CIDP
MRI of the brachial plexus and/or lumbar plexus may be helpful in making a diagnosis of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculopathy in patients who do not meet the standard criteria. Imaging findings include increased signal intensity, nerve hypertrophy, and nerve contrast enhancement.
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Avoid Surprise Migraine Triggers
The degree of unexpectedness or “surprisal” associated with known migraine triggers is a predictor of headache attacks. Social avoidance behavior is positively correlated with headache disability, pain, and depression, but there is a negative correlation between headache pain endurance and anxiety.
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Alcohol Consumption and Migraine
In this observational, cross-sectional survey performed via an online questionnaire, researchers confirmed that alcohol consumption is a common trigger for migraine, and red wine is the type of alcohol cited as a trigger most frequently.
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REM Behavior Disorder, Dementia, and Parkinson’s Disease
In this well-designed prospective cohort study of patients with REM behavior disorder, the investigators reported that 73.5% of patients developed a neurodegenerative disorder after a 12-year follow-up.
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MRI Investigation of Brain Abnormalities in Friedreich’s Ataxia
Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) is characterized by progressive weakness, sensory loss, ataxia, and dysarthria starting in childhood. The authors of this MRI-based study demonstrated that structural damage is limited to the spinal cord, red nucleus, and cerebellar peduncles in young FRDA patients, but progresses to widespread cerebral damage in adult FRDA patients.
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Vasculitic Neuropathy: Improving Diagnostic Accuracy
SYNOPSIS: Vasculitic neuropathy is characterized by stepwise progression of sensorimotor neuropathy, usually with axonal features on electrodiagnostic studies, and often the presence of antimyeloperoxidase and rheumatoid factor antibodies and cryoglobulins. However, peripheral nerve biopsy is necessary for a definitive diagnosis.
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Witness Observations in Diagnosing Transient Loss of Consciousness
These investigators found that adding witness-reported observations to patient demographics and patient-reported symptoms improved the diagnostic accuracy between epilepsy, syncope, and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.
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Cholecystokinin as a Biomarker Linking Metabolic Function to Alzheimer’s Disease
In a study cohort from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, cerebrospinal fluid levels of cholecystokinin were associated with better outcomes that may reflect compensatory protection as Alzheimer’s disease pathology progresses. However, because of significant study limitations, these findings need to be validated in additional studies.
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Lacosamide for Painful Small Fiber Neuropathy Due to Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Mutations
The results of this randomized trial showed significant neuropathic pain score reduction with the use of lacosamide in patients with Nav1.7 mutations.
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Measurement of Brain Vital Signs in Concussed Athletes
These investigators prospectively studied auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) in junior competitive male ice hockey players and identified a pattern of ERPs that distinguishes acutely concussed from non-concussed players, establishing this noninvasive, easy-to-administer test as a biomarker to assist trainers, coaches, and clinicians with making the diagnosis of concussion.