In the wake of media and public reports about increased mortality linked to a new drug for treating Parkinson’s disease psychosis, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine conducted a retrospective study of qualifying patients in the UC San Diego Health system concluding that the new drug, pimavanserin (marketed as Nuplazid), did not pose a statistically significant greater risk of death.
Children who grow up in poverty or who are otherwise socially and economically disadvantaged may be more likely in old age to score lower than others on tests of cognitive skills, according to a study published in the September 26, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
People who participate in light to moderate physical activity, such as walking at least four hours a week or swimming two to three hours a week, may have less severe strokes than people who are physically inactive, according to a study published in the September 19, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
It’s known as the disease that attacks the body but leaves the mind unaffected. But a new study shows that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, does affect the mind, especially later in the disease. The study is published in the September 12, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
When medical marijuana is taken for chronic nerve pain, it may provide pain relief by reducing connections between the areas of the brain that process emotions and sensory signals, according to a study published in the September 5, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
A drug shown to be effective in the treatment of babies with the rare muscle-wasting disease spinal muscular atrophy may be effective for muscle control even when treatment is started in children seven months and older, according to a study published in the August 29, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Previous studies focused on children younger than seven months old.
Electrical stimulation of the brain and spinal cord may help treat the symptoms of rare movement disorders called neurodegenerative ataxias, according to a study published in the August 22, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Women who take epilepsy drugs while they are pregnant may have a lower risk of having a child with delays in language skills if they take folic acid supplements before and early in pregnancy, according to a study published in the August 1, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
People who feel faint, dizzy or lightheaded when standing up may be experiencing a sudden drop in blood pressure called orthostatic hypotension. Now a new study says middle-aged people who experience such a drop may have a greater risk of developing dementia or stroke decades later. The study is published in the July 25, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
A woman’s history of pregnancy may affect her risk of Alzheimer’s disease decades later, according to a study published in the July 18, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Older people who have higher blood pressure may have more signs of brain disease, specifically brain lesions, according to a study published in the July 11, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers also found a link between higher blood pressure and more markers of Alzheimer’s disease, tangles in the brain.
People who have been exposed to paint, varnish and other solvents and who also carry genes that make them more susceptible to developing multiple sclerosis (MS) may be at much greater risk of developing the disease than people who have only the exposure to solvents or the MS genes, according to a study published in the July 3, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) may slow the progression of tremor for early-stage Parkinson’s disease patients, according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study released in the June 29 online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
While it has been known that estrogen plays a role in migraine for women, new research shows that the female sex hormone may also play a role in migraine for men, according to a small study published in the June 27, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
People with type 2 diabetes may have an increased risk of having a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease later in life, according to a large study published in the June 13, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. In addition, the risk may be higher for younger people and those with complications from the disease.
Black and Hispanic people may be more likely to have another intracerebral hemorrhage, or a stroke caused by bleeding in the brain, than white people, according to a study published in the June 6, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
We know that exercise may help improve thinking skills. But how much exercise? And for how long? To find the answers, researchers reviewed all of the studies where older adults were asked to exercise for at least four weeks and their tests of thinking and memory skills were compared to those of people who did not start a new exercise routine. The review is published in the May 30, 2018, online issue of Neurology® Clinical Practice, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Neurologists have identified a new type of vertigo with no known cause, according to a study published in the May 23, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Recent research from Houston Methodist Hospital showed that a new immunotherapy was safe for patients with ALS and also revealed surprising results that could bring hope to patients who have this relentlessly progressive and fatal disease.
People who eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, nuts and fish may have bigger brains, according to a study published in the May 16, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Depression in older adults may be linked to memory problems, according to a study published in the May 9, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study also showed that older people with greater symptoms of depression may have structural differences in the brain compared to people without symptoms.
Taking frequent saunas may be linked to a lower risk of stroke, according to a study published in the May 2, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study was conducted in Finland, where saunas originated and nearly every home has one.
People with restless legs syndrome may have changes in a portion of the brain that processes sensory information, according to a study published in the April 25, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
For most people, it’s better to start taking drugs for multiple sclerosis (MS) early on rather than letting the disease run its course, according to a new guideline for treating MS from the American Academy of Neurology. The guideline is published in the April 23, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, and presented at the 70th AAN Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, April 21 to April 27, 2018. The guideline is endorsed by the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
People who have been diagnosed with a mild concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury, may have a 56 percent increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a study published in the April 18, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Entering menopause at a later age may be associated with a small benefit to your memory years later, according to a study published in the April 11, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Survival of childhood cancers dramatically improved through national cooperative group research and care protocols; specialists call for the same model to improve outcomes of early life epilepsies.
People with Parkinson’s disease who show signs of depression may actually have a condition called demoralization, according to a study published in the April 4, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. That study found demoralization may be common in Parkinson’s disease.
A new study looks at what problems affect people most after a stroke and it provides a broader picture than what some may usually expect to see. Stroke affects more than just physical functioning, according to a study is published the March 28, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Taking menopausal hormone therapy soon after menopause to relieve symptoms may also benefit the brain, according to a study published in the March 21, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Women with high physical fitness at middle age were nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia decades later, compared to women who were moderately fit, according to a study published the March 14, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study measured the women’s cardiovascular fitness based on an exercise test.
People whose eyes show signs of small changes in blood vessels at age 60 may be more likely to develop thinking and memory problems by the time they are 80 than people with healthy eyes, according to a study published in the February 28, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
There’s a cause of dementia that can sometimes be reversed, but it’s often not diagnosed because the symptoms are so similar to those of other disorders. Now researchers say a simple walking test may be able to accurately diagnose the disease, according to a study published the February 21, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Learning techniques to help manage stress may help people with epilepsy reduce how often they have seizures, according to a study published in the February 14, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Two new studies look at the effects of stopping the newer, stronger drug natalizumab for multiple sclerosis (MS) during pregnancy. Natalizumab is generally prescribed for people with MS who have not responded to or cannot tolerate other treatments for MS as it can have a rare but potentially fatal side effect.
Requiring physicians to report patients with dementia to state driver’s licensing authorities is not associated with fewer hospitalizations from motor vehicle crashes. However, in-person license renewal laws and vision testing dramatically cut crashes involving drivers with dementia.
A special program that involves balance and eye movement exercises may help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) with their balance problems and fatigue, according to a study published in the January 31, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
New help may be on the way for people with dementia with Lewy bodies, which is the second most common neurodegenerative type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. The disease can cause movement problems and issues such as hallucinations in addition to thinking and memory problems. But the drug used to treat the movement problems can also exacerbate the hallucinations, delusions and other psychiatric problems.
People who grind or clench their teeth in their sleep, a condition known as bruxism, may get help from injections of botulinum toxin, according to a small study published in the January 17, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The drug blocks the signals that tell muscles to contract.
Younger adults with difficult-to-treat epilepsy may have early signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in their brain tissue, but it appears to be uncommon, according to a small, preliminary study published in the January 10, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
A study by Mayo Clinic researchers found that most patients with suspected spinal cord inflammation of unknown cause have an alternative, specific diagnosis. The research is published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Testing the level of caffeine in the blood may provide a simple way to aid the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, according to a study published in the January 3, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Una nueva pauta para los profesionales de la salud indica que hay que recomendar ejercicio dos veces por semana a las personas que tienen deterioro cognitivo leve para mejorar su memoria y pensamiento.
Clinicians should recommend exercise and cognitive training for patients with mild cognitive impairment — a common precursor of Alzheimer’s type dementia — according to new guidelines published online in Neurology®.
Taking a higher dose of topiramate during the first three months of pregnancy may increase a baby’s risk of cleft lip or cleft palate more than when taking a lower dose, according to a study published in the December 27, 2017, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Exercising twice a week may improve thinking ability and memory in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a guideline released by the American Academy of Neurology. The recommendation is an update to the AAN’s previous guideline on mild cognitive impairment and is published in the December 27, 2017, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The guideline is endorsed by the Alzheimer’s Association.
For patients with mild cognitive impairment, don’t be surprised if your health care provider prescribes exercise rather than medication. A new guideline for medical practitioners says they should recommend twice-weekly exercise to people with mild cognitive impairment to improve memory and thinking.