Neurology Alert articles from June 2003

Neurology Alert archives from June 2003

Therapeutic vaccine for ALS?(amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
June 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Source: Angelov DN, et al. Therapeutic vaccine for acute and chronic motor neuron diseases: Implications for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2003;100:4790-4795. THIS ARTICLE REPORTS THE...

Pallidotomy vs medical therapy for Parkinson's disease.
June 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Source: Vitek JL, et al. Randomized trial of pallidotomy versus medical therapy for Parkinson's disease. Ann Neurol. 2003;53:558-569. SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE has become increasingly used as a...

Machado-Joseph, Muscle cramps, and mexiletine.
June 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Source: Kanai K, et al. Muscle cramp in Machado-Joseph disease: Altered motor axonal excitability properties and mexiletine treatment. Brain. 2003;126:965-973. SPINOCEREBELLAR ATAXIA TYPE 3, MACHADO-JOSEPH disease...

Rapid parkinsonism follows 20% of cirrhosis.
June 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Source: Burkhard PR, et al. Chronic parkinsonism associated with cirrhosis. Arch Neurol. 2003;60:521-528. THE NEUROLOGICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF CHRONIC cirrhosis and hepatic failure are protean. Myoclonus (often...

Show stopper. (Late Breakers).
June 1, 2003... A new oral direct thrombin inhibitor--ximelagatran (Exanata; Astra-Zeneca)--steals the stage at this year's American College of Cardiology 52nd Scientific Session in Chicago. Data from the SPORTIF III (Stroke Prevention Prophylaxis Using an...

COX-IIs for migraine. (Late Breakers).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... NSAIDS represent a standard for mild-to-moderate migraine treatment. Given the overuse potential of these drugs in chronic migraine patients and the safety advantages of COX-il selective inhibitors, the use of these new drugs for migraine has...

Hydroxyurea and HbF in sickle cell disease.
June 1, 2003... ABSTRACTS & COMMENTARY Sources: Steinberg MH, et al. Effect of hydroxyurea on mortality and morbidity in adult sickle cell anemia. Risks and benefits up to 9 years of treatment. JAMA. 2003;289:1645-1651; Weiner DL, Brugnara C. Editorial:...

Prothrombotic factors are highly associated with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.
June 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Source: Cakmak S, et al. Cerebral venous thrombosis: Clinical outcome and systemic screening of protbrombotic factors. Neurology. 2003;60:1175-1178. CEREBRAL VENOUS THROMBOSIS (CVT) IS A STROKE syndrome...

Immunosuppression, IVIG, and diabetic lumbosacral plexopathy.
June 1, 2003... ABSTRACT & COMMENTARY Source: Zochodne DW, et al. Failure of immunotherapy tp prevent, arrest or reverse diabetic lumbosacral plexopathy. Acta Neurol Scand. 2003;107:299-301. INTRAVENOUS IMMUNOGLOBULIN (IVIG) IS AN EXPENSIVE but...

Detection of Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the preclinical phase. (Clinical Briefs in Primary Care[TM]).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Source: Palmer K, et al. BMJ. 2003; 326:245-247. ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD) IS THE most common form of dementia in America, but often escapes clinical attention until symptoms compromise quality of life, activities of daily living, or safety....

Shoe design and plantar pressures in neuropathic feet. (Clinical Briefs in Primary Care[TM]).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Source: Praet S, et al. Diabetes Care. 2003;26:441-445. CLINICIANS HAVE TRIED A VARIETY OF maneuvers to reduce the incidence and effect of neuropathic foot ulcers in an attempt to reduce their subsequent morbidity. Since a substantial...

TSH in assessment of hypothyroidism. (Clinical Briefs in Primary Care[TM]).(thyroid stimulating hormone )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Source: Meier C, et al. BMJ. 2003; 326:311-312. ALTHOUGH THERE IS GOOD AGREE-ment that thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is the most appropriate indicator of hypothyroidism, it is little understood whether absolute levels of TSH correlate...

Oral Vitamin D3 supplementation on fractures and mortality. (Clinical Briefs in Primary Care[TM]).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Source: Trivedi DP, et al. BMJ. 2003;326:469-472. DESPITE RECENT ENHANCED CLINI-cian and public awareness, prevention and treatment goals for osteoporosis (OSPS) remain inadequately fulfilled. A variety of lifestyle and pharmacologic...

Oral opioid therapy for chronic peripheral and central neuropathic pain. (Clinical Briefs in Primary Care[TM]).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Source: Rowbotham M, et al. N Engl J Med. 2003;348:1223-1232. NEUROPATHIC PAIN (NPP) IS OFTEN described as "opioid resistant," based upon some limited human and animal studies. On the other hand, parenteral opioid analgesia has produced...

Tacrolimus ointment vs. topical corticosteroids in atopic dermatitis. (Clinical Briefs in Primary Care[TM]).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2003... Source: Ellis C, et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003;48:553-563. FOR SEVERAL DECADES THE MAINSTAY of management of atopic dermatitis (AD) has been corticosteroids (CSD), usually administered topically. When AD is mild-moderate, low, and...

Pneumococcal vaccine ineffective at CAP prevention. (Pharmacology Watch).
June 1, 2003... Pneumococcal vaccine protects older adults from developing pneumococcal bacteremia but does not prevent community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), according to a new study from Group Health Cooperative in Seattle. The study reviewed records of more...