Neurology Alert articles from June 2004

Neurology Alert archives from June 2004

Next generation migraine drugs?(Abstract & Commentary)
June 1, 2004... Source: Olesen J, et al. N Engl J Med. 2004;350:1104-1110. THE ACCUMULATED EVIDENCE THAT 5-HT (SEROTONIN) PLAYS A role in migraine ultimately led to the development of the 5HT1B/1D receptor agonists. Further research into the mechanism of...

Myasthenia gravis 2004.(Abstract & Commentary)
June 1, 2004... Sources: Monsul NT, et al. The effect of prednisone on the progression from ocular to generalized myasthenia gravis. J Neurol Sci. 2004;217:131-133; Guillermo GR, et al. Response of thymectomy: Clinical and pathological characteristics among...

Lack of inflammatory pathology in early multiple sclerosis lesions.(Abstract & Commentary)
June 1, 2004... Source: Barnett MH, JW Prineas. Relapsing and Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: Pathology of the Newly Forming Lesion. Ann Neurol, 2004;55:458-468. BARNETT AND PRINEAS DESCRIBE THE PATHOLOGICAL and clinical findings in 12 patients with...

Assessment of the risk of stroke or blindness in giant cell arteritis.(Abstract & Commentary)
June 1, 2004... Source: Nesher G, Berkun Y, Mates M, et al. Risk factors for cranial ischemic complications in giant cell arteritis. Medicine. 2004;83:114-122. CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) ISCHEMIC complications including visual loss and stroke are the...

Stroke during cardiac surgery: a possible opportunity for prophylactic neuroprotection?(Abstract & Commentary)
June 1, 2004... Source: Stolz E, Gerrietz T, Kluge A et al. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and neurobiochemical markers after aortic valve replacement. Implications for future neuroprotective trials? Stroke. 2004;35:888-892. CARDIAC SURGERY...

Gynecologists beware.(Abstract & Commentary)
June 1, 2004... Somme: Irvin W, et al. Minimizing the risk of nearologic injury in gynecologic surgery. Obstet Gynecol. 2004;103: 374-382. NEW-ONSET LEG WEAKNESS OR NUMBNESS IS A common cause for neurologic consultation following gynecologic surgery....

Is neuroimaging needed to assess acute Oculomotor nerve palsies?(Abstract & Commentary)
June 1, 2004... Source: Chou KL, et al. Acute ocular motor mononeuropathies: Prospective study of the roles of neuroimaging and clinical assessment. J Neurol Sci. 2004;2129:35-39. THIS PAPER REPORTS THE RESULTS OF A PROSPECTIVE study of patients aged 50...

Do seizures in older adults predict stroke risk?(Abstract & Commentary)
June 1, 2004... Sources: Cleary P, et al. Late-onset seizures as a predictor of subsequent stroke. Lancet. 2004;363:1184-86; Sudlow, CM. Epilepsy and stroke (commentary). Lancet. 2004;363: 1175-1176. USING DATA FROM THE UK GENERAL PRACTICE Research...

CME questions.(continuing medical education)
June 1, 2004... 20. Choose the true statement: a. Prednisone, administered early in the course of ocular myasthenia, appears to affect its progression to generalized disease b. Seronegative myastbenia gravis patients do not benefit from thymectomy as...

Antihypertensive treatment and measurement at home or in the physician's office.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Source: Staeesen JA, et al. JAMA. 2004;291:955-964. A NOT-INSUBSTANIAL MINORITY OF Persons carrying a diagnosis of hypertension (HTN) actually have stress-induced transient episodes of HTN in clinicians' offices, which we call "white coat...

Inactivated intranasal influenza vaccine and the risk of bell's palsy.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Source: Mutsch M, et al. N Eng J Med. 2004;350:896-903. LATE IN 2000, THE SWISS DRUG Monitoring Center and others noted numeruous reports of Bell s palsy in persons who had received NFLU. To better study the relationship between NFLU and...

Topiramate for migraine prevention.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Source: Brandes JL, et al. JAMA. 2004;291(8):965-973. SOME PATIENTS REMAIN DISSATISFIED migraine treatments. Early studies have found that topiramate (TOP), an anti-epileptic agent, is efficacious for migraine prevention. Although there are...

Computed tomographic colonography (virtual colonoscopy).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Source: Cotton PB, et al. JAMA. 2004;291:1713-1719. SCREENING FOR COLON CANCER (CCa) has not reached of popular adherence as seen with, for instance, prostate cancer screening by PSA. Although colonoscopy (COL) is highly effective for the...

Ejaculation frequency and subsequent risk of prostate cancer.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Source: Leitzmann MF, et al. JAMA. 2004;291:1578-1586. pROSTATE CANCER (PCA) HYPOTHETIcally could be related to sexual activity. For instance, if men who seek sexual activity more often have higher testosterone levels, and such levels were...

Different combinations of bupropion SR dose and behavioral treatment for smoking cessation.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Source: Javitz HS, et al. Am J Manag Care. 2004;10:217-226. THE SINGLE MOST EFFECTIVE PHARMAceutical intervention which result in sustained smoking cessation is bupropion (BUP). The most often-used treatment regimen requires BUP 150 mg/d...

Missing link between vaccines and diabetes.(Pharmacology Watch)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... A large cohort study from Denmark suggests no link between childhood vaccines and type I diabetes. The potential for such a link has been of concern for years because of the association between certain infections and the development of type I...

Breast cancer and the use of statins.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Adding to the considerable evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of statins, it now appears that statins may slightly reduce the risk of breast cancer. Published in the "Early View" online journal Cancer, this case-control study was...

Warnings issued for IBS drugs.(irritable bowel syndrome)
June 1, 2004... Tegaserod (Zelnorm-Novartis), the heavily promoted serotonin 5-HT4 partial agonist for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), is the subject of new warnings by the FDA. The drug is indicated for women with IBS whose primary symptom is...

FDA actions.
June 1, 2004... The FDA has removed the warning for lactic acidosis from metformin (Glucophage) and metformin extended release (Glucophage XR). Once considered the most serious side effect associated with metformin, a recent meta-analysis showed that there...