Neurology: Archives

CASE HISTORY

Diagnosis and Discussion: Interscapular PainFree

• April 28, 2009
• Bryan Michael Kies, MD

The final diagnosis and a discussion of reader responses

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Free Copper and Alzheimer Disease

• April 28, 2009
• Neeraj Kumar, MD

More evidence associates free copper with cognitive decline, but a causative role for copper remains to be established.

• Reviewing:
• Squitti R et al., Neurology 2009 Jan 6; 72:50

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Trapezius vs. Tongue EMG for ALS Diagnosis

• April 28, 2009
• Elizabeth Raynor, MD

Trapezius EMG might be more useful than tongue EMG in the electrodiagnosis of ALS.

• Reviewing:
• Sonoo M et al., Muscle Nerve 2009 Jan; 39:63

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

TMS Evaluation in Motor Neuron Diseases

• April 28, 2009
• Mark Hallett, MD

In patients with ALS, certain TMS measures appear abnormal and decline over time, but the technique is not yet appropriate for routine analysis of individual patients.

• Reviewing:
• Floyd AG et al., Neurology 2009 Feb 10; 72:498

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Symptomatic Treatment of Ataxia

• April 28, 2009
• Mark Hallett, MD

Varenicline, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist used to assist in smoking cessation, might be useful in the treatment of gait ataxia.

• Reviewing:
• Zesiewicz TA et al., Acta Neurol Scand 2009 Feb; 119:135

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

MRI Predictors of Disability After Isolated Optic Neuritis

• April 21, 2009
• Marc Dinkin, MD

Spinal cord lesions at baseline and measures of brain lesion activity at 3 months predicted clinical outcome at 5 years.

• Reviewing:
• Swanton JK et al., Neurology 2009 Feb 10; 72:542

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Auras in Epilepsy

• April 21, 2009
• Orrin Devinsky, MD

A large registry study highlights both the clinical importance and diagnostic challenge of auras.

• Reviewing:
• Nakken KO et al., Acta Neurol Scand 2009 Feb; 119:88

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Othello Syndrome in Parkinson Disease without Dementia

• April 21, 2009
• Scott M. McGinnis, MD

A review of six cases provides insights into this delusional disorder.

• Reviewing:
• Cannas A et al., Neurologist 2009 Jan; 15:34

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

In Utero Antiepileptic Drug Exposure and Childhood IQ

• April 15, 2009
• Autumn Klein, MD, PhD

Women who take valproate during pregnancy, rather than carbamazepine, lamotrigine, or phenytoin, have offspring with lower IQs.

• Reviewing:
• Meador KJ et al., N Engl J Med 2009 Apr 16; 360:1597 Tomson T., N Engl J Med 2009 Apr 16; 360:1667

SUMMARY AND COMMENT

Could B₁₂ and Folate Deficiencies Cause Brain Atrophy and Dementia?

• April 14, 2009
• Laurence J. Kinsella, MD

In one study of community-dwelling elders, folate and B₁₂ levels correlated with brain atrophy; in another, these vitamins correlated with incident dementia.

• Reviewing:
• Vogiatzoglou A et al., Neurology 2008 Sep 9; 71:826 Kim J-M et al., J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2008 Aug; 79:864