Inherited mutations in a gene that keeps nerve cells intact was shown, for the first time, to be a driver of a neuropathy known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. This finding is detailed in a study led by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, presenting a clearer picture of the disease’s genetic underpinnings that could inform the development of gene therapies to correct it.
Even for people who carry the gene for early onset Alzheimer’s disease, more years of education may slow the development of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain that are associated with the disease, according to a new study published in the August 5, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Why do some people stay sharp into their 90s, even if they have the amyloid plaques in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease? And why do others reach their 90s without ever developing any plaques? These questions are explored in a new study published in the July 22, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
You can modify the risk factors that a new study has found may lead to the steepest declines in thinking skills in middle age. The study is published in the July 15, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. At the same time, the risk factors that were not associated with cognitive decline might surprise you.
Older women who eat more than one to two servings a week of baked or broiled fish or shellfish may consume enough omega-3 fatty acids to counteract the effects of air pollution on the brain, according to a new study published in the July 15, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
A blood biomarker in people who have had concussions may be just as accurate at predicting the severity of the injury and how long it will last as biomarkers that are obtained through more expensive and invasive tests, according to a study published in the July 8, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
There’s good news for people with Parkinson’s disease. A new study shows that deep brain stimulation may not increase the risk of developing dementia. The study is published in the July 1, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Middle-aged women are more likely than men to have changes in the brain related to Alzheimer’s disease, as detected by imaging, even when there are no differences in thinking and memory. This may be associated with hormonal changes due to menopause, specifically the loss of estrogen, according to a study published in the June 24, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Certain patients who receive hospital care for coronavirus infection (COVID-19) exhibit clinical and neurochemical signs of brain injury, a University of Gothenburg study shows. In even moderate COVID-19 cases, finding and measuring a blood-based biomarker for brain damage proved to be possible.
Female college rugby players may have subtle brain changes even if they haven’t had a recent concussion, according to a new study published in the June 17, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
While studies in the early 2000s showed that women were 30% less likely to receive clot-busting treatment for a stroke than men, a new analysis of recent studies found that the gap has narrowed to 13%, according to a meta-analysis published in the June 10, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
As the COVID-19 pandemic sent entire communities into lockdown, doctors quickly adopted telehealth strategies without knowing whether they would be effective or feasible. Now, a new study from the Division of Neurology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) shows that for pediatric neurology care, the transition was very successful even in a short period of time and may provide guidance on the future of pediatric care after the pandemic subsides.
A blood test may help researchers understand which people may take years to recover from concussion, according to a study published in the May 27, 2020 online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study looked at a biomarker called neurofilament light chain, a nerve protein that can be detected in the blood when nerve cells are injured or die.
A blood test may help predict which people with multiple sclerosis (MS) will get worse during the following year, according to a study published in the May 20, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Adding yoga to your regularly prescribed migraine treatment may be better than medication alone, according to a study published in the May 6, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The new research suggests yoga may help people with migraines have headaches that happen less often, don’t last as long and are less painful. EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2020
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For Better Migraine Treatment, Try Adding Some Downward Dogs
MINNEAPOLIS - Adding yoga to your regularly prescribed migraine treatment may be better than medication alone, according to a study published in the May 6, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The new research suggests yoga may help people with migraines have headaches that happen less often, don’t last as long and are less pain
New guidance from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) concludes that closure of a common heart defect called a patent foramen ovale (PFO) may be recommended for some people who have had a stroke. The updated practice advisory is published in the April 29, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
It’s no secret that a healthy diet may benefit the brain. However, it may not only be what foods you eat, but what foods you eat together that may be associated with your risk of dementia, according to a new study published in the April 22, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Most people’s blood pressure goes down during the night, which doctors call “dipping.” But for some people, especially those with high blood pressure, their nighttime pressure stays the same or even goes up, called “reverse dipping.” A new study shows that people with high blood pressure and reverse dipping may be more likely to have small areas in the brain that appear damaged from vascular disease and associated memory problems. The study is published in the April 15, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
People who live in urban areas with higher levels of air pollution may score lower on thinking and memory tests and may also lose cognitive skills faster over time, or it is possible they also may not, according to a study published in the April 8, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
People who live in urban areas with higher levels of air pollution may score lower on thinking and memory tests and may also lose cognitive skills faster over time, or it is possible they also may not, according to a study published in the April 8, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers examined the association of air pollution levels and cognitive impairment and decline in participants in two large epidemiological studies. They found an association between the air pollution and cognitive decline in one study group but not in the other.
Depression is common in people with Parkinson’s disease and contributes to faster physical and mental decline, but it is often overlooked and undertreated.
The good news is that participating in cognitive-behavioral therapy by telephone may be effective in reducing depression symptoms for people with Parkinson’s, according to a study published in the April 1, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
People with Parkinson’s disease who engage in cognitive behavioral therapy — a form of psychotherapy that increases awareness of negative thinking and teaches coping skills — are more likely to overcome depression and anxiety, according to a Rutgers study.
Taking a low-dose aspirin once a day does not reduce the risk of thinking and memory problems caused by mild cognitive impairment or probable Alzheimer’s disease, nor does it slow the rate of cognitive decline, according to a large study published in the March 25, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Children and teens with family members with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, help with bathing, dressing, eating and all types of caregiving activities, yet they may not have training or enough information about the disease, according to a study published in the March 18, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Vision and eye problems like blurry vision, dry eyes, trouble with depth perception, and problems adjusting to rapid changes in light are much more common in people with Parkinson’s disease than in people without the disorder, according to a study published in the March 11, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study also found such problems can influence a person’s daily activities.
People who eat a vegetarian diet rich in nuts, vegetables and soy may have a lower risk of stroke than people who eat a diet that includes meat and fish, according to a study published in the February 26, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
As out-of-pocket costs go up for drugs for the neurologic disorders Alzheimer’s disease, peripheral neuropathy and Parkinson’s disease, people are less likely to take the drugs as often as their doctors prescribed, according to a study funded by the American Academy of Neurology and published in the February 19, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
It is not uncommon for children and teens with autism spectrum disorder to struggle with sleep. Trouble falling asleep and staying asleep or refusing to go to bed are just some of the sleep problems they can experience. To help families, neurologists and other healthcare providers make decisions on the best treatments, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has issued a new guideline for sleep problems in children and teens with autism, published in the February 12, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Cluster headaches are short but extremely painful headaches that can occur many days, or even weeks, in a row. Now a new study has found that people who have this debilitating form of headache may miss twice as many days of work as people without such headaches. The study is published in the February 5, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
People who eat or drink more foods with the antioxidant flavonol, which is found in nearly all fruits and vegetables as well as tea, may be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s dementia years later, according to a study published in the January 29, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Does race play a role in how well someone recovers after stroke? New research focused on younger people who have had a hemorrhagic stroke found that young black and Latino people may be less likely than young white people to be disabled or even die within three months after a stroke. The new study is published in the January 22, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The cost of prescriptions for multiple sclerosis (MS) drugs nearly tripled over seven years, and the introduction of a generic version of one of the most common drugs had little overall effect on prices, according to a study published in the January 15, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
A preliminary study has found that when young, healthy men were deprived of just one night of sleep, they had higher levels of tau, a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease, in their blood than when they had a full, uninterrupted night of rest. The study is published in the January 8, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Researchers report that accumulating amyloid protein occurred faster among persons deemed to have “objectively-defined subtle cognitive difficulties” (Obj-SCD) than among persons considered to be “cognitively normal,” offering a potential new early biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease.
The scientific community has long believed that beta-amyloid, a protein that can clump together and form sticky plaques in the brain, is the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Beta-amyloid then leads to other brain changes including neurodegeneration and eventually to thinking and memory problems. But a new study challenges that theory. The study suggests that subtle thinking and memory differences may come before, or happen alongside, the development of amyloid plaques that can be detected in the brain. The study is published in the December 30, 2019, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
A large study that followed more than one million women for nearly two decades has found that obesity in midlife is linked to a greater risk of dementia later in life; however, poor diet and lack of exercise are not. The study is published in the December 18, 2019, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center recently opened a new Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Center and welcomed MS Certified Specialist David Duncan, M.D., as director of the center.
People who take long naps during the day or sleep nine or more hours at night may have an increased risk of stroke, according to a study published in the December 11, 2019, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
For people with many neurologic disorders, seeing the neurologist by video may be as effective as an in-person visit, according to a review of the evidence conducted by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). The evidence review examined all available studies on use of telemedicine for several neurologic conditions – stroke being one of the conditions that is well-validated and highly utilizes telemedicine – and is published in the December 4, 2019, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the AAN. The results indicate that a diagnosis from a neurologist by video for certain neurologic conditions is likely to be as accurate as an in-person visit.
Researchers have identified nine cases of people who lost their ability to swim after having a deep brain stimulation device implanted to control symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The new research is published in the November 27, 2019, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. All nine people had been good swimmers even after their Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. But once they had deep brain stimulation surgery, researchers found while other movement symptoms improved, their swimming skills deteriorated.
People with tremors in their hands, head or voice may find some relief for up to three years from a treatment using ultrasound waves to destroy the area of the brain causing the tremor, according to a study published in the November 20, 2019, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The treatment is used for people whose tremors do not improve with medication.
New research has found that people who are illiterate, meaning they never learned to read or write, may have nearly three times greater risk of developing dementia than people who can read and write. The study is published in the November 13, 2019, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
People who have trouble sleeping may be more likely to have a stroke, heart attack or other cerebrovascular or cardiovascular diseases, according to a study published in the November 6, 2019, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
How well eight-year-olds score on a test of thinking skills may be a predictor of how they will perform on tests of thinking and memory skills when they are 70 years old, according to a study published in the October 30, 2019, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study also found that education level and socioeconomic status were also predictors of thinking and memory performance. Socioeconomic status was determined by people’s occupation at age 53.
How long does it take an athlete to recover from a concussion? New research has found an athlete’s brain may still not be fully recovered one year after being allowed to return to play. The study is published in the October 16, 2019, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
A new study examining the role that star-shaped brain cells called astrocytes play in Huntington’s disease has identified a potential strategy that may halt the disease and repair some of the damage it causes.
A discovery made several years ago in a lab researching asthma at Wake Forest School of Medicine may now have implications for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease with no known cure and only two FDA-approved drugs to treat its progression and severity.
Using sex-specific scores on memory tests may change the diagnosis for 20 percent of those currently diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with possibly more women and fewer men being diagnosed with MCI, according to a new study published online in the journal Neurology.
Study finds when verbal memory test cut-offs were tailored to patient sex, more female patients and fewer male patients were considered to have amnesic mild cognitive impairment. This could change the way aMCI diagnoses are determined and make it easier to catch the condition in its early stages.
Using sex-specific scores on memory tests may change who gets diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by 20 percent, with possibly more women and fewer men being diagnosed, according to a study published in the October 9, 2019, online issue of Neurology®