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People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may not be at higher risk of developing two of the three cancers that occur most commonly in people with MS, breast and colorectal cancer, than people who don’t have the disease, according to a new study published in the November 25, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. However, the study did find that people with MS had a higher incidence of bladder cancer.

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Researchers have found that differences in the left atrium in the hearts of Black people and white people may play a role in risk of stroke, according to a new study published in the November 25, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Older women who live in locations with higher levels of air pollution may have more brain shrinkage, the kind seen in Alzheimer’s disease, than women who live in locations with lower levels, according to a new study published in the November 18, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study looked at fine particle pollution and found that breathing in high levels of this kind of air pollution was linked to shrinkage in the areas of the brain vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease.

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Researchers looked at whether race and ethnicity plays a role in instances of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in pregnant women in a new study published in the November 11, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Service members with concussions may have symptoms that continue to evolve up to five years after the initial injury, according to a study published in the November 11, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The findings challenge the idea that these individuals with chronic brain injuries maintain a relatively stable course of recovery.

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Women who work in the paid labor force in early adulthood and middle age may have slower memory decline later in life than women who do not work for pay, according to a new study published in the November 4, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers found an association between working for pay and slower memory decline regardless of a woman’s marital or parenthood status.

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Studies have suggested that taking part in leisure activities such as playing cards or gardening may be associated with a lower risk of developing dementia. But a new study found no association between taking part in leisure activities at age 56 and the risk of dementia over the next 18 years. The researchers also found that some people who are later diagnosed with dementia stop participating in leisure activities years before they are diagnosed. The study is published in the October 28, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Women with epilepsy who take the antiseizure drug valproic acid while pregnant are at more than double the risk of having children with autism spectrum disorder and nearly double the risk of having children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a study in the October 28, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Premature infants born earlier than 28 weeks gestation who experience fewer needle pokes while receiving life-saving care in the neonatal intensive care unit may have better growth of a part of the brain called the thalamus. The new study is published in the October 21, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Autism is considered a disorder of the brain. But a new study suggests that the peripheral nervous system, the nerves that control our sense of touch, pain and other sensations, may play a role as well. The exploratory study is published in the October 14, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Older adults with severe apathy, or lack of interest in usual activities, may have a greater chance of developing dementia than people with few symptoms of apathy, according to a study published in the October 14, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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People who are given clot-busting drugs after a stroke may recover better if they also are given a therapy called remote ischemic postconditioning, according to a new study published in the October 7, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Remote ischemic conditioning is when blood flow, and the oxygen it carries, is stopped and then restored repeatedly by blood pressure cuffs worn on the arms.

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Even for people with a gene mutation tied to Parkinson’s disease, coffee consumption may be associated with a lower risk of actually developing the disease, according to a new study published in the September 30, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Stroke patients who get professional rehabilitation training in their homes through live video consultations may recover their motor skills better than those who do their rehab in person with a therapist at an outpatient rehabilitation facility, according to a study published in the September 30, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Remote rehabilitation may also promote greater brain connectivity, the study said.

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Supplements that claim to improve mental focus and memory may contain unapproved pharmaceutical drugs and in potentially dangerous combinations and doses, according to a new study published in the September 23, 2020, online issue of Neurology® Clinical Practice, an official journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers found five such drugs not approved in the United States in the supplements they examined. The supplements are sometimes called “nootropics,” “smart drugs” or “cognitive enhancers.”

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People with Parkinson’s disease are more likely than people of a similar age without the disease to have a sudden drop in blood pressure upon standing, a phenomenon called orthostatic hypotension, according to a new study published in the September 16, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The drop in blood pressure can lead to dizziness, lightheadedness, and even loss of consciousness and falls.

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A genetic variation in some people may be associated with cognitive decline that can’t be explained by deposits of two key proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid β and tau, according to a study published in the September 16, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The genetic variation leads to alterations in the metabolism of glutathione, an antioxidant, and may be associated with thinning of the cortex of the brain, the study says. The variation is found on the sixth chromosome.

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A new study of NCAA football players has found that the age they first started playing tackle football may not affect their recovery after a concussion. The study is published in the September 9, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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If you have moderate-to-high risk of kidney failure as a young adult, you may be at risk for worse cognitive function in middle age, according to a study published in the September 2, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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A class of drugs used for many conditions, including allergies, colds, high blood pressure and depression, may be associated with an increased risk of developing mild thinking and memory problems, particularly in people who have genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease or markers of this condition, according to a study published in the September 2, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.