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Neurology

News, opinions and meeting coverage in neurology.

Head Positional Maneuvers Endorsed for Benign Vertigo

PHOENIX, Ariz., -- Almost like wet dogs shaking their heads, patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo are resolving dizziness by a series of directed movements to remove loose calcium crystals from semicircular canals in the ear.

McCain Cites 'Strong Evidence' of Link Between Vaccines and Autism

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate for president, has given credibility to "strong evidence" of a link between autism and thimerosal in childhood vaccines. He cited "divided scientific opinion" on the matter.

AHA: Some Statins May Disrupt Sleep

ORLANDO -- If patients taking simvastatin (Zocor) develop sleep disturbances, changing statins may be a good idea, researchers suggested here.

Chinese Herbs Ease Menstrual Cramps Better than NSAIDs

SYDNEY, Australia -- Traditional Chinese remedies may ease painful menstrual cramps better than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) and other drugs, according to a Cochrane systematic review.

After Oophorectomy, Cognitive Impairment Risks Rise

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- There is evidence of a neuroprotective effect of estrogen from two studies that found women were at an increased risk for dementia and parkinsonism after their ovaries were removed before natural menopause.

Blacks and Whites Have Different Immune Response to MS

ST. LOUIS -- African Americans with multiple sclerosis have a more robust immunologic response than whites, which may explain the greater severity of symptoms among blacks, investigators here found.

Gabapentin (Neurontin) Eases Chronic Pain in Fibromyalgia

CINCINNATI -- For treating the chronic pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia, the anticonvulsant gabapentin (Neurontin) proved safe and effective, researchers here reported.

AAPA: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Wearies the Heart

PHILADELPHIA -- The most obvious clinical feature of obstructive sleep apnea may be weariness of mind, but this breathing disorder also slowly and silently wears down the heart, according to researchers.

APA: Co-Morbid ADHD in Bipolar Adults May Respond To Non-Stimulants

SAN DIEGO -- When attention deficit hyperactivity disorder meets bipolar disorder in an adult, the diagnosis is hard and the course is poorly understood but the co-morbidity appears to exacerbate matters, researchers said here.

USPSYCH: Insomnia Treatment Boosts Antidepressant Efficacy

SAN FRANCISCO -- A significant number of patients with major depression also suffer from chronic insomnia that hampers recovery, and treating the insomnia may improve both conditions.

Some Bariatric Surgery Patients Develop Wernicke's Encephalopathy

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- For a few patients undergoing, weight-loss surgery, a thiamine deficiency may cause memory loss and other neurologic problems, easily correctable when recognized.

Methamphetamine May Trigger Ischemic Stroke

IRVINE, Calif. -- Methamphetamine users may develop carotid artery dissections, leading to a severe stroke, an effect also seen in cocaine users, according to researchers here.

AACAP: Vitamin B12 Injections for Autism Show No Signs of Benefit

SAN DIEGO -- Preliminary results of a small ongoing study of vitamin B12 injections for children with autism showed no signs of significant benefit, researchers reported here, but they remained hopeful.

AACAP: Growth Reduction Seen Temporary for Children on ADHD Drug

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Strattera (atomoxetine) given to children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder does not appear to stunt growth over the long term, according to a lengthy study.

Accelerated Weight Loss May Signal Imminent Dementia Onset

ST. LOUIS -- An early warning sign for Alzheimer's disease could be accelerated weight loss, found a study of aging and memory.

High Blood Pressure Lowers Walking Ability in Elderly

CHICAGO -- High blood pressure appears to impair older patients' ability to walk, and the reason may be more than just peripheral arterial disease.

FDA Warns on Mixing Antidepressants with Migraine Drugs

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Mixing common migraine drugs such as Imitrex (sumatriptan) with antidepressants like Prozac (fluoxetine) or Cymbalta (duloxetine) can trigger a life-threatening condition called serotonin-syndrome, the FDA has warned.

SLEEP: Ambien Appears to Remedy Central Sleep Apnea

SALT LAKE CITY — The sedative Ambien (zolpidem) appears to reduce the symptoms of central sleep apnea, according to a small open-label study reported here.

The Eyes May Reveal Epileptic or Psychogenic Seizures

PHOENIX, Ariz. — A simple but reliable way to distinguish psychogenic nonepileptic seizures from epilepsy is to look at the patient's eyes, researchers here reported.

Tysabri (Natalizumab) Allowed Back to Market with Restrictions

ROCKVILLE, Md. — The FDA has cleared the way for Tysabri (natalizumab), the multiple sclerosis drug, to go back on the market but under a special restricted distribution program.

High-Dose Steroids Linked to Risk of Atrial Fibrillation

ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands 芒鈧€� High dose corticosteroid therapy may increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, researchers here reported.

Blood Clots Linked to Alzheimer's and Vascular Dementias

MANCHESTER, England 芒鈧€� Spontaneous cerebral blood clots were detected at similar rates in patients with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, suggesting a common pathology and a potentially preventable or treatable cause for some dementias, researchers here said.

Amphetamines Hit Men Harder

BALTIMORE - Amphetamines produce a bigger bang in men than women, according to researchers here.

ACP: Garlic, Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba, and Ginger All Bad Actors with Coumadin

PHILADELPHIA - When it comes to adverse events associated with Coumadin (warfarin) therapy, beware of herbs and many supplements beginning with the letter G, according to a University of Washington investigator.

Epidural Steroid Injection Not Useful for Chronic Shingles Pain

UTRECHT, The Netherlands - An epidural injection of steroids with a local anesthetic did not provide the long-term pain relief doctors anticipated for patients suffering from post-herpetic neuralgia, researchers here said.

Toddlers With Sleep Apnea Should Get Off Their Backs

HOUSTON - If toddlers with sleep apnea slept less on their backs their quality of sleep and associated symptoms might improve.

Botox Helps Patients Face Intractable Facial Pain

CURITIBA, Brazil - Everyone's favorite toxin appears to offer significant relief from intractable facial nerve pain.

Drugs That Lower Blood Pressure Also Prevent Headaches

LONDON - Four classes of drugs that lower blood pressure also prevent headaches, say researchers here who analyzed data from 94 randomized, placebo-controlled trials.

IBD Patients Prone to Other Autoimmune or Inflammatory Disorders

PHILADELPHIA-Patients with the inflammatory bowel disorders ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are significantly more likely to suffer from other conditions with an inflammatory or autoimmune basis, said researchers in two separate studies.

British Boy Dies After Chelation Therapy for Autism

PORTERSVILLE, Pa.-The death of a five-year-old British autistic boy who went into cardiac arrest after undergoing chelation therapy here has placed the controversial alternative treatment under an international spotlight.

Medicare Will Pay for tPA in Stroke Thrombolysis

WASHINGTON-Medicare is about to announce that beginning in October it will start paying hospitals for use of the thrombolytic drug tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for treatment of ischemic stroke, according to published reports.

Sleepwalking Can Be a Walk on the Wild Side

SILVER SPRING, Md.-As many as 10% of Americans somnambulate at one time or another and many of us are frequent sleepwalkers, who may end up embarrassed and sometime severely injured by our nocturnal wanderings, say sleep experts.

FDA Says It Plans Label Changes for Concerta and Ritalin

WASHINGTON-The FDA said it plans to strengthen the warning label for Concerta, the popular long-acting version of Ritalin (methylpenidate) in response to post-marketing surveillance reports of psychiatric and cardiovascular adverse effects.

FDA Warns of Excess Mortality to Elderly With Antipsychotics

WASHINGTON-The FDA has issued a public health advisory on the entire class of atypical antipsychotic drugs, pointing to an apparent excess of mortality for older patients with dementia, particularly when the agents are used off-label to treat behavioral disorders.

Schiavo Neurologist Calls Frist a Fool and Shameful

MINNEAPOLIS-Seven years of work with the Terri Schiavo case have convinced neurologist Ronald Cranford, MD, that there is no doubt about the diagnosis of persistent vegetative state. He has sharp words for physicians and physician-politicians who say otherwise.

ACC: LDL Cholesterol of Less than 80 mg/dL Reduces Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

ORLANDO-Cardiologists report that aggressive cholesterol-lowering to new super low target levels of LDL is associated with a 22% reduction in risk of heart attack, stroke, cardiac arrest and death from heart disease for patients with stable coronary disease. The reduction to a mean of 77 mg/dL compared with standard cholesterol-lowering therapy that aims to reduce LDL to about 100 mg/dL. In addition, stroke risk was reduced by 25% compared with risk in patients treated to the recommended target of 100 mg/dL.

Reggie White's Death Linked to Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Preliminary reports suggest that the death on December 26th of a 43-year-old former National Football League star, Reggie White, was related to sleep apnea, a chronic condition associated with a number of lung and heart conditions.

Provigil (modafinil) Counteracts SSRI Side Effects

Provigil 脗庐 (modafinil) not only counteracted the excessive fatigue and somnolence experienced by some patients on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), but also improved mood and quality of life in this patient group, according to a preliminary study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.