Neurological System

Diminished brain resilience syndrome

Surg Neurol Int 2014, 5:97 Diminished brain resilience syndrome: A modern day neurological pathology of increased susceptibility to mild brain trauma, concussion, and downstream neurodegeneration Wendy A Morley The number of sports-related concussions has been steadily rising in recent years. Diminished brain resilience syndrome is a term coined by the lead author to describe a […]

TENS Effective for Post-Herpetic Neuralgia

February 03, 2015 Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Effective for Post-Herpetic Neuralgia International Journal of Dermatology TAKE-HOME MESSAGE A small pilot study of patients with post-herpetic neuralgia refractory to other treatments compared the use of a transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TENS) device with the use of a sham device. All patients receiving the sham device treatment chose […]

Sweating Patterns and Possible Underlying Small-Fiber Neuropathy

January 28, 2015 Sweating Patterns and Possible Underlying Small-Fiber Neuropathy The British Journal of Dermatology TAKE-HOME MESSAGE The authors of this retrospective analysis included patients who underwent thermoregulatory sweat testing (TST), which examines whole-body sweating, and who had itching, burning, numbness, and tingling sensations. Because it is mediated by small nerve fibers, sweating may be […]

‘Strongest Evidence Yet’ Links Anticholinergic Drugs (Benadryl), Dementia

Sue Hughes January 27, 2015 A new study provides the strongest evidence that anticholinergic drugs may increase the risk for dementia in older adults. The drugs implicated are commonly used, estimated to be taken by about 20% of the older adult population for many conditions. They include popular antihistamines sold over the counter as sleep aids, such […]

Treadmill running reverses cognitive declines due to Alzheimer’s disease

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 01/13/2015  Evidence Based Medicine Cho J, et al. – This study investigated the effect of treadmill running on cognitive declines in the early and advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The current findings suggest that treadmill running provides a non–pharmacologic means to combat cognitive declines due to AD pathology. […]

Changes in H-reflex and V-waves following spinal manipulation

Exp Brain Res. 2015 Jan 13. [Epub ahead of print] Changes in H-reflex and V-waves following spinal manipulation. Niazi IK, Türker KS, Flavel S, Kinget M, Duehr J, Haavik H. Abstract This study investigates whether spinal manipulation leads to neural plastic changes involving cortical drive and the H-reflex pathway. Soleus evoked V-wave, H-reflex, and M-wave […]

MS Clinical Focus: The Wahls Protocol

Terry Wahls, MD, talks about her popular regimen for progressive MS. by John Gever Managing Editor, MedPage Today With no clearly proven treatments available for progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), the door has been opened for what are usually called alternative or complementary therapies. One that has gained many adherents in the MS community […]

Meniscal Lesions May Help ID Patients With Severe Knee OA

Larry Hand January 16, 2015 Physicians may be able to predict which patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) will be subject to severe pain by determining whether meniscal lesions are contributing to neuropathic pain (NP) in the knee, according to an article published online December 14 in Arthritis Research & Therapy. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to make a diagnosis of […]

What is vitamin D’s role in multiple sclerosis? Four experts gave us their thoughts: Nancy L. Sicotte, MD, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles; Peter Riskind, MD, PhD, of University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, Mass.; Aaron Miller, MD, of the Icahn School of Medicine and Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City; […]

Capsaicin Patch for Post-Herpetic Neuralgia and HIV-Associated Neuropathy

RESEARCH · December 11, 2014 TAKE-HOME MESSAGE The authors of this meta-analysis of six studies examined predictors of response to a capsaicin patch (Qutenza®) for post-herpetic neuralgia and HIV-associated neuropathy. Patients most likely to have a sustained (>50% decrease in mean pain intensity) or complete (pain intensity score ≤1) response were those with lower baseline […]

Immediate Effects of Core Stability Exercises and Clinical Massage on Dynamic Balance Performance of Patients With Chronic Specific Low Back Pain.

Trampas A, Mpeneka A, Malliou V, Godolias G, Vlachakis P. J Sport Rehabil. 2014 Dec 4. [Epub ahead of print] Abstract CONTEXT: Previous studies showed improved dynamic balance performance after core stability (CS) exercises in chronic low back pain populations. Although clinical massage plus exercise are likely to better enhance analgesia than exercise alone, their […]

Tai Chi Improves Balance and May Prevent Falls in Elderly

Improvement of balance control ability and flexibility in the elderly Tai Chi Chuan practitioners: A systematic review and meta-analysis Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 12/08/2014  Evidence Based Medicine  Review Article Huang Y, et al. – In this study, the authors aim was to evaluate the effect of Tai Chi Chuan (TCC) on the balance control […]

Oral Resveratrol Stabilizes Amyloid in Alzheimer’s

Daniel M. Keller, PhD November 28, 2014 Story Source PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — High-dose oral resveratrol (RES) administration stabilized levels of amyloid-beta 40 (Aβ40) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma compared with placebo in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a phase 2 study shows. “We found that oral resveratrol and its major metabolites […]

Itching: An Underrecognized Symptom of Small-Fiber Neuropathies

Pruritus: An Underrecognized Symptom of Small-Fiber Neuropathies Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology TAKE-HOME MESSAGE Questionnaire responses from 41 patients with a diagnosis of small-fiber neuropathies (SFN) revealed that 68.3% had pruritus. Symptoms were worsened by fatigue, sweating, stress, xerosis, and hot ambient temperature. In contrast, symptoms were alleviated by cold water. Patients reported […]

Midlife T2D Tied to Later Cognitive Decline

Published: Dec 2, 2014 By Kristina Fiore, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Story Source Having type 2 diabetes in middle age was tied to cognitive decline later in life, researchers found. Having type 2 diabetes in middle age was tied to cognitive decline later in life, researchers found. In an analysis of data from the ARIC […]

Vitamin D Deficiency Predicts Cognitive Decline

Megan Brooks November 20, 2014 Story Source A new study supports a link between low levels of vitamin D and increased risk for cognitive decline, prompting calls for clinical trials to test whether vitamin D supplementation may delay or prevent dementia. In a group of cognitively intact older adults, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels below […]

Benzodiazepine use and risk of Alzheimer’s disease

Benzodiazepine use and risk of Alzheimer’s disease: case-control study BMJ, 11/09/2014 Clinical Article Abstract Objectives To investigate the relation between the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and exposure to benzodiazepines started at least five years before, considering both the dose-response relation and prodromes (anxiety, depression, insomnia) possibly linked with treatment. Design Case-control study. Setting The Quebec […]

Glenn Beck’s Life Changed at Carrick Brain Centers

Life-Changing ‘Pivot Point’ He Has Kept Hidden From Almost Everyone for Five Years Nov. 10, 2014 7:45pm Erica Ritz Story Source Glenn Beck on Monday revealed the true extent of his health issues, saying he can no longer keep what has happened a secret from his friends, his staff or audience, whom he considers to be […]

Chiropractic management of a patient with extraforaminal entrapment of L4 nerve with balance problem

J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2014 Nov 11. [Epub ahead of print] Chiropractic and rehabilitation management of a patient with extraforaminal entrapment of L4 nerve with balance problem. Alagha B. Abstract BACKGROUND: Disc herniation is one of the most common causes of low back pain with radicular pain. Among various types of disc herniation, the extraforaminal […]

Lyme Misdiagnosis Can Divert Patients From Correct Treatment

Larry Hand November 04, 2014 Misdiagnosis of chronic Lyme disease can cause delays in diagnosis and treatment for the actual conditions, according to a research letter published online November 3 in JAMA Internal Medicine. Christina Nelson, MD, MPH, from the Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, Colorado, write that chronic Lyme disease “is a […]