MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'american academy of neurology'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:54:29 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560273&cid=t_209247_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fibuprofen-parkinsons-study-few-news-organizations-report-on-it-accurately%2F2011.03.08 We’re delighted to see that USA Today, Reuters, and WebMD were among the news organizations that included what an editorial writer said about an observational study linking ibuprofen use with fewer cases of Parkinson’s disease. All three news organizations used some version of what editorial writer Dr. James Bower of the Mayo Clinic wrote or said: “Whenever in epidemiology you find an association, that does not mean causation.” “An association does not prove causation.” “There could be other explanations for the ibuprofen-Parkinson’s connection.” Kudos to those news organizations. And some praise goes to the journal Neurology for publishing Dr. Bower’s editorial to accompany the study. His piece is entitled, “Is the answer... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560273 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:00:43 +0100 4560273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4414519&cid=t_209247_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdeep-brain-stimulation-a-new-treatment-for-hard-to-control-high-blood-pressure%2F2011.01.29 An unexpected discovery out of Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, UK showed that deep brain stimulation (DBS) can lower blood pressure, even in cases in which drugs are unsuccessful. The discovery reportedly occurred when a 55-year-old patient received a deep brain stimulator to treat his pain from central pain syndrome that developed after a stroke. At the time of the stroke, the patient was diagnosed with high blood pressure, which could not be controlled despite taking four different drugs. The deep brain stimulator was largely unsuccessful at controlling the patient’s pain, but amazingly it decreased his blood pressure enough that he could stop taking all four medications. Researchers confirmed the effects of the deep brain stimulator by turning it on and off over a three-year period,... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4414519 Sat, 29 Jan 2011 23:00:01 +0100 4414519 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4372145&cid=t_209247_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fwill-cleaning-your-blood-help-when-ms-flares%2F Plasmapheresis (from the Greek for “taking away something molded”) is a process by which the blood is removed, filtered, and replaced over a period of one to a few hours. In the past half century, plasmapheresis has evolved in its technology but is still based upon the same theory with which it began as a late 19th century dairy separator. In the 1950s, with the advent of more advanced machinery, medical researchers began to look at how “cleaning” the blood might affect disease function. By the 1970s plasmapheresis had become one of the few treatments for muscular dystrophy (MD). This weekend, the American Academy of Neurology posted its recommendations that plasmapheresis be added to our arsenal as a “secondary treatment for severe flares in relapsing forms of MS…” It is imp... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4372145 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:58:26 +0100 4372145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4125130&cid=t_209247_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FVatlCX5Q93U%2F Conclusions The new Purdue findings suggest that even hits not leading to concussions can affect the brain. Although the results come from a very small number of players and will have to be replicated, they are quite concerning. The study involved young high-school players whose brain is not mature yet. Their brain is thus still very plastic and seem to recover quickly, after a few month without football. But what about older players’ brains that may have less ability to compensate for blows? Previous studies have linked repeated concussion to Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia. For instance, Guskiewicz et al (2005) have found that retired professional players (average age of 53.8 years and an average football career of 6.6 years) with three or more reported concussions have a ... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4125130 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:33:10 +0100 4125130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3443860&cid=t_209247_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fccsvi-ms-breaking-news%2F This just in from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and The National MS Society (NMSS) (I feel like such a reporter when things like this land in my in-box!) The AAN and NMSS will be co-sponsoring a live webcast on the topic of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) next week, and we’re all invited! A panel of experts will include Dr. Paolo Zamboni himself (the founder of the CCSI/MS theory) as well as two North American researchers studying Dr. Zamboni’s theory along with the Director of the MS Center at Mount Siani. The program is slated to be 90-minutes and begin at 12:00, Noon (EDT) on Wednesday, April 14th. I’ve just registered and encourage all of you to do the same! For those of you unfamiliar with CCSVI, we’ve posted we’ve posted several entries on the ... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3443860 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:30:03 +0100 3443860 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820460&cid=t_209247_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Feuropean-multiple-sclerosis-news%2F Last month, the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) held its annual congress in Germany.  I haven’t even begun to pore over the information that was discussed at this important conference. This past spring, as you may recall, I blogged “live” from the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting here in Seattle.  Though a trip to Düsseldorf was kind of out of our budget range, I wanted to give you a link to someone who did make the trip and video blogged from the Congress for MS World. Dr. Daniel Kantor attended the conference and posted daily information.  I’ve found the audio quality a bit shaky on some parts of the videos but overall they are worth a look.  You may remember MS World from our “Tech Resources” posting from thi... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820460 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:35:48 +0100 2820460 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2405780&cid=t_209247_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fthe-ms-walking-pill-coming-soon%2F There’s an old saying, “The job’s not finished until the paperwork is done.” And there are no sticklers for paperwork like the US Government.  At least I suspect that’s the way the folks at Acorda Therapeutics must have felt when their application for review of a new multiple sclerosis drug, Fampradine-SR was turned away for “formatting issues” on the application forms. The good news for people living with multiple sclerosis, released at the American Academy of Neurology’s meeting two weeks ago, is that Acorda has fixed the issue and the new drug is back on approval track. Fampradine-SR (4-aminopyridine or 4-AP) isn’t a disease modifying therapy (DMT) like the shots/infusions we take for our MS now.  It’s not one of the touted “Single Cell” drugs from pharma compa... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2405780 Wed, 13 May 2009 17:15:47 +0100 2405780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2390146&cid=t_209247_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fthe-annual-aan-conference-wrap-up%2F If you don’t mind affording me the indulgence, I’d like to take a few moments today to reflect upon an exceptional past week at the annual American Academy of Neurology (AAN) conference. On Friday I sat in the nearly deserted press room which reeked of sterno-heated coffee and hard-boiled reporters.  I was surrounded by scores of press releases, conference schedules and course abstracts neatly stacked for the recycle bin. Last week thousands of medical professionals attended the AAN conference for us.  Whatever your opinion of the “western medical system” may be, being shoulder to shoulder in more than one standing room only session was a heartening experience. Sessions in which new findings on drug therapies were announced were so heavily attended that even event organizers were... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2390146 Mon, 04 May 2009 19:26:21 +0100 2390146 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2382670&cid=t_209247_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Flive-from-the-aan-oral-drugs-for-ms%2F All this week, we’ve been blogging live from the American Academy of Neurology’s annual conference in Seattle, Washington.  Today, we take time for a brief look into the future of multiple sclerosis drug treatments. The question I hear from nearly every person living with MS (and one I ask myself often) is, “How long before oral MS drugs are on the market?”  With the announcement of two new studies on such oral therapies, one must assume it will be relatively soon.  Or maybe it would be more politically correct to say that application to the FDA will happen soon.  How long they take to approve the treatments is an unknown factor. Both Clabridine and Fingolimod are oral drugs which are in the concluding stages of Phase III clinical trials.  Both announced results of said studie... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2382670 Fri, 01 May 2009 22:27:00 +0100 2382670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2380991&cid=t_209247_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Faan-conference-update-new-info-on-old-ms-drugs%2F One of the most surprising (at least to me) bits of information I’ve gleaned thus far from the AAN conference has to do with our “old” MS drugs. For years we’ve heard that the interferons and glatiramer acetate drugs, known as “MS Platform Therapy” have been about 30 percent effective.  This number has to do with reduction in number, frequency and severity of MS attacks.  Come to find out, they’re much more effective than that! In one presentation I attended, the speaker made special note to pay attention to efficacy numbers as we looked at several treatment studies. In this presentation, the doctor was showing several new drug studies and how the new regimes are fairing in relation to both placebo and other MS therapy drugs.  There are many fac... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2380991 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:03:02 +0100 2380991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376482&cid=t_209247_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Faan-conference-update-how-important-is-the-mri%2F Yesterday at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) conference, my focus was on the imaging technologies available to our neurologic team.  We all know about Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) but I had no idea of the other parts of MRI that are involved Tesla (magnetic ratings) of the MRI machines range from T-1 through experimental T-7 strengths.  Names like Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), Functional MRI (FMRI), Magnetization Transfer Ratio (MTR), FLAIR, and 3-Dimentional Double Inversion recovery (3d DIR) lead me to believe that I might be on the verge of learning loads of new information about what that MRI can tell my docs. If anything a term new to me, “MRI/Clinical Paradox” seems to be enhanced, not reduced, by these deeper more clear looks inside our brains. This parad... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376482 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:48:46 +0100 2376482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2376483&cid=t_209247_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Flive-from-the-aan-conference-opening-weekend%2F Greetings from the American Academy of Neurology’s annual conference in Seattle, Washington! I hope everyone’s weekend was splendid. Mine was some kind of busy here. I spent the first half of opening day in the press room organizing my schedule for the week. Last Friday I wrote, “The volume of information on MS at this conference is staggering!” Boy, I had no idea! There are nearly 275 multiple sclerosis posters to be presented alone this week. Couple that with the great seminars, full & half day programs and informative speeches by research leaders. Wrap it up with a massive trade-show exhibition and I’ve got my work cut out for me. I’m not a stupid person but more than my fair share of information will be streaming over my noggin at any one time during this thing. Most in... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2376483 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:06:32 +0100 2376483 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365300&cid=t_209247_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.everydayhealth.com%2Fblog%2Ftrevis-life-with-multiple-sclerosis-ms%2Fall-ms-all-the-time%2F The title refers to what several non-MS neurologists are calling the annual conference of the American Academy of Neurology, to be held next week in my hometown of Seattle, Washington.  They say that jokingly because multiple sclerosis is taking a prominent spotlight in this year’s event and you’ll be there!  Well, sort of… I’ll be attending the event this year with a press pass and reporting live from the conference all week long.  Our stalwart editor and community producer, Natalie, has agreed to the extra work of posting something from me every day during the event. There are hundreds of pages of event itinerary to be scanned for exactly which speeches, presentations and events I’ll want to attend.  The volume of information on MS in total is staggering! Also, and I’m ve... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365300 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:47:35 +0100 2365300 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1911656&cid=t_209247_129_f&fid=36038&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.healthtalk.com%2Fmultiple-sclerosis%2Flife-with-ms%2Fcampath-reverses-ms-symptoms-why-are-we-just-now-hearing-about-this%2F Did your e-mail box fill up like mine did this past weekend about the news on Campath? I guess it is proof of two things; the power of a press release and the longing for the next “big thing” in multiple sclerosis research. Starting on the 22nd of the month, I began to get notes from friends with MS about a BBC press release touting the success of a “new” MS drug. Usually these kind of emails are from friends and family in the “community” not people living with MS. The generic name of the drug is called alemtuzumab with brand name of Campath. Campath has been in multiple sclerosis trials for a while now. In fact, I was surprised at the attention everyone was paying the release when results from the study were first announced in April of this year at the ... Life with MS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1911656 Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:32:47 +0100 1911656