Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Neurology for March 2017. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Vertical Integration Insurance Products of Higher Quality
FRIDAY, March 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Insurance products offered by hospitals and health systems, known as vertical integration, are generally of higher quality than other contracts, according to a study published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
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90 Percent of U.S. Physicians Satisfied With Career Choice
FRIDAY, March 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Nine out of 10 American doctors are happy with their choice of profession, even though they have some challenges, according to an American Medical Association (AMA) survey of 1,200 doctors, residents, and medical students, conducted in February.
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Brain Changes May Mark Risk of Financial Exploitation in Seniors
FRIDAY, March 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For older adults, financial exploitation is associated with brain differences in regions associated with socioemotional functioning, according to a study published online March 28 in the Journals of Gerontology: Series A.
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C-Section, Maternal Health Impact Odds of Pediatric MS
FRIDAY, March 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal and perinatal factors that influence the risk of pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) include cesarean delivery and maternal health during pregnancy, according to a study published in the April issue of Pediatrics.
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Proton Pump Inhibitor Use Ups Pneumonia Risk in Dementia
THURSDAY, March 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with dementia, proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use is associated with increased risk of pneumonia, according to a study published online March 21 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields Tied to ALS Death
THURSDAY, March 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- There seems to be a positive association for extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) exposure with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mortality in men, according to research published online March 29 in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
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Chronic Tension-Type Headache Tied to Cognitive Impairment
THURSDAY, March 30, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with chronic tension-type headache (CTTH) have impairments in cognitive ability and dysfunction in the neuroendocrine state, according to a study published online March 24 in Pain Practice.
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Study Explores Links Between Zika, GBS, Microcephaly in Brazil
WEDNESDAY, March 29, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The causal links between Zika virus (ZIKV) infection, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), and microcephaly need to be further clarified, according to a letter to the editor published online March 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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FDA Approves Ocrevus to Treat Severe Form of Multiple Sclerosis
WEDNESDAY, March 29, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The intravenous drug Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adults with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) and relapsing forms of the disease, the agency said Wednesday in a news release.
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Hepatitis B, C Linked to Higher Subsequent Rates of Parkinson's
WEDNESDAY, March 29, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals with hepatitis B and hepatitis C have increased rates of subsequent Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a study published online March 29 in Neurology.
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Arm, Hand Function Restored in Tetraplegic Patient
WEDNESDAY, March 29, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with high-cervical spinal cord injury, reaching and grasping using the paralyzed arm, reanimated through functional electrical stimulation (FES) + commanded using cortical signals through an intracortical brain-computer interface (iBCI), is feasible, according to a proof-of-concept demonstration study published online March 28 in The Lancet.
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Regular Exercise Slows Decline Even in Advanced Parkinson's Dz
TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), regular exercise is associated with significant positive effects on health-related quality of life (HRQL), especially in advanced PD, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease.
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TV Ads for ACA Enrollment Linked to Decline in Uninsured Rates
TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The volume of insurance advertisements during the first Affordable Care Act enrollment period correlated with change in uninsurance rates, with a higher volume of television advertisements linked to declines in uninsurance, according to a study published online March 15 in Health Affairs.
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ACP Issues Challenge to Cut Task Burden and Put Patients First
TUESDAY, March 28, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- In a position paper published online March 28 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, recommendations are presented to address the impact of administrative tasks and reduce the administrative burden on clinicians.
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Paid Malpractice Claims Cut in Half From 1992 to 2014 in U.S.
MONDAY, March 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- From 1992 to 2014 there was a decrease in the rate of malpractice claims paid on behalf of physicians in the United States, but mean compensation amounts increased, according to a study published online March 27 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Impact of Breastfeeding on Child Development May Be Short-Lived
MONDAY, March 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Breastfeeding has only one positive benefit on children's cognitive and noncognitive development after propensity score-matching, according to a study published online March 27 in Pediatrics.
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Suicide Risk Not Up With New Rx of 5α-Reductase Inhibitor for BPH
MONDAY, March 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For older men, initiation of a new prescription of a 5α-reductase inhibitor for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia is not associated with increased risk of suicide, according to a study published online March 20 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Review: Several Classes of Drugs Treat Pain of Diabetic Neuropathy
MONDAY, March 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Several classes of drugs reduce neuropathy-related pain better than placebo, according to a review published online March 24 in Neurology.
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REACH II, VA Did Not Increase Spending in Dementia Care
FRIDAY, March 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Caregiver participation in Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregivers Health (REACH II or REACH VA) behavioral interventions is not associated with increased Veterans Affairs or Medicare expenditures, according to a study published online March 13 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Smell Loss Predicts Mortality Irrespective of Dementia
FRIDAY, March 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Poor odor identification and poor self-reported olfactory function are associated with greater likelihood of earlier mortality, according to a study published online March 22 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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30-Day Mortality Down During Joint Commission Survey Weeks
THURSDAY, March 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patients admitted to the hospital during The Joint Commission on-site inspections (surveys) have reduced mortality compared to that seen during non-survey weeks, according to research published online March 20 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Single Dose of SSRI Prompted Healthy Food Choices During Test
THURSDAY, March 23, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram is associated with making more healthy food choices, according to a study published online recently in Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience.
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Pregabalin Doesn't Cut Intensity of Sciatica-Linked Leg Pain
WEDNESDAY, March 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Pregabalin does not significantly reduce the intensity of leg pain associated with sciatica, according to a study published in the March 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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FDA Approves New Parkinson's Add-On Drug Xadago
WEDNESDAY, March 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Xadago (safinamide) tablets have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an add-on drug to treat Parkinson's patients who take levodopa or carbidopa but experience "off" episodes.
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Vitamin E, Selenium Don't Prevent Dementia in Older Men
WEDNESDAY, March 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Neither vitamin E, selenium, nor the combination prevents dementia in asymptomatic older men, according to a study published online March 20 in JAMA Neurology.
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Higher Risk of Death From Injury Among Individuals With Autism
WEDNESDAY, March 22, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals with autism have an increased risk of death from injury, with suffocation, asphyxiation, and drowning identified as the leading causes of injury mortality, according to a study published online March 21 in the American Journal of Public Health.
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Black, Asian Medical Students Less Likely to Be AΩA Members
TUESDAY, March 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Black and Asian medical students are less likely to be members of the Alpha Omega Alpha (AΩA) honor society than white students, according to a study published online March 6 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Prenatal DHA Supplementation Doesn't Increase IQ at Age 7
TUESDAY, March 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Prenatal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation does not affect IQ at age 7 years, according to a research letter published in the March 21 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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ω-3 Essential Fatty Acids May Protect Corneal Nerves in Dry Eye
TUESDAY, March 21, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Oral, long-chain omega-3 (ω-3) essential fatty acid (EFA) supplementation is neuroprotective to corneal nerves for patients with dry eye disease, according to a study published online March 12 in Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics.
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New Device for Peripheral Nerve Stim Cuts Chronic Low Back Pain
MONDAY, March 20, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A novel method of short-term percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) is useful for producing pain relief and reducing medication use among patients with chronic low back pain (LBP), according to a case report published online March 14 in Pain Practice.
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Los Angeles eConsult Program Can Reduce Wait Times
FRIDAY, March 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Implementation of an electronic system for provision of specialty care was rapidly adopted in Los Angeles, and it can reduce wait times to see specialists, according to a study published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
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Shorter Length of Stay Tied to Earlier Readmission for Seniors
FRIDAY, March 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For older patients discharged from the hospital to post-acute care (PAC) facilities, shorter length of hospital stay is associated with earlier readmission, according to a study published online March 3 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Patients Have High Confidence in Self-Testing INR
FRIDAY, March 17, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Most patients have high confidence in self-testing their international normalized ratio (INR), according to a study published online Feb. 23 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.
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Appeals Court Upholds Restaurant Salt Warning
THURSDAY, March 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- An Empire State appeals court has upheld the New York City health department rule that requires restaurants to warn customers about menu items that exceed the 2,300 mg daily recommended sodium limit, according to a report from the American Medical Association (AMA).
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Foreign Body Ingestion Can Result in Movement Disorder
THURSDAY, March 16, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Ingestion of a foreign body can result in sudden onset of movement disorder in young children, according to a case report published online March 15 in Pediatrics.
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Women Underrepresented Among Grand Rounds Speakers
WEDNESDAY, March 15, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Women seem to be underrepresented among academic grand rounds (GR) speakers, according to a research letter published online March 6 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Many A-Fib Patients Not Getting Appropriate Anticoagulation Rx
TUESDAY, March 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Many patients with atrial fibrillation who experience a stroke may not have been on appropriate anticoagulation therapy, according to a study published in the March 14 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Support for Health Law Up to 48 Percent in February
TUESDAY, March 14, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Support for the health law is increasing, with most Americans feeling that Medicaid should continue as it is today, according to a report published by Kaiser Health News.
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Higher Spending by Physicians Not Tied to Better Outcomes
MONDAY, March 13, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Medicare patients treated by higher-spending physicians are just as likely to be readmitted or die within 30 days of being admitted to the hospital as patients treated by doctors who order fewer or less-expensive tests and treatments, according to a study published online March 13 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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ACA's Medicaid Expansion May Pose Challenges to Timely Care
THURSDAY, March 9, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- People living in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are less likely to be uninsured or struggling with the strain of unpaid medical bills, but they also seem to have increased difficulty receiving timely care, according to research published in the March 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Off-Label Donepezil Rx for MCI Could Be Risky for Some Patients
WEDNESDAY, March 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Donepezil should not be prescribed to patients with mild cognitive impairment without first giving them a genetic test, according to research published recently in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
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Obesity in Early Pregnancy May Up Rate of Cerebral Palsy
WEDNESDAY, March 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal obesity may be associated with risk of cerebral palsy in full-term infants, according to a study published in the March 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Diet Tied to Large Proportion of Cardiometabolic Deaths
WEDNESDAY, March 8, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Nearly half of all deaths from heart disease, stroke, and diabetes in the United States are associated with diets that lack certain foods and nutrients, such as vegetables, and exceed optimal levels of others, like salt, according to a study published in the March 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Five Million American Seniors Now Living With Alzheimer's
TUESDAY, March 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Alzheimer's disease claims nearly twice as many American lives annually as it did just 15 years ago, according to the 2017 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report, published March 7 by the Alzheimer's Association.
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Migraine Consistently Tied to Cervical Artery Dissection
TUESDAY, March 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Cervical arterial dissection (CEAD) increases risk of ischemic stroke (IS), and appears related to history of migraine headaches in some younger adults, according to a study published online March 6 in JAMA Neurology.
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Republicans Introduce Affordable Care Act Replacement
TUESDAY, March 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- An initial Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act was formally introduced in the House of Representatives on Monday.
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Most Health Care Providers Can Offer Cost Estimate
MONDAY, March 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Most provider organizations can offer a cost estimate, although few patients request one, according to a report published by Becker's Hospital CFO.
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Guidelines Updated for Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
MONDAY, March 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- In a clinical practice guideline published in the March issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, updated recommendations are presented for the diagnosis and management of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).
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Neurofeedback Aids in Reducing Chemo-Related Nerve Damage
MONDAY, March 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Learning to control brain waves with neurofeedback appears to help cancer survivors ease symptoms of chronic chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), according to a study published online March 3 in Cancer.
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Quality Improvement Project Can Reduce Pediatric Head CT Use
MONDAY, March 6, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- A quality improvement (QI) project can decrease use of computed tomography (CT) in the emergency department for children with head injury, according to a study published online March 2 in Pediatrics.
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Judgement Bias in Medical Device Recall Decisions
FRIDAY, March 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- The characteristics of the signal in user feedback of adverse events associated with medical devices and the situated context of decision makers correlate with judgement bias in reacting to these adverse events, according to research published online Jan. 29 in Production and Operations Management.
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Insecticides Linked to Behavioral Issues in Children
FRIDAY, March 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Children exposed to a widely-used group of insecticides (pyrethroids) may be at increased risk for behavioral problems, according to a study published online March 1 in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.
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CDC: Odds of Birth Defects Up 20-Fold in Mothers With Zika
FRIDAY, March 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnant women infected with the Zika virus are 20 times more likely to have an infant born with certain birth defects as mothers who gave birth before the Zika epidemic began, according to research published in the March 3 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Wide Variation Found for Amount of Melatonin in Supplements
THURSDAY, March 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Many over-the-counter melatonin products are inaccurately labeled, according to a study published in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.
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Overall, 8.8 Percent of U.S. Population Uninsured in 2016
THURSDAY, March 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Overall, 8.8 percent of individuals of all ages were uninsured in the first nine months of 2016, which marked a nonsignificant reduction from 2015, according to a Feb. 14 report from the National Center for Health Statistics.
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Specific Autoimmune Diseases Tied to Subsequent Dementia Risk
THURSDAY, March 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with autoimmune diseases appear to have an increased risk of developing dementia, according to a study published online March 1 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
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Wireless Stimulation Device May Help Reduce Migraine Pain
THURSDAY, March 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Remote nonpainful electrical upper arm skin stimulation may be a promising new treatment for migraines, particularly when applied early in an attack, according to a study published online March 1 in Neurology.
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Past Prescribing Behavior Predicts Choice of Insomnia Rx
THURSDAY, March 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- In treatment of insomnia, historical preference for a certain medication is highly predictive of future prescribing behavior, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in Scientific Reports.
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Care Setting Affects Management of Carotid Artery Stenosis
THURSDAY, March 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- For individuals with a diagnosis of carotid artery stenosis, the likelihood of undergoing procedural management is increased for those treated in a fee-for-service system compared with a salary-based setting, according to a study published online March 1 in JAMA Surgery.
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Poor Knowledge of Charcot Neuroarthropathy Reported
WEDNESDAY, March 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Most non-foot specialist clinical faculty members at a large academic institution have poor or complete lack of knowledge of Charcot neuroarthropathy (CN), according to a study published online Feb. 8 in Clinical Diabetes and Endocrinology.
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Subdural Hematomas Rising Alongside Antithrombotic Use
WEDNESDAY, March 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Antithrombotic drug use is associated with increased risk of subdural hematoma, according to a study published in the Feb. 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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