Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Neurology for May 2011. 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.
Cell Phones May Be Tied to Higher Risk of Glioma
TUESDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- Cell phones may be associated with an increased risk of brain cancer, a panel of experts reporting to the World Health Organization (WHO) announced May 31.
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Effect Estimates May Be Inflated in Biomarker Studies
TUESDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- Biomarker effects are often overestimated in highly cited studies compared to the effects reported in subsequent meta-analyses of the same associations, according to a review published in the June 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Stress and Abuse Not Linked to Multiple Sclerosis
TUESDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- Stress at home in adulthood and physical or sexual abuse in childhood or adolescence are not associated with the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in the May 31 issue of Neurology.
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Racial and Ethnic Disparities Exist in U.S. Stroke Care
MONDAY, May 30 (HealthDay News) -- Racial and ethnic minorities experience disparities in many aspects of stroke care as compared to whites, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association published online May 26 in Stroke.
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Most Intracerebral Hemorrhage Patients Develop Anemia
FRIDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) -- Anemia develops in the majority of patients who are hospitalized for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and transfusion of packed red blood cells (PRBC) is associated with improved outcome, according to a study published in the May issue of Neurosurgery.
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Chronic Pain Treatment May Reverse Brain Abnormalities
FRIDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment of chronic low back pain (CLBP) may reverse functional and structural brain abnormalities, according to a study published in the May 18 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
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Peripheral Nerve Injury May Cause Substantial Disability
FRIDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with peripheral upper-extremity nerve injury may have substantial disability and pain at more than six months following the injury, according to a study published in the May 18 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
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Changes in Sleep Duration May Impair Cognitive Function
FRIDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) -- Adverse changes in sleep duration -- too little or too much sleep -- in middle-aged people may have a detrimental effect on their cognitive function, according to research published in the May 1 issue of SLEEP.
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Majority of U.K. Hospitals Offer Child Head Trauma Care
FRIDAY, May 27 (HealthDay News) -- Although the majority of U.K. hospitals have an established pathway for managing head injuries in children, many hospitals are lacking on-site services to care for a critically ill child, according to a study published online May 23 in the Emergency Medicine Journal.
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Locomotor Training for Stroke Rehab Offers No Advantage
WEDNESDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- There is no significant difference between locomotor training and home exercise for rehabilitation after a stroke, according to a study published in the May 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Contact With Drug Industry Linked to Positive Attitudes
WEDNESDAY, May 25 (HealthDay News) -- The extent of contact that medical students have with the pharmaceutical industry is associated with positive attitudes about marketing, according to a review published online May 24 in PLoS Medicine.
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Vascular Disease May Increase Stroke or Death Risk in A-Fib
TUESDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- Vascular disease, such as peripheral artery disease (PAD) or prior myocardial infarction (MI), is an independent risk factor for stroke or death in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study published online April 19 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
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African-Americans With MS May Have Lower Vitamin D Levels
TUESDAY, May 24 (HealthDay News) -- African-Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS) may have lower serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, but disease severity is not associated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, according to a study published in the May 24 issue of Neurology.
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CT Fluoroscopy Superior to C-Arm in Disc Herniation
MONDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- Computed tomography (CT) fluoroscopy is clinically more effective and safer than C-arm fluoroscopy for cervical transforaminal steroid injections for treatment of patients with cervical disc herniation, according to a study published in the May issue of The Spine Journal.
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Increase in Developmental Disabilities in U.S. Children
MONDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- The prevalence of developmental disabilities increased in the United States from 1997 to 2008, according to a study published online May 23 in Pediatrics.
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Epidural Stimulation Helps Paralyzed Man Stand
FRIDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- A young man paralyzed from the chest down after an auto accident is able to stand for several minutes after undergoing epidural spinal cord stimulation, according to research published online May 20 in The Lancet.
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Many Medical Students Lack Confidence in Medical Law
FRIDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of medical students lack confidence in their knowledge and skills across many areas of medical law, according to a study published online May 16 in the Journal of Medical Ethics.
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Looking After a Spouse With Dementia May Affect Cognition
FRIDAY, May 20 (HealthDay News) -- An older person caring for a spouse with dementia may be at higher risk of cognitive impairment or dementia than a person who is not caring for a spouse with dementia, according to a review published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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Internet Gambling Ups Access for Those With Gambling Disorders
THURSDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- The increased availability of gambling opportunities has drawn attention to gambling disorders, which affect 0.2 to 5.3 percent of adults worldwide, according to a review published online May 19 in The Lancet.
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Binge Drinking Linked With Poor Declarative Memory
THURSDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- Binge drinking (BD) is correlated with poorer verbal declarative memory, irrespective of gender, according to a study published online May 16 in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
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Nerve Blockade May Reduce Acute Pain After Hip Surgery
THURSDAY, May 19 (HealthDay News) -- Nerve blockade may be effective for reducing acute pain after hip fracture, but evidence is lacking for most other pain management interventions, according to a review published online May 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Major Birth Defects Not Linked to Newer Antiepileptic Drugs
TUESDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to newer-generation antiepileptic drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy is not correlated with an increase in major birth defects in a Danish cohort of live-born infants, according to a study published in the May 18 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Heart Disease Risk Similar in Children Treated for ADHD
TUESDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Use of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) agents by children is not significantly associated with cardiovascular events or death, according to a study published online May 16 in Pediatrics.
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Atypical Early-Onset Alzheimer's Often Misdiagnosed
TUESDAY, May 17 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) who have atypical (non-memory) presentations, are frequently misdiagnosed, according to a study published in the May 17 issue of Neurology.
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Early Diagnoses of Autism Increasing in Massachusetts
MONDAY, May 16 (HealthDay News) -- Early diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are increasing in Massachusetts, especially among boys, according to a study published online May 16 in Pediatrics.
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Hydrogel Coils Tied to Lower Cerebral Aneurysm Recurrence
FRIDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- Use of hydrogel-coated coils (HydroCoil Embolic System [HES]) to treat patients with cerebral aneurysm may reduce the number of angiographic recurrences, but they have no impact on a composite of major angiographic recurrence and clinical status, according to a study published in the May 14 issue of The Lancet.
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Low Ratio of Index to Ring Finger Length Tied to ALS
FRIDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) -- A low ratio of index to ring finger length (2D:4D ratio), which is a surrogate marker for prenatal testosterone levels in both men and women, is found in individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
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Carotid Stenting Riskier Than Surgery in Women
THURSDAY, May 12 (HealthDay News) -- Women who undergo carotid artery stenting may be at higher risk for stroke than those who undergo endarterectomy, but little difference is seen between men who undergo one of the two blockage clearing procedures, according to research published online May 6 in The Lancet Neurology.
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Exogenous Estrogen Use Linked to Cerebral Aneurysms
WEDNESDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- Women who use oral contraceptive pills or hormone replacement therapy may be less likely to have a cerebral aneurysm, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery.
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Medical Education Participants Recognize Funding Bias
WEDNESDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- Although most medical professionals believe that commercial funding of continuing medical education (CME) introduces bias, most are not willing to pay higher fees to offset or eliminate such funding sources, according to a study published in the May 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Limited Evidence Exists for Alzheimer's Risk Factors
WEDNESDAY, May 11 (HealthDay News) -- The existing evidence is insufficient to draw firm conclusions about the association of any modifiable factor with the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a study published online May 9 in the Archives of Neurology.
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Cognitive Impairment Common in Oldest Old Women
TUESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- A substantial number of oldest old women, an increasing demographic, have some degree of cognitive impairment, according to research published in the May issue of the Archives of Neurology.
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Fourteen Percent of Ischemic Strokes Are Wake-Up Strokes
TUESDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- Wake-up strokes constitute a substantial percentage of all strokes and cannot be easily distinguished from non-wake-up strokes, according to a study published in the May 10 issue of Neurology.
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Observing Children With Head Injury Reduces CT Scan Use
MONDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Clinical observation is associated with reduced computed tomography (CT) use among children with minor blunt head trauma, according to a study published online May 9 in Pediatrics.
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Incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorders Underestimated
MONDAY, May 9 (HealthDay News) -- Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may be more prevalent in children than previously estimated and are found in children in mainstream schools as well as special education schools, according to a study published online May 9 in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
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Anesthesia in Infancy Not Linked to Poor Academic Scores
FRIDAY, May 6 (HealthDay News) -- Brief anesthetic exposure during a surgery in infancy does not reduce academic performance in adolescence, according to a study published in the May issue of Anesthesiology.
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Aneurysmal Rupture Triggers Include Drinking Coffee
THURSDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- Eight triggers that increase the risk of aneurysmal rupture have been identified, including drinking coffee and vigorous physical exercise, according to a study published online May 5 in Stroke.
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Being Social in Old Age May Prevent Cognitive Decline
THURSDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults who are more socially active may experience less cognitive decline in old age, according to a study published online April 8 in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.
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Individualized Guidelines May Improve Quality of Care
WEDNESDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- Individualized guidelines that calculate the risk reduction expected from treatment, and which rank individuals in order of decreasing expected benefit, may be useful for increasing the quality and reducing the cost of care, according to a study published in the May 3 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Autism Prevalence in England Similar in Adults and Children
WEDNESDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in adults in England is about 10 per 1,000, which is similar to that seen in children, and prevalence does not appear to be associated with age, according to research published in the May issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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Cerebral Cortex Enlargement Found in Children With Autism
WEDNESDAY, May 4 (HealthDay News) -- Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have generalized cerebral cortical enlargement with disproportionate enlargement in temporal lobe white matter, according to a study published in the May issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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Midlife Obesity Linked to Increased Risk of Dementia
TUESDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Being overweight or obese in midlife may increase the risk of dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VaD), according to a study published in the May 3 issue of Neurology.
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Baseline Psychiatric Status Tied to Postdeployment PTSD
TUESDAY, May 3 (HealthDay News) -- Psychiatric status at baseline and deployment-related physical injuries are correlated with screening positive for postdeployment posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, according to a study published in the May issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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Maternal Age Is One Predictor of Child's Poor Development
MONDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Maternal age below 20 years at the time of birth is one of a number of factors that may predict a child's poor development, according to a study published online May 2 in Pediatrics.
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Young Americans Do Not Consider Stroke Health Threat
MONDAY, May 2 (HealthDay News) -- Most young Americans believe their current health behaviors will not affect their future risks of stroke and cardiovascular diseases, according to results of a survey released on May 2 by the American Stroke Association.
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