Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Neurology for September 2014. 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.
Spinal Cord Stimulation Feasible for Diabetic Neuropathy
TUESDAY, Sept. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (PDPN), spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a successful treatment, according to a study published online Sept. 11 in Diabetes Care.
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American Academy of Neurology Issues Opioid Guidelines
TUESDAY, Sept. 30, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The risks of opioids outweigh their benefits for treating chronic noncancer pain such as chronic headaches, low back pain, and fibromyalgia, according to a new statement from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).
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'Just-in-Time' Methodology Can Reduce Patient Waiting Times
MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Having trainee physicians review cases prior to clinic hours can reduce patient waiting times, flow times, and clinic session times, according to a study published online Sept. 16 in Pain Medicine. The management process studied was first popularized by Toyota in Japan.
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AMA Launches Three Programs for Physician Wellness
MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians' personal health is a global concern and three initiatives are being developed to encourage positive change, according to a report from the American Medical Association (AMA).
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Insulin Increases Resting-State Functional Connectivity in T2DM
MONDAY, Sept. 29, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For older adults with type 2 diabetes, a single dose of intranasal insulin increases resting-state brain functional connectivity, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in Diabetes.
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NIH Funds Study of Malpractice Risk, Cardiac Testing Incentives
FRIDAY, Sept. 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The National Institutes of Health has granted $2 million to study the effect of malpractice risk and financial incentives on cardiac testing.
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Experiences Trump Things, Even Before Purchase
FRIDAY, Sept. 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People derive value from the anticipation of purchasing something, and this anticipation tends to be greater for an experiential purchase than for a material purchase, according to a study published online Aug. 21 in Psychological Science.
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Balance Impairment in MS Involves Multiple Systems
FRIDAY, Sept. 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Balance impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS) involves constraints across multiple systems and consequently necessitates multimodal treatment, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Clinical Outcomes Management.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Beats Tai Chi for Insomnia
FRIDAY, Sept. 26, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is better than tai chi for late-life insomnia, according to a study published in the September issue of SLEEP.
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Can Media Multitasking Alter Your Brain?
THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Multitasking with smartphones, laptop computers, and other media devices could change the structure of your brain, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in PLOS ONE.
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NSAIDs Tied to Risk of Venous Thromboembolism
THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may increase risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), according to new research published online Sept. 24 in Rheumatology.
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Memory Slips in Senior Years May Signal Dementia Risk
THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Healthy elderly people who begin reporting memory lapses are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with dementia roughly a decade later, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in Neurology.
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Kidney Disease Doesn't Bar Thrombolytic Therapy in Stroke
THURSDAY, Sept. 25, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Intravenous (IV) thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke (IS) is not contraindicated in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to research published online Sept. 23 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
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Meditation May Benefit Those Who Suffer From Migraines
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a safe and practical intervention for adults with migraine headaches, according to research published online July 18 in Headache.
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Few Children Taking ADHD Drugs Also Getting Psychotherapy
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Few children who take medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder also undergo behavioral therapy, and the rates vary six-fold across counties in the United States, according to a research letter published online Sept. 22 in JAMA Pediatrics.
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Report Identifies Game Changers for U.S. Health Care
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Imagine if doctors and hospitals got paid for providing better care, not more care, and patients had better data for making informed health choices. A new report suggests that's the direction the U.S. health system is headed.
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Most Doctors Are Over-Extended or at Full Capacity
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Most physicians report being over-extended or at full capacity, according to a survey conducted by Merritt Hawkins for The Physicians Foundation.
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FDA Warns Doctors of Danger From 'Fake' Drugs
TUESDAY, Sept. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The number of "rogue" wholesale distributors selling fake or unapproved prescription drugs is growing, so doctors need to be vigilant when purchasing medicines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Tuesday.
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Generic Discount Drug Program Use Has Increased Over Time
TUESDAY, Sept. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Use of the generic discount drug program (GDDP) for filling prescriptions with generic drugs has increased since its introduction, according to a research letter published online Sept 22 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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NIH Adds $10M to Encourage Gender Balance in Clinical Trials
TUESDAY, Sept. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. National Institutes of Health is investing $10 million in additional funding in scientific trials to encourage researchers to consider gender in their preclinical and clinical studies.
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Statins May Improve Hemorrhagic Stroke Outcomes
TUESDAY, Sept. 23, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Patients taking statin medication while in the hospital for a hemorrhagic stroke are more than four times more likely to survive than people who aren't taking the drugs, according to a new study. The findings were published online Sept. 22 in JAMA Neurology.
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Low Iron Intake During Pregnancy Linked to Autism Risk
MONDAY, Sept. 22, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Taking iron supplements as prescribed may play a role in reducing the risk of having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to research published online Sept. 22 in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
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Tight Glucose Control Doesn't Prevent Strokes Long Term
FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A six-year study of people with type 2 diabetes shows that intensively lowering blood pressure has a long-lasting effect in preventing heart attacks, strokes, and deaths, but intensive blood glucose control does not. The findings were published online Sept. 19 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with presentation of the findings at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Vienna.
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Systemwide Changes Needed to Restrain Health Care Spending
FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Systemwide changes are necessary to prevent excessive health care spending, and so are tools to help consumers make better, more informed medical choices, according to a white paper published in June by Vitals.
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Presence of Peers Ups Health Workers' Hand Hygiene
FRIDAY, Sept. 19, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The presence of other health care workers improves hand hygiene adherence, according to a study published in the October issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
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Strategies Can Help Docs Lower Their Tax Burden
THURSDAY, Sept. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Strategies are presented to help physicians lower their tax burden in an article published Sept. 2 in Medical Economics.
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One Dose of Antidepressant Changes Brain Connectivity
THURSDAY, Sept. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Just a single dose of a common antidepressant can quickly alter the way brain cells communicate with one another, according to early research published online Sept. 18 in Current Biology.
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CDC: Almost Everyone Needs a Flu Shot
THURSDAY, Sept. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Less than half of all Americans got a flu shot last year, so U.S. health officials on Thursday urged that everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated for the coming flu season. "It's really unfortunate that half of Americans are not getting the protection from flu they could get," said Thomas Frieden, M.D., director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during a morning news conference.
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Migraines in Middle Age Tied to Increased Risk of Parkinson's
THURSDAY, Sept. 18, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Migraines in midlife may be associated with increased odds of developing Parkinson's disease or other movement disorders in later years, according to research published online Sept. 17 in Neurology.
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Internists Report Considerable EMR-Linked Time Loss
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Use of electronic medical record (EMR) systems is associated with considerable loss of free time per clinic day, according to a research letter published online Sept. 8 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Doctors Promoting Transparency With Patients
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Efforts to increase transparency among doctors are underway, according to an article published in The Boston Globe.
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Over a Quarter of Hospital Orders Classified As Defensive
TUESDAY, Sept. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- More than one-quarter of hospital medicine services were rated by ordering physicians as at least a partially defensive order, according to a research letter published online Sept. 15 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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Surgeon's Specialty Has Limited Effect on Spinal Surgery Outcome
MONDAY, Sept. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Surgical specialty has limited influence on short-term outcomes after elective spine surgery, with differences noted for transfusions and length of stay, according to a study published online Sept. 1 in Spine.
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Errata Frequently Seen in Medical Literature
MONDAY, Sept. 15, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Errata, including those that may materially change the interpretation of data, are frequent in medical publications, according to a study published in the August issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
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New Role of Patient As Consumer Requires Market Changes
FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The new consumer retail market in U.S. health care is necessary and will benefit consumers, and as consumers take on more costs of care, access to information to help them make informed decisions is crucial, according to a recent white paper published by Vitals.
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Mechanism Proposed for Nicotine Gateway Hypothesis
FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Mechanisms underlying nicotine use as a gateway to cocaine use have been proposed in a Shattuck lecture published in the Sept. 4 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Adding Antipsychotic Med May Improve Behavior in ADHD
FRIDAY, Sept. 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Adding an antipsychotic medication, such as risperidone, to stimulant therapy and parent training may improve parent ratings for behavioral problems in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
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Physician Describes Impact of Malpractice Suit
THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A family doctor who was involved in a malpractice suit describes the impact on her practice of medicine in an article published online in the September/October issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
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Fear About Disease Progression Prompts ER Returns
THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Perceived inability to access timely follow-up care and uncertainty and fear about disease progression are the main reasons for return visits to the emergency department, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.
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White Matter Measure Predicts Longer Concussion Recovery
THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A measure of white matter in the brain, particularly in males, is an independent predictor of longer time to symptom resolution (TSR) after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), according to a study published in the September issue of Radiology.
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AB Blood Type May Be Linked to Risk of Memory Loss
THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Blood group AB and higher factor VIII are associated with increased incidence of cognitive impairment, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in Neurology.
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Benzodiazepine Use Linked to Increased Alzheimer's Risk
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Benzodiazepine use is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, with exposure density correlating with increased strength of association, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in BMJ.
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Reanalyses of RCTs Can Lead to Different Conclusions
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- More than one-third of the small number of reanalyses of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have implied conclusions different from those of the original articles, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Low-Dose Fish Oil Cuts Seizures in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, low-dose fish oil can reduce seizures compared with placebo, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.
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Meds of Questionable Benefit Often Prescribed to Elderly
TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Medications of questionable benefit are often prescribed for patients with advanced dementia, adding substantially to the costs of care, according to research published online Sept. 8 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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For Some, Health Insurance More Costly Than Uninsured Penalty
TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For some young people in the United States, the cost of paying a penalty for not buying health insurance will be lower than the lowest-cost insurance, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Disk Replacement Preserves Long-Term Spinal Motion
TUESDAY, Sept. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- For treatment of degenerative cervical disk disorders in young patients, artificial disk replacement can preserve the motion of the spinal unit, according to a study published in the September issue of Spine.
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Report Explores Patients' Portal Preferences
MONDAY, Sept. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Patients want portals that include features such as appointment scheduling, viewing test results, and checking prescription refills, and are frustrated with unresponsive staff and poor interfaces, according to a report published by Software Advice.
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Health Care Spending Expected to Rise in 2014 Through 2023
MONDAY, Sept. 8, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- While health spending growth was slow in 2013, health spending is expected to increase in 2014 and remain higher through 2023, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in Health Affairs.
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High Potassium Intake in Older Women Tied to Lower Stroke Risk
FRIDAY, Sept. 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- High potassium intake in older women is associated with lower stroke and all-cause mortality risk, according to a study published online Sept. 4 in Stroke.
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Blog: Seven Most Common Physician Social Media Misses
THURSDAY, Sept. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The most common physician social media misses and missteps can be avoided, allowing doctors to take advantage of marketing opportunities on all major social media channels, according to the author of a recent Vitals blog.
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Sleep Quality Tied to Brain Atrophy Over Time
THURSDAY, Sept. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Sleep quality is associated with longitudinal measures of cortical atrophy, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in Neurology.
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People With OCD May Have Higher Odds for Schizophrenia
THURSDAY, Sept. 4, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may be at higher risk for schizophrenia, according to research published online Sept. 3 in JAMA Psychiatry.
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ADHD Stimulant Rx Doesn't Significantly Affect Growth
TUESDAY, Sept. 2, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) stimulant treatment in children is not associated with significant changes in growth, according to a study published online Sept. 1 in Pediatrics.
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