Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Neurology for September 2015. 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.
Negative Spiritual Belief Linked to Worse Health Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Any degree of negative spiritual belief is associated with worse health outcomes, regardless of positive spiritual beliefs, according to a study published in the Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health.
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Low Risk of Stroke After Peripheral Vestibular Disorder
MONDAY, Sept. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- The risk of stroke is low following emergency department discharge with a diagnosis of peripheral vestibular disorder; however, some strokes are being misdiagnosed as peripheral vestibular disorders, according to a study published online Sept. 18 in the Annals of Neurology.
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Overweight, Obesity Increase Risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
MONDAY, Sept. 28, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), according to a meta-analysis published online Sept. 23 in Obesity Reviews.
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New Technology Helps Paralyzed Man Walk
THURSDAY, Sept. 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A paralyzed man has walked for the first time in five years, thanks to an electrical system that connects his brain and legs, bypassing his injured spine, researchers report online Sept. 24 in the Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation.
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Orthostatic Hypotension Could Signal Neurological Disease
THURSDAY, Sept. 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Orthostatic hypotension (OH) may be an early warning sign of a serious neurological disease and an increased risk of premature death, according to research published online Sept. 23 in Neurology.
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Health Insurance Deductibles Rising Faster Than Wages
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Health insurance deductibles have risen more than six times faster than American workers' average wages since 2010, a Kaiser Family Foundation report says.
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CPAP in OSA Linked to Beneficial Activity in Brain Stem
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment can lead to brain stem activity changes associated with restored sympathetic drive in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a small study published in the Aug. 1 issue of the Journal of Neurophysiology.
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Combo Drug May Calm Agitation in Alzheimer's Patients
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A drug that combines dextromethorphan with quinidine might offer a safer option for calming the agitation that commonly affects people with Alzheimer's disease, researchers report in the Sept. 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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IOM: Most U.S. Patients Will Experience Diagnostic Error
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A new report commissioned by the U.S. government contends that most Americans will encounter at least one diagnostic error in their lifetime, sometimes with severe consequences for their physical and mental health.
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Medical Schools Teaching Students About Costs of Care
TUESDAY, Sept. 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Many medical schools are integrating discussions of cost, value, and effectiveness into their curricula, according to Kaiser Health News.
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Low Risk of Stroke From Progression to Carotid Occlusion
TUESDAY, Sept. 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis, the risk of stroke from progression to carotid occlusion is low, according to research published online Sept. 21 in JAMA Neurology.
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Naturally Occurring Antibodies Promising for Neurologic Disease
TUESDAY, Sept. 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Naturally occurring monoclonal antibodies show potential for treatment of neurologic diseases, according to a review published online Sept. 21 in JAMA Neurology.
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Atrial Fibrillation Linked to Increased Risk of Dementia
MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased risk of dementia, according to a study published online Sept. 21 in JAMA Neurology.
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Docs in Productivity Models Likely to Encounter Compensation Caps
MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians, especially those working in a productivity model, need to understand compensation caps, which are set at a specific percentile of national pay based on surveys, according to a report in Medical Economics.
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Proper Diagnosis Is Key in Managing Chronic Migraine
MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Effective management of chronic migraine starts with proper diagnosis of this subtype of migraine, according to guidelines published in the September issue of Pain Practice.
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Researchers Find 96 Percent of Deceased NFL Players Had CTE
MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- The latest data from a brain bank that focuses on traumatic head injury show that 87 of 91 deceased former National Football League (NFL) players tested positive for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
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Volunteer Doctors Need to Check Liability Coverage
FRIDAY, Sept. 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians who volunteer their medical expertise should consider their legal risks, according to an article published online Sept. 3 in Medical Economics.
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Mid-Morning May Be Best Time for Workday Break
FRIDAY, Sept. 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Choosing preferred activities for a work break and taking a break earlier in the shift are linked to more resource recovery after a break, according to a study published online Aug. 10 in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
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2012 Office Visits 57% Higher for Women than Men, Ages 1864
FRIDAY, Sept. 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- In 2012 there were an estimated 301 physician office visits per 100 persons, with higher rates for females and adults aged 65 years and older, according to a September data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
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Energy Drinks Plus Alcohol Tied to Brain Injury in Teens
FRIDAY, Sept. 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- The consumption of energy drinks and alcohol mixed with energy drinks increases the odds of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among adolescents, according to a study published Sept. 16 in PLOS ONE.
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Meta-Analysis Links Adiposity to Increased Risk of Meningioma
THURSDAY, Sept. 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Adiposity is associated with an increased risk of meningioma but not glioma, according to a meta-analysis published online Sept. 16 in Neurology.
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Chemoradiation for Glioblastoma Takes Toll on Brain
THURSDAY, Sept. 17, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Radiation and chemotherapy can cause structural changes in the healthy brain tissue of patients with glioblastoma brain tumors, according to a study published in the Aug. 25 issue of Neurology.
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Women Less Likely to Be Full Professors Than Men
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 16, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- In academic medicine, women are less likely to be full professors than men and have less startup funding than men, according to two studies published in the Sept. 15 issue of JAMA.
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CDC Develops State-Level Chronic Disease Cost Calculator
TUESDAY, Sept. 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A chronic disease cost calculator (CDCC) has been developed to estimate state-level costs, according to a study published online Sept. 3 in Preventing Chronic Disease.
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Geographic Variation in Costs of Posterolateral Fusion
TUESDAY, Sept. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- There is significant geographic variation in the costs of posterolateral fusion (PLF), total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and TKA with major complications or comorbidities, according to a study published in the Sept. 1 issue of Spine.
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Vision Test Helps Detect Concussion in Athletes
MONDAY, Sept. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A timed vision test may aid in detection of concussion during sideline testing of athletes, according to research published in the Sept. 10 issue of Concussion.
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Low Vitamin D Status Linked to Accelerated Cognitive Decline
MONDAY, Sept. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- For ethnically diverse older adults, low vitamin D status is associated with accelerated decline in cognitive function, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in JAMA Neurology.
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Resveratrol Impacts Central Nervous System Biomarkers
MONDAY, Sept. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Resveratrol and its major metabolites penetrate the blood-brain barrier to have central nervous system effects in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a study published online Sept. 11 in Neurology.
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Lasting Analgesia for Subcompartmental GON Block
MONDAY, Sept. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with cervicogenic headache (CH), the classical technique for greater occipital nerve (GON) block results in two weeks of analgesia, compared with at least 24 weeks for the subcompartmental technique, according to a study published in the September issue of Pain Practice.
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Autism Diagnosis May Be Delayed With Co-Occurring ADHD
MONDAY, Sept. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- An initial attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis may be associated with delayed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis, according to a study published online Sept. 14 in Pediatrics.
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NIH: Benefits for More Intensive Control of Hypertension
MONDAY, Sept. 14, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Clinicians should control hypertension much more aggressively than current guidelines suggest, to best reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people 50 or older. That's the message behind the potentially game-changing results of a U.S. National Institutes of Health study released Friday.
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For Pharma Reps, Access to Physicians Continuing to Drop
FRIDAY, Sept. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Physician access for pharmaceutical representatives is continuing to decline, with access restricted to some degree for more than half of physicians, according to an AccessMonitor survey published by ZS.
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Migraine Frequency, Intensity Linked to Cholesterol Levels
FRIDAY, Sept. 11, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Migraine frequency and intensity seem to be positively associated with total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, according to a study published in the September issue of Pain Practice.
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Melatonin May Play a Role in Seasonal MS Relapses
THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Higher levels of melatonin are linked to a lower incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses during the darker months of fall and winter, new research suggests. The study is published in the Sept. 10 issue of Cell.
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Childhood CA Survivors Who Have Stroke at Higher Risk of Second
THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Childhood cancer survivors who have had one stroke are at high risk for having another, according to a study published online Aug. 26 in Neurology.
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Cannabidiol May Help in the Treatment of Epilepsy
THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Cannabidiol from marijuana might help prevent epilepsy seizures, but drug laws have hampered research efforts, according to a report published in the Sept. 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Sphingolipid Levels ID Women at Risk for Episodic Migraine
THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers report that measuring serum levels of sphingolipids might one day help identify women at high risk for migraines. The findings were published online Sept. 9 in Neurology.
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Physician Re-Entry Program Set to Redress Physician Shortage
THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- An online educational program aims to help physicians get back to work and reduce the nation's physician shortage, according to an article published by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
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4% Increase in Population of Actively Licensed Physicians
THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- The total population of actively licensed physicians in the United States and the District of Columbia has increased by 4 percent since 2012, according to a report published in the Journal of Medical Regulation.
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Management, Treatment of Chronic Disease Up With ACA
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- More Americans are getting health insurance as a result of the Affordable Care Act, which may lead to many more people getting diagnosed and treated for chronic conditions, such as diabetes, a new study contends. The findings were published in the September issue of Health Affairs.
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Accelerated MD Program Doesn't Mar Academic Performance
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- An accelerated baccalaureate (BA)/doctor of medicine (MD) program does not impair the academic performance of medical students, according to a study published online July 3 in Academic Medicine.
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MS Disease Progression May Be Delayed by Smoking Cessation
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Multiple sclerosis (MS) progresses faster in people who continue to smoke compared to smokers who quit after their diagnosis, according to research published online Sept. 8 in JAMA Neurology.
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Non-O Blood Group Tied to Higher CAD, MI Risk
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Having non-O blood group may be an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) and myocardial infarction, according to a meta-analysis published in the Sept. 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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ACP Supports Expanded Role of Telemedicine for Health Care
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Telemedicine can be beneficial, within the framework of an established physician-patient relationship, according to a position paper published online Sept. 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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EHR Vendors Not Adhering to Usability Certification Standards
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Among electronic health record (EHR) products, there is a lack of adherence to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) standards, according to a research letter published in the Sept. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Electrocortical Therapy May Prevent Motion Sickness
TUESDAY, Sept. 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A mild electrical current applied to the scalp -- transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) -- can prevent motion sickness, according to a study published online Sept. 4 in Neurology.
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CHADS2 Best Predictor of Postoperative Mortality Risk
FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- The CHADS2 atrial fibrillation (AF) risk score is the best predictor of postoperative stroke or death regardless of type of surgery, according to a study published online Aug. 13 in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
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Suggested Response Provided for In-Flight Medical Emergencies
FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- In a review article published online Sept. 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine, guidance is offered for physicians providing emergency in-flight medical care.
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Birth Asphyxia Tied to Fewer Than 10% of Cerebral Palsy Cases
FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Cerebral palsy is likely due to multiple prenatal factors, with the contribution of birth defects exceeding that of other major factors, according to a review published in the Sept. 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Type 2 Diabetes Linked to More Alzheimer's Neuropathology
THURSDAY, Sept. 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) may be more prone to developing the neuropathology associated with Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published online Sept. 2 in Neurology.
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Asthma Linked to Increased Risk of Parkinson's Disease
THURSDAY, Sept. 3, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with asthma may have an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a study published online Aug. 27 in Allergy.
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Higher Midlife BMI Tied to Earlier Alzheimer's
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Among elderly adults with Alzheimer's disease, those who were overweight at age 50 tended to develop dementia earlier, according to research published online Sept. 1 in Molecular Psychiatry.
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Fewer Repeat Hemorrhagic Strokes With Better BP Control
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Survivors of intracerebral hemorrhage may be at higher risk for recurrence if their blood pressure (BP) isn't under control, a new study warns. The findings were published in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Genetic Tests Could Improve Management of Autism
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- A pair of genetic tests, chromosomal microarray analysis and whole-exome sequencing, could help parents and doctors better understand the numerous challenges that a child newly diagnosed with autism might face throughout life. The findings were published in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Breastfeeding Tied to Reduced Risk of MS Relapse Postpartum
TUESDAY, Sept. 1, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Breastfeeding exclusively for at least two months may help new mothers with multiple sclerosis (MS) lower their risk of relapse, according to research published online Aug. 31 in JAMA Neurology.
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