Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Neurology for November 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.
PiB-/FDG-PET Helpful in Differentiation of Dementia
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Photon emission tomography (PET) with amyloid ligand Pittsburgh compound B (PiB-PET) has similar accuracy as PET with fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) for differentiating Alzheimer's disease (AD) from frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), according to a study published online Nov. 30 in Neurology.
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U.S. Patients Highly Satisfied With Outpatient Medical Care
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Patients in the United States are, in general, highly satisfied with their outpatient medical care, according to a study published online Oct. 3 in Health Outcomes Research in Medicine.
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Objective Physical Activity Impacts Sleep Variables
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Objectively-measured physical activity is significantly associated with sleep-related parameters in adults of all ages, according to a study published in the December issue of Mental Health and Physical Activity.
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Long-Term Superiority Seen in Group Intervention for Neck Pain
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with persistent tension-type neck pain, a multi-component pain and stress self-management group intervention (PASS) is superior to individually-administered physical therapy (IAPT) at two years, according to a study published in the Dec. 1 issue of Spine.
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Pediatric Sports Concussion Alters Cerebral Blood Flow
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Pediatric sports-related concussions (SRC) significantly alter cerebral blood flow (CBF) without measurable structural, metabolic, neuronal or axonal injury; and, about 40 percent of U.S. high schools that employ athletic trainers (ATs) manage SRCs using computerized neurocognitive tests, according to two studies published online Nov. 30 in Pediatrics.
Abstract - Maugans
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Abnormal Brain Enlargement in Boys With Regressive Autism
TUESDAY, Nov. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Boys with regressive autism have abnormal brain enlargement, with a head circumference that diverges from other groups at age 4 to 6 months, according to a study published online Nov. 28 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Young Adult Back Pain Severity Tied to Spinal Disc Degeneration
TUESDAY, Nov. 29 (HealthDay News) -- In young adults, lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration (DD) is associated with low back pain (LBP) symptom severity, independent of other degenerative findings, according to a study published in the Dec. 1 issue of Spine.
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Study Looks at Location-Updating Effect of Doorways on Memory
TUESDAY, Nov. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Walking through a doorway has a location-updating effect, reflecting the influence of experienced context in terms of the degree of immersion in an environment, according to a study published in the Quarterly Journal Of Experimental Psychology.
High-Performing Docs Learn Equally From Success, Failure
MONDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Among physicians making decisions in a medically-framed learning task, high and low performers show distinct behavioral and neural patterns of learning, according to a study published online Nov. 23 in PLoS One.
Everolimus Ups Survival in Carcinoid Syndrome
MONDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with low- or intermediate-grade advanced neuroendocrine tumors (carcinoids), everolimus plus octreotide long-acting repeatable (LAR) improves progression-free survival versus placebo plus octreotide LAR, according to a study published online Nov. 25 in The Lancet.
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AAP Issues Infant Positional Skull Deformity Guidelines
MONDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Pediatricians and health care clinicians should be able to diagnose positional skull deformities among infants, implement preventive counseling among parents, initiate appropriate management, and make referrals, when necessary, according to a scientific statement published Nov. 28 in Pediatrics.
Default-Mode Brain Network Deactivation Seen in Meditators
THURSDAY, Nov. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Experienced meditators have relative deactivation of the main modes of the default mode network (DMN), and stronger coupling between the posterior cingulate, dorsal anterior cingulate, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, according to a study published online Nov. 23 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Dabigatran Poses Challenge in Treating Injured Patients
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Dabigatran etexilate, a new oral direct thrombin inhibitor, should be used with caution due to a lack of readily available methods to assess the degree of anticoagulation or reverse its effects, posing a threat of fatal bleeding complications for injured patients, according to a letter published in the Nov. 24 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Ambulatory Systolic BP Tied to White Matter Hyperintensity
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Among older individuals, ambulatory systolic blood pressure (BP), but not clinic BP, is associated with longitudinal progression of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume, according to a study published in the Nov. 22 issue of Circulation.
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Adverse Effects of Pediatric Acupuncture Usually Mild
MONDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of adverse effects (AEs) associated with pediatric acupuncture are mild in severity, according to a review published online Nov. 21 in Pediatrics.
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Presence of Alzheimer's Biomarkers, Low BMI Linked
MONDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Biomarkers of increased Alzheimer's disease (AD) burden, including Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB), β-amyloid peptide (Aβ), and total tau, are associated with lower body mass index (BMI) in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or no dementia, according to a study published in the Nov. 22 issue of Neurology.
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Nonpunitive Method Improves Medical Error Reporting
MONDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Medical error reporting in an academic pediatric ambulatory practice can be improved by a voluntary, nonpunitive, error-reporting system, according to a study published online Nov. 21 in Pediatrics.
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Factors Impacting Assignment to Triage Risk Level 2/3 ID'd
FRIDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- A triage nurse's decision to assign a patient to risk level 2 or 3 of the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) triage system is influenced by specific factors, according to a study published in the November issue of the Journal of Emergency Nursing.
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Long-Term Antiepileptic Drug Therapy Ups Atherosclerosis
FRIDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with epilepsy, long-term monotherapy with carbamazepine (CBZ), phenytoin (PHT), or valproic acid (VPA), but not lamotrigine (LTG), is associated with increased common carotid artery intima media thickness (CCA IMT) and altered circulatory markers of vascular risk, according to a study published online Nov. 15 in Epilepsia.
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Evidence-Based Spine Surgery Recommendations Issued
FRIDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Evidence-based recommendations from six studies can help guide clinical practice in spinal surgeries, according to a review published online Nov. 14 in Spine.
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Lower Floor Stiffness Reduces Peak Spine Forces in Falls
THURSDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Peak spine force in backward falls is affected by the floor stiffness, according to a study published online Nov. 8 in Spine.
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Sleep Problem Severity Tied to Fibromyalgia Risk in Women
THURSDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The severity of self-reported sleep problems in women has a significant dose-response association with their risk of developing fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome, with the association stronger among older and middle-aged women, according to a study published online Nov. 11 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Energy Deficits Induce Adverse Neuroendocrine Changes
THURSDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Energy deficits in animals and humans induce neuroendocrine changes that may adversely affect body composition, according to a review published online Nov. 10 in Obesity Reviews.
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AURKA, MYCN Overexpressed in Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer
THURSDAY, Nov. 17 (HealthDay News) -- AURKA and MYCN are overexpressed in patients with neuroendocrine prostate cancers (NEPC) and cooperate to produce a neuroendocrine phenotype, according to a study published in the November issue of Cancer Discovery.
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Breast Cancer Survivors Have Impaired Neurological Function
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Breast cancer (BC) survivors have significantly reduced activation of the prefrontal cortex, with additional reductions in prefrontal function and poorer executive functioning for women treated with chemotherapy, according to a study published in the November issue of the Archives of Neurology.
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Exposure to Specific Solvents Raises Parkinson's Risk
TUESDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to certain solvents is associated with an increase in the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a study published online Nov. 14 in the Annals of Neurology.
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Twelve-Week Warfarin Dose Test Noninferior to Four-Week
TUESDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Assessing warfarin dosing every 12 weeks is noninferior to assessment every four weeks, according to a study published in the Nov. 15 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Patients Without Insurance Have Shorter Hospital Stays
TUESDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Patients without Medicaid or any other insurance, with ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs) or non-ACSCs, have shorter lengths of stay in hospitals than patients with insurance, according to a study published in the November/December issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Anterior Cervical Surgery Ups GERD Incidence, Severity
FRIDAY, Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence and severity of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in patients undergoing anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) is higher than that of patients undergoing posterior lumbar decompression, according to a study published in the Nov. 15 issue of Spine.
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Transient Ischemic Attack Reduces Life Expectancy
FRIDAY, Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Transient ischemic attack (TIA) reduces life expectancy, particularly in patients older than 65 years or with a previous history of stroke and heart problems, according to a study published online Nov. 10 in Stroke.
Brain Hypoxia Tied to Poor Post-Traumatic Injury Outcome
FRIDAY, Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Brain hypoxia (BH), or reduced brain oxygen (Pbto2), is independently associated with poor short-term outcomes in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), according to a study published in the November issue of Neurosurgery.
Efficacy of Balance Exercises in the Elderly Questioned
THURSDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Some exercise types may be effective for improving balance in older people, although the evidence is weak, according to a review published online Nov. 9 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
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Half of U.S. Adult Smokers Tried to Quit Last Year
THURSDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of adults who smoke would like to quit, but only about a third of them seek medical help and/or support to do so, according to research published in the Nov. 11 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.
Bedside EEG Detects Awareness in Vegetative Patients
THURSDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Electroencephalography (EEG) performed at the bedside of patients in a vegetative state can detect residual cognitive function and conscious awareness, according to a study published online Nov. 10 in The Lancet.
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Glove Use Linked to Reduced Hand Hygiene Compliance
THURSDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Glove usage among healthcare workers is often inappropriate, and hand hygiene compliance is worse when gloves are worn, according to a study published online Oct. 17 in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
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Leg Motor Restlessness More Common in Parkinson's
THURSDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with early, unmedicated Parkinson's disease (PD) have a significantly increased risk for leg motor restlessness (LMR), but not restless legs syndrome (RLS), according to a study published online Nov. 9 in Neurology.
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Minimally Invasive Osteoid Osteoma Surgery Viable Option
THURSDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Minimally invasive excision of osteoid osteoma in the mobile spine is emerging as an alternative method to conventional surgery, according to a study published in the Nov. 15 issue of Spine.
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Evidence Shows Reduced Sodium Intake Lowers BP
THURSDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Reduced sodium intake is associated with a significant decrease in blood pressure (BP), and a concomitant increase in plasma levels of renin, aldosterone, adrenaline, noradrenaline, cholesterol, and triglycerides, according to a review published online Nov. 9 in the American Journal of Hypertension.
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Childhood ADHD Tied to Adult Anatomic Brain Changes
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Adults with combined-type childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a significantly thinner cortex and reduced gray matter, regardless of their current diagnosis, according to a study published in the November issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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Spinal Subdural Hemorrhage Linked to Abusive Head Trauma
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of spinal subdural hemorrhage is high among children with abusive head trauma, and rare among those with accidental trauma, according to a study published online Nov. 8 in Radiology.
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Male Children With Autism Have More Prefrontal Neurons
TUESDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Brain overgrowth in male children with autism involves an increase in the number of neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), according to a study published in the Nov. 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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No Added Benefits of Cranial Bypass in Stroke Prevention
TUESDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass surgery in addition to medical therapy offers no additional benefit over medical therapy alone in preventing recurrent stroke in recent symptomatic atherosclerotic internal carotid artery occlusion (AICAO), according to a study published in the Nov. 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Clinical Diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorders Vary Widely
TUESDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Best-estimate clinical diagnoses of different diagnostic subtypes of autism spectrum disorders vary widely across sites, according to a study published online Nov. 7 in the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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Evidence Lacking for Pridopidine Efficacy in Huntington's Disease
TUESDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Pridopidine may have some effect on the motor phenotype of Huntington's disease, although it does not reach the prespecificed α level in a phase 3 trial, according to a study published online Nov. 7 in The Lancet Neurology.
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SNP in TBL1X ID'd As Candidate Gene for Male Autism
TUESDAY, Nov. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A genome-wide association study on the X-chromosome shows that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs17321050, in the transducin β-like 1X-linked (TBL1X) gene is significantly linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in males, according to a study published online Nov. 4 in Molecular Autism.
Great Achievement at Young Age Function of Time, Not Field
MONDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- The frequency of great scientific achievements at young age is a function of time, and not related to the field, according to a study published online Nov. 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Factors Influencing Smoking Cessation Post-Stroke ID'd
FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- For smokers who have a stroke, only 40 percent are nonsmokers at one year following stroke, with insular damage and prestroke intention to stop smoking strongly influencing smoking cessation, according to a study published online Nov. 3 in Stroke.
Receptionists Contribute to Safety of Repeat Prescriptions
FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Receptionists and administrative staff of general practices in the United Kingdom make important contributions to quality and safety in repeat prescribing, which are often unknown to clinicians, according to a study published online Nov. 3 in BMJ.
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Adoption of English Diet Could Reduce U.K. Mortality
FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Following a diet with nutritional quality equivalent to the English diet would substantially reduce mortality in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, according to a study published online Nov. 2 in BMJ Open.
Rooms of Patients With A. baumannii Often Contaminated
FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- A considerable proportion of rooms of patients colonized or infected with multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) (MDR-AB) have surfaces which are positive for A. baumannii, even in patients with a remote history of infection, according to a study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
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No Medicare Savings From Disease-Management Hotline
THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Commercial disease-management companies using nurse-based call centers modestly improve quality-of-care measures in Medicare fee-for-service programs with no evident reduction in costs of care or acute care utilization, according to a study published in the Nov. 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Risks for C. difficile Infection, Colonization Identified
THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Health care-associated Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection and colonization are differentially associated with defined host and pathogen variables, according to a study published in the Nov. 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Radiation Dose Predicts Growth Hormone Deficit
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- For children with brain tumors, growth hormone deficiency (GHD) can be predicted by the time after conformal radiation therapy (CRT) and the mean radiation dose to the hypothalamus, according to a study published online Oct. 31 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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CDC: Opioid Overdoses Have Reached Epidemic Proportions
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Opioid pain relievers (OPR) are involved in most drug overdose deaths; and OPR-related deaths, sales, and treatment admissions have increased in the last decade, according to a report published in the Nov. 1 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
ADHD Drug Use Not Tied to Serious Cardiovascular Events
TUESDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Current use of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs is not associated with a significantly increased risk of serious cardiovascular events, according to a study published online Nov. 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Loneliness Significantly Linked to Sleep Fragmentation
TUESDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Loneliness is significantly associated with sleep fragmentation, but not sleep duration or subjective sleep measures, according to a study published in the Nov. 1 issue of SLEEP.
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Ocrelizumab Safe, Promising for Relapsing-Remitting MS
TUESDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Ocrelizumab administered in doses of 600 and 2,000 mg in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) is safe, and reduces the total number of gadolinium-enhancing lesions (GEL) on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), according to a study published online Nov. 1 in The Lancet.
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