Matt Hoffman

A group of international experts in the treatment of multiple sclerosis offer their varying viewpoints on the history, identification, and management of the disease.

The authors noted that taken together, the findings suggest that either hearing impairment may affect brain atrophy and neuropathologic burden or that underlying pathologies may impair functional hearing abilities, even prior to dementia onset.

The investgators noted that the absences before the tonic-clonic convulsions can be as short as 5 seconds, suggesting they may be more frequently occurring than those being observed or reported.

The data support and extend the safe use of combination treatment with rimegepant and CGRP monoclonal antibodies in migraine that was initially reported in 2 earlier cases.

Novartis’ anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody ofatumumab (Kesimpta) is administered once monthly at home, and is expected to be available for those with multiple sclerosis as early as September 2020.

The presence of laryngeal movement disorders—identified in 93% of the MSA group—may serve as a diagnostic biomarker of MSA independent of phenotype, disease duration, or patient age.

The head of the Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Lab at the Santa Lucia Foundation spoke to the challenges in Alzheimer research, biomarkers, and the next steps for rotigotine in this population.

For both surgical and nonsurgical patients, delirium may play a role as an independent risk factor for long-term cognitive decline, implying that the reduction of the former may improve the latter.

The head of the Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Lab at the Santa Lucia Foundation discussed the phase 2 findings and offered takeaways on rotigotine’s possible place in Alzheimer treatment.

"Mind Moments," a podcast from NeurologyLive, brings you an exclusive interview with Richard Finkel, MD.

The director of the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center explained his research with hyperbaric oxygen therapy and explored the potential it may hold as a regenerative treatment.

Notably, the data unveiled a previously unreported link between a positive family history of parkinsonism and dementia, and carbon monoxide poisoning.

A review of clinical literature and evidence suggests that the gammaCore device (electroCore) is safe and effective in the treatment of cluster headache and migraine, and carries potential to treat more.

The director of the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Yitzhak Shamir Medical Center offers insight into the attempt to regenerate injured tissue in the brain as a way to potentially treat Alzheimer disease and dementia.

A cohort study showed that those with relapse activity who received DMTs accounted for a greater percent of time with a reduced Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score progression slope during SPMS.

The full data from the ASCLEPIOS I and II trials suggest that the Novartis agent ofatumumab is superior to teriflunomide in reducing annualized relapse rates and other measurements of disease progression in MS.

Adding to a flurry of pipeline movement since July, 2 more rare disease agents—VTA-110 for DMD and arimoclomol for NPC—have made positive steps in their clinical development recently.

The agent, marketed under the brand name Evrysdi, is the first at-home therapy indicated for treatment of adults and children with SMA.

Through a joint initiative with Bill Gates, a $3.3 million funding influx will go toward the Strategically Focused Research Network on Health Technologies and Innovation program’s fifth network center.

Data from 2 posters presented at AAIC 2020 suggest that there is an unmet need for safe and effective treatments for patients who experience dementia-related psychosis.

The gepant agent significantly reduced mean monthly migraine days across all 3 doses—10 mg, 30 mg, and 60 mg—compared with placebo over the 12-week treatment period.

"Mind Moments," a podcast from NeurologyLive, brings you an exclusive interview with Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD.

Compared to treatment with lisinopril, those treated with the angiotensin receptor blocker candesartan showed improvements on the Trial Making Test part A and B and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised delayed recall.

Despite a lack of effect on memory and other cognitive tasks, as measured by ADAS-Cog-11, rotigotine improved frontal cognitive function and activities of daily living in those with Alzheimer.

A trio of studies presented at AAIC 2020 suggest that consistently vaccinations for influenza and pneumonia may reduce the incidence of Alzheimer later in life, as well as mortality for older adults.

The RESPOND study steering committee member and pediatric neuromuscular neurologist at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters discussed the goals of the phase 4 trial of nusinersen in SMA.

The affordable device’s accuracy compared to polysomnography may pave the way for a better way to conduct larger scale, longitudinal sleep studies.

The vice president and head of the Neuromuscular Development Unit at Biogen, and study coauthor, discussed the implications of recently published data on tofersen and the ongoing work in phase 3.

While further study is required, the data support vigilance of the symptoms and signs of acute ischemic stroke in patients with COVID-19 to reduce the burden of long-term disability.

The vice president and head of the Neuromuscular Development Unit at Biogen, and study coauthor, offered insight into the findings of a phase 1/2 trial of the SOD1-targeted antisense oligonucleotide.