NeurologyLive® Staff

 staff prepares this preview of what to expect from our coverage. This week on 

, there are a number of hot topics that we will be posting on the website. As always, our weekly coverage extends beyond just these topics, so make sure to check out the rest of the site!

Click through the slides below to see what you can expect from our team this week:

This Week on NeurologyLive — September 26, 2022

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Articles

Here's some of what is coming soon to NeurologyLive® this week.

This Week on NeurologyLive® — September 26, 2022

Welcome to this special edition of Neurology News Network. I’m Matt Hoffman, filling in for Marco Meglio. Let’s take a look at some of this week’s top news.

First up this week, the findings of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 

rituximab among individuals with generalized myasthenia gravis

, or gMG, suggest that the treatment in a single 500-mg dose was associated with a greater chance of minimal disease manifestation and a reduction in rescue medication use. All told, of the 24 individuals randomly assigned to rituximab, 71% met the primary end point of minimal gMG manifestation—defined as a Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis score of 4 or less, being on 10 mg or less prednisolone, and not using rescue treatment—through week 16. Comparatively, of those in the placebo group, 29% met these criteria, a significant difference between the groups. Notably, in this trial, the treatment was used in a cohort of patients who had new-onset disease, with an onset of generalized symptoms within 12 months, and a QMG score of 6 or more.

new findings from the phase 1b/2a SELECT-HD trial

 of WVE-003, an investigational agent for Huntington disease from Wave Life Sciences, showed that the treatment reduced HD-specific mutant huntingtin protein in cerebrospinal fluid, as well as preserved wild-type huntingtin protein.1 All told, the stereopure antisense oligonucleotide was well-tolerated and safe for doses up to 90 mg. For those who received 30- and 60-mg single doses, pooled analysis showed a 22% median reduction in CSF mutant HTT from baseline to day 85, and an even greater difference in mean reduction of 35% when compared with placebo. Wave noted that additional single-dose biomarker and safety data are expected in the first half of 2023.

Finally, findings from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System database presented at the 

2022 American Association of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) annual meeting

, in Nashville, Tennessee, showed that among pediatric patients, there is an increased prevalence of Guillain-Barré syndrome 6 weeks after receiving the Pzifer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination, suggesting a potential temporal association. The study compared the rate of pediatric Guillain-Barré following COVID-19 vaccination to the rate after influenza, HPV, and meningococcal vaccinations. All told, there were 31 cases of Guillain-Barré reported after COVID-19, compared with 3, 1, and 1 cases after the influenza, HPV, and meningococcal vaccinations, respectively. Between vaccinations, the reporting rate of cases after COVID-19 vaccination was significantly higher than the others, at 12.45 per 10 million followed by influenza, meningococcal, and HPV vaccinations. Notably, though, these rates for Guillain-Barré after COVID-19 vaccination were within the incidence rate of GBS typically reported in children.

For more direct access to expert insight, head to NeurologyLive.com. This has been Neurology News Network. Thanks for watching.

Videos

Neurology News Network for the week ending September 24, 2022. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

Rituximab as Initial gMG Treatment, WVE-003 Proves Positive in HD, and Incidence of Guillian-Barré After COVID-19 Vaccination

's Friday 5! Every week, the staff compiles 5 highlights of 

's widespread coverage in neurology, ranging from newsworthy study findings and FDA action to expert interviews and peer-to-peer panel discussions.

1: American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine 2022 Annual Meeting

The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine Annual Meeting offers opportunities for physicians, technologists, and other healthcare professionals to learn about the latest in neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and electrodiagnostic medicine. Check in on all of 

's coverage, coming right from the conference floor.

 Ep. 73: The Role of Palliative Care in Neurology

features an exclusive interview with Ambereen Mehta, MD, MPH, who detailed the history of palliative care in the United States and offered insight into the potential of adopting a palliative care model across neurologic disease care.

3: NeuroVoices: Thomas M. Wisniewski, MD, on Raising Awareness for World Alzheimer’s Day

In the latest edition of our in-depth Q&A series, the director of NYU Langone’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and Center for Cognitive Neurology provided perspective on raising awareness for World Alzheimer’s Day and the ongoing challenges patients with the disease face.

4: Peer Exchange: Impact of Route of MS Treatment Administration on Adherence

® Peer Exchange series, "Multiple Sclerosis Treatments on the Horizon: BTK Inhibitors," Ahmed Obeidat, MD, PhD; Benjamin Greenberg, MD; and Hesham Abboud, MD, PhD, share their experiences with patient compliance and the route of administration of current and emerging therapies for multiple sclerosis.

5: State of Insomnia Care and Current Effective Treatment Strategies: Ashgan Elshinawy, DO

The pulmonologist at Penn Medicine provided an evaluation on whether patients with insomnia receive optimal care, and which treatments have proven to be most effective.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on NeurologyLive®'s highlights from the week ending September 23, 2022.

NeurologyLive® Friday 5 — September 23, 2022

This Week on NeurologyLive — September 19, 2022

This Week on NeurologyLive® — September 19, 2022

Welcome to this special edition of Neurology News Network. I’m Marco Meglio.

Recently published cross-sectional data from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) showed that higher 

aortic stiffness and pressure pulsatility

 were associated with greater rhinal and entorhinal tau burden, supporting the hypothesis that abnormal central vascular hemodynamics contributes to increased tau in specific brain regions susceptible to early tau protein deposition. Published in 

the study included 257 middle-aged and older adults without dementia who successfully underwent comprehensive hemodynamic evaluations and were considered on the spectrum of vascular risk. After undergoing PET scans, arterial tonometry was used to assess measures of aortic stiffness and pressure pulsatility, including carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, central pulse pressure, and forward wave amplitude. The study also used C-Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) and FTP to assess the burden of amyloid-ß (Aß) plaques and tau protein deposition in the brain, respectively. Participants in the highest Aß quintile (≥ 1.09 PiB distribution volume ration) were classified as positive for elevated Aß burden.

Constant Therapy, an at-home mobile program geared towards improving cognitive and speech function, 

 in a recent small-scale study of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) secondary to Alzheimer disease (AD).1 Over a 24-week training period, patients adhered more to Constant Therapy than to the paper-and-pencil training, as well as improved their performance over time. In total, 8 of 10 (80%) of participants in the Constant Therapy group completed 24 weeks of the intervention, 5 of whom continued beyond the 24-week period. These participants showed an overall improvement in accuracy and latency (

= .005) in the Constant Therapy scores—scores it calculates with recorded data and session activity to summarize user performance in a specific skill domain—as well as specific improvements in tasks of visual and auditory memory, attention, and arithmetic. No unexpected problems or adverse events were observed. By design, Constant Therapy uses patented artificial intelligence technology to deliver over 244 personalized exercises that rebuild cognitive and speech function for those recovering from stroke or traumatic brain injury or living with aphasia, dementia, and other neurological conditions.

After previously showing higher potential as a monotherapy, Athira Pharma announced it was 

 trial to assess its investigational agent fosgonimeton in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) without background AChEI inhibitors. LIFT-AD, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, will continue to have outcomes measured by the Global Statistical Test, which combines scores assessing cognition (Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale [ADAS-Cog11]) and function (Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living [ADCS-ADL23]). The study has enrolled more than 300 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease in the US, with enrollment still ongoing. According to the update, an independent, unblinded interim analysis will be conducted to inform the required sample size needed to appropriately power the primary end point target patient population. Fosgonimeton, a small molecule HGF and MET enhancer previously known as ATH-1017, failed to meet its primary or secondary end points in the 

 when used with standard-of-care AChEIs. Despite this, the agent did show a potentially meaningful difference change of –28 ms in event-related potential (ERP) P300 latency, the primary end point assessing working memory processing speed, after 28 weeks.

Neurology News Network for the week ending September 17, 2022. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

Abnormal Vascular Hemodynamics Linked With Tau, Constant Therapy Shows Feasibility in Alzheimer Disease, LIFT-AD Study Amended

1: Peer Exchange: Unmet Needs in Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Trial Design

Ahmed Obeidat, MD, PhD; Benjamin Greenberg, MD; and Hesham Abboud, MD, comment on the need for more inclusive clinical trial patient enrollment criteria, highlighting underserved patient populations i

Multiple Sclerosis Treatments on the Horizon: BTK Inhibitors

2: International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society Congress

he International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS) Annual Meeting, which gathers thousands of clinicians, researchers, trainees, and industry supporters to discuss the diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders on an annual basis.

NeuroVoices: Lynn Bekris, PhD, on Future Research for sTREM2, GFAP, and Immunotherapies in Alzheimer Disease

In the latest edition of our in-depth Q&A series, the molecular biologist at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute 

discussed the unanswered questions regarding biomarkers sTREM2 and GFAP, and the role they play in Alzheimer pathology

NurOwn Treatment Shows Positive Results in Phase 2 Study of Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Treatment with NurOwn resulted in response on several secondary outcomes, including timed 25-foot walk, 12-item multiple sclerosis walking scale, and low contrast letter acuity, among others.

Transitioning Sleep Schedules for School in Pediatric Patients: Carol Rosen, MD

The professor of pediatrics at Case Western University discussed the complexities and negative effects for children drastically change their sleep schedules as school begins. 

Take 5 minutes to catch up on NeurologyLive®'s highlights from the week ending September 16, 2022.

NeurologyLive® Friday 5 — September 16, 2022

This Week on NeurologyLive — September 12, 2022

This Week on NeurologyLive® — September 12, 2022

Through a new collaborative effort, a group of investigators will assess 

 in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), with the goal to learn how the number and timing of vaccine doses effects antibody levels and duration in the disease.The research project is a substudy of the larger COVER-MS Project, and was announced in a new partnership between Accelerated Cure Project (ACP), Quest Diagnostics, and the 

. Behind the project is ACP’s iConquerMS People-Powered Research Network, for which members will have input on research questions for the study. In total, the study will gather patient-reported survey data on 300 participants from the original 1600-person study. Previously, in early January 2022, initial findings from COVER-MS were published. All told, COVD-19 vaccine reactogenicity profiles and the associated factors were similar between patients with MS and the general population. In that retrospective analysis, investigators intended to generate real-world MS-specific vaccine safety information, particularly in the context of specific disease-modifying therapies.

 on part B of the phase 2 MOMENTUM trial (NCT04004065) of SRP-5051, Sarepta Therapeutics’ investigational treatment for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) who are amenable to exon 51 skipping.The hold was 

, after a patient experienced a serious adverse event (SAE) of hypomagnesemia after treatment with high-dose SRP-5051. Specifically, the patient had grade 3 hypomagnesemia, grade 4 potassium deficiency, muscular cramps, and mild-to-moderate tingling of the extremities. At the time, the FDA requested information on all cases of hypomagnesemia, including a small number of nonserious grade 2 cases, and to assess the adequacy of the risk mitigation and safety monitoring plan.As a result of this lift, Sarepta will now need to adjust the global trial protocol to include expanded monitoring of urine biomarkers as part of the risk mitigation and safety monitoring plan.

Recently published post hoc findings from the 

 showed that screening for atrial fibrillation (AF) using an implantable loop recorder (ILR) did not result in a significant decrease in ischemic or severe strokes compared with usual care. More than 1 in 3 strokes were classified as disabling or lethal, with a nonsignificant 31% reduction in this outcome by ILR screening. Among a cohort of 6004 individuals randomly assigned to either standard of care or ILR, 1027 participants were diagnosed with AF during follow-up, of whom 89% initiated anticoagulation, and 4.6% later discontinued the treatment. In total, 5.2% of the total cohort had stroke during follow-up, with a median modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 2 (IQR, 1-3) that was not different across the groups. The overall stroke rate was 1.02 per 100 person years. In total, 16% of the participants admitted with stroke had been diagnosed with AF before their event, and a further 5 patients were diagnosed with AF on the same day as the event. The median mRS score was 3 vs 2 for patients with and without AF diagnosis, respectively (

<.001). Within the control group, the median mRS score was 4 (IQR, 2-6) vs 1 (IQR, 0-3) for patients with and without AF diagnosis, respectively (

<.001), whereas there was no statistical difference within the ILR group.

Neurology News Network for the week ending September 10, 2022. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

New Study on COVID-19 Vaccinations in MS, FDA Lifts Hold on SRP-5051, Implantable Loop Recorder and Atrial Fibrillation

1: Peer Exchange: NMOSD Misdiagnosis and Health Outcomes

 Peer Exchange series, "Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) Care in Diverse Patient Populations," Michael Levy, MD, PhD, leads a discussion on negative health outcomes associated with misdiagnosis of NMOSD, the likelihood of disability and relapse, and educating patients about the disease, featuring Michael Yeaman, PhD; Mirla Avila, MD; and Mitzi Williams, MD.

 Episode 72: Updates in Epilepsy Treatment 

Mind Moments®, a podcast from NeurologyLive®, brings you an exclusive interview with Christopher Elder, MD, who discussed the state of care for patients with epilepsy, the drug and treatment developments on the horizon, and the need to further discuss the risks of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, or SUDEP.

3: NeuroVoices: Lynn Bekris, PhD, on sTREM2 and GFAP to Differentiate Cognitive Status, Trajectory

In the latest edition of our in-depth Q&A series, the molecular biologist at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute provided commentary on how certain activity markers may help understand immune response differences in Alzheimer disease and related dementias.

4: AI’s Potential to Help Improve Insomnia Care: Anuja Bandyopadhyay, MD

The assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, and the chair of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s Artificial Intelligence in Sleep Medicine Committee, discussed the potential of AI to progress care paradigms in insomnia.

5: FDA Action Update, August 2022: Responses, Extensions, and Approvals

Several FDA actions took place over the course of August 2022, including some positive data announcements and plans for application submissions, a complete response letter and an application extension, as well as new drug approval and availability, among others.

Catch up on any of the neurology news headlines you may have missed over the course of the last month, compiled all into one place by the 

Take 5 minutes to catch up on NeurologyLive®'s highlights from the week ending September 9, 2022.