Latest Conference Coverage

The Complex Landscape of NMOSD and MOGAD-Associated Diseases: Erin Longbrake, MD, PhD

The associate professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine discussed the differentiation of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein -associated disease from multiple sclerosis at IFN 2023. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

Challenges With Access, Delivery of New ALS Therapeutics: Richard Bedlack, MD, PhD, MS

The director of the Duke ALS Clinic at Duke Health provided perspective on the issues with getting newly approved ALS therapies to patients who need them the most. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

Role of Gut Microbiome, Alpha Synuclein in the Prodromal Stage of Parkinson Disease

Promise in PACAP Pathway for Treating Migraine: Jessica Ailani, MD

The director of the MedStar Georgetown Headache Center provided insight on the excitement behind PACAP, how it may offer an alternate way of treating migraine, and where research behind it currently stands. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

Importance of Identifying Etiology in Pediatric Stroke: Kristin Guilliams, MD, MSCI

The associate professor at Washington University School of Medicine provided commentary on the state of care for pediatric stroke, and the challenges with identifying the most likely etiology. [WATCH 3 minutes]

Shift in Treatment Paradigm for Dravet Syndrome: Joseph Sullivan, MD

The director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Center at UCSF provided perspective on the advances in the treatment of Dravet syndrome, emerging research concepts in the field, and the influence of genetic testing. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

NeuroVoices: Ruth Schneider, MD, on Addressing Psychosis in Lewy Body Diseases

The associate professor in the department of neurology at the University of Rochester provided insight on her presentation on psychosis in Parkinson disease and related disorders given at the 2023 ANA Annual Meeting.

Understanding the Varying Uses of Thrombolysis in Pediatric Stroke Settings: Kristin Guilliams, MD, MSCI

The associate professor at Washington University School of Medicine discussed the reasons for why some institutions have different risk benefit analyses for thrombolysis, and whether this causes challenges for the healthcare system. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

NeuroVoices: Joseph Sullivan, MD, on Exploring Antisense Oligonucleotides for Dravet Syndrome, Rare Epilepsies

The director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Center at UCSF provided perspective on STK-001, a promising antisense oligonucleotide in development, and the shift in how Dravet syndrome is discussed and managed.

Antiseizure Therapy Fenfluramine Continues to Show Pronounced Benefits in Rare, Developmental Epilepsies

One meta-analysis featuring 8 studies showed that more than half of patients reported a 100% reduction in their generalized tonic-clonic seizures or tonic-clonic seizures.

Collaborative Efforts for Health Equity in Alzheimer Disease Genetic Research: Adam Naj, PhD

The genetic epidemiologist at the University of Pennsylvania discussed a recent study that highlighted the importance of diverse samples in genetic research for Alzheimer disease in helping to uncover hidden genetic risk factors. [WATCH TIME: 2 minutes]

Investigating Regional and Ethnic Variations in Alzheimer Disease and Cognitive Health: Kumar B. Rajan, PhD

The professor in the department of internal medicine at RUSH Medical College discussed a study aimed to provide insights to help tailor cognitive decline prevention programs and raise awareness about health disparities in minority populations. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

The Importance of Localization in Addressing Misdiagnosis in Multiple Sclerosis: Aliza Ben-Zacharia, PhD, DNP, ANP-BC, FAAN

The assistant professor at Hunter College discussed the importance of using a systematic approach to localization and thorough consideration of clinical symptoms to enhance diagnostic accuracy and reduce misdiagnosis in multiple sclerosis. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

Shaping the Future of Medical Research Using Insights From the Headache Community: Amynah Pradhan, PhD

The associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Illinois at Chicago talked about the importance of diverse insight and perspectives from the headache community in shaping medical research priorities. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

Reframing the Communication of Lifestyle Changes for Migraine Management: Elizabeth Seng, PhD

The associate professor at Yeshiva University and Albert Einstein College of Medicine explored the challenge of discussing lifestyle changes for patients with migraine, noting that lifestyle modifications can be a valuable addition to migraine treatment. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

Rapid Administration of Diazepam Results in Improved Seizure Cluster Cessation, Shorter Seizures

Treatment with diazepam nasal spray resulted in a statistically significant change in time between seizure clusters, potentially reflecting a beneficial effect of intermittent rescue therapy.

Early-Stage Findings of Ketogenic Agent CER-0001 in Infantile Spasms Warrant Further Investigation

Half of the treated individuals saw a reduction of more than 50% in the number and duration of epileptic spasms following treatment with CER-0001, a ketogenic therapy.

Changes in Themes Across Neurology Over the Years: Rebecca Gottesman, MD, PhD, FANA; Frances E. Jensen, MD, FACP

The president of the ANA and the chair of the annual meeting programming committee provided commentary on the advances in neurology and the shift in how clinicians approach and treat diseases once thought to be fatal. [WATCH TIME: 6 minutes]

Coverage Focuses of 2023 ANA Annual Meeting: Rebecca Gottesman, MD, PhD, FANA; Frances E. Jensen, MD, FACP

The president of the ANA and the chair of the annual meeting programming committee gave an overview on the various topics and courses the clinical community should home in on at the upcoming annual meeting. [WATCH TIME: 6 minutes]

Debunking Myths of Migraine’s Role in Dementia: Olivia Begasse de Dhaem, MD, FAHS

The headache specialist at Hartford Healthcare Headache Center emphasized the importance of avoiding unnecessary fear surrounding the potential link between migraine and dementia, as current evidence does not strongly support it being a significant risk factor. [WATCH TIME: 2 minutes]

Neurobiological Insights Into Gait and Balance Control in Parkinson Disease

Nicolaas Bohnen, MD, PhD, professor of radiology and neurology at the University of Michigan, discussed the main takeaways from his keynote lecture on posture and gait in Parkinson disease presented at the 2023 MDS Congress.

Reasons for Attending 2023 American Neurological Association Annual Meeting: Rebecca Gottesman, MD, PhD, FANA; Frances E. Jensen, MD, FACP

The president of the ANA and the chair of the annual meeting programming committee provided perspective on the upcoming ANA Annual Meeting and what clinicians may get out of the meeting. [WATCH TIME: 7 minutes]

Continuous Subcutaneous Apomorphine Infusion Demonstrates Durable Effect on OFF, ON Time in Parkinson Disease

More than a 40% improvement in ON time without troublesome dyskinesia occurred as patients had their treatment titrated.

Phase 3 KINECT-4 Findings Show Valbenazine Decreases Tardive Dyskinesia Severity

On average, clinician-rated TD severity, measured by AIMS, and patient-reported assessment of the physical, social and emotional impact of TD, measured by TDIS, decreased with one-capsule, once-daily valbenazine over 48 weeks.

Health Disparities and Equities in the Multiple Sclerosis Latinx Community: Farren B. S. Briggs, PhD, ScM

The associate professor in the department of population and quantitative health sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine talked about striving to understand and address the disparities among Latinx patients with multiple sclerosis. [WATCH TIME: 2 minutes]

Levodopa as Initial Parkinson Treatment Shows Best Long-Term Prognostic Outcome for Quality of Life

When compared with levodopa-sparing agents, treatment levodopa alone resulted in significantly better patient-rated Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire activities of daily living and summary index scores.

Machine Learning Algorithm Accurately Diagnoses Parkinsonian Syndromes, Study Shows

Parkinsonian syndromes, including multiple systems atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy, have similar symptoms to Parkinson disease but are more distinct and each have corresponding therapies that are available for them.

Addressing Misdiagnosis and Delayed Diagnosis in Multiple Sclerosis: Andrew Solomon, MD

The associate professor of neurological sciences at the University of Vermont in Burlington discussed the persistent issue of delayed and misdiagnoses among patients with multiple sclerosis, highlighting the need to improve accurate diagnosis. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

The Road Ahead for BTK Inhibitors in Multiple Sclerosis: Amit Bar-Or, MD, FRCPC, FAAN, FANA

The Melissa and Paul Anderson President’s Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, talked about the promising potential of BTK inhibitors in treating both relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis. [WATCH TIME: 6 minutes]

Machine Learning Algorithm Shows Ability to Distinguish Tic From NonTic Movements

Despite the challenge of distinguishing tics from extra movements, machine learning technology could potentially help researchers with reducing time spent analyzing video recordings of patients with tic disorders.