Latest Conference Coverage

The chief of the Sleep Disorders Clinical Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital provided insight on new updates to the management of restless legs syndrome, including removing dopamine agonists as first line treatments. [WATCH TIME: 8 minutes]

At the conclusion of the analysis, lemborexant was shown to be safe, with significant improvements seen in REM latency, total REM sleep, and other measures.

Preclinical findings show the potential of samelisant, a potent and orally active Histamine H3 receptor inverse agonist, as a potential treatment for patients with Parkinson disease who experience excessive daytime sleepiness.

According to a recent study presented at SLEEP 2023, the decline in MOCA scores in patients with mild cognitive impairment was associated with the degree of hypoxia observed from sleep studies.

The course directors of the 2023 ATRMD Congress provided an overview of the upcoming meeting, and the educational benefits clinicians can gain from attending. [WATCH TIME: 6 minutes]

The chief medical officer of Harmony Biosciences provided perspective on a proof-of-concept study assessing pitolisant’s (Wakix) clinical benefit in reducing excessive daytime sleepiness individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome.

Carolyn H. Goldschmidt, DO, a neurologist at NorthShore University Health System in Chicago, talked about a retrospective study analyzing disease-modifying therapies in multiple sclerosis patients at CMSC 2023.

The professor of neurology at Oregon Health & Science University talked about a study on a modified low-fat diet intervention and its effects on fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis over a 16-week period at CMSC 2023. [WATCH TIME: 8 minutes]

At the conclusion of the 6-week treatment period, preliminary analyses suggested a greater trend toward improvement on subjective measures of insomnia compared with objective sleep measures.

Patients with multiple sclerosis who presented with high-stress maintained their stress management practice through later protocol sessions, according to a study a recent study.

At the 2023 CMSC Annual Meeting, Christopher C. Hemond, MD, assistant professor of neurology at UMass Chan Medical School, provided an overview of his study on mindfulness-based stress reduction in patients with MS using MRI and patient outcomes.

More than 25% of patients in the pooled meta-analysis developed OSA after undergoing vagus nerve stimulation treatment, prompting the need for routine screening for the condition.

The pediatric neurologist and sleep medicine specialist at Geisinger Medical Center discussed her talk given at SLEEP 2023 on the influence of obesity, asthma, metabolic syndrome, gut microbiome, and circadian rhythm on obstructive sleep apnea. [WATCH TIME: 4 minutes]

Nearly all patients showed improvement on the Patient Global Impression of Change scale, regardless of sleep inertia status, assessed through a visual analog scale.

The professor of neurology in the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School provided insight on current management of insomnia for children and adolescents, and where improvements could be made. [WATCH TIME: 3 minutes]

Following 13 weeks of treatment with once-nightly sodium oxybate, some patients in the 7.5 g and 9.0 g groups showed complete resolution of cataplexy attacks.

PUMAS significantly alleviated depression relative to controls whereas cognitive behavioral therapy-insomnia did not differ from either group.

The professor of neurology at Washington University School of Medicine discussed progressive multiple sclerosis and the need for targeted therapies to address the progression and associated challenges. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

Among patients with post-acute sequelae from COVID-19 infection, self-reported cognitive symptoms were correlated with severity of fatigue, anxiety, and depression, but not subjective sleep disturbance.

In a study of 59 individuals with obstructive sleep apnea, solriamfetol yielded cognitive improvements at post-dose time points throughout the day, along with improvements in Patient Global Impression of Severity.

Neurofilament light, a biomarker elevated in neurodegeneration and dementia, was higher among poor sleepers with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores of less than 5.

At CMSC 2023, the associate professor of neurological sciences at the University of Vermont in Burlington talked about data surrounding multiple sclerosis diagnosis and misdiagnosis, suggesting the need for the development of diagnostic biomarkers. [WATCH TIME: 5 minutes]

At CMSC 2023, the professor of neurology at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry discussed the emerging paradigm shift in understanding multiple sclerosis (MS) as a smoldering disease and the potential role of Epstein Barr Virus in causing MS. [WATCH TIME: 6 minutes]

Most patients completed at least 3 years of treatment, with no new safety signals observed and a treatment discontinuation rate of 5.3%.

Using the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, patients either forced to exercise or who volunteered saw significant improvements over a 12-week period.

The adjunct instructor at the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences provided perspective on the next steps in research for potential wearable devices focused on treating issues of multiple sclerosis. [WATCH TIME: 2 minutes]

Factors such as older age, poor steroid responsiveness, and plasma exchange were associated with NMOSD phenotype, while normal or thinned retinal nerve fiber layer and short-segment hyperintensity were associated with idiopathic optic neuritis.

Jennifer Graves, MD, PhD, presented data at the CMSC annual meeting suggesting that secondary progressive disease might be more age-related than previously realized.