Latest Conference Coverage

Applications of Telestroke and Teleneurology: Jason Poon, MD

The neurologist at University of Utah discussed his research presented at AAN 2021 on telestroke’s accuracy of differentiating between acute ischemic stroke and mimics.

Inebilizumab Has Enduring Effect as NMOSD Treatment

Patients in the randomized controlled trial and the open-label extension treated with inebilizumab experienced similar rates of being attack-free, extending as far as 4 years.

Ublituximab and the Anti-CD20 Class in Multiple Sclerosis: Lawrence Steinman, MD

The professor of neurology and Neurological Sciences, Pediatrics, and Genetics at Stanford Medicine discussed the ULTIMATE trial data presented at the 2021 AAN Annual Meeting.

NeuroVoices: Joseph Sirven, MD, on Expanding Research on Social Determinants of Health in Epilepsy

The professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic discussed the need for understanding more about how social determinants of health can impact epilepsy treatment delays.

Pimavanserin vs Off-Label Psychotics for Dementia-Related Psychosis: Clive Ballard, MD

The dean at the University of Exeter Medical School discussed the questions related to treating dementia-related psychosis and the options available.

Treatment Compliance Higher Among Ofatumumab-Treated Patients Than Teriflunomide

Patient/guardian decision, adverse event, and physician decision were the 3 noted reasons for discontinuation with either ofatumumab or teriflunomide.

Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury on Pace to Soon Enter Human Phase Testing

In an AAN plenary talk, Mark H. Tuszynski, MD, PhD, detailed the work he and colleagues have done to push stem cell therapy from the lab to the clinic to improve care for spinal cord injury.

African American Women Experience Greatest Disadvantage in Post-Stroke Rehabilitation

Researchers analyzed disparities in stroke rehab and found that women and African Americans had the lowest functional performance.

Trends in Movement Disorder Research: Ihtsham ul Haq, MD, FAAN

The chief of Movement Disorders Division at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine discussed some of the recent focused efforts to uncover more about Parkinson disease and what is on the horizon.

Fremanezumab Demonstrates Efficacy and Safety in Pair of AAN Posters

Patients with a previous history of cardiovascular risks experienced similarly low number of cardiovascular events with treatment of fremanezumab compared with placebo.

Validated MANAGE-PD Tool May Identify Parkinson Disease Treatment Gaps

In total, 50% of patients eligible for device-aided therapies did not report having any discussion with providers about future device-aided therapies.

Treatment Disparities, Neurologic Complications Clarified by COVID-19 Neurological Research

The 2021 AAN Meeting Hot Topics plenary focused on neurological facets of COVID-19, and featured insight from Anthony Fauci, MD, of NIAID, and Walter Koroshetz, MD, of NINDS, among others.

Mitigating Disparities in Stroke Rehabilitation Care: Sana Somani, MD, MBBS

The vascular neurology fellow at the University of Maryland Medical Center discussed strategies to improve stroke care efficiency in women and African Americans.

Deep Brain Stimulation Leads Advances in Neuromodulation for Movement Disorders

An AAN session included presentations of research on the latest advancements and knowledge in neuromodulation for patients with these disorders.

Efficacy and Safety of Fremanezumab Further Displayed: Stephanie J. Nahas, MD

The associate professor and director of the Headache Medicine Fellowship Program at Thomas Jefferson University discussed 2 research projects she led presented at AAN 2021 on the efficacy and safety of fremanezumab.

Implementing Patient-Specific Stroke Discharge Instructions: Marian LaMonte, MD, MSN, FAAN

The chief of neurology at Ascension Saint Agnes discussed how providing an overview of patient-specific risk factors and mitigation can improve poststroke care.

Aducanumab EMBARK Trial Seeks to Characterize Treatment Durability, Effects of Interruption

Aducanumab currently sits before the FDA for review for the treatment of Alzheimer disease, with a PDUFA date set for June 7, 2021.

Switch to Siponimod Safe, Tolerable With No Washout, Study Finds

Results from the ongoing clinical trial will help define clinical management guidelines for switching patients with relapsing MS on other disease-modifying therapies to siponimod.

Multiple Independent Current Control DBS Associated With Improved Outcomes in Parkinson Disease

No stimulation adverse effects were reported, and patients on the MICC stimulation alone resulted in greater than 50% improvement in UPDRS motor scores.

Simple Interventions Improve Compliance With Patient-Specific Stroke Discharge Instructions

Researchers from Ascension Saint Agnes improved compliance in their hospital in providing patient-specific, stroke-dedicated discharge instructions.

Disparities in Stroke Rehabilitation: Sana Somani, MD, MBBS

The vascular neurology fellow at the University of Maryland Medical Center discussed findings that African American women had the lowest functional performance in stroke rehabilitation.

Rimegepant Safe in Patients With Prior Triptan Failure

Serious adverse events occurred in 3.7% and 2.4% of subjects in the subgroups of patients with 1 and 2 or more triptan failures, respectively.

Role of Social Determinants in Epilepsy Treatment Delays: Joseph Sirven, MD

The professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic discussed the reasoning for the research he presented at AAN 2021 on social determinants and their impact on epilepsy treatment times.

Negative Impacts on Cognition Not Observed With Pimavanserin for Dementia-Related Psychosis

The study presented at the 2021 AAN Meeting follows the complete response letter issued by the FDA to Acadia Pharmaceuticals due to deficiencies in their sNDA.

Improving Stroke Discharge Instructions: Marian LaMonte, MD, MSN, FAAN

The chief of neurology at Ascension Saint Agnes discussed her team’s efforts to increase compliance in providing patient-specific stroke DCI.

Plasma NfL Offers Better Prognostication for Neurodegeneration Than Total Tau

Data from a cohort of more than 900 individuals suggest that while total tau can add cross-sectional value in certain contexts, neurofilament light served better for prognostication of cognitive decline and imaging changes.

Utilizing Aspirin to Lower Stroke Rates in Cerebral Amyloid Antipathy: Sheheryar Jamali, MD

The neurologist from Mayo Clinic discussed his abstract at AAN 2021 comparing stroke rates in patients with cerebral amyloid antipathy given treatment with aspirin.

Investigators Identify Links Between Clinical Seizure Characteristics and Continuous EEG

Critically ill patients who were obtunded, stuporous, or comatose had pediatric lateralized epileptiform discharges, and acute brain insults were among many clinical characteristics to benefit from longer EEG.

Personalized Cladribine Dosing for Multiple Sclerosis

Kimberly Allen-Philbey, a PhD candidate at the Barts MS Center in London, discussed the advantages of using a personalized dosing schedule of off-label, subcutaneous cladribine.

What to Expect from the 2021 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting

The 2021 AAN Annual Meeting will be held virtually from April 17-22. Follow along with coverage from NeurologyLive, including expert interviews and session recaps.