Lancet neurology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Safety and efficacy of deferiprone for pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration: a randomised, double-blind, controlled trial and an open-label extension study.
Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN) is a rare genetic disorder characterised by progressive generalised dystonia and brain iron accumulation. We assessed whether the iron chelator deferiprone can reduce brain iron and slow disease progression. ⋯ European Commission, US Food and Drug Administration, and ApoPharma Inc.
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Small vessel disease is a disorder of cerebral microvessels that causes white matter hyperintensities and several other common abnormalities (eg, recent small subcortical infarcts and lacunes) seen on brain imaging. Despite being a common cause of stroke and vascular dementia, the underlying pathogenesis is poorly understood. Research in humans has identified several manifestations of cerebral microvessel endothelial dysfunction including blood-brain barrier dysfunction, impaired vasodilation, vessel stiffening, dysfunctional blood flow and interstitial fluid drainage, white matter rarefaction, ischaemia, inflammation, myelin damage, and secondary neurodegeneration. ⋯ Relationships between lesions and symptoms are highly variable but poorly understood. Major challenges are the determination of which vascular dysfunctions are most important in pathogenesis, which abnormalities are reversible, and why lesion progression and symptomatology are so variable. This knowledge will help to identify potential targets for intervention and improve risk prediction for individuals with small vessel disease.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Stenting for symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis: a preplanned pooled individual patient data analysis.
Symptomatic vertebral artery stenosis is associated with a high risk of recurrent stroke, with higher risks for intracranial than for extracranial stenosis. Vertebral artery stenosis can be treated with stenting with good technical results, but whether it results in improved clinical outcome is uncertain. We aimed to compare vertebral stenting with medical treatment for symptomatic vertebral stenosis. ⋯ None.