Current opinion in neurology
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Recent neuroimaging studies have provided novel insights on residual brain function in patients with disorders of consciousness, but also raised a number of ethical issues concerning the clinical management of these patients. ⋯ There is an urgent need of validation of functional MRI active paradigms on larger patient populations before they can be used in clinical routine. Further research on neural correlates of consciousness should hopefully allow using passive paradigms to assess the patients' conscious state without requiring their active collaboration.
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This review enumerates recent developments in the early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, with an emphasis on detection of preclinical Parkinson's disease. ⋯ Various diagnostic modalities hold promise for the early and preclinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. It is likely that the future diagnosis of Parkinson's disease will rely on a combination of clinical, laboratory, imaging, and genetic data.
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This review discusses the advances in the treatment of status epilepticus since the first London-Innsbruck Colloquium on Status Epilepticus, held in London in April 2007. ⋯ There have been a number of advances in recent years in the treatment of status epilepticus. In stage 2 and stage 3 of status epilepticus, the therapies have almost invariably been assessed in open studies only, and there is a need for multicentre randomized controlled therapy comparisons.
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There is a complex relationship between epilepsy, sleep and sleep disorders. Recent studies have provided new insights into the links between the disorders that may facilitate differential diagnosis and treatment but may also improve our understanding of underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. ⋯ Accurate identification and diagnosis of sleep disorders as well as epilepsy is clinically important to ensure optimal treatment of both epilepsy and sleep disorders. Further studies of these nocturnal events may advance our understanding of underlying pathological mechanisms and the complex relationship between sleep and epilepsy.