European journal of neurology : the official journal of the European Federation of Neurological Societies
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Multicenter Study
A European multicentre reappraisal of distal compound muscle action potential duration in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.
The electrodiagnostic value of distal compound muscle action potential duration (DCMAPD) has been studied rarely in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). Cut-offs proposed have not been widely evaluated. The influence of low-cut EMG filter settings ≤ 10 Hz as used in Europe is uncertain. ⋯ Cut-offs for DCMAPD are dependent on EMG filter settings. DCMAPD prolongation in any motor nerve, using our derived cut-offs, represents a sensitive and specific marker of CIDP in patients studied with EMG equipment with low-cut filter settings ≤ 10 Hz. Appropriate use of this parameter appears an essential criterion to consider in assessing suspected CIDP, which may be helpful in limiting extensiveness and duration of electrophysiological testing, thereby reducing patient discomfort.
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Clinical Trial
Good long-term efficacy of pallidal stimulation in cervical dystonia: a prospective, observer-blinded study.
Deep brain stimulation of the internal globus pallidus (GPi-DBS) is established as an effective treatment of primary generalised dystonia in controlled studies. In cervical dystonia (CD), only one previous study has reported observer-blinded outcome assessment of long-term GPi-DBS, with 1-year follow-up. ⋯ This single-blinded study shows good long-term efficacy of GPi-DBS in CD patients and supports using this treatment in those who have insufficient response to medical treatment.
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Although the genetics of familial hemiplegic migraine are being unraveled, this is not the case for the prevalent types of migraine. However, a recent genome wide association study (GWAS) reported an association of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1835740 and migraine. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association of clinical characteristics in migraine with aura (MA) with the newly discovered minor allele A of rs1835740 at 8q22.1. ⋯ None of the clinical characteristics of MA were significantly influenced by the common susceptibility variant on 8q22.1.
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To assess the prevalence and characteristics of pain in an epidemiological series of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) compared to population-based controls. ⋯ Our study indicates that pain is frequent in all stages of ALS, but that it often goes underrecognized and undertreated. It is significantly more frequent in patients with ALS than in population-based controls. Future studies need to clarify the mechanisms of pain in ALS and determine the most effective treatment strategy.