Arch Neurol Chicago
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Arch Neurol Chicago · Oct 2006
Randomized Controlled TrialOmega-3 fatty acid treatment in 174 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease: OmegAD study: a randomized double-blind trial.
Epidemiologic and animal studies have suggested that dietary fish or fish oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids, for example, docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, may prevent Alzheimer disease (AD). ⋯ Administration of omega-3 fatty acid in patients with mild to moderate AD did not delay the rate of cognitive decline according to the MMSE or the cognitive portion of the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale. However, positive effects were observed in a small group of patients with very mild AD (MMSE >27 points).
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Arch Neurol Chicago · Oct 2006
Intraepidermal nerve fiber densities in chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases.
Some patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have selective loss of small-diameter nerve fibers, while larger nerve fibers are unaffected. ⋯ The degree of loss of small-diameter nerve fibers differs among patients with these chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases, likely reflecting differences in pathogenesis and organ affinity of the individual disease entities.
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Arch Neurol Chicago · Aug 2006
Comparative StudySlower disease progression and prolonged survival in contemporary patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: is the natural history of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis changing?
In recent years, considerable effort has been made to improve the treatment of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, despite the increased use of supportive measures, controversy still exists about overall trends in disease progression and survival. ⋯ Contemporary patients had significantly prolonged survival and slower disease progression compared with patients from the historical group. The improved outcome seemed independent of specific ALS outcome-modifying therapies, but we cannot rule out an effect of comorbid conditions, which could have influenced medical treatment and survival. Nevertheless, our observations suggest the possibility that disease course has changed and that ALS is becoming less aggressive over time. Further studies are needed to determine whether there has been a fundamental change in the natural history of the disease or whether our results are because of other unmeasured aspects of improved multidisciplinary care.
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Arch Neurol Chicago · Jul 2006
Case ReportsChildhood onset in familial prion disease with a novel mutation in the PRNP gene.
Up to 15% of cases of prion diseases are due to the autosomal dominant inheritance of coding PRNP mutations. ⋯ A novel mutation in the PRNP gene was identified in all of the available, clinically affected members of this family with a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease. To our knowledge, the propositus represents the youngest individual with inherited prion disease described to date.
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Arch Neurol Chicago · Jul 2006
Comparative Study Clinical TrialLong-duration response to levodopa in patients with advanced Parkinson disease treated with subthalamic deep brain stimulation.
Long-duration response (LDR) to levodopa is supposed to decrease with Parkinson disease (PD) progression, but direct observation of this response in advanced PD has never been performed. ⋯ Our results suggest that the LDR to levodopa remains significant even in advanced PD, and that subthalamic DBS compensates for the short-duration response and LDR to levodopa.