Der Nervenarzt
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Based on patient reports, animal data, and in vitro experiments, evidence has emerged indicating a positive effect of cannabinoids as symptomatic treatment of spasticity and pain in multiple sclerosis. The recently published CAMS study was the first multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled phase III trial to examine the efficacy of cannabinoids on symptoms related to MS. ⋯ A major problem of the study was a high degree of patient unmasking in the active treatment group. In this review, the results of the CAMS study are discussed in the context of previous trials, the putative mechanism of action of cannabinoids and their adverse event profile.
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Comparative Study
[Costs of stroke unit care in Germany. Resource use and reimbursements by German diagnosis related groups].
Stroke care has a high impact on health costs. Therefore, the costs and reimbursements of integrated stroke care were calculated in a German neurological university hospital. ⋯ The development of reimbursements by the G-DRGs shows a clear downward trend and shows that the high resource use in stroke unit care is inadequately reflected by the G-DRGs.