Neurology
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In recent years, accumulating evidence has suggested that vascular risk factors contribute to Alzheimer disease (AD). Vascular dementia had been traditionally considered secondary to stroke and vascular disease. ⋯ In this article, we discuss the impact of vascular risk factors on AD and its consequences at the individual level and at the population level by highlighting the concept of attributable risk. We then discuss the key questions and next steps involved in designing a therapeutic trial to control vascular risk factors for the prevention of dementia.
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Comparative Study
Epidemiology of ischemic stroke from atrial fibrillation in Dijon, France, from 1985 to 2006.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is strongly associated with age, and epidemiologic studies are needed to evaluate the impact of both aging of the population and the use of anticoagulant therapy in patients with AF on the incidence of cardioembolic stroke with AF (CE/AF stroke). ⋯ The decrease in the incidence of cardioembolic/atrial fibrillation stroke in our study was probably due to a slight increase in the utilization of antithrombotic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation, but the use of such therapies will have to increase further because of the expected aging of the population in coming years.
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Comparative Study
Treatment of intractable chronic cluster headache by occipital nerve stimulation in 14 patients.
Cluster headache is a primary headache involving repeated attacks of excruciatingly severe headache usually occurring several times a day. Most patients with chronic cluster headache (CCH) have an unremitting illness requiring daily preventive therapy for years. ⋯ Intractable chronic cluster headache (CCH) is a devastating, disabling condition that has traditionally been treated with cranially invasive or neurally destructive procedures. ONS offers a safe, effective option for some patients with CCH. More work is required to evaluate and understand this novel therapy.
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To survey adult neurology program directors (ANPD) to identify their most pressing needs at a time of dramatic change in neurology resident education. ⋯ Adult neurology program directors (ANPDs) face multiple important financial and organizational hurdles. At a time of increasing complexity in medical education, ANPDs need more institutional support.
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Distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP) is the most common variety of neuropathy. Since the evaluation of this disorder is not standardized, the available literature was reviewed to provide evidence-based guidelines regarding the role of laboratory and genetic tests for the assessment of DSP. ⋯ 1) Screening laboratory tests may be considered for all patients with polyneuropathy (Level C). Those tests that provide the highest yield of abnormality are blood glucose, serum B12 with metabolites (methylmalonic acid with or without homocysteine), and serum protein immunofixation electrophoresis (Level C). If there is no definite evidence of diabetes mellitus by routine testing of blood glucose, testing for impaired glucose tolerance may be considered in distal symmetric sensory polyneuropathy (Level C). 2) Genetic testing should be conducted for the accurate diagnosis and classification of hereditary neuropathies (Level A). Genetic testing may be considered in patients with cryptogenic polyneuropathy who exhibit a hereditary neuropathy phenotype (Level C). Initial genetic testing should be guided by the clinical phenotype, inheritance pattern, and electrodiagnostic features and should focus on the most common abnormalities which are CMT1A duplication/HNPP deletion, Cx32 (GJB1), and MFN2 mutation screening. There is insufficient evidence to determine the usefulness of routine genetic testing in patients with cryptogenic polyneuropathy who do not exhibit a hereditary neuropathy phenotype (Level U).