Neurology
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To investigate serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) concentrations in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and to see whether they are associated with the severity of disease. ⋯ Increased serum NfL concentrations are seen in FTD but show wide variability within each clinical and genetic group. Higher concentrations may reflect the intensity of the disease in FTD and are associated with more rapid atrophy of the frontal lobes.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Adjunctive pregabalin vs gabapentin for focal seizures: Interpretation of comparative outcomes.
To evaluate the comparative safety and adjunctive efficacy of pregabalin and gabapentin in reducing seizure frequency in patients with partial-onset seizures based on prestudy modeling showing superior efficacy for pregabalin. ⋯ This study provides Class II evidence that for patients with partial seizures enrolled in this study, pregabalin is not superior to gabapentin in reducing seizure frequency. Because of the atypical response rates, the results of this study are poorly generalizable to other epilepsy populations.
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We prospectively investigated the role of depressive symptoms (DS) on all-cause dementia in a population with small vessel disease (SVD), considering onset age of DS and cognitive performance. ⋯ Late-onset DS increases dementia risk, independent of SVD. Especially in those with relatively high cognitive performance, DS indicate a higher risk. In contrast to current practice, clinicians should monitor those with DS who also show relatively good cognitive test scores.
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To survey amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) health care providers to determine attitudes regarding physician-assisted death (PAD) after the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) invalidated the Criminal Code provisions that prohibit PAD in February 2015. ⋯ ALS health care providers support the SCC decision and the majority believe PAD should be available to patients with moderate to severe ALS with physical or emotional suffering. However, few clinicians are willing to directly provide PAD and additional training and guidelines are required before implementation in Canada.