Current neurology and neuroscience reports
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Neuralgias are characterized by pain in the distribution of a cranial or cervical nerve. Typically, they are brief, paroxysmal, painful attacks, although continuous neuropathic pain may occur. The most commonly encountered conditions are trigeminal, postherpetic, and occipital neuralgia. Less common neuralgias include glossopharyngeal, superior laryngeal, auriculotemporal, and nervus intermedius neuralgia, among others. The approach to diagnosis and treatment of this group of disorders is reviewed. ⋯ Recent guidelines of medication administration, the use of botulinum toxin, and more targeted procedures have improved treatment of neuralgias. Patients who present with neuralgias should have imaging studies to investigate for structural abnormalities unless the etiology is apparent. Management of both common and rare neuralgias can be challenging and is best guided by the most recent available evidence.
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Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep · Jul 2018
ReviewThrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke: Recent Insights and Future Directions.
Mechanical thrombectomy has become the standard of care for acute ischemic stroke with proximal large vessel occlusions (LVO). This article reviews recent research relating to thrombectomy. ⋯ Thrombectomy for anterior circulation stroke with proximal LVO was first shown to be highly efficacious within 6 h of stroke onset, but "late-window" trials have further demonstrated efficacy until 24-h postonset in select patients with salvageable tissue. However, the concept of "time is brain" remains critical. Thrombectomy trials have further stimulated worldwide efforts to develop systems of care for rapid treatment of eligible patients. Thrombectomy is cost-effective and likely to have long-term efficacy for both disability and mortality outcomes. Thrombectomy is a highly efficacious acute stroke therapy. Enduring uncertainties include efficacy in patients with premorbid disability, posterior circulation, or more distal occlusions; use of bridging thrombolysis; and optimal techniques to achieve consistent revascularization and address tandem occlusions or stenoses.
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Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep · Jun 2018
ReviewCannabinoids for Treatment of MS Symptoms: State of the Evidence.
Cannabis and cannabinoids have been used medically and recreationally for thousands of years and recently there has been a growing body of research in this area. With increased access now that medical marijuana is available in many jurisdictions, patients and providers want to know more about the evidence for benefits and risks of cannabinoid use. This paper provides an overview of the available cannabinoid-based formulations, a summary of the highest quality evidence for the use of cannabinoids for treating spasticity and pain associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), and a discussion of possible dosing regimens based on information from these studies. ⋯ Two recent high-quality systematic reviews concluded that the only strong evidence for medical marijuana in neurological disorders was for reducing the symptoms of patient-reported spasticity and central pain in MS and that the only complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) intervention in MS with strong supportive evidence was cannabinoids. Based on this review, they concluded that nabiximols (Sativex oral spray), oral cannabis extract (OCE), and synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are probably effective at reducing patient-reported symptoms of spasticity in people with MS, but OCE and synthetic THC were not found to be effective for reducing physician-administered measures of spasticity. In addition, nabiximols, OCE, and synthetic THC are probably effective at reducing MS-related pain. Cannabinoids were generally well-tolerated. However, cannabis use has been associated with an increased risk of psychosis and schizophrenia in at-risk individuals, there is growing evidence that cannabis can increase the risk for cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction (MI), hypertension, heart failure, and stroke, and a recently recognized adverse effect of cannabis is cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. The medical use of cannabinoids remains controversial. While cannabinoids have been studied for a variety of neurologic disorders, there is strongest evidence to indicate benefits in treatment of spasticity and neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis. Although the best dose for an individual remains uncertain, most participants in the studies discussed in this paper used between 20 and 40 mg of THC a day in divided doses. Adverse events in studies were generally more common in the groups using cannabinoid products but serious adverse events were rare and cannabis products were generally well-tolerated. Cannabis use does appear to be associated with increased risk of certain adverse events, including psychosis, cardiovascular diseases, and cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome.
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Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep · Apr 2018
ReviewDisturbances of Sleep and Alertness in Parkinson's Disease.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. Sleep dysfunction is one of the most common non-motor manifestations of PD that has gained significant interest over the past two decades due to its impact on the daily lives of PD patients, poorly understood mechanisms, and limited treatment options. In this review, we discuss the most common sleep disorders in PD and present recent investigations that have broadened our understanding of the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of disturbed sleep and alertness in PD. ⋯ The etiology of impaired sleep-wake cycles in PD is multifactorial. Sleep dysfunction in PD encompasses insomnia, REM sleep behavior disorder, sleep-disordered breathing, restless legs syndrome, and circadian dysregulation. Despite the high prevalence of sleep dysfunction in PD, evidence supporting the efficacy of treatment strategies is limited. We are at the opportune time to advance our understanding of sleep dysfunction in PD, which will hopefully lead to mechanisms-driven interventions for better sleep and allow us to approach sleep as a modifiable therapeutic target for other non-motor and motor manifestations in PD.
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Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep · Mar 2018
ReviewPrognostic Value of EEG in Patients after Cardiac Arrest-An Updated Review.
This paper aims to review and summarize the key contributions of EEG to prognostication after cardiac arrest (CA). ⋯ While there are more EEG patterns predicting poor than good outcome, even EEG patterns previously considered to be "very malignant" may result in survival with a meaningful neurological outcome depending on their underlying etiology as well as the continuity and reactivity of the EEG background. Regardless of the potentially confounding factors, EEG patterns are highly specific with a relatively low false-positive rate. The development of more complex and comprehensive approaches to quantitative EEG analysis could help improve the prognostic value of EEG, but this approach has its own limitations. Seizures and status epilepticus in the setting of CA predict poor outcomes, but it is not clear whether treating them prevents additional brain damage and results in improved outcome. Either continuous EEG or frequent intermittent EEGs should be obtained within the first 12-24 h of return of spontaneous circulation in order to capture highly dynamic and prognostic patterns. Even though EEG has high predictive value for outcomes after cardiac arrest, it should not be the only prognostic tool. Rather, to improve prognostication, EEG should be used in combination with the neurological examination and other ancillary tests.