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In this issue of the Archives, Dr New advocates for a diagnosis-specific care path for patients with nontraumatic myelopathy and a multidisciplinary team approach to carry out this care, much as it is done for traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). As he indicates, specialized care, coordinated from trauma to rehabilitation, has significantly improved the overall outcomes and quality of life for patients with traumatic SCI over the past several decades.
Archives of Neurology - Mon, 27 September 2010
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Minocycline is a clinically available antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drug that also demonstrates neuroprotective properties in a variety of experimental models of neurological diseases. There have thus far been more than 300 publications on minocycline neuroprotection including a growing number of human studies. Our objective is to critically review the biological basis and translational potential of this action of minocycline on the nervous system.
Archives of Neurology - Tue, 31 August 2010
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Two years ago, Newmark and Newmark hypothesized that insufficient vitamin D could play a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease (PD). The study by Knekt et al in this issue of the Archives is the first longitudinal analysis of vitamin D status as a risk of incident PD and examines a cohort of more than 3000 participants from the Mini-Finland Health Survey.
Archives of Neurology - Wed, 14 July 2010
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There is convincing evidence that the Parkinson disease neurodegenerative process begins many years before the onset of motor manifestations. Initial estimates based on nigral neuropathological findings or striatal dopamine imaging suggested a 5- to 6-year preclinical period. However, more recent evidence of Lewy body pathology in other neuronal populations preceding nigral involvement suggests that the preclinical phase may be much longer. Epidemiologic studies of nonmotor manifestations, such as constipation, anxiety disorders, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), and anemia, suggest that the preclinical period extends at least 20 years before the motor manifestations. Olfactory impairment and depression may also precede the onset of motor manifestations; however, the lag time may be shorter. Recognition of a nonmotor preclinical phase spanning 20 or more years should guide the search for predictive biomarkers and the identification of risk or protective factors for Parkinson disease.
Archives of Neurology - Wed, 14 July 2010
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While we have understood the bases for mendelian, early-onset Alzheimer disease for nearly decades, elucidation of the genetic risks for late-onset disease beyond the apolipoprotein E locus, discovered in 1993, had been painfully slow until the last year. From 1993 to 2009, thousands of genetic association studies on Alzheimer disease had been published without any becoming generally accepted as true risk loci for the disease. With the benefit of hindsight, we now have some indication of why no other risk loci were found during this period; simply, there are no other loci with similar effect sizes to apolipoprotein E to be found. Now, however, with the advent of whole-genome associations, we are beginning to find the weaker risk loci for the disease.
Archives of Neurology - Wed, 16 June 2010
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Human embryonic stem cells provide a useful source of material for studying basic human development and various disease states. However, ethical issues concerning their procurement limit their acceptance and possible clinical applicability. Recent advances in stem cell technology have provided an alternative source of pluripotent stem cells that does not require the use of an embryo. This review addresses the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from skin fibroblasts taken from various patient populations, with a specific focus on the pediatric disorder spinal muscular atrophy. These patient-derived cells may help researchers devise more appropriate therapies through a greater understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie neuron dysfunction and death in a variety of diseases. Furthermore, they provide an ideal platform for small-molecule screening and subsequent drug development.
Archives of Neurology - Wed, 16 June 2010
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The significance of antibodies induced by therapeutically administered formulations of recombinant human interferon β (IFN-β) in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been a controversial topic since it was first reported in association with IFN-β-1b in 1993.
Archives of Neurology - Mon, 19 April 2010
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The autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a complex group of neuropsychiatric conditions involving language, social communication, and mental flexibility.
Archives of Neurology - Mon, 19 April 2010
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Glioblastoma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults and is a challenging disease to treat.
Archives of Neurology - Mon, 22 March 2010
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The management of patients with leptomeningeal metastases (LM) is multifaceted and complex.
Archives of Neurology - Mon, 22 March 2010
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