Lancet neurology
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Serum GFAP and UCH-L1 for prediction of absence of intracranial injuries on head CT (ALERT-TBI): a multicentre observational study.
More than 50 million people worldwide sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) annually. Detection of intracranial injuries relies on head CT, which is overused and resource intensive. Blood-based brain biomarkers hold the potential to predict absence of intracranial injury and thus reduce unnecessary head CT scanning. We sought to validate a test combining ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), at predetermined cutoff values, to predict traumatic intracranial injuries on head CT scan acutely after TBI. ⋯ Banyan Biomarkers and US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Apomorphine subcutaneous infusion in patients with Parkinson's disease with persistent motor fluctuations (TOLEDO): a multicentre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial.
Subcutaneous apomorphine infusion is a clinically established therapy for patients with Parkinson's disease with motor fluctuations not optimally controlled by oral medication. Open-label studies have shown that apomorphine infusion is effective in reducing off time (periods when antiparkinsonian drugs have no effect), dyskinesias, and levodopa dose, but confirmatory evidence from double-blind, controlled studies is lacking. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of apomorphine infusion compared with placebo in patients with Parkinson's disease with persistent motor fluctuations despite optimised oral or transdermal treatment. ⋯ Britannia Pharmaceuticals.
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Inflammatory myopathies, collectively known as myositis, are heterogeneous disorders characterised by muscle inflammation, and frequently accompanied by extramuscular manifestations that affect the skin, lung, and joints. Patients with inflammatory myopathies were previously classified as having dermatomyositis if characteristic rashes accompanied the muscle involvement, and as having polymyositis if no rashes were present. ⋯ Treatment is still largely based on expert opinion, but several studies have shown effectiveness of different therapies in various subsets of inflammatory myopathies. These advances will undoubtedly improve the outcomes of patients with inflammatory myopathies.