Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Dec 2020
Inside minds, beneath diseases: social cognition in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal spectrum disorder.
To compare social cognition performance between patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and those patients with behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). ⋯ Our findings support a cognitive continuum between ALS and bvFTD and shed light on the cognitive heterogeneity of ALS, expanding its possible neuropsychological profiles.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Dec 2020
Meta AnalysisAnti-Aβ agents for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: systematic review and meta-analysis.
To assess the efficacy and safety of Aβ-targeting agents for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. ⋯ From current evidence, anti-Aβ interventions are unlikely to have an important impact on slowing cognitive or functional decline. Although the subgroup analysis suggested possible benefits from Aβ clearance drugs, the analysis has limited credibility, and a benefit from drugs that increase clearance, if real, is very small.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Dec 2020
ReviewCarotid web: an occult mechanism of embolic stroke.
The carotid web is a proposed stroke mechanism that may underlie cryptogenic stroke, particularly in younger patients without vascular risk factors. The web appears as a shelf-like projection into the lumen of the proximal cervical internal carotid artery without evidence of calcification. It is pathologically defined as intimal fibromuscular dysplasia. ⋯ Options for management include antiplatelet therapy, carotid endarterectomy and carotid artery stenting. Modern management strategies for cryptogenic stroke include long-term cardiac monitoring, further investigation for structural cardiac disease and a diagnostic workup for arterial hypercoagulability, however, these strategies are not likely to capture the possibility of a carotid web. Carotid webs should be suspected in a young patient presenting with recurrent unihemispheric strokes particularly when conventional vascular risk factors are not present.
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Dec 2020
ReviewBiomarkers in functional movement disorders: a systematic review.
Functional movement disorders (FMD) are proposed to reflect a specific problem with voluntary control of movement, despite normal intent to move and an intact neural capacity for movement. In many cases, a positive diagnosis of FMD can be established on clinical grounds. However, the diagnosis remains challenging in certain scenarios, and there is a need for predictors of treatment response and long-term prognosis. ⋯ Some biomarkers also require access to time-consuming and resource-consuming techniques such as functional MRI. In conclusion, there are important gaps in diagnostic biomarkers in FMD in the areas of most clinical uncertainty. There is also is a lack of treatment response and prognostic biomarkers to aid in the selection of patients who would benefit from rehabilitation and other forms of treatment.