Neurology
Clinical Inquiries
What is the best initial treatment of Parkinson’s disease?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: No studies clearly demonstrate the best initial treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Levodopa improves motor function in...
Clinical Inquiries
What medication best prevents migraine in children?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Propranolol, valproic acid, and amitriptyline are effective prophylaxis for migraine in children to varying degrees, are...
Clinical Inquiries
Is neurosurgery referral warranted for small brain aneurysms?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: The risk of rupture of a small cerebral aneurysm (<10 mm) is very low in asymptomatic patients who have never had a...
Clinical Inquiries
What is the prognosis of postherpetic neuralgia?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Postherpetic neuralgia occurs rarely among patients aged <50 years with herpes zoster. The incidence, duration, and...
Clinical Inquiries
Bell’s palsy
Clinical Inquiries
Does surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome improve outcomes?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Good evidence supports the use of surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome over nonsurgical therapies such as wrist splints,...
Clinical Inquiries
What is the best diagnostic approach to paresthesias of the hand?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: There have been no good studies comparing different strategies for the evaluation of the patient with hand paresthesias. A...
Clinical Inquiries
In patients with a previous CVA, do antioxidants protect against subsequent stroke?
EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER: Most recent randomized controlled clinical trials have not found a benefit in antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, and/or...
Q&A
Which oral triptans are effective for the treatment of acute migraine?
Ferrari MD, Roon KI, Lipton RB, Goadsby PJ. Oral triptans in acute migraine treatment: a meta-analysis of 53 trials. Lancet 2001; 358:1668-75.
Q&A
What is the diagnostic yield of a standardized sequential clinical evaluation of patients presenting to an emergency department with syncope?
Sarasin FP, Louis-Simonet M, Carballo D, et al. Prospective evaluation of patients with syncope: a population-based study. Am J Med 2001; 111:177-...
Q&A
Are angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors effective in preventing migraine in nonhypertensive patients?
Schrader H, Stovner LJ, Helde G, Sand T, Bovim G. Prophylactic treatment of migraine with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (lisinopril):...