Device Helps Patients Move Paralyzed Hands After Stroke
Patients with stroke who learn to use their minds to open and close a device fitted over their paralyzed hands gain some control over their hands, according to a study published online ahead of print May 26 in Stroke. Ten survivors of chronic hemiparetic stroke with moderate-to-severe upper-limb motor impairment used a powered exoskeleton that opened and closed the affected hand using spectral power from EEG signals from the unaffected hemisphere associated with imagined hand movements of the paretic limb. At 12 weeks, participants had a statistically significant average increase of 6.2 points in the Action Research Arm Test. This behavioral improvement significantly correlated with improvements in brain–computer interface control. Secondary outcomes of grasp strength, Motricity Index, and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure also significantly improved.
Bundy DT, Souders L, Baranyai K, et al. Contralesional brain-computer interface control of a powered exoskeleton for motor recovery in chronic stroke survivors. Stroke. 2017 May 26 [Epub ahead of print].
Pyrimethamine Lowers Levels of ALS Biomarker
Pyrimethamine is safe and well tolerated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a study published online ahead of print May 8 in Annals of Neurology. Participants underwent a multicenter, open-label, nine-month dose-ranging study to determine the safety and efficacy of pyrimethamine to lower SOD1 levels in the CSF in patients with SOD1 mutations linked to familial ALS. The study included 32 patients with various SOD1 genetic mutations linked to ALS. Participants had three lumbar punctures, blood studies, and a clinical assessment of strength, motor function, quality of life, and potential adverse effects. A linear mixed effects model showed a significant reduction in CSF SOD1 at visit six, with a mean reduction of 13.5%, and at visit nine, with a mean reduction of 10.5%.
Lange DJ, Shahbazi M, Silani V, et al. Pyrimethamine significantly lowers cerebrospinal fluid Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with SOD1 mutations. Ann Neurol. 2017 May 8 [Epub ahead of print].
Statin Use Linked to Higher Risk of Parkinson’s Disease
Statins, especially lipophilic statins, are associated with higher risk of Parkinson’s disease, according to a study published in the June issue of Movement Disorders. The association is stronger with initial use, which suggests a facilitating effect, said the investigators. Researchers performed a retrospective case–control analysis and identified 2,322 people with incident Parkinson’s disease who had been enrolled in a claims database for at least 2.5 years before diagnosis or prescription of antiparkinson medication. They matched the cases with 2,322 controls by age, gender, and a follow-up window. Statin use was significantly associated with Parkinson’s disease risk. The strongest associations were for lipophilic statins (odds ratio [OR], 1.58) versus hydrophilic statins (OR, 1.19), statins plus nonstatins (OR, 1.95), and for the initial period after starting statins.
Liu G, Sterling NW, Kong L, et al. Statins may facilitate Parkinson’s disease: insight gained from a large, national claims database. Mov Disord. 2017;32(6):913-917.
Is Moderate Drinking Associated With Cognitive Decline?
Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with adverse brain outcomes, including hippocampal atrophy, according to a study published online ahead of print June 6 in BMJ. The study included 550 men and women with a mean age of 43 at study baseline. No patient had alcohol dependence, and all underwent brain MRI at follow-up. Higher alcohol consumption over the 30-year follow-up was associated with increased odds of hippocampal atrophy in a dose-dependent fashion. People consuming more than 30 units/week of alcohol were at the highest risk, compared with abstainers. People who drank moderately had three times the odds of right-sided hippocampal atrophy. There was no protective effect of light drinking over abstinence. Higher alcohol use also was associated with differences in corpus callosum microstructure and faster decline in lexical fluency.
Topiwala A, Allan CL, Valkanova V, et al. Moderate alcohol consumption as risk factor for adverse brain outcomes and cognitive decline: longitudinal cohort study. BMJ. 2017 Jun 6 [Epub ahead of print].
Consuming Low-Fat Dairy May Increase Risk for Parkinson’s Disease
Frequently consuming low-fat dairy products may be associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, according to a study published online ahead of print June 8 in Neurology. This study is based on data from 80,736 participants in the Nurses’ Health Study and 48,610 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, with 26 and 24 years of follow-up, respectively. Both US-based studies were conducted through mailed biennial questionnaires. Dietary intake was assessed with food frequency questionnaires administered repeatedly over the follow-up period. Total dairy intake was not significantly associated with Parkinson’s disease risk, but intake of low-fat dairy foods was associated with Parkinson’s disease risk. This association appeared to result from an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease associated with skim and low-fat milk.
Hughes KC, Gao X, Kim IY, et al. Intake of dairy foods and risk of Parkinson disease. Neurology. 2017 Jun 8 [Epub ahead of print].
Elevated Brain Amyloid Increases Likelihood of Cognitive Decline
Elevated baseline brain amyloid level, compared with normal brain amyloid level, is associated with higher likelihood of cognitive decline, according to a study published June 13 in JAMA. Exploratory analyses were conducted with longitudinal cognitive and biomarker data from 445 cognitively normal people. Participants were classified at baseline as having normal or elevated brain amyloid using PET amyloid imaging or a CSF assay of amyloid β. Outcomes included scores on the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite (PACC), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR-SOB), and Logical Memory Delayed Recall. Compared with the group with normal amyloid, people with elevated amyloid had worse mean scores at four years on the PACC, MMSE, and CDR-SOB. For Logical Memory Delayed Recall, between-group scores were not significantly different at four years.
Donohue MC, Sperling RA, Petersen R, et al. Association between elevated brain amyloid and subsequent cognitive decline among cognitively normal persons. JAMA. 2017;317(22):2305-2316.
Seven Risk Genes for Insomnia Found
Researchers have found seven risk genes for insomnia, according to a study published online ahead of print June 12 in Nature Genetics. To identify genetic factors for insomnia complaints, investigators performed a genome-wide association study and a genome-wide gene-based association study in 113,006 participants. The authors identified three loci and seven genes, including MEIS1, associated with insomnia complaints, with the associations for one locus and five genes supported by joint analysis with an independent sample. Sex-specific analyses suggest that the sexes have different genetic architectures, in addition to shared genetic factors. The researchers also found a substantial positive genetic correlation between insomnia complaints and internalizing personality traits and metabolic traits. There was a negative correlation with subjective well-being and educational attainment.
Hammerschlag AR, Stringer S, de Leeuw CA, et al. Genome-wide association analysis of insomnia complaints identifies risk genes and genetic overlap with psychiatric and metabolic traits. Nat Genet. 2017 Jun 12 [Epub ahead of print].
Is Telemedicine for Headache as Effective as In-Person Visit?
In people with headache, a video consultation with a neurologist for treatment may be as effective as an in-person visit, according to a study published online ahead of print June 14 in Neurology. Researchers randomized, allocated, and consulted patients with nonacute headache via telemedicine or in a traditional manner in a noninferiority trial. Efficacy end points assessed by questionnaires at three and 12 months included change from baseline in Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6) and pain intensity. The primary safety end point was presence of secondary headache within 12 months after consultation. There were no differences between telemedicine and traditional consultations in HIT-6 or pain intensity over three periods. The absolute difference in HIT-6 from baseline was 0.3 at three months and 0.2 at 12 months.
Müller KI, Alstadhaug KB, Bekkelund SI. A randomized trial of telemedicine efficacy and safety for nonacute headaches. Neurology. 2017 Jun 14 [Epub ahead of print].
Minocycline Reduces Risk of Conversion From CIS to MS
The risk of conversion from clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) to multiple sclerosis (MS) is significantly lower with minocycline than with placebo over six months, but not over 24 months, according to a study published June 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine. This study included 142 participants who had had their first demyelinating symptoms within the previous 180 days. At 12 Canadian MS clinics, researchers randomly assigned participants to receive either 100 mg of minocycline, administered orally twice daily, or placebo. Administration of minocycline or placebo was continued until a diagnosis of MS was established or until 24 months after randomization. The unadjusted risk of conversion to MS within six months after randomization was 61.0% in the placebo group and 33.4% in the minocycline group.
Metz LM, Li DKB, Traboulsee AL, et al. Trial of minocycline in a clinically isolated syndrome of multiple sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2017;376(22):2122-2133.
Can Gene Mutation Speed Memory Loss in Alzheimer’s Disease?
In a middle-aged cohort with Alzheimer’s disease risk, the BDNF Met allele is associated with steeper decline in episodic memory and executive function, according to a study published online ahead of print May 3 in Neurology. One thousand twenty-three adults enrolled in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention underwent BDNF genotyping and cognitive assessment at as many as five time points. A subset of participants underwent Pittsburgh compound B scanning. Compared with BDNF Val/Val homozygotes, Met carriers had steeper decline in verbal learning and memory, and in speed and flexibility. In addition, amyloid β burden moderated the relationship between BDNF and verbal learning and memory, such that Met carriers with greater amyloid β burden showed even steeper cognitive decline.
Boots EA, Schultz SA, Clark LR, et al. BDNF Val66Met predicts cognitive decline in the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention. Neurology. 2017 May 3 [Epub ahead of print].
Support From Children Reduces Risk of Dementia
Positive social support from children is associated with reduced risk of dementia, whereas negative social support from children and other immediate family increases the risk, according to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Researchers analyzed 10-year follow-up data in 10,055 cognitively normal participants age 50 and older from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging. Incidence of dementia was identified from participant- or informant-reported physician diagnosed dementia or overall score of informant-completed IQCODE questionnaire. Positive social support from children significantly reduced the risk of dementia (hazard ratio, 0.83). Negative support from family and friends was significantly associated with increased risk of dementia. The causal mechanisms that create these associations require further research, said the researchers.
Khondoker M, Rafnsson SB, Morris S, et al. Positive and negative experiences of social support and risk of dementia in later life: an investigation using the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. J Alzheimers Dis. 2017;58(1):99-108.
—Kimberly Williams