Evolving options for the treatment of cluster headache
Purpose of review
Cluster headache is a neurological disorder that patients consider the most severe pain they experience. Recognizing new treatments provides opportunities to advance current management.
Recent findings
In contrast to the classic treatments, new options narrow in on the therapeutic target and are better tolerated. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway blockade with monoclonal antibodies (MABs), specifically the CGRP MAB galcanezumab, represents an important advance for episodic cluster headache, reducing the number of attacks during a bout. Neuromodulation strategies aimed at anatomical struc...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - May 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: HEADACHE: Edited by Peter J. Goadsby Source Type: research
Posttraumatic headache: recent progress
Purpose of review
Posttraumatic headache (PTH) attributed to mild traumatic brain injury is common and debilitating. In up to one-half of those with acute PTH, the PTH becomes persistent (PTH), enduring for longer than 3 months. The high incidence and persistence of PTH necessitate research into PTH pathophysiology and treatment. In this review, recent developments regarding the diagnostic criteria for PTH, the pathophysiology of PTH, and PTH treatment are discussed.
Recent findings
International Classification of Headache Disorders 3 diagnostic criteria for PTH attributed to head trauma require that ‘a headache of ...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - May 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: HEADACHE: Edited by Peter J. Goadsby Source Type: research
Gepants, calcitonin-gene-related peptide receptor antagonists: what could be their role in migraine treatment?
Purpose of review
Migraine is the second leading cause of years lived with disability after back pain. Poor tolerability, contraindications, drug–drug interactions and efficacy limited to a subpopulation make new approaches necessary for the acute and preventive treatment of migraine. The study of the calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP) pathway over the last decades is a good example of translational medicine leading to directed therapies for patients.
Recent findings
After some of the first-generation CGRP receptor antagonists, gepants, were not fully developed because of hepatotoxicity, the second generation of...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - May 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: HEADACHE: Edited by Peter J. Goadsby Source Type: research
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease: current topics
Purpose of review
We reviewed present topics on neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-antibody-associated disease (MOGAD).
Recent findings
The number of NMOSD-related publications have increased year by year after the discovery of aquaporin 4 (AQP4)-antibody, and those on MOGAD started to surge since 2012–2013. Recent clinic-epidemiological surveys in NMOSD suggest that some racial differences in the prevalence and the clinical course. At present, experts feel the 2015 diagnostic criteria of AQP4-antibody-seronegative NMOSD should be revised. Randomized control...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - May 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: Edited by Giancarlo Comi Source Type: research
Measuring outcomes that matter most to people with multiple sclerosis: the role of patient-reported outcomes
Purpose of review
Patient-reported outcome (PRO) represents a unique opportunity to measure the impact of health research, and care on outcomes that matter most to people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS).
Recent findings
How to incorporate PROs in MS clinical trials and, practice remains a matter of debate. The variety of measures available for use in MS has some benefits, but the lack of a set of standard measures has significant disadvantages. To help meeting the challenge, different PROs standard sets have been developed (PROMIS) for use across a broad range of chronic health conditions, and SymptoMScreen, specifical...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - May 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: Edited by Giancarlo Comi Source Type: research
Prevention and management of adverse effects of disease modifying treatments in multiple sclerosis
Purpose of review
To summarize the currently known side effects of the approved therapies of multiple sclerosis and to suggest monitoring procedures.
Recent findings
The progress in the treatment of multiple sclerosis with new very effective therapies is accompanied by a number of side effects. Some of these have already been described in the approval studies, but some only after approval in a real world situation. The reason for this is the short duration of the clinical studies, the very heterogeneous patient profile in the real world setting with a number of comorbidities, pretherapies, and wider age range. The sid...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - May 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: Edited by Giancarlo Comi Source Type: research
Mechanisms underlying progression in multiple sclerosis
Purpose of review
In multiple sclerosis, currently approved disease-modifying treatments are effective in modulating peripheral immunity, and coherently, in reducing clinical/radiological relapses, but still, they perform poorly in preventing disease progression and overall disability accrual. This review provides an up-to-date overview of the neuropathology of progressive multiple sclerosis, including a summary of the main mechanisms of disease progression.
Recent findings
Clinical progression in multiple sclerosis is likely related to the accumulation of neuro-axonal loss in a lifelong inflammatory CNS environment (...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - May 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: Edited by Giancarlo Comi Source Type: research
E-health and multiple sclerosis
Purpose of review
To outline recent applications of e-health data and digital tools for improving the care and management of healthcare for people with multiple sclerosis.
Recent findings
The digitization of most clinical data, along with developments in communication technologies, miniaturization of sensors and computational advances are enabling aggregation and clinically meaningful analyses of real-world data from patient registries, digital patient-reported outcomes and electronic health records (EHR). These data are allowing more confident descriptions of prognoses for multiple sclerosis patients and the long-ter...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - May 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: Edited by Giancarlo Comi Source Type: research
The window of opportunity for treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis
Purpose of review
Based on the knowledge of disease mechanisms in the progressive course of multiple sclerosis and the experience from randomized clinical trials, we assessed the timing of disease-modifying therapy in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis to define the optimal window of opportunity for treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis.
Recent findings
In progressive multiple sclerosis both small molecules that cross the blood--brain barrier (siponimod) and monoclonal antibodies (ocrelizumab) have shown therapeutic efficacy and have been approved for treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis. Howeve...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - May 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: Edited by Giancarlo Comi Source Type: research
Advances in physical rehabilitation of multiple sclerosis
Purpose of review
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disorder that heavily affects quality of life (QoL) and demands a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach. This includes multiple protocols and techniques of physical rehabilitation, ranging from conventional exercise paradigms to noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS). Recently, studies showing the clinical efficacy of physical rehabilitation have remarkably increased, suggesting its disease-modifying potential.
Recent findings
Studies in animal models of MS have shown that physical exercise ameliorates the main disease pathological hallmarks, acting as a pro-m...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - May 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: Edited by Giancarlo Comi Source Type: research
Editorial introductions
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in Neurology)
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - May 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: EDITORIAL INTRODUCTIONS Source Type: research
Data science in neurodegenerative disease: its capabilities, limitations, and perspectives
Purpose of review
With the advancement of computational approaches and abundance of biomedical data, a broad range of neurodegenerative disease models have been developed. In this review, we argue that computational models can be both relevant and useful in neurodegenerative disease research and although the current established models have limitations in clinical practice, artificial intelligence has the potential to overcome deficiencies encountered by these models, which in turn can improve our understanding of disease.
Recent findings
In recent years, diverse computational approaches have been used to shed light on...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - March 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: DEGENERATIVE AND COGNITIVE DISEASES: Edited by Jean-Jean-François Demonet Source Type: research
Serious video games and virtual reality for prevention and neurorehabilitation of cognitive decline because of aging and neurodegeneration
Purpose of review
Cognitive decline because of aging and neurodegeneration has become increasingly prevalent. This calls for the implementation of efficacious, motivating, standardized and widely available cognitive interventions for the elderly. In this context, serious video games and virtual reality may represent promising approaches. Here, we review recent research on their potential for cognitive prevention and neurorehabilitation of age-related cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Recent findings
The majority of currently available data in this evolving domain lacks the methodological quality t...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - March 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: DEGENERATIVE AND COGNITIVE DISEASES: Edited by Jean-Jean-François Demonet Source Type: research
Linking mechanisms of periodontitis to Alzheimer's disease
Purpose of review
The review article discusses the association between periodontal disease and the development of dementia.
Recent findings
In the last decade, increasing evidence has pointed to a microbial and inflammatory origin for Alzheimer's disease with the discovery of oral and airway bacteria, viruses, and fungal species in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, recognized as the culprit of neural network dysfunction, β-amyloid oligomeric species have antimicrobial properties reinforcing the idea that dysbiosis in the host–microbiota interaction can be at the origin of dementia. Period...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - March 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: DEGENERATIVE AND COGNITIVE DISEASES: Edited by Jean-Jean-François Demonet Source Type: research
Quantitative MRI markers in Parkinson's disease and parkinsonian syndromes
Purpose of review
In Parkinson's disease and parkinsonian disorders, the differential diagnosis is still challenging. We aim to review current developments in MRI quantitative markers and their potential in a clinical and neuroscientific setting.
Recent findings
There have been efforts to improve MRI acquisition methods and to explore new promising biomarkers. In parallel, technological advances in data analysis (i.e. deep learning) open new ways to use these biomarkers. The MRI markers may differ according to the brain structure investigated. Even if the newly adopted acquisition protocols served mainly the developme...
Source: Current Opinion in Neurology - March 6, 2020 Category: Neurology Tags: DEGENERATIVE AND COGNITIVE DISEASES: Edited by Jean-Jean-François Demonet Source Type: research
