REPORT FROM THE 67TH AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY (AAN) ANNUAL MEETING – WASHINGTON DC, APRIL 18-25, 2015 – It is well established that the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is substantially increased after 24 infusions of natalizumab. What is less well known is how best to manage patients following natalizumab discontinuation, and several studies at AAN have examined different switching options. Read More
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Olfactory deficits a biomarker of Alzheimer’s disease?
April 22, 2015REPORT FROM THE 67TH AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY (AAN) ANNUAL MEETING – WASHINGTON DC, APRIL 18-25, 2015 – Impaired olfaction is a common observation in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease, and has been variously attributed to neurodegenerative changes of the olfactory bulb, amygdala, hippocampus or other structures (Thomann et al. J Alzheimers Dis 2009;17:213-21; Kjelvik et al. BMC Neurol 2014;14:168). Read More
HPV vaccination: little evidence for autoimmunity, neurological outcomes
April 1, 2015Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for young females has been promoted as an important public health initiative to reduce the risk of cervical cancer in later life. However, some have questioned whether HPV vaccination promotes autoimmunity. This issue is especially relevant for patients with pre-existing autoimmune disorders, who may be at increased risk of persistent HPV infection and cervical dysplasia (Feldman & Kim. Expert Rev Vaccines 2014; Jun 17:1-4). Read More
From Framingham to Facebook: the contagion of controversy
April 1, 2015Facebook has recently come under fire for conducting an experiment described as “massive-scale” emotional contagion in the social network. While the idea that Facebook views friends as guinea pigs may be unnerving to some, the controversy has centred on the fact that neither Facebook nor researchers from Cornell University obtained informed consent from the study subjects.
The study results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences despite a lack of institutional review board (IRB) approval (Kramer et al. PNAS USA 2014;111:8788-8790; free full text at www.pnas.org/content/111/24/8788.full.pdf). Read More