Latest News

Need to test for celiac disease in migraineurs?

July 25, 2012

REPORT FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY (AAN) ANNUAL MEETING, NEW ORLEANS LA, APRIL 21-28, 2012 – A number of reviews of celiac disease (CD) have reported on an increased prevalence of neurological and psychiatric symptoms, such as headache disorders, cerebellar ataxia, peripheral neuropathies, vestibular dysfunction, depression and personality changes (Burk et al. Mov Disord 2009;24:2358-2362; Zelnik et al. Pediatrics 2004;113:1672-1676).

It has been suggested that gluten sensitivity is associated with neurologic symptoms, although symptoms are still evident in CD patients adhering to a gluten-free diet (Bushara KO. Gastroenterology 2005;128(4 Suppl 1):S92-97).

New AAN guidelines for migraine prophylaxis

July 11, 2012

REPORT FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY (AAN) ANNUAL MEETING, NEW ORLEANS LA, APRIL 21-28, 2012 – The AAN annual meeting coincided with the publication of new guidelines on preventive treatment of migraine by the AAN and the American Headache Society (Silberstein et al. Neurology 2012;78:1337-1345; free full text at www.neurology.org/content/78/17/1337.full.pdf+html).

Breastfeeding not a sustainable therapy

July 11, 2012

REPORT FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY (AAN) ANNUAL MEETING, NEW ORLEANS LA, APRIL 21-28, 2012 – Studies to determine if exclusive breastfeeding reduces relapse frequency postpartum have produced conflicting results (Langer-Gould et al. Arch Neurol 2009;66:958-963; Portaccio et al. Neurology 2011;77:145-150; Nelson et al. JAMA 1988;259:3441-3443).

Langer-Gould and colleagues have now followed 72 women with MS through their pregnancy and for 12 months postpartum to examine this issue further (Hellwig et al. AAN 2012; abstract P06.186).

Exploratory study of higher carbidopa dosing

July 11, 2012

REPORT FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF NEUROLOGY (AAN) ANNUAL MEETING, NEW ORLEANS LA, APRIL 21-28, 2012 – The recommended doses of carbidopa (CD) to increase levodopa availability are in the range of 75-200 mg/day. A small double-blind crossover trial has explored whether higher carbidopa doses are clinically useful (Nutt et al. AAN 2012; abstract S02.006).

The caveat is that higher carbidopa doses have the potential to inhibit amino acid decarboxylase and reduce dopamine formation in the striatum.

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