Patients with bipolar I disorder stabilized on quetiapine can be maintained on the drug as monotherapy or switched to lithium during the maintenance phase, according to the results of a two-year double-blind trial (Weisler et al. J Clin Psychiatry 2011;72:1452-1464).
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High cost of MS in Canada
May 16, 2012The Treatment Experience, Burden, and Unmet Needs (TRIBUNE) study is a cross-sectional observational study of the cost of MS in Canada and five European countries. According to the Canadian estimate, the mean annual cost was $30,836 per MS patient with mild disability (EDSS < 3), $46,622 per patient with moderate disability (EDSS 4-6.5), and $77,981 per patient with severe disability (EDSS score 7-9) (Karampampa et al. J Popul Ther Clin Pharmacol 2012;19:e11-25; free full text at www.jptcp.com/jptcp11072e11_e25_karampampa-pdf-r180364). The estimated cost per relapse for an RRMS patient (EDSS < 5) was $10,512.
AD patients at high risk of falls
May 16, 2012An Australian study reports that patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease are at increased risk of falls compared to age-matched controls (Suttanon et al. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2012;91:12-23).
Treatment of non-motor symptoms of PD: MDS recommendations
May 2, 2012The Movement Disorder Society has presented new recommendations on the treatment of non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (Seppi et al. Mov Disord 2011;26:S42-S80). The evidence-based review updates recommendations published in 2002 and 2004 (Goetz et al. Mov Disord 2002;17[suppl 4]:S1-S166; Goetz et al. Mov Disord 2005;20:523-539).