Author Interviews, Nature, Neurological Disorders / 30.12.2014

György Buzsáki, M.D., Ph.D. Biggs Professor of Neural Sciences NYU Neuroscience Institute New York University Langone Medical Center New York, NY 10016MedicalResearch.com Interview with: György Buzsáki, M.D., Ph.D. Biggs Professor of Neural Sciences NYU Neuroscience Institute New York University Langone Medical Center New York, NY 10016 Medical Research: What is the background for the NeuroGrid device? Dr. Buzsaki: The main form of communication among neurons in the brain occurs through action potentials (‘spikes’). Understanding the mechanisms that translate spikes of individual neurons into perceptions, thoughts, and actions requires the ability to monitor large populations of neurons at the spatial and temporal resolution of their interactions. We developed a novel, organic material-based, ultra-conformable, biocompatible and scalable neural interface array (the ‘NeuroGrid’) with neuron-size density electrodes capable of acquiring action potential of individual neurons from the surface of the brain. The NeuroGrid has several innovative characteristics that overcome limitations in current methods of surface recording: (i) light-weight and conformable architecture to establish stable electrical and mechanical contacts, thereby ensuring minimal damage to underlying tissue; (ii) efficient abiotic/biotic interface resulting in a high signal to noise ratio and the ability to resolve spikes. This is achieved by using conducting polymers as the interfacing material. Conducting polymers are mix conductors, they can conduct electronics and ionic currents hence they can efficiently transduce ion based neural activity into electronic signals (iii) scalable neuron-size density electrodes to allow isolation and characterization of multiple individual neurons’ action potential across the cortical surface. (more…)
Author Interviews, Case Western, Nature, Neurological Disorders / 26.12.2014

Bradley T. Lang, PhD Researcher, Jerry Silver Lab Department of Neurosciences Case Western Reserve University School of MedicineMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Bradley T. Lang, PhD Researcher, Jerry Silver Lab Department of Neurosciences Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Lang: In the late 1980’s, Jerry Silver, PhD, discovered the presence of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in the developing nervous system, which form barriers to prevent aberrant growth. He has been building on this finding for more than 30 years, attempting to understand why the adult spinal cord is incapable of regenerating, or why axons don’t grow where they don’t. He has found that the glial scar, which surrounds the site of neural trauma, is incredibly rich in proteoglycans, which prevent regeneration in the spinal cord. In 2009 we collaborated with a group at Harvard to discover the very first receptor for chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, protein tyrosine phosphatase-sigma, or PTPsigma. Medical Research: What are the main findings? Dr. Lang: The findings in this paper are twofold. We first describe a novel mechanism of regeneration failure, where regenerating axons become stabilized within a gradient of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, completely preventing motility. This finding helps explain why axons persist in the vicinity of the glial scar after injury indefinitely, with little to no regeneration potential—they are simply embedded within the scar. We were able to model this interaction in a petri dish to screen for drugs that were capable of promoting motility. The second finding in the manuscript is the discovery and characterization of a novel peptide therapeutic that binds to the receptor for chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans and releases inhibition. Most importantly, this drug was given systemically, similar to a daily insulin injection, avoiding complications due to direct nervous system infusion/injection. After several weeks of treatment (which began 1 day after injury), rats with severe spinal cord injury regained coordinated locomotion, bladder control, and/or balance. In total, 21/26 treated animals regained some function. (more…)
Author Interviews, Genetic Research, Neurological Disorders, PNAS, Scripps / 26.12.2014

Elizabeth A. Thomas, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience The Scripps Research InstituteMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Elizabeth A. Thomas, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience The Scripps Research Institute   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Response: Increasing evidence has demonstrated that epigenetic factors can profoundly influence gene expression, and in turn, influence resistance or susceptibility to disease.  Epigenetic drugs, such as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, are finding their way into clinical practice, and are being proposed for therapeutic use in several neurological disorders.  Our previous studies have shown that selective HDAC inhibitors can cause beneficial effects in mouse models of Huntington’s disease, improving symptoms, and reducing severity of the disease.  Our current studies show that one such compound can alter DNA methylation, an epigenetic mark that can be inherited, leading to changes in gene expression that are seen in the parent mouse exposed directly to the drug, as well as in offspring from the drug-treated male mice.  Concurrent with these changes, we observed that offspring from drug-treated males shown improved disease symptoms, showing a delay in disease onset and a reduction of motor and cognitive symptoms that included improved performance in tests of balance, speed and memory. These finding have significant implications for human health as they enforce the concept that ancestral drug exposure may be a major molecular factor that can affect disease outcome in a subsequent generation.  One exciting aspect of our study is that the parental drug treatment made the offspring better, not worse, like other compounds known to cause transgenerational effects. (more…)
Author Interviews, Parkinson's / 14.12.2014

Filip Scheperjans MD Department of Neurology Helsinki University Central Hospital Department of Neurological Sciences University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Filip Scheperjans MD Department of Neurology Helsinki University Central Hospital Department of Neurological Sciences University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Scheperjans: In Parkinson’s disease (PD), the first neurodegenerative changes are seen in the olfactory bulb and enteric nervous system. Correspondingly, most Parkinson’s disease patients suffer from hyposmia and gastrointestinal symptoms, frequently years before motor symptoms evolve. Therefore, it has been suggested that an environmental factor acting through the nose or gut, could be involved in Parkinson’s disease. Interestingly, those two habitats are where our body gets mostly exposed to environmental agents, including microbes. Previous attempts to identify microbes related to Parkinson’s disease pointed to Helicobacter pylori and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, but in the end had been somewhat inconclusive. But there possibly was a signal. We saw next generation sequencing approaches as a new opportunity to revisit the microbe theory in PD. Studies of gut microbiome composition in neurodegenerative disease have not been published before, although alterations in gut microbiota have been demonstrated in many other diseases and gut microbiota are in close interaction with the central nervous system. The fecal microbiome of Parkinson’s disease subjects clearly differed from that of matched controls and this difference was independent of the potential confounders that we assessed. The most significant finding was that the abundance of bacteria from the Prevotellaceae family was reduced by 78% in Parkinson’s disease patients. A low abundance of Prevotellaceae was 86% sensitive for PD, but rather unspecific. However, a combination of 4 bacterial families increased specificity for PD to 90%. So microbiome analysis performed quite well in distinguishing Parkinson’s disease patients from control subjects. Another interesting finding was that, within the Parkinson’s disease group, abundance of Enterobacteriaceae bacteria was related to the motor symptoms of patients. They were positively associated with the severity of postural instability and gait difficulty. (more…)
ALS, Author Interviews, JAMA / 16.11.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Charles Tzu Chi Lee, PhD Associate Prof., Department of Public Health Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City Taiwan Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Lee: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and most patients die within three to five years after symptoms appear. Studies have suggested angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) may decrease the risk for developing neurodegenerative diseases. But there was still no human study discussing ACEIs use and ALS risk in literature. The study results indicate that when compared with patients who did not use ACEIs, the risk reduction was 17 percent (adjusted odds ratio of 0.83) for the group prescribed ACEIs lower than 449.5 cumulative defined daily dose (cDDD) and 57 percent (adjusted odds ratio 0.43) for the group prescribed ACEIs greater than 449.5 cDDD. (more…)
Author Interviews, JAMA, Neurological Disorders / 14.11.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Charles Tzu Chi Lee, PhD Associate Prof., Department of Public Health Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Kaohsiung City 80708, Taiwan Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr. Lee: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and most patients die within three to five years after symptoms appear. Studies have suggested angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) may decrease the risk for developing neurodegenerative diseases. But. there was still no human study discussing ACEIs use and ALS risk in literature. The study results indicate that when compared with patients who did not use ACEIs, the risk reduction was 17 percent (adjusted odds ratio of 0.83) for the group prescribed ACEIs lower than 449.5 cumulative defined daily dose (cDDD) and 57 percent (adjusted odds ratio 0.43) for the group prescribed angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors greater than 449.5 cDDD. (more…)
Author Interviews, Neurological Disorders, Scripps / 30.10.2014

Srinivasa Subramaniam, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Department of Neuroscience The Scripps Research Institute Jupiter, Florida 33458MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Srinivasa Subramaniam, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Department of Neuroscience The Scripps Research Institute Jupiter, Florida 33458   Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? Dr.  Subramaniam: Huntington’s disease (HD) is a genetic disorder occurs due to a mutation in a protein called huntingtin (mHtt), which affects 5-10 people per 100000 populations worldwide. Our research revolves around the question— why mutant huntingtin despite its ubiquitous expression through out the body selectively affects brain regions such as striatum, a region that regulates voluntary movement. We now found that mHtt activates a protein kinase complex, mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), which is required for normal functions such as translation of genes into proteins and also organelle recycling. We found the mTORC1 activation is so robust and sustained in the striatum that lead to the severe motor disabilities and premature death of HD mice. Our study indicates a functional relationship between huntingtin and mTOR the developmentally important genes with implication in Huntington’s disease pathogenesis. (more…)
Cleveland Clinic, Multiple Sclerosis / 16.09.2014

Jeffrey Cohen MD Department of Neurology Cleveland ClinicMedicalResearch.com: Interview with: Jeffrey A. Cohen, MD Hazel Prior Hostetler Endowed Chair Professor, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine Director, Mellen Center for MS Treatment and Research Neurological Institute Cleveland Clinic Cleveland, OH  44195 Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Cohen: The primary objective of the GATE trial was to compare the efficacy and safety of generic glatiramer acetate to the approved form (Copaxone) in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.  The study demonstrated equivalent efficacy of generic glatiramer acetate and Copaxone measured by gadolinium enhancing brain MRI lesions at months 7, 8, and 9 and a number of additional measures of MRI lesion activity.  The study also showed comparable safety (measured by adverse events) and injection site tolerability. (more…)
Author Interviews, Neurological Disorders / 15.09.2014

Agnieszka Tymula PhD School of Economics, University of Sydney Sydney, New South Wales AustraliaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Agnieszka Tymula PhD School of Economics, University of Sydney Sydney, New South Wales Australia   Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Tymula: We found that the grey matter volume in the posterior parietal cortex, a region long known to be involved in decision-making, correlates with individual tolerance for financial risks. (more…)
Author Interviews, Multiple Sclerosis, Sleep Disorders, UC Davis / 14.09.2014

Steven D. Brass, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. PI and Lead Author on the study Director of Neurology Sleep Clinical Program Co-Medical Director of Sleep Medicine Laboratory Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Neurology UC Davis Health System 4860 Y Street — Suite 3700 Sacramento, CA 95817 MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Steven D. Brass, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. PI and Lead Author on the study Director of Neurology Sleep Clinical Program Co-Medical Director of Sleep Medicine Laboratory Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Neurology UC Davis Health System 4860 Y Street — Suite 3700 Sacramento, CA 95817 Medical Research: What was the primary finding of your study? Dr. Brass : Among the 11,400 surveys mailed out to all members of the Northern California Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2,810 (24.6%) were returned. Of these, 2,375 (84.5%) met the inclusion criteria. Among the completed surveys, 898 (37.8%) screened positive for obstructive sleep apnea, 746 (31.6%) for moderate to severe insomnia, and 866 (36.8%) for restless legs syndrome.  In contrast, only 4%, 11%, and 12% of the cohort reported being diagnosed by a health care provider with obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia, and restless legs syndrome, respectively. Excessive daytime sleepiness was noted in 30% of respondents based on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. More than 60% of the respondents reported an abnormal level of fatigue based on the Fatigue Severity Scale.  There was also an increased risk between complaints of Fatigue based on screening positive for the Fatigue Severity Scale  and screening positive for Obstructive Sleep Apnea  (1.850, with a 95% p-value < 0.001). (more…)
Author Interviews, JAMA, Multiple Sclerosis / 05.09.2014

Jeffrey Cohen MD Department of Neurology Cleveland ClinicMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jeffrey Cohen MD Department of Neurology Cleveland Clinic Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Cohen: This study assessed the relationship between walking speed, as measured by the Timed 25-foot Walk test, and patient-reported quality of life, as measured by the Physical Component Summary score of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), in a pooled dataset from the AFFIRM, SENTINEL, and IMPACT multiple sclerosis Phase 3 trials.  It showed that slowed walking speed is associated with decreased quality of life.  It also showed that 20-25% slowing of walking speed is a clinically meaningful change. (more…)
Author Interviews, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurology, Salt-Sodium / 28.08.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Mauricio Farez Department of Neurology, Raúl Carrea Institute for Neurological Research Buenos Aires, Argentina Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Farez: Our study shows that patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with moderate to high sodium (salt) intake have also increased disease activity (more clinical relapses and more lesions on MRIs). (more…)
Author Interviews, Neurological Disorders, Neurology / 23.08.2014

Mahyar Etminan PharmD, MSc Scientist I Pharmaceutical Outcomes Programme (POPi) Faculty of Medicine | Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics The University of British Columbia | Child and Family Research Institute (CFRI) Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Mahyar Etminan PharmD, MSc Scientist I Pharmaceutical Outcomes Programme (POPi) Faculty of Medicine | Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics The University of British Columbia | Child and Family Research Institute (CFRI) Vancouver, BC Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Eiminan: Current users of Fluoroquinolones are at a twice their risk of developing peripheral neuropathy than non users. (more…)
Author Interviews, Neurology, Parkinson's / 30.07.2014

Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104-2676 Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center (PADRECC) Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical CenterMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Daniel Weintraub, M.D. Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104-2676 Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center (PADRECC) Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC) Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Weintraub: That there is mixed evidence for the efficacy of naltrexone in the treatment of impulse control disorders in Parkinson’s disease, and the evidence is sufficient to support further study of this compound class for this indication.  In addition, the study demonstrates that it is possible to conduct a clinical trial in this area. (more…)
Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, JAMA, Neurological Disorders, Stroke / 23.07.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Agustin Ibanez, PhD Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience Institute of Cognitive Neurology and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council and Sandra Baez, MS; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Institute of Neuroscience, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: Both patients with the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and patients with frontal strokes presented moral judgment abnormalities. Their deficits were related to impairments in the integration of intentions and outcomes. Specifically, both patient groups judged moral scenarios by focusing on the actions' outcomes instead of the protagonists' intentions. (more…)
Author Interviews, BMJ, Multiple Sclerosis / 14.07.2014

Dr Nils Muhlert Wellcome Trust ISSF Research Fellow School of Psychology Cardiff UniversityMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr Nils Muhlert Wellcome Trust ISSF Research Fellow School of Psychology Cardiff University Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Muhlert: Decision making impairments are known to occur in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and are important, given they can contribute to employment status, treatment compliance and function in everyday life. Studies by Kleeberg, Simioni and others have demonstrated that decision-making impairments can occur early in the course of multiple sclerosis and get worse as the disease progresses. Questions however remain over whether these impairments are linked to more general cognitive difficulties, differences between multiple sclerosis subtypes, and their relationship with MRI changes. We assessed decision-making and examined MRI changes in a relatively large sample of people with multiple sclerosis (N = 105) and healthy controls (N = 43). All participants performed the Cambridge Gambling Task, which independently measures risk-taking, impulsivity, deliberation and risk adjustment, and underwent an MRI scan including T1-weighted and diffusion MRI sequences. We demonstrate that people with multiple sclerosis experience difficulties with risk adjustment (gauging risk and adapting accordingly) and in the speed of making decisions but not in impulsivity. These problems were seen in those classified as having cognitive impairment and those not (i.e. cognitively unimpaired). We found that decision-making impairments were twice as common in people with relapsing-remitting and primary progressive MS than healthy controls, and almost four times as common in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis. In addition, decision making impairments in multiple sclerosis were linked to MRI changes in regions previously linked to decision-making in other conditions, including fronto-striatal and hippocampal regions. These findings offer insight into the precise decision-making difficulties experienced by people with multiple sclerosis, the relative prevalences in different subtypes of the disease and the pathological processes that may underlie them. (more…)
Author Interviews, Dartmouth, Hospital Readmissions, Neurological Disorders, Neurology / 25.06.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Tracie A. Caller, MD , MPH Neurophysiology Fellow Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center 1 Medical Center Dr., Lebanon NH 03756, USA MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Caller: We identified factors that appeared to increase the risk for a 30 day readmissions in the epilepsy population, which included refractory seizures but also coexistence of nonepileptic seizures and psychiatric comorbidities. (more…)
Author Interviews, Lancet, Parkinson's / 11.06.2014

Richard Gray Professor of Medical Statistics Clinical Trial Service Unit Richard Doll Building, OxfordMedicalResearch Interview with: Richard Gray Professor of Medical Statistics Clinical Trial Service Unit Richard Doll Building, Oxford MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Prof. Gray: We found that, when we asked patients with Parkinson’s disease how their drugs affected their overall quality of life, the older drug levodopa was better than newer, more expensive drugs and that this benefit persisted for at least seven years from starting treatment. (more…)
Author Interviews, JAMA, Neurological Disorders, Pediatrics / 29.05.2014

Kimford J. Meador, MD Professor Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences Stanford Comprehensive Epilepsy Center Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford, CA 94305-5235.MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Kimford J. Meador, MD Professor Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences Stanford Comprehensive Epilepsy Center Stanford University School of Medicine Stanford, CA 94305-5235. MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Meador: Breastfeeding while taking antiepileptic drugs does not appear to pose a risk to the child's development, and in fact the cognitive outcomes were better for those children who were breastfed vs. those were not. (more…)
Addiction, Author Interviews, JAMA, Neurological Disorders / 28.05.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with Dr. Edythe D.London PhD Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, and Molecular and Medical Pharmacology David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA Dr. Edythe  D.London PhD Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, and Molecular and Medical Pharmacology David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. London: Brain function related to risky decision-making was different in stimulant users  (methamphetamine users) than in healthy control subjects. In healthy controls, activation in the prefrontal cortex (right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) during risk-taking in the laboratory was sensitive to the level of risk. This sensitivity of cortical activation was weaker in stimulant users, who instead had a stronger sensitivity of striatum activation. The groups also differed in circuit-level activity (network activity) when they were not performing a task but were “at rest.”  Stimulant users showed greater connectivity within the mesocorticolimbic system, a target of abused drugs. This connectivity was negatively related to sensitivity in the prefrontal cortex to risk during risky decision-making. In healthy control subjects, connectivity between the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and striatum was positively related to sensitivity of prefrontal cortical activation to risk during risky decision-making. (more…)
Author Interviews, JAMA, Neurological Disorders, Pediatrics / 21.05.2014

James Chamberlain, MD Division Chief, Emergency Medicine Children’s National Health System Washington, DCMedicalResearch.com Interview with: James Chamberlain, MD Division Chief, Emergency Medicine Children’s National Health System Washington, DC MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Chamberlain: Contrary to our hypothesis, lorazepam was not superior to diazepam for treating pediatric seizures. Both medications had similar effectiveness (72-73%) and safety (15-16% incidence of assisted ventilation). Lorazepam caused a longer period of sedation prior to waking up. The difference was approximately 15 minutes. (more…)
Author Interviews, Neurological Disorders, Stem Cells / 07.04.2014

Dr. Ivo Lieberam Lecturer, MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology King's College London New Hunt's House, Guy's Hospital Campus London, SE1 1UL UKMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Ivo Lieberam Lecturer, MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology King's College London New Hunt's House, Guy's Hospital Campus London, SE1 1UL UK  MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Lieberam: In this study, which my group undertook in collaboration with Linda Greensmith’s group at University College London, we found that we could artificially control muscle activity using transplanted stem cell-derived nerve cells as an interface between an opto-electronic pacemaker and paralysed muscle in mice. The nerve cells were equipped with a molecular photosensor, so that they could be activated by light. We think that long-term, this technology may be used in neural prosthesis designed to re-establish relatively simple motor functions, such as breathing or swallowing, in patients suffering from spinal cord injury or neuromuscular diseases such as Motor Neuron Disease. (more…)
Author Interviews, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurology / 03.04.2014

Jeppe Romme Christensen MD PhD From the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark.MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jeppe Romme Christensen  MD PhD From the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Christensen: This study demonstrates that progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have reduced inflammation and tissue damage in the brain after treatment with natalizumab. These findings highlight that progressive MS is an inflammatory disease and furthermore that peripheral circulating immune cells contribute to brain inflammation and tissue damage in progressive MS. (more…)
ALS, Author Interviews, JAMA, Radiology / 12.03.2014

Prof. Dr. Philip Van Damme, MD, PhD Neuromuscular Reference Center, Neurology Department, University Hospitals Leuven Vesalius Research Center, VIB, Leuven Leuven Institute of Neurodegenerative Disorders (LIND) KU Leuven, BelgiumMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof. Dr. Philip Van Damme, MD, PhD Neuromuscular Reference Center, Neurology Department, University Hospitals Leuven Vesalius Research Center, VIB, Leuven Leuven Institute of Neurodegenerative Disorders (LIND) KU Leuven, Belgium MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Prof: Van Damme: Earlier FDG-PET studies carried out in the 80’ties already pointed out that patients with ALS had decrease glucose uptake in the brain that is more extended than the motor cortex, at least at the group level. Of course, this imaging technique has been improved since then. We prospectively assessed the diagnostic and prognostic value of FDG-PET in patients that were referred to us because a diagnosis of ALS was suspected. The most important finding of our study probably is that FDG-PET shows perirolandic and variable frontotemporal hypometabolism in most patients with ALS at the first presentation in our clinic. It suggests that FDG-PET is a very sensitive marker of cerebral involvement in ALS, which has a high sensitivity at the single patient level. In addition our study revealed that the co-occurrence of extensive prefrontal or anterior temporal hypometabolism was present in about 10% of patients and had a negative effect on survival after disease onset. (more…)
Author Interviews, Parkinson's / 21.12.2013

Priv. Doz. Dr. Carsten Buhmann Department of Neurology University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Priv. Doz. Dr. Carsten Buhmann Department of Neurology University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf Hamburg, Germany. MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has no negative but rather a beneficial effect on driving in patients with Parkinsons´s disease (PD). Driving not only was superior in even more clinically affected PD patients with DBS compared with PD patients without DBS but also patients with DBS drove better with stimulation than with levodopa. This might reflect favorable driving-relevant nonmotor effects due to STN-DBS. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cognitive Issues, Mayo Clinic, Parkinson's, PLoS / 19.09.2013

Michelle M. Mielke, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Health Sciences Research Division of Epidemiology Mayo Clinic 200 First Street SW Rochester, MN 55905MedicalResearch.com: Interview with: Michelle M. Mielke, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Health Sciences Research Division of Epidemiology Mayo Clinic 200 First Street SW Rochester, MN 55905 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Mielke: Among Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, plasma levels of ceramides and monohexylceramides were higher in patients with cognitive impairment or dementia compared to patients who were cognitively normal.  Levels of these lipids were also higher in the combined group of PD patients compared to non-PD controls but the number of controls were small. (more…)
Alzheimer's - Dementia, Author Interviews, CMAJ, JAMA, Mayo Clinic, Parkinson's / 18.09.2013

Rodolfo Savica, MD, MSc Department of Neurology, College of Medicine Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MinnesotaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Rodolfo Savica, MD, MSc Department of Neurology, College of Medicine Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Sciences Research, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota   MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of this study? Dr. Savica: This study is the first in North America to explore the incidence of DLB and PDD in a population based sample. We found that the overall incidence of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), considered the second leading cause of neurodegenerative dementia after Alzheimer`s disease, is lower than that of Parkinson`s disease (PD), increases steeply with age, and is markedly higher in men than in women. (more…)
Author Interviews, Biomarkers, Parkinson's, University of Pennsylvania / 13.08.2013

Alice Chen-Plotkin, MD Assistant Professor Department of Neurology University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: Interview with Alice Chen-Plotkin, MD Assistant Professor Department of Neurology University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine   MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: Parkinson's disease (PD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease.  Many neurons die, but the neurons that make dopamine (dopaminergic neurons) are particularly vulnerable.  We think that the disease actually starts well before the time when people show clinical symptoms.  We were therefore interested in finding proteins from the blood that correlated with better or worse dopaminergic neuron integrity.  Since it's hard to access the dopaminergic neurons directly, we looked at a tracer that labels the ends of the dopaminergic neurons in people who do not have Parkinson's disease but are at high risk for developing it, and we also looked at the age at onset of PD in people who are already symptomatic.  Screening just under 100 different proteins from the blood, we found that higher plasma levels of apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) were correlated with better tracer uptake in the people who did not yet have PD, and with older ages at onset in the people who already had PD.  These data suggest that plasma ApoA1 may be a marker for PD risk, with higher levels being relatively protective. (more…)