Table of contents
November 2005 Volume 1 No 1
Viewpoints
Ganglioside complexes: new autoantibody targets in Guillain–Barré syndromes
2Autoantibodies against nerve glycosphingolipid antigens have been shown to have a central role in Guillain–Barré syndrome pathogenesis. Until recently, research has focused on antibody reactivity to highly purified single species of gangliosides, but new findings highlight the importance of analyzing antibody reactivity to ganglioside complexes.
Lumbar total disc replacement compared with spinal fusion: treatment choice and evaluation of outcome
4Spinal fusion is the conventional surgical option for treating degenerative disc disease, but it can decrease the spine's overall range of motion, thereby increasing stress on adjacent discs and accelerating their degeneration. Artificial disc replacement should allow motion to be retained at the operative level, and the results of initial trials have been encouraging, but randomized studies are still needed to assess the long-term outcome of this procedure.
Research Highlights
Measuring carotid plaque volume to evaluate treatments for atherosclerosis
6Artificial disc proves a success in prospective, randomized trial
6Is buccal midazolam more effective than rectal diazepam for treating seizures in children?
7Stroke severity—an important predictor of post-stroke epilepsy
7Clinical profiling of spinocerebellar ataxia genetic subtypes
8Spinal cord compression due to metastasis: surgical resection is superior to radiotherapy
8Increased lesion load and atrophy of white and gray matter in multiple sclerosis patients
8DAs can cause sudden uncontrollable somnolence in Parkinson's disease
9Migraine associated with impaired insulin sensitivity
9Multiple sclerosis can be confirmed by MRI 3 months after first scan
10Practice Points
Does Doppler detection of asymptomatic embolization predict stroke risk in symptomatic carotid artery stenosis?
12Can tacrolimus replace ciclosporin and prednisone to treat myasthenia gravis?
14Should patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis be given a higher dose and frequency of interferon-
1a?
16Can vaccinating older adults against varicella zoster virus prevent herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia?
18Reviews
Autoimmune channelopathies
22The autoimmune channelopathies are a group of neurological disorders in which patients develop autoantibodies to ion channels or related functional proteins. Camilla Buckley and Angela Vincent review the proposed roles of these antibodies in disease pathogenesis, and discuss how antibody measurement can aid the diagnosis and management of the autoimmune channelopathies.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0033 | Full Text | PDF (268K)
Drug Insight: using monoclonal antibodies to treat multiple sclerosis
34Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies have shown considerable promise for the treatment of multiple sclerosis in animal models, but the translation of this approach to the clinic has been impeded by unexpected effects and adverse reactions. In this review, Reinhard Hohlfeld and Hartmut Wekerle discuss the current state of development of various monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0016 | Full Text | PDF (260K)
Technology Insight: visualizing peripheral nerve injury using MRI
45MRI has a pivotal role in the diagnosis of CNS disorders but has only recently been applied to diseases of the peripheral nervous system. Martin Bendszus and Guido Stoll discuss how MRI is being used to assess peripheral nerve lesions in experimental and clinical contexts, including recent advances in the development of novel contrast media.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0017 | Full Text | PDF (378K)
