Table of contents
December 2005 Volume 1 No 2
Editorial
Viewpoints
The value of metabolic imaging in diagnosis and resection of cerebral gliomas
62Currently, there is considerable scientific interest in modes of imaging that rely on the metabolic characteristics of tissues. Metabolic imaging is emerging as a promising diagnostic tool for the evaluation of cerebral gliomas, although it remains to be seen whether treatment decisions based on this approach will produce significant improvements in outcome.
Brain stimulation for epilepsy
64It is estimated that epilepsy affects up to 1% of the world's population, and although many patients derive considerable benefits from antiepileptic drugs or resective surgery, new therapeutic approaches are still needed. In this Viewpoint, William Theodore assesses the potential of techniques that involve direct or indirect electrical stimulation of the epileptic focus.
Research Highlights
Multimechanism approach benefits treatment of migraine
66Cognitive decline after CABG related to underlying cerebrovascular disease
66REACH enables treatment of acute stroke in rural hospitals
67Extreme premature birth and risk of cerebellar hemorrhage
67Benefits of abciximab for patients with ischemic stroke
68Nocturnal back pain: useful diagnostic indicator of serious spinal pathology?
68Neurosurgical clipping versus endovascular coiling to treat ruptured intracranial aneurysm
68Understanding risk factors for childhood stroke: a feasibility study
69Greatest infectivity associated with smaller subfibrillar particles
69Systematic review of trials for cholinesterase inhibitors
70Practice Points
Can skin biopsy be used to evaluate demyelinating neuropathies?
72Should corticosteroids be used to treat traumatic brain injury?
74Can point-of-care platelet-function tests be used to screen for aspirin responsiveness after TIA and stroke?
76When is routine video-EEG monitoring in children warranted?
78Is amyloid-
-peptide immunization clinically effective in patients with Alzheimer's disease?
84Reviews
Drug Insight: temozolomide as a treatment for malignant glioma—impact of a recent trial
88Despite advances in surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the median survival for patients with glioblastoma—the most common primary brain tumor in adults—has changed little in 40 years. A recent trial, however, has shown that administration of the DNA methylating agent temozolamide during and after radiotherapy can prolong survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastomas.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0045 | Full Text | PDF (173K)
Technology Insight: imaging amyloid plaques in the living brain with positron emission tomography and MRI
96The imaging of amyloid plaques in the living brain should not only aid the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, but also help us to understand its underlying pathophysiology. In this review, Dan Huddleston and Scott Small discuss the encouraging results that have been obtained in humans using positron emission tomography, and they assess the potential of MRI-based approaches for future investigations.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0046 | Full Text | PDF (465K)
Drug Insight: using statins to treat neuroinflammatory disease
106Statins are best known for their cholesterol-lowering effects, but they also have immunomodulatory properties that might be exploited to treat neuroinflammatory disorders, such as multiple sclerosis. This review describes the molecular and cellular mechanisms that are thought to underlie the immunomodulatory effects, and discusses the results of initial clinical trials of statins in patients with multiple sclerosis.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0047 | Full Text | PDF (182K)
