Table of contents
January 2006 Volume 2 No 1
Viewpoint
Which arteriovenous malformations should be given ablative treatment?
2This Viewpoint examines the management options for arteriovenous malformations and the grading scales that can be used to guide treatment decisions. The authors consider the natural history of unruptured arteriovenous malformations and evaluate the risks associated with available treatments.
Research Highlights
Simvastatin as prophylactic treatment for cerebral vasospasm
4Ultrasound guidance for caudal epidural steroid injection
4The FOUR score: a new scale for improved assessment of coma
4Motor cortex stimulation in the treatment of neuropathic pain
5APOE-
4 allele predisposes carotid endarterectomy patients to cognitive dysfunction
6Novel approach to immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease
7doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0065 | Full Text | PDF (101K)
Statin therapy correlates with improved outcomes following carotid endarterectomy
7A new method for assessing stroke in the emergency room
9Practice Points
Does decompressive surgery improve outcome in patients with metastatic epidural spinal-cord compression?
10Can mid-sagittal MRI be used to diagnose progressive supranuclear palsy?
12Can acute MRI predict outcome following transient ischemic attack and minor stroke?
14Is there a relationship between prestroke social isolation and outcomes following stroke?
16Does duloxetine safely and effectively reduce the severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain?
18Can families be screened for cervical dystonia using a telephone interview?
20Is the X STOP® interspinous implant a safe and effective treatment for neurogenic intermittent claudication?
22Reviews
Is plasma homocysteine a modifiable risk factor for stroke?
26High levels of plasma homocysteine have been linked with stroke, and it has been proposed that stroke risk might be reduced by lowering homocysteine levels using folicacid based multivitamin treatment. There is insufficient evidence, however, to indicate that homocysteine is a modifiable risk factor for stroke, and, given the costs and potential risks of vitamin therapy, it cannot currently be recommended as a standard approach.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0093 | Full Text | PDF (183K)
Drug Insight: interferon treatment in multiple sclerosis
34Interferons are naturally occurring proteins with antiviral, antiproliferative, antineoplastic and immunomodulatory actions. This article reviews the findings of a series of clinical trials conducted between 1987 and 1997, which showed that interferon-
has beneficial effects on relapses and short-term disability in patients with multiple sclerosis.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0088 | Full Text | PDF (234K)
Mechanisms of Disease: a molecular genetic update on hereditary axonal neuropathies
45The Charcot–Marie–Tooth (CMT) neuropathies fall into two main groups: the demyelinating (CMT1) forms, in which nerve conduction velocities are reduced, and the axonal (CMT2) forms, in which nerve conduction velocities are preserved but conduction amplitudes are decreased. In this article, Züchner and Vance review recent advances in our understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms that underlie CMT2.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0071 | Full Text | PDF (431K)
