Table of contents
March 2006 Volume 2 No 3
Editorial
Viewpoint
Should cholinesterase inhibitors be used to treat Alzheimer's disease?
118The clinical role of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease remains unresolved. This Viewpoint examines the evidence from clinical trials and argues for a conservative approach to the use of these drugs in patients with dementia.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0130 | Full Text | PDF (101K)
Research Highlights
In vivo gene transfer by delivery of DNA packaged in a dendrimeric photosensitizer
120A novel parkin mutation is linked with early-onset PD
120Hippocampal volume and shape can help predict response to donepezil treatment
121Lipid-lowering agents and cognitive decline in AD
121Identifying dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors by [11C]-methionine PET
122Hypertension combined with type 2 diabetes increases the risk of stroke
122doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0105 | Full Text | PDF (114K)
Risks could outweigh the benefits of sedative hypnotics for insomnia in the elderly
123Common psychiatric disorders and the use of prescription opioids
123Long-term effects of deep brain stimulation in advanced PD
123Transdermal fentanyl for managing chronic pain in children
124Cortisol levels can predict future cognitive decline in older individuals
124Practice Points
How long are delays to carotid imaging and endarterectomy, and how do these delays affect recurrent stroke risk?
126Should radiotherapy for low-grade glioma be given immediately after surgery or at the time of progression?
128Does temporal lobe epilepsy surgery in children improve functional outcomes?
130Are atypical antipsychotics associated with a reduced risk of developing parkinsonism?
132Reviews
The genetics of Parkinson disease: implications for neurological care
136Parkinson disease has traditionally been perceived as a non-hereditary condition, but in recent years, the identification of heritable forms of the disease linked to mutations in single genes has challenged this view. This review highlights recent progress in establishing the neurogenetic basis of Parkinson disease, and considers scenarios in which genetic testing for this condition might be warranted.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0126 | Full Text | PDF (270K)
Technology Insight: querying the genome with microarrays—progress and hope for neurological disease
147The postgenomic era has seen important advances in the ability to perform large-scale analysis, using microarrays, of the genome at the level of gene sequence, gene copy number and messenger RNA transcript expression. In this review, Coppola and Geschwind discuss how microarray technology is being used to study of the genetics and pathogenesis of neurological disorders, and how it might be used in the future for patient diagnosis and classification into treatment groups.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0133 | Full Text | PDF (376K)
Therapy Insight: type 2 diabetes mellitus and the risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease
159A number of epidemiological studies have provided evidence for a link between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. In this review, Mary Haan weighs up this evidence, considers some potential biological mechanisms that might underlie the link, and discusses how targeting the risk factors for type 2 diabetes might also help in reducing the incidence of Alzheimer's disease.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0124 | Full Text | PDF (172K)
Case Study
'Cardiogenic vertigo'—true vertigo as the presenting manifestation of primary cardiac disease
167doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0125 | Full Text | PDF (142K)
