Table of contents
June 2006 Volume 2 No 6
Editorial
Viewpoint
Origins of brain tumors—a disease of stem cells?
288The hypothesis that brain cancer might arise from a small population of cancer stem cells has received much attention in recent years. In this Viewpoint, however, Fomchenko and Holland argue that brain tumorigenesis might be more complex than this. They suggest that many of the stem-like cells found in brain tumors might have been recruited from surrounding tissues, and they discuss the implications for cancer therapy.
Research Highlights
Greater attention to animal data will improve selection of drugs for clinical trial
290Brain-derived neurotrophic factor mediates aversion to social contact
290Comparing patient-reported and performance-based assessment of functional status in PD
290DHA reduces levodopa-induced dyskinesias in animal models of Parkinson's disease
291New oligoclonal band test can predict conversion to multiple sclerosis
291Loss of expectation in Alzheimer's disease reduces the efficacy of analgesics
292Differing cognitive profiles in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
292Celecoxib has beneficial effects in the treatment of major depression
293Potassium-sparing diuretics might reduce risk of Alzheimer's disease
293A single siRNA injection combats flavivirus-induced encephalitis
293Safety of clopidogrel in children with arterial ischemic stroke
294doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0188 | Full Text | PDF (100K)
An amyloid-
protein assembly in the brain is linked with impaired memory
294Glucose mediates cognitive dysfunction in type 2 diabetes
295Intensive patient education improves clinical outcome in migraine patients
295doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0190 | Full Text | PDF (101K)
Practice Points
Which criteria best support the diagnosis of VV1 sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease?
296Does acute pain associated with herpes zoster respond to treatment with gabapentin?
298Could discontinuation of aspirin therapy be a trigger for stroke?
300Does trastuzumab increase the risk of isolated CNS metastases in patients with breast cancer?
302Can abnormal evoked potentials predict future clinical disability in patients with multiple sclerosis?
304Are patients with obstructive sleep apnea at an increased risk of stroke or death?
306Reviews
Surgery Insight: deep brain stimulation for movement disorders
310Over the past few years, deep brain stimulation has replaced lesioning as the neurosurgical treatment of choice for movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, essential tremor and dystonia. In this review, Anderson and Lenz describe the original experiments that demonstrated the efficacy and safety of deep brain stimulation, and consider the technical aspects that need to be taken into account as the procedure continues to evolve.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0193 | Full Text | PDF (354K)
Prion infections, blood and transfusions
321Blood has not generally been regarded as a significant route of transmission for variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD), but three cases of vCJD transmission through blood transfusion have recently come to light. In this review, Aguzzi and Glatzel discuss these findings in relation to experimental data on prion disease transmission, and consider the possible implications for the safety of blood products.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0214 | Full Text | PDF (437K)
Mechanisms of Disease: histone modifications in Huntington's disease
330Transcriptional dysregulation is proposed to have an important role in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease, and recent studies have implicated abnormal modifications of histone proteins in this process. Sadri-Vakili and Jang-Ho Cha review human and animal studies that have provided evidence for such a mechanism, and discuss the therapeutic potential of histone deacetylase inhibitors in Huntington's disease.
doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0199 | Full Text | PDF (205K)
Case Study
A case of voltage-gated potassium channel antibody-related limbic encephalitis
339doi:10.1038/ncpneuro0194 | Full Text | PDF (213K)
