Neuropsychiatric disorders: The DISC1 pathway: a portal to understanding the genetics of mental illness? | PDF (146 KB)
p293 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.58
Table of contents
June 2009 Vol 5 No 6
Research Highlights
Stroke: A unique phantom limb | PDF (78 KB)
p294 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.60
Multiple sclerosis: Reduced cancer risk in MS | PDF (51 KB)
p294 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.61
Alzheimer disease: Could SAP depletion stabilize Alzheimer disease? | PDF (122 KB)
p295 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.67
In brief
Dementia | Parkinson disease | Stroke | Movement disorders | PDF (47 KB)
p295 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.69
Parkinson disease: Spinal cord stimulation gets movement going in Parkinson disease | PDF (121 KB)
p296 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.59
Neurodegenerative disease: Biomarker test for Alzheimer disease | PDF (148 KB)
p296 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.64
Surgery AIDS 'Lesion-Free' patients | PDF (45 KB)
p297 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.66
Prion diseases: Site of prion disease brain injury uncovered | PDF (54 KB)
p298 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.65
In brief
Traumatic brain injury | Parkinson disease | Stroke | Epilepsy | PDF (48 KB)
p298 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.70
News and Views
Neuropsychiatric disorders: Shared genetics of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
James B. Potash & O. Joseph Bienvenu
p299 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.71
Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia share common clinical features, and antipsychotic medications can treat both conditions effectively. An assessment of 73,929 people with bipolar disorder and/or schizophrenia from a Swedish registry found evidence that the two disorders also share more than half of their genetic determinants.
Multiple sclerosis: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: hope and hype
Martin Stangel
p300 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.63
A trial of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to treat multiple sclerosis has yielded promising results, generating considerable interest within both the clinical literature and the mainstream press. The findings should, however, be interpreted with some caution, and larger, randomized trials will be required to establish the true efficacy of the approach.
Alzheimer disease: Perceived efficacy of antidementia drug treatment
Kevina McAvinchey & Alistair Burns
p302 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.56
Investigators in Germany have solicited the views of neurologists and psychiatrists on the effectiveness of antidementia drug treatments. The study concludes that clinicians generally consider these treatments to be beneficial, and that the provision of support to caregivers seems to further enhance the perceived benefits.
Neuro-oncology: Isocitrate dehydrogenase mutations in low-grade gliomas
David Schiff & Benjamin W. Purow
p303 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.57
Most grade II and grade III gliomas, as well as the secondary glioblastomas that arise from these tumors, possess point mutations that affect the substrate binding site of isocitrate dehydrogenase. These mutations are essentially unique to gliomas, seem to represent an early step in gliomagenesis, and confer a favorable prognosis.
Neurodegenerative disease: Diabetes, microvascular pathology and Alzheimer disease
Raj N. Kalaria
p305 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.72
Epidemiological studies suggest that the risk of developing cognitive impairment and dementia is increased in individuals with diabetes mellitus, although the evidence from clinicopathological studies on neurodegenerative changes is at odds with these observations. A thorough appraisal of concomitant vascular changes in dementia might resolve this incongruity.
Pain: Do ACE inhibitors exacerbate complex regional pain syndrome?
David Borsook & Simona Sava
p306 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.73
Complex regional pain syndrome is a chronic condition arising mainly after tissue injury and involves both inflammatory and neurogenic factors. Use of angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors has been associated with an increased risk of developing the chronic pain condition, which suggests possible roles for substance P and bradykinin in the underlying pathogenic process.
Neuropsychiatric disorders: The choice of antipsychotics in schizophrenia
Russell L. Margolis
p308 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.68
In light of claims of improved efficacy and lower incidence of adverse effects compared with older drugs, second-generation antipsychotics have emerged as the predominant treatment for schizophrenia. A new meta-analysis concludes that the difference in efficacy between newer and older agents is small, and the current classification scheme for antipsychotics does not survive close scrutiny.
Reviews
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in neurodegenerative diseases
Chiara Zuccato & Elena Cattaneo
p311 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.54
Alterations in the levels and activities of neurotrophic factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), have been described in various neurodegenerative disorders, most notably Huntington disease. In this article, Zuccato and Cattaneo review the current knowledge about the involvement of BDNF in these diseases and critically assess whether BDNF treatment would be a beneficial and feasible therapeutic approach in the clinic.
Challenges in the management of epilepsy in resource-poor countries
Kurupath Radhakrishnan
p323 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.53
Nearly 80% of the worldwide burden of epilepsy is borne by resource-poor countries. The quality of epilepsy care in these countries is compromised by numerous factors, including poverty, illiteracy, inefficient health-care systems, and social stigma. In this article, Kurupath Radhakrishnan highlights these difficulties and suggests practical solutions, drawing on his own experiences in southern India.
Hallucinations in Parkinson disease
Nico J. Diederich, Gilles Fénelon, Glenn Stebbins & Christopher G. Goetz
p331 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.62
Patients with Parkinson disease can experience a range of hallucinatory phenomena, which can have considerable psychosocial effects and be important factors determining the admission of patients into nursing homes. This Review explores the wide array of hallucinations in Parkinson disease, and examines the contribution of both pharmacological therapies and the underlying disease pathology to their formation.
Case Study
Diagnosis of pheochromocytoma in the setting of Parkinson disease
Shyamal H. Mehta, Rajan Prakash, L. Michael Prisant, Carlos M. Isales, John C. Morgan, Hadyn Williams & Kapil D. Sethi
p343 | doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2009.55
The neuroendocrine tumor pheochromocytoma is usually detected via measurement of levels of catecholamines and their metabolites in plasma and urine. In patients with Parkinson disease, however, the results of these tests can be confounded by dopaminergic medications. Mehta et al. present the case of a 59-year-old man with Parkinson disease in whom a diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was confirmed by means of structural and functional imaging.
