Volume 5 Issue 8, August 2009

As the human lifespan increases, the number of people living beyond their nineties is rising rapidly. This changing population demographic will have an effect on many aspects of health and society, including the number of people living with dementia. To accurately diagnose dementia, we must understand the relationship between the observed neuropathology and age.

The relative merits of clipping and endovascular coiling to treat ruptured intracranial aneurysms are the subject of an ongoing debate. The latest results from the International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial offer reassurance regarding the long-term outcomes of coiling and provide support for an individualized approach.

In utero exposure to antiepileptic drugs carries teratogenic risks, but little is known about the potential effects of such agents on neurocognitive development. The results from a large prospective study that set out to address this issue add to the mounting evidence against the use of valproate in women with epilepsy during childbearing years.

Patients with psychogenic movement disorders are usually diagnosed by neurologists and referred to psychiatrists for treatment. A survey of members of the Movement Disorder Society highlights difficulties in cross-specialty management of such patients. The findings have implications for the development of new criteria for conversion disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

A method for determining which patients are at a high risk of developing dementia could improve preventative care, early diagnosis, and the identification of individuals for clinical trials. The late-life dementia risk index has been developed to fulfill this need in older adults, but does the model provide sufficient accuracy and reliability in assessing such risk?

Glioblastoma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults, causing over 10,000 deaths each year in the US alone. Given the resistance of this tumor to standard surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, attention has focused on identifying the underlying genetic lesions in the hope of developing new treatment strategies. Purow and Schiff review the current state of knowledge of the genetics of glioblastoma and discuss the implications for future therapies.

Patients with hemianopic dyslexia experience serious reading difficulties, with word identification and the abilities to plan and guide reading eye movements being severely disturbed. In this Review, Schuett explores the clinical features and the underlying functional and anatomical bases of hemianopic dyslexia, before critically examining the available therapies for rehabilitation of this condition.

Transient loss of consciousness is a spell of unconsciousness characterized by abrupt onset, short duration, and spontaneous and complete recovery. In this article, van Dijk et al. provide an overview of the various forms of TLOC, focusing particularly on reflex syncope. They highlight key clues to the diagnosis of these conditions and emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the management of patients with TLOC.

Pregnancy can have an unpredictable effect on the frequency and nature of migraines. In this article, Contag et al. examine the association of migraine with pregnancy and pregnancy-related complications, notably pre-eclampsia. The authors also review the diagnosis and management of migraine headaches that precede or develop during pregnancy, and explore the risks associated with the available treatment options.

Rasmussen encephalitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that results in progressive degeneration of one cerebral hemisphere. Immunotherapies for this condition have traditionally targeted T-cell-mediated immunity, but Thilo et al. now report a case in which effective seizure control was achieved through use of the anti-B-cell antibody rituximab.