Articles in 2012

Multiple sclerosis research in 2011 produced a combination of new therapeutic developments and innovative findings. Teriflunomide showed beneficial effects in a phase III trial, quantification methods for MRI lesions that should improve monitoring of disease progression were devised, and a link between high cholesterol and low vitamin D emerged.

Research published in 2011 identified important factors related to serious adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, along with a potential new treatment and a promising marker of epileptogenesis. Further advances in these areas are urgently needed to improve the lives of people with epilepsy.

Several pivotal clinical trials that could have a major impact on the care of patients with stroke were published in 2011. The studies cover a wide range of stroke-care aspects, including stroke prevention, imaging to select patients for thrombolysis, therapies for stroke recovery, and stroke registries to improve care quality.

In 2011, researchers used imaging techniques to investigate brain microbleeds in patients with dementia and highlighted how lobar microbleeds could be used as a marker for amyloid pathology and for predicting mortality. New guidelines on the inclusion and exclusion of participants with microbleeds in anti-amyloid clinical trials were also published.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a rare but potentially fatal cause of headache. According to results from a recent study, CT scans enable clinicians to identify patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage, with a high sensitivity. Does CT imaging rule out the need for lumbar puncture in patients who present with headache?