Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Neurology for February 2019. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Prenatal Vitamin Intake in Early Pregnancy May Cut Autism Risk
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Maternal prenatal vitamin intake during the first month of pregnancy is associated with a reduced risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in siblings of children with ASD, according to a study published online Feb. 27 in JAMA Psychiatry.
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Lowering BP, Lipids in Healthy Elderly Has No Cognitive Effect
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 27, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Candesartan plus hydrochlorothiazide, rosuvastatin, or their combination do not impact cognitive decline among older people, according to a study published online Feb. 27 in Neurology.
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Contributors to Delay of Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis ID’d
TUESDAY, Feb. 26, 2019 (HealthDay News) — First symptoms and disease type are contributors to delays in multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, according to a study recently published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal.
2014 to 2017 Saw Improvement in Burnout for U.S. Physicians
MONDAY, Feb. 25, 2019 (HealthDay News) — From 2014 to 2017, there was an improvement in burnout and satisfaction with work-life integration among U.S. physicians, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Higher Triglycerides May Be Protective in the Very Elderly
FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Higher triglycerides (TGs) is associated with a decreased risk of cognitive decline, activities of daily living (ADL) decline, frailty aggravation, and mortality in the oldest old, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
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National Health Spending Set to Increase 5.5 Percent Annually
FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — National health spending is projected to increase at an annual rate of 5.5. percent from 2018 to 2027, with fundamental economic and demographic factors the main drivers, according to a report published online Feb. 20 in Health Affairs.
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Most Patients Do Not Disclose Complementary Medicine Use
FRIDAY, Feb. 22, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Just one-third of users of biologically based complementary medicine (CM) disclose their use to traditional health care providers, according to a review published online Feb. 7 in Scientific Reports.
Studies Promising for Sensory Feedback for Hand Prostheses
THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) — By triggering sensory stimulation, transradial amputees are able to regain proprioception; and a slippage simulation strategy can detect slipping in a patient with hand amputation, according to two small studies published online Feb. 20 in Science Robotics.
Abstract/Full Text – D’Anna
Abstract/Full Text – Zollo
Vertical Integration Has Little Impact on Quality Measures
THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Vertical integration between hospitals and physicians has little impact on quality measures, while increased hospital market concentration is strongly associated with reduced quality in measures of patient satisfaction, according to a study published online Feb. 9 in Medical Care Research and Review.
Midlife Cognitive, Physical Activity May Cut Dementia Risk
THURSDAY, Feb. 21, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Midlife cognitive and physical activity is associated with a reduced risk for dementia and dementia subtypes, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in Neurology.
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New Kaiser Permanente Medical School Plans to Waive Tuition
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A new medical school to be opened by California-based health system Kaiser Permanente will waive tuition for all students in its first five graduating classes.
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Early Intensive Treatment May Improve Long-Term MS Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 20, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Long-term outcomes are more favorable for early intensive treatment (EIT) versus first-line moderate-efficacy disease-modifying therapy (DMT) in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published online Feb. 18 in JAMA Neurology.
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Inappropriate Use of Fentanyl Preps Seen Despite Awareness
TUESDAY, Feb. 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Despite adequate levels of prescriber, pharmacist, and patient knowledge regarding transmucosal immediate-release fentanyls (TIRFs), the rates of inappropriate use are high, according to a study published in the Feb. 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Late-Onset Migraine With Aura Linked to Increased Stroke Risk
TUESDAY, Feb. 19, 2019 (HealthDay News) — There is an increased stroke risk in late life among patients with late-onset migraine with aura (MA), according to a study published online Jan. 21 in Headache.
Hospital Prices Growing Faster Than Physician Prices
FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Growth in hospital prices and payments outpaced growth in physician prices and payments from 2007 through 2014, according to a report published in the February issue of Health Affairs.
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Sports Medicine Society Updates Concussion Guidelines
FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) has released an updated position statement on concussion in sports. The statement was published in the February issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Artificially Sweetened Drinks Linked to Stroke After Menopause
FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Among postmenopausal women, consumption of artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) is associated with an increased risk for stroke, coronary heart disease, and all-cause mortality, according to a study published online Feb. 14 in Stroke.
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Brief Anesthesia in Infancy Does Not Mar Neurodevelopment
FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Neurodevelopmental outcomes at 5 years of age are equivalent after brief general anesthesia or awake-regional anesthesia in infancy, according to a study published in the Feb. 16 issue of The Lancet.
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Medicare Patients With MS Face Higher Out-of-Pocket Rx Costs
THURSDAY, Feb. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Medicare patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) face increasing out-of-pocket costs for disease-modifying therapies, according to a study published in the February issue of Health Affairs.
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Physical Activity Down Across Chronic Disease Subgroups
THURSDAY, Feb. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) — People with a wide variety of chronic diseases are less physically active than individuals without chronic diseases, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
High Rates of MenB Vaccination Advised in University Outbreaks
THURSDAY, Feb. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Achieving high serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccination coverage is recommended following university-based outbreaks of meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Subsymptom Threshold Exercise Speeds Concussion Recovery
THURSDAY, Feb. 14, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For adolescent athletes, subsymptom threshold aerobic exercise prescribed during the first week after sport-related concussion (SRC) speeds recovery, according to a study published online Feb. 4 in JAMA Pediatrics.
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Midlife Systemic Inflammation Linked to Later Cognitive Decline
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Midlife systemic inflammation is associated with cognitive decline, according to a study published online Feb. 14 in Neurology.
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Neoadjuvant PD-1 Blockade Seems Effective in Glioblastoma
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Neoadjuvant administration of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade seems to enhance local and systemic antitumor immune response in glioblastoma, according to a study published online Feb. 11 in Nature Medicine.
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Functional MRI Patterns Indicate Consciousness, Unconsciousness
TUESDAY, Feb. 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A dynamic pattern of coordinated and anticoordinated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals can characterize healthy individuals and minimally conscious patients, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in Science Advances.
Yoga May Help With Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms, Severity
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Yoga may be effective as a complementary or adjunct therapy for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) taking disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), according to a study published online Feb. 1 in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience.
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Lower Birth Weight May Up Risk for Psychiatric Disorders
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 13, 2019 (HealthDay News) — After adjustment for family-related factors and gestational age, lower birth weight is associated with a small but significant increased risk for several psychiatric disorders, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Health Care Spending Per Person Increased to $5,641 in 2017
TUESDAY, Feb. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In 2017, health care spending per person reached $5,641, according to the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) annual Health Care Cost and Utilization Report.
Health Care Cost and Utilization Report
Many Systematic Reviews Do Not Fully Report Adverse Events
TUESDAY, Feb. 12, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Many systematic review protocols in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) do not include adverse event reporting, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology.
FDA Warns 17 Companies About Illegal Alzheimer Disease Products
MONDAY, Feb. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A number of warning/advisory letters have been issued to 17 companies for selling illegal products that claim to prevent, treat, or cure Alzheimer disease and other serious conditions, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.
Low Fitness, Obesity Linked to Later Disability Pension
MONDAY, Feb. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Among men, low cardiorespiratory fitness and obesity in adolescence are associated with an increased risk for later receipt of a disability pension, according to a study published online Feb. 12 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Children With Autism More Often Have Sleep Problems
MONDAY, Feb. 11, 2019 (HealthDay News) — More children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have sleep problems compared with other children, according to a study published online Feb. 11 in Pediatrics.
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Johnson & Johnson to Provide Drug Prices in TV Ads
FRIDAY, Feb. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In a drug industry first, Johnson & Johnson will start giving the list prices of its prescription drugs in television ads.
Education Not Tied to Rate of Cognitive Change in Seniors
FRIDAY, Feb. 8, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Education is associated with global cognition but not with the rate of cognitive change in older adults, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in Neurology.
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Trazodone Not Associated With Reduced Risk for Dementia
THURSDAY, Feb. 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Trazodone is not associated with a reduced risk for dementia compared with other antidepressants at the prodromal stage of disease, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in PLOS Medicine.
Discord Found in Clinician-, Criteria-Based Fibromyalgia Diagnosis
THURSDAY, Feb. 7, 2019 (HealthDay News) — There is disagreement between clinical diagnosis and criteria-based diagnosis of fibromyalgia, according to a study published online Feb. 6 in Arthritis Care & Research.
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EEG-Guided Anesthesia Does Not Cut Postop Delirium in Seniors
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For older adults undergoing surgery, electroencephalogram (EEG)-guided anesthetic administration is not associated with a reduction in postoperative delirium, according to a study published in the Feb. 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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ERAS Protocol Can Cut Opioid Use After Spine Surgery
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 6, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Implementation of a novel enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol can reduce patients’ postoperative opioid requirements after elective spinal or peripheral nerve surgery, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Neurosurgery.
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Ethnic Differences Seen at Time of Dementia Diagnosis in U.K.
TUESDAY, Feb. 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In the United Kingdom, patients from minority ethnic groups have lower cognitive scores and are younger at first diagnosis of dementia than the white U.K.-born population, according to a study published online Jan. 24 in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Compounded Topical Pain Creams No Better Than Placebo
TUESDAY, Feb. 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Compounded topical pain creams are no better than placebo creams for neuropathic pain, nociceptive pain, or mixed pain, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Evidence of Therapeutic Efficacy Substantial for Cannabis Use
TUESDAY, Feb. 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Most qualifying conditions for which patients are licensed to use cannabis medically have substantial or conclusive evidence of therapeutic efficacy, according to a report published in the February issue of Health Affairs.
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Expanded Recall of Warfarin Level Monitoring Test Strips
MONDAY, Feb. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — Certain lots of Roche Diagnostics test strips should not be used with CoaguChek test meter devices to check levels of the blood thinner warfarin because patients may get inaccurate results and be at risk for serious injury or death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says in an updated recall notice.
Early Tau Deposition Elevated for Women Versus Men
MONDAY, Feb. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For older adults on the Alzheimer disease trajectory, women have elevated early tau deposition compared with men, according to a study published online Feb. 4 in JAMA Neurology.
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Frailty Tied to Liver Transplant Wait-List Mortality in Cirrhosis
MONDAY, Feb. 4, 2019 (HealthDay News) — In patients with cirrhosis, frailty is more frequently observed in those with ascites or hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and is independently associated with liver transplant wait-list mortality, according to a study published online Jan. 19 in Gastroenterology.
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Hearing Loss Linked to Subjective Cognitive Function Decline
FRIDAY, Feb. 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — For older men, hearing loss is associated with subjective cognitive function (SCF) decline, according to a study published online Jan. 29 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
Pharmacist-Led Phone Follow-Up May Cut Readmission Rates
FRIDAY, Feb. 1, 2019 (HealthDay News) — A pharmacist-led, postdischarge structured telephone follow-up (TFU) intervention can reduce 30-day and 90-day readmission rates for polypharmacy patients, according to a study published online Jan. 23 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
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