Category Archives: Neurology

Dr. James Galvin, chief of the Division of Cognitive Neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, explains the brain disorder afflicting Bruce Willis that has caused him to step away from his acting career.

The entertainment world was shocked Wednesday when Bruce Willis and his ex-wife Demi Moore announced that the Hollywood icon of the Die Hard movie franchise is suffering from aphasia.

Around the world, many people Googled the word to learn what it meant and what the diagnosis would entail for the popular actor moving forward. In a statement on her Instagram account, Moore addressed Willis amazing fans to share that his cognitive abilities have been impacted.

As a result of this and with much consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him, Moore said. This is a really challenging time for our family, and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion, and support. The post is signed by Willis current wife Emma, Moore, and his children Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn.

Willis, 67, is a Hollywood superstar who has starred in dozens of critically acclaimed films including, Pulp Fiction, The Sixth Sense, and the Die Hard series. According to The New York Times, Willis has received three Golden Globe nominations, capturing one. He also won an Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for the TV show Moonlighting.

Dr. James Galvin, a professor of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and chief of the Division of Cognitive Neurology, explains aphasia and its treatment.

What is aphasia?

Aphasia is a medical term to describe conditions of disturbance of language (speaking, writing, reading, and comprehension) and is due to damage to the language centers in the brain. Aphasia can be fluent with good production of words, but a loss of the comprehension and understanding of the meaning of the words produced, or non-fluent with relatively preserved comprehension but a great difficulty in language expression such as speaking or writing. The illness can be caused by a focal injury such as a stroke, traumatic injury, or brain infection (encephalitis). In this case, the presentation of aphasia is typically mire acute or sudden. Aphasia can also be caused by more slowly progressing processes such as a brain tumor or a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimers disease or frontotemporal degeneration. In particular, a type of frontotemporal degeneration is known as primary progressive aphasia where language problems are the first, and in many cases the only symptoms.

Who is most at risk of contracting this disease?

This depends somewhat on the underlying cause. In the case of a neurodegenerative disease, older age is a strong risk factor. Frontotemporal degeneration, for example, typically begins sometime between the late 40s to mid-60s, while Alzheimers disease more commonly begins at a later age.Tumors and strokes can occur at any age but are more common with increasing age.

Is there a treatment for aphasia? Or, if someone is diagnosed with it, how can they manage the ailment?

This again depends somewhat on the underlying cause. If an underlying cause can be identified, such as a tumor or infection, treatment of the cause may improve symptoms. If due to a stroke or traumatic injury where the lesion is static or non-progressive, speech and language therapy can provide improvements or, at the very least, coping strategies. In the case of neurodegenerative disease, there are few clearly effective options, although some individuals may benefit for a short time from speech therapy. As swallowing difficulties can sometimes accompany language difficulties, it is important to rule this out so to avoid aspiration pneumonia.

What is the difference between simple forgetfulness and symptoms that indicate there is something more serious happeninglike aphasia, dementia, or Alzheimers?

Memory loss is not a part of the normal aging process, although many older adults subjectively report their memory is not as good as it once was. Instead of being truly forgetful, processing speed declines so that it takes longer than usual to recall information. But with time, the information is recalled, and people can benefit from clues or prompts. Progressive changes in memory, language, or other cognitive functions are often a sign of a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimers disease or a related dementia such as primary progressive aphasia, frontotemporal degeneration, or Lewy body dementia. Difficulty finding the right words can be an early sign of all of these conditions.

What is the difference between aphasia and dysphasia?

Aphasia is the loss of language, while dysphasia means impaired language. Neurologists often dont use the term dysphasia because it can be confused with dysphagia which means difficulty swallowing.

More here:
Neurology specialist addresses aphasia, the illness affecting Bruce Willis - University of Miami: News@theU

The medical professionals say these teens are developing tics after watching videos of those with Tourette's Syndrome.

HARRISBURG, Pa. With its popularity growing since its launch in the U.S. in 2018, Tik-Tok has become a sensation for its users promoting creativity and entertainment.

Doctors across the globe say they are seeing complications in movement from teenage girls as a greater number are seeking treatment for tics. They say the young teens are developing the tics after watching Tik-Tok videos of creators who have Tourette's syndrome.

One might ask, what is the difference?

"A tic is a complicated movement that's stored in the center part of the brain that you feel this pressure that pushes movement out and you can try to hold it back but it gets stronger and stronger often when you do until it forces it's way out," said Dr. Jeremy Timothy, a pediatric neurologist for WellSpan Health.

Timothy says Tourette's syndrome, on the other hand, is a type of tic disorder, where people have multiple tics persistently over a course of time. This type of disorder usually arises in children, but Timothy says he's seen cases in teens now.

Research has pointed out teen girls who developed these tics during the pandemic had pre-existing mental health issues making them prone to other disorders.

Dr. Melissa Brown, a psychologist for UPMC, says stress and anxiety toppled by the pandemic are a "perfect storm" to create issues like these.

"The pandemic hit, placing a lot of social constraints on our teens, and girls tend to be very social and integrated into their social circles," she said.

Timothy says it's important for parents to speak to their children's doctors and if they happened to have tics, seek out treatments. Some of these include medications or CBIT -- Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics.

This is a therapy where one learns tricks to substitute different movements for tics that is less noticeable or shift gears in your mind from something that may trigger tics.

Another way for parents to help is to be more engaged and present in their child's life.

"Engaging in conversations, getting more physical activity, making sure they're sleeping well-our teens do need a lot of sleep," said Brown. "Of course, watch their diets and checking out what they're consuming."

Tik-Tok has responded to the issue publically, stating people with Tourette's Syndrome use the app "to express themselves authentically, find community and fight stigma."

More:
Doctors say heavy Tik-Tok usage is causing neurological health complications - WPMT FOX 43

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2022

Newswise MINNEAPOLIS A small, preliminary study of an investigational new drug being studied for mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia associated with Alzheimers disease suggests it is safe and may be associated with improvements in executive function, thinking and memory skills. The study is released today, March 31, 2022, and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurologys 74th Annual Meeting being held in person in Seattle, April 2 to 7, 2022 and virtually, April 24 to 26, 2022. The drug, called SAGE-718, is also in clinical trials for the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with Parkinsons disease and Huntingtons disease.

Cognitive impairment is often one of the earliest signs of Alzheimers disease, can be very difficult for patients and their families, and represents an area of great unmet medical need, said study author Aaron Koenig, MD, of Sage Therapeutics in Cambridge, Mass., the maker of the investigational drug. These results support further research with larger numbers of people to determine whether this therapy is safe and effective in treating cognitive impairment in Alzheimers disease and related disorders and in improving how well people can function independently in their everyday lives.

The study involved 26 people with an average age of 67. They had an average score of 20.7 points on a common cognitive test, indicating cognitive performance consistent with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. The participants took SAGE-718 daily for two weeks and were then followed for another two weeks. They completed tests of thinking and memory at the beginning of the study, at the end of treatment, and after one month. Both the participants and researchers knew that SAGE-718 was being administered.

The study was designed mainly to gather data on the drugs safety. There were no serious side effects of the drug. Five people had mild or moderate side effects believed to be related to the drug, such as headache or constipation.

After one month, the participants scores on the cognitive test had improved by an average of 2.3 points, to 22.8 points.

Koenig said some participants also had improvement in assessments of how well they were able to complete their daily activities, especially in complex activities such as using a computer, carrying out household chores, and managing their medications. This coincided with consistent improvement on multiple tests of executive functioning that were administered during the trial.

Koenig said, If replicated in future studies, such improvements suggest that this drug may eventually provide meaningful benefits to people in their everyday lives.

SAGE-718 is a type of drug called a positive allosteric modulator of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors.

The studys limitations include its small size and that participants and researchers knew that the drug was being administered, which could lead to bias.

The study was supported by Sage Therapeutics, Inc.

Learn more about brain health at BrainandLife.org, home of the American Academy of Neurologys free patient and caregiver magazine focused on the intersection of neurologic disease and brain health. Follow Brain & Life on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

When posting to social media channels about this research, we encourage you to use the American Academy of Neurologys Annual Meeting hashtag #AANAM.

The American Academy of Neurology is the worlds largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with over 38,000 members. The AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimers disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion, Parkinsons disease and epilepsy.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit AAN.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

More here:
Preliminary Study: Drug May Be Safe in Those with Mild Cognitive Impairment, Mild Dementia - Newswise

This headline-only article is meant to show you why a stock is moving, the most difficult aspect of stock trading. Every day we publish hundreds of headlines on any catalyst that could move the stocks you care about on Benzinga Pro, our flagship platform for fast, actionable information that promotes faster, smarter trading.

Benzinga Pro has an intuitively designed workspace that delivers powerful market insight, and is the solution of choice for thousands of professional and retail traders across the world.

Stop Googling for information and check out Benzinga Pro. You will never again be left in the dark on when a stock moves. Youll have what you need to act in real-time before the crowd.

Start your FREE 14-day trial of Benzinga Pro today.

2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Read more from the original source:
Horizon Therapeutics Highlights Presentation During Poster Presentation At American Academy Of Neurology On Co.'s UPLIZNA - Benzinga

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Revance Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: RVNC), a biotechnology company focused on innovative aesthetic and therapeutic offerings, today announced they will give one oral presentation and present one poster at the 2022 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, taking place on April 2-7, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.

We look forward to participating at AAN this year, where we will give our first, in-person oral presentation of the ASPEN-1 Phase 3 clinical trial results, and also present new data from the ASPEN-OLS Phase 3 open-label, long-term safety study of DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection for the treatment of cervical dystonia, said Mark J. Foley, Chief Executive Officer of Revance. As we seek to help patients with this debilitating condition achieve long-lasting symptom relief, the important data from our ASPEN-1 Phase 3 program continues to show DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injections long duration of effect and encouraging safety profile. The pivotal ASPEN-1 trial demonstrated two efficacious and well-tolerated dose levels of DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection compared to placebo, with consistent patient and clinician reports of improvement and treatment satisfaction. Results from the ASPEN-OLS study reinforce the long-term safety and efficacy of our pivotal study with up to four repeat doses.

Oral Presentation:

Poster:

The above abstracts are available online via the AAN website at http://www.aan.com.

About Revance

Revance is a commercial stage biotechnology company focused on innovative aesthetic and therapeutic offerings, including its next-generation, long-acting neuromodulator product, DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection. Revance has successfully completed Phase 3 clinical programs for DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection in glabellar (frown) lines, for which the company is currently pursuing U.S. regulatory approval, and in cervical dystonia. Revance is also evaluating DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection in adult upper limb spasticity. Revance owns a unique portfolio of premium products and services for U.S. aesthetics practices, including the exclusive U.S. distribution rights to the RHA Collection of dermal fillers, the first and only range of FDA-approved fillers for correction of dynamic facial wrinkles and folds, and the OPUL Relational Commerce Platform. Revance has also partnered with Viatris (formerly Mylan N.V.) to develop a biosimilar to BOTOX, which if approved, would be the first and only generic biosimilar to Botox and Botox Cosmetic. For more information or to join our team visit us at http://www.revance.com.

Revance Therapeutics and the Revance logo are registered trademarks of Revance Therapeutics, Inc.

Resilient Hyaluronic Acid and RHA are trademarks of TEOXANE SA.

BOTOX is a registered trademark of Allergan, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including statements related to the potential benefits, efficacy and duration of DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection and our development of a biosimilar to BOTOX with our partner, Viatris, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance, events, circumstances or achievements reflected in the forward-looking statements will ever be achieved or occur.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations. These risks and uncertainties relate, but are not limited to: the results, timing, costs, and completion of our research and development activities and regulatory approvals; our ability to remediate deficiencies identified by the FDA and obtain FDA approval of the BLA for DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection for glabellar lines, including as a result of observations made by the FDA during the site inspection or other reasons; our ability to obtain funding for our operations; the timing of capital expenditures; the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenues, capital requirements, our financial performance and the economics of DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection, the RHA Collection of dermal fillers and OPUL; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our manufacturing operations, supply chain, end user demand for our products and services, the aesthetics market, commercialization efforts, business operations, regulatory meetings, inspections and approvals, clinical trials and other aspects of our business and on the market; our ability and the ability of our partners to manufacture supplies for our product candidates and to acquire supplies of the RHA Collection of dermal fillers; the uncertain clinical development process, the risk that clinical trials may not have an effective design or generate positive results or that positive results would assure regulatory approval or commercial success; the applicability of clinical study results to actual outcomes; the rate and degree of economic benefit, safety, efficacy, commercial acceptance, market, competition and/or size and growth potential of the RHA Collection of dermal fillers, OPUL and our drug product candidates, if approved; our ability to continue to successfully commercialize the RHA Collection of dermal fillers and OPUL and our ability to successfully commercialize DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection, if approved, and the timing and cost of commercialization activities; the proper training and administration of our products by physicians and medical staff; our ability to expand sales and marketing capabilities; the status of commercial collaborations; changes in and failures to comply with privacy and data protection laws; our ability to effectively manage our expanded operations in connection with the acquisition of Hint, Inc; our ability to continue obtaining and maintaining intellectual property protection for our drug product candidates; the cost and our ability to defend ourselves in product liability, intellectual property, class action or other lawsuits; the volatility of our stock price; and other risks. Detailed information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by statements in this press release may be found in our periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including factors described in the section entitled "Risks Factors" in our Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on February 28, 2022. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. We disclaim any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Read more from the original source:
Revance to Present New Clinical Data on DaxibotulinumtoxinA for Injection from the ASPEN Phase 3 Program at the 2022 American Academy of Neurology...

A female in her 70s experienced weakness in her legs, trouble swallowing, and several falls. When she fell and couldnt get up, she called an ambulance and was transported to a local hospital.

Physicians at the hospital consulted Duke Healths neurology experts, who suggested a diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome. The local hospital initiated a standard treatment for Guillain Barreintravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)but the patient did not respond after two treatments. Because of a rapid deterioration of muscular function, she was transferred to Duke Hospital overnight. The deterioration ascended from her feet and began to compromise her pharyngeal and respiratory muscles.

When I arrived at the hospital, she was decompensating quickly. She was taken to the neurological ICU where she was intubated and placed on a ventilator, says Jordan L. Mayberry, MD, a neuromuscular specialist on duty that day. Mayberry was concerned by her lack of response to IVIG. To head off any further deterioration, he made the fast decision to change to a treatment the local hospital did not offer.

What therapy offered at Duke but few other North Carolina hospitals did Mayberry institute for a better chance at speeding the patients recovery?

Read more here:
Innovative therapy reverses neuropathology in elderly woman | Duke Department of Neurology - Duke Department of Neurology