Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Neurology for March 2020. 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.
CVD May Play Role in Link Between Air Pollution, Dementia
TUESDAY, March 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with a higher risk for dementia, with the association enhanced by heart failure and ischemic heart disease, according to a study published online March 30 in JAMA Neurology.
Inconsistent Bedtime May Affect Cardiovascular Health
TUESDAY, March 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Variability in bedtimes may be detrimental to cardiovascular health, according to a study published online March 23 in npj Digital Medicine.
Doctors, Hospitals, Pharmacies Warned Not to Stockpile Meds
TUESDAY, March 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In a joint statement released by the American Medical Association, American Pharmacists Association, and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the professional groups “strongly oppose” physicians, pharmacies, and hospitals prophylactically prescribing medications or purchasing excessive amounts or stockpiles of potential treatments for COVID-19.
Joint Statement
Isradipine Does Not Slow Early Parkinson Disease Progression
TUESDAY, March 31, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Thirty-six months of treatment with immediate-release isradipine does not slow clinical progression of early-stage Parkinson disease (PD), according to a study published online March 31 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Expressive Language Sampling Feasible in Fragile X Syndrome
MONDAY, March 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Expressive language sampling (ELS) procedures are feasible for most individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS) aged 6 to 23 years with intellectual disability, according to a study published online March 24 in the Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders.
U.S. Army Opens Field Hospital in New York City
MONDAY, March 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The first U.S. Army field hospital for civilian patients opened in New York City Monday and could be the first of many across the nation as it struggles with the coronavirus pandemic.
Chronic Kidney Disease Linked to Uncontrolled Blood Pressure
MONDAY, March 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with uncontrolled blood pressure (BP), while ambulatory BP patterns are not associated with cognitive impairment or frailty in non-dialysis-dependent CKD patients, according to two studies published online March 26 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Abstract/Full Text – Mwasongwe (subscription or payment may be required)
Abstract/Full Text – Ghazi (subscription or payment may be required)
Editorial (subscription or payment may be required)
Consistent Sleep in Early Adulthood May Cut Diabetes Risk
MONDAY, March 30, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Maintaining a consistent pattern of seven to eight hours of sleep during early to middle adulthood may lessen the risk for diabetes in women, according to a study published online March 24 in Diabetes Care.
New Tool Measures Quality of Life With Autism Across Life Span
FRIDAY, March 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A new online survey appears to be a feasible and acceptable method for assessing patient- and parent-reported outcomes and quality of life for people with autism across the life span, according to a study published online March 10 in Autism Research.
PPE Negative for SARS-CoV-2 After Patient Contact
FRIDAY, March 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Samples collected from personal protective equipment (PPE) from health care workers (HCWs) caring for patients positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were negative for SARS-CoV-2, according to research published online March 26 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
Workers at Risk for COVID-19 Exposure Can Access Online Training
THURSDAY, March 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The National Institutes of Health has launched a new website with educational resources for hospital employees, emergency first responders, and other workers at risk for exposure to COVID-19.
Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder 18.5 per 1,000 at Age 8
THURSDAY, March 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was 18.5 per 1,000 among children aged 8 years and 15.6 per 1,000 children aged 4 years in 2016, according to two surveillance summaries published in the March 27 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Abstract/Full Text – Maenner
Abstract/Full Text – Shaw
Prospective, Randomized Studies of AI Lacking in Medical Imaging
THURSDAY, March 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In the field of medical imaging, there are few prospective studies and randomized trials of deep learning, according to a review published online March 25 in The BMJ.
Prophylactic Manual Acupuncture Reduces Migraine Days
THURSDAY, March 26, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For patients with episodic migraine without aura, undergoing 20 sessions of manual acupuncture is superior to sham acupuncture and usual care for prophylactic treatment, according to a study published online March 25 in The BMJ.
Daily Low-Dose Aspirin Does Not Cut Dementia Risk in Seniors
WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) — For relatively healthy older individuals, low-dose aspirin compared with placebo did not reduce the risk for dementia, probable Alzheimer disease, or mild cognitive impairment during a median follow-up of 4.7 years, according to a study published online March 25 in Neurology.
National Health Spending Expected to Increase Through 2028
WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2020 (HealthDay News) — National health expenditures are projected to increase at an average annual rate of 5.4 percent for 2019 to 2028, representing almost 20 percent of U.S. gross domestic product by 2028, according to a study published online March 24 in Health Affairs.
Recommendations Issued for Pediatric Abuse-Related Head Trauma
TUESDAY, March 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) — In an American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement, published online March 23 in Pediatrics, recommendations are presented for pediatricians to manage abusive head trauma (AHT) in infants and children.
Sleep-Disordered Breathing Tied to Brain Changes
TUESDAY, March 24, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with changes in the brain, including amyloid deposition in brain regions typically involved in Alzheimer disease, according to a study published online March 23 in JAMA Neurology.
Serial Interval of COVID-19 Estimated at 3.96 Days
FRIDAY, March 20, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The serial interval of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), defined as the time between a primary case and secondary case developing symptoms, is 3.96 days, according to a study published online March 19 in Emerging Infectious Diseases, a publication of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sports Concussion Recovery May Be Slower Than Thought
THURSDAY, March 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Less than half of patients with sports-related mild traumatic brain injury (SR-mTBI) achieve clinical recovery within two weeks after injury, according to a study published in the March issue of the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.
Drop in Episodic Memory Steeper With High Goal Disengagement
THURSDAY, March 19, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Retired female individuals who are high in goal disengagement have steeper nine-year declines in episodic memory, according to a study published online March 16 in Psychology and Aging.
Surgery Superior to Nonoperative Care for Persistent Sciatica
WEDNESDAY, March 18, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Microdiscectomy is superior to nonsurgical care with respect to pain intensity in patients with sciatica lasting more than four months and caused by lumbar disc herniation, according to a study published in the March 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Per-Capita Medical Radiation Exposure Down in United States
TUESDAY, March 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) — From 2006 to 2016, there was a decrease in per-capita exposure to medical radiation in the United States, according to a study published online March 17 in Radiology.
Few Anesthesiologists Screen Elderly for Frailty, Dementia
TUESDAY, March 17, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Few U.S. anesthesiologists report preoperative screening for frailty or dementia or postoperative screening for delirium among older adults, according to a study published online Feb. 25 in Perioperative Medicine.
Low Maternal Vitamin D May Raise Risk for ADHD in Offspring
MONDAY, March 16, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There is an association between low maternal vitamin D during early pregnancy and an elevated risk for offspring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
Function, Cognition, Psych Well-Being Linked to Postop Death
FRIDAY, March 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Poor function, cognition, and psychological well-being are associated with mortality among older adults undergoing major surgery, according to a study published online March 11 in JAMA Surgery.
Current Access to Endovascular Thrombectomy Centers Limited
FRIDAY, March 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Less than one in five of the U.S. population has access to endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) centers within 15 minutes, according to a study published online Feb. 12 in Stroke.
Nonglycemic Factors Up Risk for Peripheral Neuropathy in T1DM
THURSDAY, March 12, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Several nonglycemic factors may increase the risk for the development of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) among people with type 1 diabetes (T1D), according to a study recently published in Diabetes Care.
Ophthalmologic Symptoms Common in Parkinson Disease
WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Patients with Parkinson disease (PD) have a higher prevalence of ophthalmologic symptoms than controls, according to a study published online March 11 in Neurology.
PCPs Feel Unprepared in Providing Dementia Care
WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Primary care physicians (PCPs) believe they are on the front lines of dementia care, but many feel unprepared, according to the Alzheimer’s Association 2020 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report published March 11.
Anticholinergic Burden Tied to Adverse Effects in Middle Age
TUESDAY, March 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Anticholinergic burden (ACB) is associated with adverse outcomes in a middle- to older-aged population, according to a study published in the March/April issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
Diabetes-Related Lower-Extremity Complications Increasing
TUESDAY, March 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Diabetes-related lower-extremity complications (DRLECs) are a large and increasing contributor to the global burden of disability, according to a study published online March 5 in Diabetes Care.
Apixaban Seems Safer Than Rivaroxaban for A-Fib
TUESDAY, March 10, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Among adults with atrial fibrillation, the rates for ischemic stroke or systemic embolism and bleeding are lower with apixaban compared with rivaroxaban, according to a study published online March 10 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
2018 Health Care Spending Up Due to Higher Prices
MONDAY, March 9, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Average employer-sponsored insurance spending rose to $5,892 per person in 2018, according to the Health Care Cost Institute annual Health Care Cost and Utilization Report.
Health Care Cost and Utilization Report
Stress-Related Disorders Linked to Neurodegenerative Disease
MONDAY, March 9, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Stress-related disorders are associated with an increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases, according to a study published online March 9 in JAMA Neurology.
Rates of Unintended Pregnancy Higher in Women With Disabilities
FRIDAY, March 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Pregnancies among women with disabilities are 40 percent more likely to be unintended versus pregnancies among women without disabilities, according to a study published online Feb. 26 in Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health.
FDA: Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities May Affect Medical Devices
FRIDAY, March 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) — SweynTooth cybersecurity vulnerabilities may affect medical devices, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration safety communication.
Widowhood Tied to More Rapid Cognitive Decline Among Seniors
FRIDAY, March 6, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Widowhood accelerates cognitive decline among those at risk for Alzheimer disease, according to a study published online Feb. 26 in JAMA Network Open.
Gulf War Illness Still Poses High Symptom Burden
THURSDAY, March 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Gulf War illness (GWI) poses a high disease burden on veterans almost three decades after the conflict, according to a study published online Feb. 2 in Military Medicine.
CDC: Fall-Related TBI Deaths Increasing Among U.S. Residents
THURSDAY, March 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) — From 2008 to 2017, there was an increase in the national age-adjusted rate of unintentional fall-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) deaths among U.S. adults, according to research published in the March 6 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
FDA: Singulair to Get ‘Black Box’ Warning
THURSDAY, March 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Asthma and allergy drug montelukast — sold as a generic and under the brand name Singulair — will get a “boxed warning” over potential ties to neuropsychiatric effects, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday.
Female Clinical Chairs Paid Significantly Less Than Men
THURSDAY, March 5, 2020 (HealthDay News) — There are significant sex differences in salaries of clinical department chairs in public medical schools in the United States, according to a research letter published online March 2 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
CDC: ~14 Percent of Children Have ADHD, Learning Disability
WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Nearly 14 percent of children aged 3 to 17 years had ever been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a learning disability in 2016 to 2018, according to a March data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
Smartphone Use Linked to Increased Meds Required for Headache
WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Use of smartphones seems to be associated with increased requirements for acute medication for headache and less relief with acute medication, according to a study published online March 4 in Neurology Clinical Practice.
FDA Bans Electrical Shock Devices Used on the Mentally Disabled
WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Electrical shock devices (ESDs) used to reduce aggression and self-harm in patients with autism and other developmental disabilities will be banned, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.
Racial/Ethnic Insurance Coverage Disparity Down Since ACA
WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Since the implementation of coverage expansions associated with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the disparities in insurance coverage related to race and ethnicity have decreased, according to a study published in the March issue of Health Affairs.
Considerable Increase Seen in List, Net Prices of Branded Drugs
WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — From 2007 to 2018, there were substantial increases in list and net prices of branded drugs in the United States, according to a study published in the March 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Multisensor Data Can Assess MS-Related Limb Dysfunction
WEDNESDAY, March 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Features extracted from a multisensor correlate strongly with physician- and patient-reported disability outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published online Feb. 26 in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.
1996 to 2016 Saw Increases in U.S. Spending on Health Care
TUESDAY, March 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) — From 1996 to 2016, there were considerable increases in U.S. spending on health care, according to a study published in the March 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Use of PPIs Tied to Cognitive Issues in Breast Cancer Survivors
TUESDAY, March 3, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Use of acid reflux drugs (proton pump inhibitors [PPIs]) during and after cancer treatment may be tied to impaired memory and concentration in breast cancer survivors, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship.
Active Lifestyle May Lower Risk for Parkinson Disease
MONDAY, March 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A physically active lifestyle is associated with a reduced risk for Parkinson disease (PD), according to a study recently published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease.
Pediatrician Use of Developmental Screening Tools Increasing
MONDAY, March 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — From 2002 to 2016, there was an increase in pediatricians’ reported use of developmental screening tools and in referral of at-risk patients for early intervention (EI), according to a study published online March 2 in Pediatrics.
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