All AAN Press Releases

University of Rochester Researcher Awarded $263,622 for Multiple Sclerosis Research

ababb@aan.com — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:50:10 GMT

A Rochester, New York, researcher will receive a $263,622 grant to continue his study of injury to brain cell connections (synapses) in multiple sclerosis (MS) through the American Brain Foundation (formerly the American Academy of Neurology Foundation) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Clinician-Scientist Development Award.

Matthew Bellizzi, MD, a Fellow in experimental therapeutics and neuroimmunology at the University of Rochester, was awarded the fellowship for his work investigating progressive degeneration of the brain in MS patients and in MS models.

The three-year award is designed to encourage MS clinical research with the goal of providing better treatment, prevention or cure of the disease.
Clinical research is the fundamental transition stage between discovery and treatment. Clinical research provides the scientific basis for all forms of care, addresses patient and caregiver needs and is the backbone for drug development and cost-effectiveness studies needed to improve lives. Fellowships provide recipients with up to three years of "protected time," with salary that allows them to continue important research projects in their chosen interests.

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that disrupts communication between the brain and other parts of the body. MS patients experience muscle weakness in their extremities and difficulty with coordination and balance, among other symptoms. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS vary from one person to another. There is no known cure for multiple sclerosis at this time, but there are therapies available that may slow the disease and improve quality of life.

The American Brain Foundation, the foundation of the American Academy of Neurology, supports vital research and education to discover causes, improved treatments, and cures for brain and other nervous system diseases. Learn more at http://www.CureBrainDisease.org or find us on Facebook.

The National MS Society addresses the challenges of each person affected by MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education, collaborating with MS organizations around the world, and providing programs and services designed to help people with MS and their families move their lives forward. The Society is dedicated to achieving a world free of MS. For more information about the National MS Society, visit www.nationalMSsociety.org.

Eating Fish, Chicken, Nuts May Lower Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

ababb@aan.com — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:00:00 GMT

A new study suggests that eating foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, chicken, salad dressing and nuts, may be associated with lower blood levels of a protein related to Alzheimer's disease and memory problems. The research is published in the May 2, 2012, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"While it's not easy to measure the level of beta-amyloid deposits in the brain in this type of study, it is relatively easy to measure the levels of beta-amyloid in the blood, which, to a certain degree, relates to the level in the brain," said study author Nikolaos Scarmeas, MD, MS, with Columbia University Medical Center in New York and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

For the study, 1,219 people older than age 65, free of dementia, provided information about their diet for an average of 1.2 years before their blood was tested for the beta-amyloid. Researchers looked specifically at 10 nutrients, including saturated fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, mono-unsaturated fatty acid, vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin B12, folate and vitamin D.

The study found that the more omega-3 fatty acids a person took in, the lower their blood beta-amyloid levels. Consuming one gram of omega-3 per day (equal to approximately half a fillet of salmon per week) more than the average omega-3 consumed by people in the study is associated with 20 to 30 percent lower blood beta-amyloid levels.

Other nutrients were not associated with plasma beta-amyloid levels. The results stayed the same after adjusting for age, education, gender, ethnicity, amount of calories consumed and whether a participant had the APOE gene, a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

"Determining through further research whether omega-3 fatty acids or other nutrients relate to spinal fluid or brain beta-amyloid levels or levels of other Alzheimer's disease related proteins can strengthen our confidence on beneficial effects of parts of our diet in preventing dementia," said Scarmeas.

The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging.

To learn more about Alzheimer's disease, visit http://www.aan.com/patients.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 25,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, 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 Alzheimer's disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

Response to First Drug Treatment May Signal Likelihood of Future Seizures in People with Epilepsy

ababb@aan.com — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:00:00 GMT

How well people with newly diagnosed epilepsy respond to their first drug treatment may signal the likelihood that they will continue to have more seizures, according to a study published in the May 9, 2012, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"Our research shows a pattern based on how a person responds to initial treatment and specifically, to their first two courses of drug treatment," said study author Patrick Kwan, MD, PhD, with the University of Melbourne in Australia.

For the study, 1,098 people from Scotland between the ages of nine and 93 with newly diagnosed epilepsy were followed for as long as 26 years after being given their first drug therapy. Participants were considered seizure-free if they had no seizures for at least a year without changes in their treatment. If they had further seizures, a second drug was chosen to be given alone or to be added to the first. If seizures continued, a third drug regimen was selected, and the process continued for up to nine drug regimens.

The study found that 50 percent of the people were seizure-free after the first drug tried, 13 percent were seizure-free after the second drug regiment tried and 4 percent were seizure-free after the third drug regimen tried. Less than two percent of the participants stopped having seizures on additional drug treatment courses up to the seventh one tried, and none became seizure-free after that.

The research also found that 37 percent of people in the study became seizure-free within six months of treatment. Another 22 percent became seizure-free after more than six months of starting treatment. Both groups continued to be seizure-free. However, 16 percent had fluctuating periods of seizure freedom and relapses, and 25 percent were never seizure-free for one year.

At the end of the study, 749 people (68 percent) were seizure-free and 678 people (62 percent) were on only one drug. The results were independent of the age when the person had the first seizure or the type of epilepsy.

"A person who doesn't respond well to two courses of epilepsy drug treatment should be further evaluated to verify an epilepsy diagnosis and to identify whether surgery is the best next step," said Patricia E. Penovich, MD, with the Minnesota Epilepsy Group PA and the University of Minnesota School of Medicine in St. Paul, Minn., and a Fellow with the American Academy of Neurology, who wrote an accompanying editorial on the study.

To learn more about epilepsy, visit http://www.aan.com/patients.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

Response to First Drug Treatment May Signal Likelihood of Future Seizures in People with Epilepsy

ababb@aan.com — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:00:00 GMT

To learn more about epilepsy, visit http://www.aan.com/patients.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 19,000
neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving
patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor
with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders
of the brain and nervous system such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease,
epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, autism and multiple sclerosis.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit
www.aan.com.

- end -

Eyes Wide Shut: Sleepwalking Common in Adults?

ababb@aan.com — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:32:07 GMT

New research shows that sleepwalking may be much more common in adults than previously thought and that having depression or anxiety may increase your likelihood of experiencing the condition. The study is published in the May 15, 2012, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"While our results show that having psychiatric conditions like depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder may increase the risk of sleepwalking, they also suggest that sleepwalking is much more common in adults than was previously thought and may have other natural causes as well," said study author Maurice M. Ohayon, MD, DSc, PhD, with Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.

Scientists interviewed 15,929 Americans ages 18 and older from 15 states. Participants were asked questions about their sleeping habits, general health, medications taken and mental disorders. In the study, 30 percent had a history of sleepwalking. Of those, 3.6 percent reported sleepwalking at least once in the past year. One percent had two or more episodes in a month and 2.6 percent had between one and 12 episodes in the past year. People who sleepwalked at least once in the previous year were more likely to have a family history of sleepwalking than the rest of the participants, by about 30 percent to 17 percent.

The study found that people who had depression were 3.5 times more likely to sleepwalk and those with obsessive compulsive disorder were four times more likely to sleepwalk than people without the disorders. A total of 3.1 percent of those with depression were sleepwalking twice a month or more, compared to 0.9 percent of those with no depression, and 7.3 percent of those with obsessive compulsive disorder were sleepwalking twice a month or more, compared to 1 percent without the disorder.

People who took certain antidepressants were three times more likely to sleepwalk twice a month or more compared to those who didn't take antidepressants, 2.4 percent compared to 0.9 percent.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Arrillaga Foundation, the Bing Foundation and Neurocrines Biosciences.

To learn more about sleep disorders, visit http://www.aan.com/patients.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.