]> Subscribe to the latest newsworthy research about Migraine as soon as it is published in <em>Neurology</em>^&reg;, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. <em>Neurology</em> is the world's most widely read and highly cited peer-reviewed neurology journal. http://www.aan.com/rss/?event=feed&channel=8 en ababb@aan.com kwiersma@aan.com Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:28:58 GMT Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:35:53 GMT AXON RSS Extension http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss ababb@aan.com Channel Feedback http://www.aan.com/rss/?event=feed&channel=8 http://www.aan.com/rss/images/channels/channel_8_s.jpg 144 144 Subscribe to the latest newsworthy research about Migraine as soon as it is published in <em>Neurology</em>^&reg;, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. <em>Neurology</em> is the world's most widely read and highly cited peer-reviewed neurology journal. false 1 http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_74.pdf EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, MONDAY, JULY 7, 2008 Media Contacts: Angela Babb, ababb@aan.com, (651) 695-2789 Rachel Seroka, rseroka@aan.com, (651) 695-2738 Combination Drug Taken Early Relieves Migraine Symptoms ST. PAUL, Minn. - A combination drug taken within an hour after the start of a migraine is effective in relieving symptoms, according to research published in the July 8, 2008, issue of Neurology&reg;, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The drug combines sumatriptan, a migraine-specific drug that affects the constriction of blood vessels, with naproxen sodium, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that works on the inflammatory aspect of migraine and relieves non-traditional migraine symptoms such as sinus pain and pressure and neck pain. "Unfortunately, many migraine sufferers put off treatment," said study author Stephen Silberstein, MD, of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. "This study provides more evidence that treating a migraine at the first sign of pain increases the likelihood of relief." The research involved two studies with a total of 1,111 people with migraine who had experienced two to six attacks per month in the three months before the study started. Half of the people were given the sumatriptan/naproxen drug within an hour after migraine pain started and while the pain was still mild; the other half were given a placebo. Two hours after the dose was given, about 50 percent of those who received the drug were free of any pain, compared to about 16 percent of those who got the placebo. The people who took the placebo were also two to three times more likely to progress to moderate or severe pain over four hours than those who took the drug. Those who took the drug also had fewer traditional migraine-related symptoms such as nausea and sensitivity to light and sound and fewer non-traditional symptoms such as neck and sinus pain than those who took the placebo. Silberstein noted that only people whose migraines had a mild pain phase were included in the study, so it is not clear whether the results would apply to people whose migraines start at the moderate or severe pain level. The studies were sponsored by POZEN, Inc., and supported by GlaxoSmithKline. The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 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, and multiple sclerosis. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com. http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_74.pdf ababb@aan.com Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:00:00 GMT 1 http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_81.pdf EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2008 Media Contacts: Rachel Seroka, rseroka@aan.com, (651) 695-2738 Angela Babb, ababb@aan.com, (651) 695-2789 Gene May Put Women with Migraine at Increased Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke ST. PAUL, Minn. - Women who experience migraine with aura appear to be at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke if they have a certain gene, according to a study published in the July 30, 2008, online issue of Neurology&reg;, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. For the study, researchers followed 25,001 Caucasian women for the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks and ischemic stroke. About 18 percent of the women in the study had a history of migraine while 40 percent of those with active migraine reported migraine with aura. Migraine with aura can be described as neurological symptoms that usually last for about 30 minutes and most often lead to visual disturbances. The women were also tested for a certain gene variant in the methyleneterahydrofolate reductase gene. During a 12-year follow-up period, 625 cardiovascular disease events occurred. The study found that women who had both the gene variant and migraine with aura had more than three times the risk of cardiovascular disease, which was driven by four times the risk for stroke compared with women who did not have the gene variant and no history of migraine. An estimated 11 percent of the study population carries the gene variant. "This gene by itself does not appear to increase the risk for overall and for specific cardiovascular disease, but rather this research suggests a possible connection between the gene variant and migraine with aura. While it is too early to start testing young women with migraine with aura for this gene variant, more focused research will help us to understand these complex links and will help us to potentially develop preventative strategies," said study author Tobias Kurth, MD, ScD, with Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. Kurth is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology. Since the study only looked at women, investigators say it is not known whether the results would be the same in men. "Doctors should try to reduce heart disease risk factors and advise young women who experience migraine with aura not to smoke and to consider birth control pill alternatives as these increase the risk of ischemic vascular problems," said Kurth. Heart disease is the leading cause of death and stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. The study was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, the Leducq Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, F. Hoffman La-Roche and Roche Molecular Systems and the German Research Foundation. The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 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 epilepsy, dystonia, migraine, Huntington's disease, and dementia. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com. http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_81.pdf ababb@aan.com Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:00:00 GMT 1 http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_100.pdf EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 P.M. ET, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 Media Contacts: Rachel Seroka, rseroka@aan.com, (651) 695-2738 Angela Babb, ababb@aan.com, (651) 695-2789 Migraine Linked to Blood Clots in Veins ST. PAUL, Minn. - People with migraines may also be more likely to develop blood clots in their veins, according to a study published in the September 16, 2008, issue of Neurology&reg;, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. In the condition, called venous thrombosis or thromboembolism, blood clots form in a vein, which can limit blood flow and cause swelling and pain. Those clots can then dislodge from the vein and travel to the heart and the lungs, which can be fatal. For the study, 574 people in Italy age 55 and up were interviewed to determine whether they had a history of migraine or migraine at the time of the evaluation and their medical records were reviewed for cases of venous thrombosis. The arteries in their necks and thighs were scanned with ultrasounds to check for atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Of the participants, 111 people had migraine. A total of 21 people with migraine also had one or more instances of venous thrombosis, or 19 percent. In comparison, 35 people without migraine had the condition, or 8 percent. Researchers do not know why migraine and venous thrombosis are linked. One theory is that the blood of people with migraine may be more prone to clotting. The study also found that people with migraine are not more likely to have hardening or narrowing of the arteries, which is contrary to a current theory. "The thinking has been that because people with migraine are more likely to have strokes and other cardiovascular problems, that they would also have more severe and early atherosclerosis," said study author Stefan Kiechl, MD, of Innsbruck Medical University in Austria. "This study is the first to use high-resolution ultrasound to examine this theory, and it provides solid evidence to refute it." The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 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 epilepsy, dystonia, migraine, Huntington's disease, and dementia. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com. http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_100.pdf ababb@aan.com Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:00:00 GMT 1 http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_94.pdf Media Contacts: Angela Babb, ababb@aan.com, (651) 695-2789 Rachel Seroka, rseroka@aan.com, (651) 695-2738 AAN Launches New Book Series to Help Patients and Caregivers ST. PAUL, Minn. - Following up on the success of Neurology Now&reg;, the free and award-winning patient and caregiver magazine of the American Academy of Neurology, the Academy has announced plans to launch a new series of books for neurology patients and caregivers in 2009 to be called Neurology Now Books&trade;. The Academy has expanded its publishing division, AAN Press, to publish this new book series. Titles planned to publish in the Neurology Now Books&trade; series include coping with multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, and taste and smell disorders in the first year. A fourth publication is also planned for late next year. "With one in six people now affected by a neurologic disorder, there's tremendous demand for the latest information on how to best meet the needs of this fast-growing population of patients and caregivers. Neurology Now Books&trade; will fulfill this growing demand," said Lisa M. Shulman, MD, Editor of Neurology Now Books&trade;, and a neurologist with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. "With the experience the Academy has had in publishing Neurology Now&reg; magazine, it's sought to advance patient care and has developed an appreciation for the needs and concerns of neurology patients and caregivers. Neurology Now Books&trade; will continue to further our mission of improving patient care and public understanding of disorders of the brain and nervous system," said Shulman. Each issue of Neurology Now&reg; magazine reaches nearly one million readers. It is the only consumer magazine in the country devoted to the management of the range of neurologic disorders. The magazine offers information on treatment and cutting-edge research for such neurologic disorders as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, migraine, Parkinson's disease and more. For information on receiving a free subscription to Neurology Now&reg; magazine, visit www.neurologynow.com. AAN Press through Demos Medical Publishing published an earlier series of books for neurology patients and caregivers that will continue to be available for purchase via the AAN Store&trade;. Other AAN Press publications are Neurology&reg;, the most widely read and highly cited peer-reviewed neurology journal, Neurology Now&reg; magazine, and Neurology Today&reg;. The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 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, and multiple sclerosis. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com. http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_94.pdf ababb@aan.com Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:04:51 GMT 1 http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_1853.pdf Overweight people who are between the ages of 20 and 55 may have a higher risk of experiencing migraine headaches, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle, April 25 to May 2, 2009. For the study, abdominal obesity was measured by waist circumference or the total size around the waist. Total body obesity was also measured. This was calculated using the body mass index, a measurement related to weight and height. Researchers looked at 22,211 people who were asked to report whether they suffered from either migraine or severe headaches. The study found that age, gender and the way that body fat is distributed affected the risk of migraine. Those who were 20 to 55 years of age and who had larger waistlines were more likely to have migraine attacks, on average, than people of the same age who had smaller waistlines. About 37 percent of women between the ages of 20-55 who had excess fat around the belly reported migraine, compared to 29 percent without excess belly fat. In men 20 to 55 years old, 20 percent of those with abdominal obesity reported migraine as compared to 16 percent of those without abdominal obesity. However in women 20 to 55 years of age with excess belly fat, the odds of migraine went up 1.3 times after adjusting for heart disease risk factors and for total body obesity. After the age of 55, total body obesity was not associated with migraine in men or women. However, in women older than 55 years with large waistlines the odds of migraine actually decreased. "These results, while still in the early stages, suggest that losing weight in the stomach area may be beneficial for younger people who experience migraine and especially so for women," said study author B. Lee Peterlin, DO, of Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "Men and women have body tissue distributed in different ways. After puberty women show more fatty tissue deposits in the hip and thigh area while men predominantly have more fatty tissue in the belly region. After menopause, women show more fatty tissue in the belly area as well. For some diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, excess fat around the waistline appears to be a stronger risk factor than total body obesity," Peterlin said. The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 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 multiple sclerosis, restless legs syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, narcolepsy, and stroke. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com. The AAN 61st Annual Meeting, the world's largest gathering of neurology professionals, takes place April 25 to May 2, 2009, in Seattle. Visit www.aan.com/am for more information. Study authors are available for interviews. Please contact Jenine Anderson, janderson@aan.com or Jay Mac Bride, jmacbride@aan.com. To access 2009 AAN Annual Meeting abstracts available February 25, 2009, visit http://www.aan.com/go/science/abstracts. Late-breaking abstracts will be featured in press release at the 2009 AAN Annual Meeting in Seattle. http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_1853.pdf ababb@aan.com Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:00:00 GMT 1 http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_1855.pdf New research looks at whether a gene variant may affect the link between migraine and stroke or heart attacks. The study is published in the February 17, 2009, print issue of Neurology&reg;, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study involved 25,000 women who answered a questionnaire about their history of migraines and migraines with aura. Aura is usually described as visual disturbances, such as flashing lights or geometric patterns. The women were tested for a genetic variant called the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) D/I polymorphism. A total of 4,577 women reported a history of migraine and of those, 1,275 had migraine with aura. Twelve years after the start of the study, 625 strokes and heart attacks were reported. The study did not find a link between the gene variant and migraine, migraine with aura, stroke or heart attacks. However, women who had migraine with aura and also were carriers of certain genotypes, called the DD and the DI genotypes, had double the risk of stroke and heart attacks. In contrast, women who had migraine with aura and were carriers of a third genotype, called the II genotype, were not at increased risk. The authors add the caution that this relationship was identified with very little information and must be tested in other studies to determine if it is real. "The complex relationship among this gene variant, migraine, stroke and heart disease has been the focus of many studies and the results have been controversial," says study author Markus Schürks, MD, MSc, with the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "Getting to the bottom of whether there is a connection and why may help to develop ways to prevent issues like stroke and heart disease, which are leading causes of death in the United States." The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, the Leducq Foundation and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 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 stroke, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com. http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_1855.pdf ababb@aan.com Mon, 16 Feb 2009 22:00:00 GMT 1 http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_1861.pdf Many soldiers who experienced mild head trauma or a blast exposure while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan are returning to the United States with headaches, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 61st Annual Meeting in Seattle, April 25 to May 2, 2009. The study, conducted at Fort Lewis, WA, involved 978 U.S. Army soldiers returning from Iraq or Afghanistan in 2008. All had experienced a concussion, head injury or blast exposure while deployed. Nearly 98 percent of the soldiers reported having headaches during the last three months of their deployment. The headaches started within one week of the traumatic brain injury for 37 percent of the soldiers, and within one to four weeks for 20 percent. Among the soldiers whose headaches started within a week of the injury, 60 percent had migraine-like headaches and 40 percent had headaches that interfered with their ability to do their daily activities. Thirty percent had headaches for 15 or more days each month. "Mild traumatic brain injury is occurring in 15 to 25 percent of soldiers deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan," said study author Brett J. Theeler, MD, of Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, WA, and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "The associated headaches can be a source of impaired occupational functioning. These findings should alert health care providers, especially those affiliated with the military or veteran health care systems, to the need to identify and properly treat headache among soldiers." The study was supported by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences through a grant from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program. The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 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 multiple sclerosis, restless legs syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, narcolepsy, and stroke. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com. The AAN 61st Annual Meeting, the world's largest gathering of neurology professionals, takes place April 25 to May 2, 2009, in Seattle. Visit www.aan.com/am for more information. Study authors are available for interviews. Please contact Jenine Anderson, janderson@aan.com or Jay Mac Bride, jmacbride@aan.com. To access 2009 AAN Annual Meeting abstracts available February 25, 2009, visit http://www.aan.com/go/science/abstracts Late-breaking abstracts will be featured in press release at the 2009 AAN Annual Meeting in Seattle. http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_1861.pdf ababb@aan.com Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:00:00 GMT 1 http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_1870.pdf A new study shows that higher temperatures and lower barometric air pressure may lead to a higher, short-term risk of headaches, but air pollution may not have a significant effect on headache. The research is published in the March 10, 2009, print issue of Neurology&reg;, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. For the study, researchers looked at 7,054 people who were diagnosed with headache in a Boston emergency department over seven years. Scientists then compared temperature levels, barometric pressure, humidity and other air pollutant or weather factors during one to three days leading up to the hospital visit. The study found that higher temperatures increased the risk of headache. The risk went up by 7.5 percent for every five degree Celsius increase in temperature. Lower barometric air pressure within the two or three days leading up to a person's hospital visit also increased the risk of non-migraine headaches. Air pollution levels had no affect on the risk of headache in the study. "Air temperature and pressure have been widely cited as a possible trigger for headaches, particularly migraines, but the potential connection hasn't been well-documented," says study author Kenneth Mukamal, MD, with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston. "There is growing interest in exploring whether there is any link between air pollution and headaches. While our study did not find an association, other studies have shown that air pollution has possible links to other health problems like heart disease and stroke," said Mukamal. It is estimated that costs associated with migraines total 17 billion dollars in the United States. The study was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the US Environmental Protection Agency. The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 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 Parkinson's disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), dementia, West Nile virus, and ataxia. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com. http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_1870.pdf ababb@aan.com Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:00:00 GMT 1 http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_1925.pdf Women who have migraines with aura may be more likely to have a stroke or heart attack than women who don't have the condition, and the association varies by migraine frequency, according to research published in the June 24, 2009, online issue of Neurology&reg;, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. An aura is a visual or other sensory disturbance that occurs before the migraine starts, such as seeing bright lights. The study found that women with migraine with aura whose migraines occur at least once a week are more than four times as likely to have a stroke as women who do not have migraines. Women with migraine with aura who have migraines less than once a month were more than twice as likely to have a heart attack and nearly twice as likely to have had heart procedures such as coronary artery bypass surgery or angioplasty. In contrast, women who had migraines with aura once a month had no increased risk of stroke or heart problems. "These results should be interpreted with caution, since the number of migraine and migraine features were self-reported and there were relatively low numbers of stroke and heart problems in the large study group," said study author and member of the American Academy of Neurology Tobias Kurth, MD, ScD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School and INSERM, the French national research institute. "Nonetheless, more research is needed to determine how and why these differences occur and whether preventing migraines could reduce the risk of stroke and heart problems." The Women's Health Study involved 27,798 U.S. women health professionals age 45 and older. The women had no heart or cerebrovascular problems at the start of the study and were followed for about 12 years. During that time, 706 women, or 2.5 percent of the group had cerebrovascular events, including 305 heart attacks and 310 strokes. In addition, 655 women had heart procedures such as bypass surgery. Of the 3,568 women with migraine at the start of the study, 75 percent had migraines less than once a month, 20 percent had them once a month, and 5 percent had migraines at least once a week. A total of 1,428 had migraine with aura. The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Cancer Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, Leducq Foundation and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 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 multiple sclerosis, restless legs syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, narcolepsy, and stroke. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com or www.TheBrainMatters.org. http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_1925.pdf ababb@aan.com Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:00:00 GMT 1 http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_1931.pdf Most children who suffer from chronic daily headache may outgrow the disabling condition, according to research published in the July 15, 2009, online issue of Neurology&reg;, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Nearly 1.5 percent of middle school children are affected by chronic daily headache, which includes chronic migraines and tension-type headaches. "Our results suggest there is hope for children who experience these headaches and for their parents, who also deal with the frustration and considerable disability that this condition can bring," said study author Shuu-Jiun Wang, MD, of the Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine in Taipei, Taiwan. "Over time, most of these children get better, eventually having less frequent migraine headaches as young adults." For the study, scientists followed 122 children in middle school with chronic daily headache between the ages of 12 and 14 years old. Chronic daily headache was defined as experiencing 15 or more headache days per month, with each headache lasting for two or more hours per day. The study found 60 percent of the children no longer had chronic daily headache after one year and 75 percent no longer had the symptoms after two years. After eight years, only 12 percent of the 103 children tested still experienced symptoms of chronic daily headache. However, 75 percent of the children had episodic migraine or probable migraine, while 11 percent became headache free after eight years. "Parents and children should be prepared for the possibility that while chronic daily headache may get better over time, headaches in general may never fully go away, but for most children the headaches are much less frequent when they become young adults," said Wang. The study found migraine history was a major risk factor for children having chronic daily headache into young adulthood. Children who had chronic daily headache before age 13, those who overused pain medications, and those with the condition for more than two years were more likely to have higher headache frequency and the condition eight years later. The study was supported by the Taipei Veterans General Hospital and Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital. The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic 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 Parkinson's disease, ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), dementia, West Nile virus, and ataxia. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com or www.TheBrainMatters.org. http://www.aan.com/rss/index.cfm/getfile/AAN_1931.pdf ababb@aan.com Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:00:00 GMT