Matt Hoffman

Novartis’ CD20+ B cell- targeting, fully-human antibody has outperformed teriflunomide (Aubagio) in a pair of phase 3 studies. The top-line data were presented at ECTRIMS 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden.

The senior vice president for research at the Kessler Foundation discussed the need for physicians to keep cognitive problems on their mind when treating patients with multiple sclerosis, and the importance of using objective assessments.

After being approved in Japan in 2013, the selective adenosine A 2A receptor antagonist was given the OK as an add-on to levodopa/carbidopa treatment in adults with Parkinson disease.

The use of the central vein sign resulted in a sensitivity of 68.1% and a specificity of 82.9% in distinguishing cases of MS on 3T MRI in a recent cross-sectional study.

The founder and CEO of NeuroEM Therapeutics discussed the potential of transcranial electromagnetic treatment, or TEMT, in treating patients with Alzheimer disease, with the hope of reversing cognitive impairment.

A number of cerebrovascular risk factors found to be associated with a subsequent diagnosis of Alzheimer disease also showed a high association with a diagnosis of Parkinson disease, pressing the impetus for controlling these modifiable factors.

The senior vice president for research at the Kessler Foundation detailed the current recommendations for cognitive screening in patients with MS, and appealed to clinicians to make the time for these symptoms in MS.

The senior vice president for research at the Kessler Foundation discussed the need for physicians to keep cognitive problems on their mind when treating patients with multiple sclerosis, and the importance of using objective assessments.

Serum NfL levels, at as early as the time of diagnosis, were a strong and independent predictor of death in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, with the study results expanding on the findings of prior literature.

The guidelines recommend that patients with MS receive their recommended vaccines, including that for yearly influenza. Additionally, they noted that no evidence exists that suggests vaccination increases the risk of MS exacerbation.

After being approved in Japan in 2013, the selective adenosine A 2A receptor antagonist was given the OK as an add-on to levodopa/carbidopa treatment in adults with Parkinson disease.

The director of comprehensive epilepsy center and professor of neurology at Thomas Jefferson University spoke to the evolution of epilepsy interventions over the last decade and its effect on the level of care for patients.

US WorldMeds rimabotulinumtoxinB injection showed significant decreases in sialorrhea symptoms with a single treatment as soon as the first week, lasting up to 3 months in clinical studies.

The professor of age-related diseases and dean of the University of Exeter Medical School discussed the need for improvement in nursing home care for those with dementia.

Jeffrey Dayno, MD, chief medical officer of Harmony Biosciences, as well as John C. Jacobs, the chairman and CEO, shared their insight into the potential impact pitolisant can make in the treatment of narcolepsy and excessive daytime sleepiness.

The professor of neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai discussed what still needs to be done to clarify medical marijuana’s position in medicine.

New findings have suggested dementia is a result of worsened white matter rarefaction, phosphorylated tau, and arteriolosclerosis due to repeated head trauma in former football players with CTE.

Boston Scientific’s Vercise Gevia deep brain stimulation system labels will allow for clinical use of stimulation during full-body MRI in patients with Parkinson disease, with an improved battery.

The director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center will offer further insights on narcolepsy at the upcoming International Congress on the Future of Neurology, September 27-28, 2019 in New York City.

The director of the MedStar Georgetown Headache Center and associate professor of neurology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital discussed the ongoing efforts in drug development and what the ideal future may hold for migraine medicine.

The professor of emergency medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health discussed the impact that telemedicine, conducted in senior living communities, can have on emergency department visits for individuals with dementia.

The findings of a pair of recent studies have suggested that the presence and chronicity of hyper- and hypotension in mid- and late-life increases the risk of incident dementia, and that intensive blood pressure intervention can, although modestly, impact cerebral small vessel ischemic disease.

The pediatric neurologist and epilepsy specialist at Children’s Hospital Colorado spoke about patient interest in cannabidiol after the FDA approval of Epidiolex, and what remains to be done to perfect its use in epilepsy.

Jeffrey Dayno, MD, chief medical officer of Harmony Biosciences, as well as John C. Jacobs, the chairman and CEO, shared their insight into the potential impact pitolisant can make in the treatment of narcolepsy and excessive daytime sleepiness.

While both 18F-FDG and 18F-florbetapir can discriminate those with dementia from healthy controls, the correlation to cognitive scores are much stronger with 18F-FDG.

With its FDA approval, the selective histamine 3 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist, branded Wakix, is the first and only therapy for narcolepsy which is not scheduled as a controlled substance by the DEA. It is expected to enter the market by Q4 2019.

The director of the division of neurology and headache medicine specialist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital offered insights on the updated pediatric migraine guidelines recently issued by the AAN and AHS.

The American Academy of Neurology and American Headache Society have released 2 sets of guidelines regarding the acute and preventive treatment of migraine in children and teenagers, with a focus on shared decision-making, patient education, and needs for future research.

The director of the University of Southern Florida’s Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center spoke to the current Parkinson disease therapy landscape and what he learned from a recent survey of patients and caretakers.

Using principal component analysis, the findings suggest that CAG repeat length strongly predict the rate of cognitive-motor decline in patients with Huntington disease, with higher CAG resulting in earlier and faster decline.