Neuromuscular Disease
RSSArticles
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Efgartigimod for Seronegative Myasthenia Gravis
In an uncontrolled, open-label series of patients with myasthenia gravis, double antibody-negative patients responded to immunosuppressive therapies in a similar manner as do those with antibodies to acetylcholine receptors (AChR) or muscle-specific tyrosine kinase. However, when treating myasthenia patients with a specific agent (efgartigimod) that blocks AChR antibodies at the level of endothelial cells, double antibody-negative patients do not respond as well.
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Antidepressants for Chronic Pain: Do They Work?
Antidepressant medications have been widely used for treating a variety of chronic pain disorders, but strong evidence to support their efficacy is lacking. Some patients may respond, but available data do not help us determine which agents may be helpful in a specific type of chronic pain condition.
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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the Extreme Elderly
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), when seen in the very elderly, is usually severe and is not reliably diagnosed by ultrasound. Nerve conduction studies and electromyography are the most sensitive and specific tests to make accurate diagnosis of CTS.
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How Common Are Neuromuscular Disorders?
Synopsis: Although many specific neuromuscular disorders are rare, in aggregate, these all add up to a large number, roughly twice as common as multiple sclerosis, and about the same prevalence as Parkinson’s disease.
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When Is it Best to Evaluate the Results of a CSF Tap Test?
The tap test has variable results as a tool to assess patients with a presumed diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus. -
Rituximab May Be Effective for Refractory Myasthenia Gravis
In a restrospective review, rituximab appeared beneficial for patients with medication-resistant myasthenia gravis. -
Pharmacology Watch
New recommendations for HPV vaccine; guidelines for treatment of essential tremor; updates on smoking cessation drugs; and FDA actions. -
Stroke Alert: A Review of Current Clinical Stroke Literature
Forty-nine clinical centers and 18 positron emission tomography (PET) centers in the United States and Canada participated in a randomized, blinded-adjudication clinical treatment trial of 195 patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic internal carotid artery occlusion (AICAO) who also had hemodynamic cerebral ischemia identified by ipsilateral increased oxygen extraction fraction measured by PET. -
Clinical Briefs in Primary Care Supplement
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Teriflunomide: A New Oral Agent for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
Teriflunomide, an orally administered inhibitor of dihydro-orotate dehydrogenase, was found to be superior to placebo in reducing relapses in a 2-year, Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with multiple sclerosis.