AANEM Education News Express

Science News: Lacosamide in Patients With Nav1.7 Mutations-related Small Fibre Neuropathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

    5/22/2019
Submitted by: Francisco E. Gomez, MD
Edited by: Clark W. Pinyan, MD, MPH

Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) is a commonly encountered entity that, at times, may prove frustrating to treat. This article summary was chosen by the News Science Editorial Board because it is relevant to clinicians caring for SFN patients with refractory symptoms. This summary outlines a new medication available that can be added on to existing regimens with little fear of complications.

Science News: Indications for Neuromuscular Ultrasound: Expert Opinion and Review of the Literature

    5/21/2019
Submitted by: Elliot Bodofsky, MD
Edited by: Clark W. Pinyan, MD, MPH
 
This thorough review by worldwide experts shows the importance of incorporating US into neurodiagnostic practice. As outlined in the article summary, indications are very broad and will help AANEM members incorporate US into important new areas.

Science News: A Novel Treatment Strategy for Severe Guillain-Barre Syndrome: The Zipper Method

    5/8/2019
Submitted by: Leigh Maria Ramos-Platt
Edited by: Hristelina Ilieva, MD, PhD

AANEM members have likely had patients with acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN). Patients who present with AMAN are quite concerning as they often respond poorly to treatment. This article provides information about a combination therapy protocol with promising results.

Science News: Six-Month Assessment of a Hand Prosthesis with Intraneural Tactile Feedback

    4/11/2019
Submitted by: Clark W. Pinyan, MD, MPH
Edited by: Hristelina Ilieva, MD, PhD

Neuro-prosthetics is a popular topic among AANEM members and a continuously expanding field in NM medicine. This article showcases some of the emerging technology in this field. 

Science News: High Prevalence of Neutralizing Antibodies After Long-term Botulinum Neurotoxin Therapy

    4/4/2019
Submitted by: Bryan X. DeSouza, MD
Edited by: Hristelina Ilieva, MD, PhD

The News Science Editorial Board has chosen this article to share because it identifies a higher than expected risk of immunogenicity from therapeutic toxins, which may cause secondary treatment failures. Knowing that the development of neutralizing antibodies to botulinum toxin increases with the duration of treatment and dose will guide therapeutic decisions to optimize outcomes and lower failure rates. 

Science News: Prospective Evaluation of the Incidence and Persistence of Gestational Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

    2/21/2019
Submitted by: Lisa M. Williams, MD
Edited by: Bryan DeSouza, MD

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common referrals for NM and EDX medicine. The News Science Editorial Board chose this article to highlight because it is a large scale prospective study identifying the incidence and risk factors for gestational CTS (GCTS). GCTS is a poorly understood complication of pregnancy. As NM specialists, understanding this common problem of pregnancy and the related risk factors will be important for diagnosis, management and successful outcomes.

Science News: Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Using a Bio 3D Conduit from Undifferentiated Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

    2/14/2019
Submitted by: Lisa M. Williams, MD
Edited by: Bryan DeSouza, MD

The repair and regeneration of peripheral nerves and restoration of function in nerve injuries has been has been an active but complex area of research for many years. Neurotrophic factors such as recombinant human nerve growth factor (rh-NGF) have been evaluated in clinical trials, but had mixed results. Currently, there is a growing area of interest in combining stem cells with hybrid biological technology to evaluate the utility in nerve repair and regeneration. This article is an important first step in evaluating the safety and efficacy of these new hybrid biological technologies as they apply to NM and EDX medicine.