Plasmapheresis Versus Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Patients With Autoimmune Neuromuscular and Neuro-immunological Conditions.

Objectives: Plasmapheresis (PLEX) and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) are commonly used to treat autoimmune neuromuscular disorders, including myasthenia gravis, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, and other autoimmune neurological disorders. The side effect profiles of these therapies vary, and concern has been raised regarding the safety of PLEX in the elderly population. In this study, we have examined the pattern of PLEX and IVIg use for autoimmune neurological disorders at a single facility and in a national database, focusing on the complications in elderly patients.

Utility of intrathecal baclofen pump in primary lateral sclerosis.

Primary lateral sclerosis is a disorder categorized by insidious onset of progressive upper motor neuron dysfunction without lower motor neuron involvement. PLS often presents with gradual-onset, progressive lower extremity stiffness and pain due to muscle spasticity. Intrathecal Baclofen pumps (ITB) have been used to effectively treat spasticity in several neurologic conditions including MS and spinal cord injury.

Teleneurology during the COVID-19 pandemic: A step forward in modernizing medical care.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic mandated rapid transition from face-to-face encounters to teleneurology visits. While teleneurology is regularly used in acute stroke care, its application in other branches of neurology was limited. Here we review how the recent pandemic has created a paradigm shift in caring for patients with chronic neurological disorders and how academic institutions have responded to the present need.

Neuropathy with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors: A meta-analysis.

Objective: To explore the association of peripheral neuropathy with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (VEGFR-TKIs) use in patients with cancer.

Methods: Published data search up to November 2018 reporting peripheral neuropathy in patients with cancer treated with VEGFR-TKIs was performed. The primary outcome was presence of peripheral neuropathy at the end of the trial.

Independent home use of a brain-computer interface by people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Objective: To assess the reliability and usefulness of an EEG-based brain-computer interface (BCI) for patients with advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who used it independently at home for up to 18 months.

Methods: Of 42 patients consented, 39 (93%) met the study criteria, and 37 (88%) were assessed for use of the Wadsworth BCI. Nine (21%) could not use the BCI.

Immunoglobulin therapy in the treatment of multifocal motor neuropathy.

Multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) is a chronic immune-mediated disorder leading to slowly progressive muscle weakness and wasting. Current treatments are aimed at modulating the immune system in order to avoid further decline and to maintain functional status. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) is widely used in the treatment of immune-mediated disorders and is the only treatment approved for MMN.

Durability of the Rituximab Response in Acetylcholine Receptor Autoantibody-Positive Myasthenia Gravis.

Importance: Myasthenia gravis (MG), an autoimmune disorder of neuromuscular transmission, is treated by an array of immunotherapeutics, many of which are nonspecific. Even with current therapies, a subset of patients has medically refractory MG. The benefits of B-cell-targeted therapy with rituximab have been observed in MG; however, the duration of these benefits after treatment is unclear.

Veterans health administration information systems as a resource for rare disorders research: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease as a paradigm.

Objective: To illustrate the application of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) information systems in both clinical and epidemiologic investigations of a rare disease, our specific aims were: (1) to determine the number and incidence of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) diagnoses in the VHA from fiscal year (FY) 1997 through FY 2010 and (2) to describe the relevant clinical features associated with those diagnoses.

Methods: The VHA Medical SAS Datasets were queried for all unique, incident CJD diagnoses between FY 1997 and 2010. Electronic health records were then reviewed to validate diagnoses using modified criteria.

Rituximab in the management of refractory myasthenia gravis.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an immune-mediated disorder with a variable response to treatment. In this study, patients with refractory MG who were treated with rituximab were identified. A review of patients referred to the Yale Neuromuscular Clinic was performed.

Is needle electromyography safe in patients on anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy?

Needle electromyography (EMG) is a valuable diagnostic tool in the evaluation of the PNS and yet the risk of complications with this procedure in patients on anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications is unknown. Guidelines recommend caution when performing needle EMG in patients with disturbances of hemostasis because of the risks of intramuscular hemorrhage or other bleeding. This commentary reviews a study by Lynch et al.

The effect of prednisone on the progression from ocular to generalized myasthenia gravis.

Fifty percent of ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) patients will progress to generalized myasthenia, 90% within 3 years from the onset of ocular symptoms. This study was performed to determine whether treatment with oral prednisone initiated and completed within 2 years from the onset of ocular symptoms would affect the progression of ocular myasthenia to generalized myasthenia gravis (GMG). Fifty-six patients were included in this review, with 27 patients in the prednisone-treated group and 29 patients in the untreated group.