Monday May 7, 2012
Guillain-Barré (pronounced ghee-yon bar-ray or gheel-on bar-ray) is a syndrome in which the body's immune system attacks peripheral nerves, leading to weakness and sometimes numbness, pain, or dysautonomia. While it is rarely lethal, the effects on mobility can be devastating.
In an effort to raise awareness about Guillain-Barré, the GBS/CIDP Foundation International is holding events nationwide this month.
To learn more about Guillain-Barré month, visit the Foundation's website. For more information about Guillain-Barré , read here:
Sunday April 29, 2012
The easiest way to find out what's wrong with someone's nervous system is to ask. Listening to the story of someone with a neurological problem and asking the right questions gives neurologists more information than any other step in the evaluation. The physical exam helps add more. When these two steps aren't enough, neurologists have to rely on additional tests.
Tests that neurologists can perform can range from fancy new techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging to simple blood draws. Lumbar punctures, neuroimaging, and electrodiagnostic tests are also ways for a neurologist to learn more about a patient's nervous system, diagnose a problem, and ultimately treat the disease. Whether someone is suffering from something as simple as a tremor or as dangerous as Guillain-Barre, or even brain death, sometimes extra tools can be helpful. Learn more about the technology that helps us understand the nervous system by reading the following: Tests and Procedures in Neurology.
Thursday April 26, 2012
As if neurological diseases weren't anxiety provoking enough, sometimes patients have to wait weeks in order to see a qualified neurologist. In fact, according to the American Academy of Neurology, the average wait time for someone to see a neurologist is almost a month, higher than a large number of other specialties.
During that time symptoms may go on without relief, or people are left wondering what exactly their test results meant. To draw out the suffering of people with neurological diseases in this fashion seems inhumane. So why does it happen?
It may be simple supply and demand. Many people have neurological problems like tremor, tingling, numbness or dizziness, and it's difficult to train enough neurologists to meet everyone's needs.
Despite being a fascinating and important branch of medicine, relatively few medical students are interested in neurology as a field. Faced with growing student debt (over $150,000 according to to the American Medical Association) students are pressured to go into high-paying fields like radiology or orthopedic surgery.
Recently Congress enacted a 10% incentive towards primary care specialties like internal medicine to try to get more students to enter needed specialties. Neurology was not included in this incentive, however. This is especially unfortunate since neurological diseases are becoming more common as the American population ages, and the current lack of incentive for medical students to join the field continues.
The American Academy of Neurology is advocating for further reimbursement for neurologists, including research funding to ensure that further treatments are made available to people with neurological diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and stroke. In the face of calls for decreased government spending and increased cuts in medical spending, it is critical that people with such diseases continue to get the best care available, as soon as possible.
Tuesday April 24, 2012
Migraines are a very common, but very painful and debilitating form of headache that affects over 30 million people a year. Recent guidelines for the treatment of migraines were just released at the 64th annual convention of the American Academy of Neurology in New Orleans, Louisiana.
"About 38 percent of people who suffer from migraine could benefit from preventive treatments, but only about less than half of these people currently use them," says guideline author Dr. Stephen D. Silberstein. Medications that could prevent headaches, or at least reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks, are called prophylactic medications. Examples include topiramate, valproic acid, propanolol, as well as herbal medications such as butterbur and supplements such as riboflavin. However, there are also many things people take for migraines which have been proven not to work.
People are often resistant to the idea of being on a medication to prevent their headaches. Paradoxically, these same people may not think twice about all of the over-the-counter medications like Excedrin or Motrin they are already routinely taking because of their frequent migraine. In that case, a scheduled medication could actually lower the overall risk of medication side effects. Furthermore, people who take frequent medication to stop a migraine when it's already begun run the risk of medication overuse headache.
Other people resist the idea of prophylactic medication because they believe that they will be taking the medication forever. However, this isn't necessarily the case. "The concept is to get the headaches under control," says Dr. Silberstein. "After six months, many patients continue to do well." At this point, the medication may be discontinued under the guidance of a physician.
For more information about the new American Academy of Neurology Guidelines, read the following: Prescription Drug Treatment for Migraine Prevention in Adults.
