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Thrombectomy Is Feasible for the Elderly, but Entails Risks
Mechanical thrombectomy is an increasingly important therapy for acute stroke that can benefit the very old, assuming a careful selection of patients and risk assessment, according to a Portuguese study.
For several years, endovascular thrombectomy has been a way of removing larger vascular obstructions. In this procedure, the thrombus is extracted from the cerebral vessel via a catheter inserted in the groin. Numerous international studies have shown that endovascular treatment is a substantial improvement over purely drug-based therapy. The procedure is especially effective in dealing with extremely long blood clots and large obstructions of the cerebral arteries and often yields positive results. Thanks to this procedure, more than 60% of patients treated survive the stroke with no or minor subsequent impairment.
“More and more study results show the high effectiveness of mechanical removal of blood clots after a stroke. But researchers are still trying to determine the type of patient for whom this relatively new procedure is the best treatment option,” said Ary Lopes de Sousa, MD, a neurology resident at Central Lisbon Hospital Center.
Dr. de Sousa and his colleagues reviewed the treatment success of thrombectomy in more than 200 patients with anterior acute ischemic stroke and no or slight disability prior to this event. The researchers separated patients into two groups: one with individuals younger than 80 and one with individuals age 80 and older.
In the group of patients age 80 and older, hypertension and transient ischemic attacks were more frequent. The treatment did not differ between the two groups (eg, in terms of the time frame of the revascularization). But in the older group, two-thirds of the patients exhibited a poor functional outcome at three months after the treatment (ie, they were moderately or severely limited in their ability to handle their daily tasks). The number of impaired individuals in that group was substantially larger than in the younger group, where 46% faced limitations in their everyday lives. On the other hand, one-third of the patients age 80 and older were able to handle their everyday lives three months after the treatment with no or mild impairments from the stroke. No difference in mortality was observed between the two age groups.
“For patients over 80, thrombectomy appears to be riskier than for younger patients,” said Dr. de Sousa. “But one third of the patients over 80 can be fully functional in their everyday lives after the procedure, so we must identify the factors associated with this favorable outcome. This [step] will support us applying this modern procedure efficiently to those individuals among the very old who can benefit from it.”
Studies Gauge the Cost of Migraine
A pair of studies have evaluated the cost of migraine to individuals, society, and businesses. A French study looked at the socioeconomic impact of the condition. In a survey of more than 7,700 people, a representative sample of the general population, 3.8% indicated that they experienced severe migraines on at least eight days per month. “Two-thirds of those [patients] were women, and the average age of those affected was 41, meaning that migraines significantly affect people at the peak of their careers, and who have families to provide for. These regular attacks represent a serious problem as far as keeping their jobs is concerned,” said Dr. Guillaume Leiba, Pricing and Market Access Manager at Novartis in Paris. In the current study, patients with severe migraine reported missing 33 working days per year because of their condition. This absence translates into a cost to society of approximately EUR 3.8 billion. Migraine also has an impact on patients’ social environment: 14% of respondents indicated that family members had to adjust their working hours because of patients’ migraine headaches. The study also quantified the financial burden placed on migraineurs: 58% reported an average monthly cost of more than EUR 30 per month for nonreimbursed medicines. Approximately 43% spent more than EUR 50 each month on other, nonpharmaceutical therapies. Despite the high level of public and private spending associated with the condition, quality of life for migraineurs remains far from satisfactory. More than three-quarters have sleep disorders and benefit less from their free time than healthy controls.
A Swiss study obtained more detailed results regarding absenteeism in the workplace. A group of 700 working migraineurs reported losing an average of 32 days per year because of migraine. This rate is similar to that reported in the French study. But there were significant differences depending on the specific type of headache, according to study author François Cadiou, CEO of Healint in Singapore. “With an average of more than 56 working days missed per year, patients with chronic migraine had the highest rate of absenteeism. People with episodic migraine were unable to go to work on 33 days of the year, while those with low-frequency episodic migraine took an average of 15 days off because of their condition.” Another finding has implications for preventive measures: the number of sick days was not always constant. In fact, the total steadily increased, and with it the amount of medication taken if patients indicated anxiety or depression as a symptom or trigger at least once within the 28-day observation period. In light of the outcomes presented, experts at the EAN Congress have issued a call for increased investment in migraine research and prevention, citing the advantages to society.
Both studies were funded by Novartis Pharma.
Parkinson’s Disease Progression Varies by Gender
A current study has now furnished the first neurophysiologic evidence that Parkinson’s disease progresses differently in women than in men. “Numerous demographic studies have provided evidence that men contract Parkinson’s disease nearly twice as often as women. What was unclear, however, was whether a gender-specific pathophysiology exists as soon as the first symptoms appear,” said Maja Kojovic, MD, PhD, a consultant neurologist at Ljubljana University Medical Center in Slovenia.
The international research team proceeded from the concept that in early Parkinson’s disease, functional changes can be detected in the primary motor cortex (M1) using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). If pathophysiology differs between genders in Parkinson’s disease, they hypothesized, it will be reflected in differences of M1 TMS measurements.
Thirty-nine newly diagnosed and untreated patients with Parkinson’s disease (23 males) were assessed using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Then the patients and a group of healthy controls underwent TMS measurements of motor thresholds of the brain, input–output curve, short interval intracortical inhibition, cortical silent period, and intracortical facilitation. Brain plasticity was also measured using paired associative stimulation.
The UPDRS tests did not yield any differences in motor scores between the genders. However, the female patients had a less steep input–output curve than the male patients on the side of the brain more affected by Parkinson’s disease.
The women with Parkinson’s disease also exhibited better preserved short interval intracortical inhibition in both hemispheres, compared with affected men, and tended to have a better response to the paired associative stimulation protocol on the side less affected by symptoms. No gender-specific differences were determined, however, in the motor thresholds, intracortical facilitation, and the cortical silent period. The healthy control group did not show any gender or interhemispheric differences for any of the TMS parameters measured. “The detected gender differences in corticospinal and intracortical excitability in patients with early untreated Parkinson’s disease represent differences in disease pathophysiology. Gender may also prove to be a relevant factor when choosing appropriate treatment,” said Dr. Kojovic.
EAN Develops Guideline on Palliative Care of Patients With Severe MS
A cohort of 934 individuals affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) from seven European countries played an instrumental part in developing the European Academy of Neurology’s (EAN) new guideline on palliative care for people with severe MS. “There were 751 MS patients and 183 caregiver relatives involved,” said Sascha Köpke, PhD, Professor of Nursing Research at the University of Lübeck in Germany.
With the involvement of patients and their families in a new guideline, the EAN is emphasizing shared decision-making as an increasingly important concept that underscores patient autonomy and promotes the individualization of diagnosis and therapy. According to this approach, patients and physicians undergo a detailed consultation and then choose the medical treatment. The EAN has supported this patient-centered approach for a long time, and it is becoming increasingly established in other medical areas as well.
“It was resource- and time-intensive to include consumers in the guideline process, but also highly rewarding,” said Prof. Köpke. “Patients and caregivers really helped us to formulate the guideline in a way that was in line with actual practice and their own needs. We were able to see clearly which of our ideas met with approval or rejection.” The comments were also instructive for the group of EAN experts. They raised new aspects as well as sensitive issues that had been left out of the first draft.
Two approaches were chosen to ensure that consumers would participate. “First, there was an international online survey launched by national MS societies following a trial run involving 20 patients and 18 caregivers. Second, we invited MS patients and caregiver relatives to focus group meetings,” said Prof. Köpke. The majority of participants approved the topics proposed by the EAN group of experts. About 98% agreed to incorporate the subject of multidisciplinary rehabilitation in the guideline. There were 569 free comments, of which 182 (32%) pertained to the specified topics. A further 227 comments (40%) addressed additional topics, of which 16 were pertinent to the guideline. Five of the focus group meetings corroborated the results of the online survey and helped to work out important issues for the individuals affected. “The involvement of patients and caregivers increases the reliability and relevance of the guideline for clinical practice,” said Prof. Köpke.
Thrombectomy Is Feasible for the Elderly, but Entails Risks
Mechanical thrombectomy is an increasingly important therapy for acute stroke that can benefit the very old, assuming a careful selection of patients and risk assessment, according to a Portuguese study.
For several years, endovascular thrombectomy has been a way of removing larger vascular obstructions. In this procedure, the thrombus is extracted from the cerebral vessel via a catheter inserted in the groin. Numerous international studies have shown that endovascular treatment is a substantial improvement over purely drug-based therapy. The procedure is especially effective in dealing with extremely long blood clots and large obstructions of the cerebral arteries and often yields positive results. Thanks to this procedure, more than 60% of patients treated survive the stroke with no or minor subsequent impairment.
“More and more study results show the high effectiveness of mechanical removal of blood clots after a stroke. But researchers are still trying to determine the type of patient for whom this relatively new procedure is the best treatment option,” said Ary Lopes de Sousa, MD, a neurology resident at Central Lisbon Hospital Center.
Dr. de Sousa and his colleagues reviewed the treatment success of thrombectomy in more than 200 patients with anterior acute ischemic stroke and no or slight disability prior to this event. The researchers separated patients into two groups: one with individuals younger than 80 and one with individuals age 80 and older.
In the group of patients age 80 and older, hypertension and transient ischemic attacks were more frequent. The treatment did not differ between the two groups (eg, in terms of the time frame of the revascularization). But in the older group, two-thirds of the patients exhibited a poor functional outcome at three months after the treatment (ie, they were moderately or severely limited in their ability to handle their daily tasks). The number of impaired individuals in that group was substantially larger than in the younger group, where 46% faced limitations in their everyday lives. On the other hand, one-third of the patients age 80 and older were able to handle their everyday lives three months after the treatment with no or mild impairments from the stroke. No difference in mortality was observed between the two age groups.
“For patients over 80, thrombectomy appears to be riskier than for younger patients,” said Dr. de Sousa. “But one third of the patients over 80 can be fully functional in their everyday lives after the procedure, so we must identify the factors associated with this favorable outcome. This [step] will support us applying this modern procedure efficiently to those individuals among the very old who can benefit from it.”
Studies Gauge the Cost of Migraine
A pair of studies have evaluated the cost of migraine to individuals, society, and businesses. A French study looked at the socioeconomic impact of the condition. In a survey of more than 7,700 people, a representative sample of the general population, 3.8% indicated that they experienced severe migraines on at least eight days per month. “Two-thirds of those [patients] were women, and the average age of those affected was 41, meaning that migraines significantly affect people at the peak of their careers, and who have families to provide for. These regular attacks represent a serious problem as far as keeping their jobs is concerned,” said Dr. Guillaume Leiba, Pricing and Market Access Manager at Novartis in Paris. In the current study, patients with severe migraine reported missing 33 working days per year because of their condition. This absence translates into a cost to society of approximately EUR 3.8 billion. Migraine also has an impact on patients’ social environment: 14% of respondents indicated that family members had to adjust their working hours because of patients’ migraine headaches. The study also quantified the financial burden placed on migraineurs: 58% reported an average monthly cost of more than EUR 30 per month for nonreimbursed medicines. Approximately 43% spent more than EUR 50 each month on other, nonpharmaceutical therapies. Despite the high level of public and private spending associated with the condition, quality of life for migraineurs remains far from satisfactory. More than three-quarters have sleep disorders and benefit less from their free time than healthy controls.
A Swiss study obtained more detailed results regarding absenteeism in the workplace. A group of 700 working migraineurs reported losing an average of 32 days per year because of migraine. This rate is similar to that reported in the French study. But there were significant differences depending on the specific type of headache, according to study author François Cadiou, CEO of Healint in Singapore. “With an average of more than 56 working days missed per year, patients with chronic migraine had the highest rate of absenteeism. People with episodic migraine were unable to go to work on 33 days of the year, while those with low-frequency episodic migraine took an average of 15 days off because of their condition.” Another finding has implications for preventive measures: the number of sick days was not always constant. In fact, the total steadily increased, and with it the amount of medication taken if patients indicated anxiety or depression as a symptom or trigger at least once within the 28-day observation period. In light of the outcomes presented, experts at the EAN Congress have issued a call for increased investment in migraine research and prevention, citing the advantages to society.
Both studies were funded by Novartis Pharma.
Parkinson’s Disease Progression Varies by Gender
A current study has now furnished the first neurophysiologic evidence that Parkinson’s disease progresses differently in women than in men. “Numerous demographic studies have provided evidence that men contract Parkinson’s disease nearly twice as often as women. What was unclear, however, was whether a gender-specific pathophysiology exists as soon as the first symptoms appear,” said Maja Kojovic, MD, PhD, a consultant neurologist at Ljubljana University Medical Center in Slovenia.
The international research team proceeded from the concept that in early Parkinson’s disease, functional changes can be detected in the primary motor cortex (M1) using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). If pathophysiology differs between genders in Parkinson’s disease, they hypothesized, it will be reflected in differences of M1 TMS measurements.
Thirty-nine newly diagnosed and untreated patients with Parkinson’s disease (23 males) were assessed using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Then the patients and a group of healthy controls underwent TMS measurements of motor thresholds of the brain, input–output curve, short interval intracortical inhibition, cortical silent period, and intracortical facilitation. Brain plasticity was also measured using paired associative stimulation.
The UPDRS tests did not yield any differences in motor scores between the genders. However, the female patients had a less steep input–output curve than the male patients on the side of the brain more affected by Parkinson’s disease.
The women with Parkinson’s disease also exhibited better preserved short interval intracortical inhibition in both hemispheres, compared with affected men, and tended to have a better response to the paired associative stimulation protocol on the side less affected by symptoms. No gender-specific differences were determined, however, in the motor thresholds, intracortical facilitation, and the cortical silent period. The healthy control group did not show any gender or interhemispheric differences for any of the TMS parameters measured. “The detected gender differences in corticospinal and intracortical excitability in patients with early untreated Parkinson’s disease represent differences in disease pathophysiology. Gender may also prove to be a relevant factor when choosing appropriate treatment,” said Dr. Kojovic.
EAN Develops Guideline on Palliative Care of Patients With Severe MS
A cohort of 934 individuals affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) from seven European countries played an instrumental part in developing the European Academy of Neurology’s (EAN) new guideline on palliative care for people with severe MS. “There were 751 MS patients and 183 caregiver relatives involved,” said Sascha Köpke, PhD, Professor of Nursing Research at the University of Lübeck in Germany.
With the involvement of patients and their families in a new guideline, the EAN is emphasizing shared decision-making as an increasingly important concept that underscores patient autonomy and promotes the individualization of diagnosis and therapy. According to this approach, patients and physicians undergo a detailed consultation and then choose the medical treatment. The EAN has supported this patient-centered approach for a long time, and it is becoming increasingly established in other medical areas as well.
“It was resource- and time-intensive to include consumers in the guideline process, but also highly rewarding,” said Prof. Köpke. “Patients and caregivers really helped us to formulate the guideline in a way that was in line with actual practice and their own needs. We were able to see clearly which of our ideas met with approval or rejection.” The comments were also instructive for the group of EAN experts. They raised new aspects as well as sensitive issues that had been left out of the first draft.
Two approaches were chosen to ensure that consumers would participate. “First, there was an international online survey launched by national MS societies following a trial run involving 20 patients and 18 caregivers. Second, we invited MS patients and caregiver relatives to focus group meetings,” said Prof. Köpke. The majority of participants approved the topics proposed by the EAN group of experts. About 98% agreed to incorporate the subject of multidisciplinary rehabilitation in the guideline. There were 569 free comments, of which 182 (32%) pertained to the specified topics. A further 227 comments (40%) addressed additional topics, of which 16 were pertinent to the guideline. Five of the focus group meetings corroborated the results of the online survey and helped to work out important issues for the individuals affected. “The involvement of patients and caregivers increases the reliability and relevance of the guideline for clinical practice,” said Prof. Köpke.
Thrombectomy Is Feasible for the Elderly, but Entails Risks
Mechanical thrombectomy is an increasingly important therapy for acute stroke that can benefit the very old, assuming a careful selection of patients and risk assessment, according to a Portuguese study.
For several years, endovascular thrombectomy has been a way of removing larger vascular obstructions. In this procedure, the thrombus is extracted from the cerebral vessel via a catheter inserted in the groin. Numerous international studies have shown that endovascular treatment is a substantial improvement over purely drug-based therapy. The procedure is especially effective in dealing with extremely long blood clots and large obstructions of the cerebral arteries and often yields positive results. Thanks to this procedure, more than 60% of patients treated survive the stroke with no or minor subsequent impairment.
“More and more study results show the high effectiveness of mechanical removal of blood clots after a stroke. But researchers are still trying to determine the type of patient for whom this relatively new procedure is the best treatment option,” said Ary Lopes de Sousa, MD, a neurology resident at Central Lisbon Hospital Center.
Dr. de Sousa and his colleagues reviewed the treatment success of thrombectomy in more than 200 patients with anterior acute ischemic stroke and no or slight disability prior to this event. The researchers separated patients into two groups: one with individuals younger than 80 and one with individuals age 80 and older.
In the group of patients age 80 and older, hypertension and transient ischemic attacks were more frequent. The treatment did not differ between the two groups (eg, in terms of the time frame of the revascularization). But in the older group, two-thirds of the patients exhibited a poor functional outcome at three months after the treatment (ie, they were moderately or severely limited in their ability to handle their daily tasks). The number of impaired individuals in that group was substantially larger than in the younger group, where 46% faced limitations in their everyday lives. On the other hand, one-third of the patients age 80 and older were able to handle their everyday lives three months after the treatment with no or mild impairments from the stroke. No difference in mortality was observed between the two age groups.
“For patients over 80, thrombectomy appears to be riskier than for younger patients,” said Dr. de Sousa. “But one third of the patients over 80 can be fully functional in their everyday lives after the procedure, so we must identify the factors associated with this favorable outcome. This [step] will support us applying this modern procedure efficiently to those individuals among the very old who can benefit from it.”
Studies Gauge the Cost of Migraine
A pair of studies have evaluated the cost of migraine to individuals, society, and businesses. A French study looked at the socioeconomic impact of the condition. In a survey of more than 7,700 people, a representative sample of the general population, 3.8% indicated that they experienced severe migraines on at least eight days per month. “Two-thirds of those [patients] were women, and the average age of those affected was 41, meaning that migraines significantly affect people at the peak of their careers, and who have families to provide for. These regular attacks represent a serious problem as far as keeping their jobs is concerned,” said Dr. Guillaume Leiba, Pricing and Market Access Manager at Novartis in Paris. In the current study, patients with severe migraine reported missing 33 working days per year because of their condition. This absence translates into a cost to society of approximately EUR 3.8 billion. Migraine also has an impact on patients’ social environment: 14% of respondents indicated that family members had to adjust their working hours because of patients’ migraine headaches. The study also quantified the financial burden placed on migraineurs: 58% reported an average monthly cost of more than EUR 30 per month for nonreimbursed medicines. Approximately 43% spent more than EUR 50 each month on other, nonpharmaceutical therapies. Despite the high level of public and private spending associated with the condition, quality of life for migraineurs remains far from satisfactory. More than three-quarters have sleep disorders and benefit less from their free time than healthy controls.
A Swiss study obtained more detailed results regarding absenteeism in the workplace. A group of 700 working migraineurs reported losing an average of 32 days per year because of migraine. This rate is similar to that reported in the French study. But there were significant differences depending on the specific type of headache, according to study author François Cadiou, CEO of Healint in Singapore. “With an average of more than 56 working days missed per year, patients with chronic migraine had the highest rate of absenteeism. People with episodic migraine were unable to go to work on 33 days of the year, while those with low-frequency episodic migraine took an average of 15 days off because of their condition.” Another finding has implications for preventive measures: the number of sick days was not always constant. In fact, the total steadily increased, and with it the amount of medication taken if patients indicated anxiety or depression as a symptom or trigger at least once within the 28-day observation period. In light of the outcomes presented, experts at the EAN Congress have issued a call for increased investment in migraine research and prevention, citing the advantages to society.
Both studies were funded by Novartis Pharma.
Parkinson’s Disease Progression Varies by Gender
A current study has now furnished the first neurophysiologic evidence that Parkinson’s disease progresses differently in women than in men. “Numerous demographic studies have provided evidence that men contract Parkinson’s disease nearly twice as often as women. What was unclear, however, was whether a gender-specific pathophysiology exists as soon as the first symptoms appear,” said Maja Kojovic, MD, PhD, a consultant neurologist at Ljubljana University Medical Center in Slovenia.
The international research team proceeded from the concept that in early Parkinson’s disease, functional changes can be detected in the primary motor cortex (M1) using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). If pathophysiology differs between genders in Parkinson’s disease, they hypothesized, it will be reflected in differences of M1 TMS measurements.
Thirty-nine newly diagnosed and untreated patients with Parkinson’s disease (23 males) were assessed using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Then the patients and a group of healthy controls underwent TMS measurements of motor thresholds of the brain, input–output curve, short interval intracortical inhibition, cortical silent period, and intracortical facilitation. Brain plasticity was also measured using paired associative stimulation.
The UPDRS tests did not yield any differences in motor scores between the genders. However, the female patients had a less steep input–output curve than the male patients on the side of the brain more affected by Parkinson’s disease.
The women with Parkinson’s disease also exhibited better preserved short interval intracortical inhibition in both hemispheres, compared with affected men, and tended to have a better response to the paired associative stimulation protocol on the side less affected by symptoms. No gender-specific differences were determined, however, in the motor thresholds, intracortical facilitation, and the cortical silent period. The healthy control group did not show any gender or interhemispheric differences for any of the TMS parameters measured. “The detected gender differences in corticospinal and intracortical excitability in patients with early untreated Parkinson’s disease represent differences in disease pathophysiology. Gender may also prove to be a relevant factor when choosing appropriate treatment,” said Dr. Kojovic.
EAN Develops Guideline on Palliative Care of Patients With Severe MS
A cohort of 934 individuals affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) from seven European countries played an instrumental part in developing the European Academy of Neurology’s (EAN) new guideline on palliative care for people with severe MS. “There were 751 MS patients and 183 caregiver relatives involved,” said Sascha Köpke, PhD, Professor of Nursing Research at the University of Lübeck in Germany.
With the involvement of patients and their families in a new guideline, the EAN is emphasizing shared decision-making as an increasingly important concept that underscores patient autonomy and promotes the individualization of diagnosis and therapy. According to this approach, patients and physicians undergo a detailed consultation and then choose the medical treatment. The EAN has supported this patient-centered approach for a long time, and it is becoming increasingly established in other medical areas as well.
“It was resource- and time-intensive to include consumers in the guideline process, but also highly rewarding,” said Prof. Köpke. “Patients and caregivers really helped us to formulate the guideline in a way that was in line with actual practice and their own needs. We were able to see clearly which of our ideas met with approval or rejection.” The comments were also instructive for the group of EAN experts. They raised new aspects as well as sensitive issues that had been left out of the first draft.
Two approaches were chosen to ensure that consumers would participate. “First, there was an international online survey launched by national MS societies following a trial run involving 20 patients and 18 caregivers. Second, we invited MS patients and caregiver relatives to focus group meetings,” said Prof. Köpke. The majority of participants approved the topics proposed by the EAN group of experts. About 98% agreed to incorporate the subject of multidisciplinary rehabilitation in the guideline. There were 569 free comments, of which 182 (32%) pertained to the specified topics. A further 227 comments (40%) addressed additional topics, of which 16 were pertinent to the guideline. Five of the focus group meetings corroborated the results of the online survey and helped to work out important issues for the individuals affected. “The involvement of patients and caregivers increases the reliability and relevance of the guideline for clinical practice,” said Prof. Köpke.
