Andrew P Jones, Miguel Debono, Jennifer Walsh, Cheryl Smith, Leanne Hunt, Fiona M McKevitt
{"title":"Glucocorticoid prescribing in neurology.","authors":"Andrew P Jones, Miguel Debono, Jennifer Walsh, Cheryl Smith, Leanne Hunt, Fiona M McKevitt","doi":"10.1136/pn-2023-003855","DOIUrl":"10.1136/pn-2023-003855","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glucocorticoids are commonly used for neurological disorders, but they can have significant adverse effects, including adrenal insufficiency, hyperglycaemia, osteoporosis and increased infection risk. Long-term use of corticosteroids requires the prescriber to plan risk mitigation, including monitoring and often coprescribing. This article highlights the potential risks of corticosteroid prescribing and draws together up-to-date guidance with multispecialty input to clarify ways of reducing those risks. We discuss home blood glucose monitoring and consider a steroid safety checklist to promote safer steroid prescribing.</p>","PeriodicalId":39343,"journal":{"name":"PRACTICAL NEUROLOGY","volume":" ","pages":"289-295"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140327223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ginette Moores, Kimberly Liu, Aleksandra Pikula, Esther Bui
{"title":"Fertility treatment for people with epilepsy.","authors":"Ginette Moores, Kimberly Liu, Aleksandra Pikula, Esther Bui","doi":"10.1136/pn-2023-003922","DOIUrl":"10.1136/pn-2023-003922","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fertility treatment, including assisted reproductive technology (ART), is increasingly used. Sex hormones influence seizure control as well as interacting with antiseizure medications, and so the hormonal manipulation involved in fertility treatments has direct implications for people with epilepsy. Here, we summarise the various fertility treatments and consider their important influences on epilepsy care. While early observations raised concerns about seizure exacerbation associated with ART, there are limited data to guide best practice in people with epilepsy, and further research is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":39343,"journal":{"name":"PRACTICAL NEUROLOGY","volume":" ","pages":"296-301"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139973935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marija Cauchi, Janice Abela, Nicola Dingli, Norbert Vella
{"title":"Paroxysmal dysarthria-ataxia syndrome.","authors":"Marija Cauchi, Janice Abela, Nicola Dingli, Norbert Vella","doi":"10.1136/pn-2023-004023","DOIUrl":"10.1136/pn-2023-004023","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Paroxysmal dysarthria ataxia syndrome presents with recurrent, brief, stereotyped events of dysarthria, limb clumsiness, unsteady gait and vertigo or dizziness that can occur in association with lesions in the midbrain. We describe a case of a woman presenting with paroxysmal dysarthria and ataxia secondary to a midbrain lesion, treated successfully with carbamazepine.</p>","PeriodicalId":39343,"journal":{"name":"PRACTICAL NEUROLOGY","volume":" ","pages":"310-312"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Helen Devine, Matthew Solomons, Luca Zampedri, Michael G Hanna, Carlo Rinaldi, Pietro Fratta, Dipa Jayaseelan
{"title":"Kennedy's disease.","authors":"Helen Devine, Matthew Solomons, Luca Zampedri, Michael G Hanna, Carlo Rinaldi, Pietro Fratta, Dipa Jayaseelan","doi":"10.1136/pn-2023-004041","DOIUrl":"10.1136/pn-2023-004041","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A 57-year-old man developed worsening early morning headaches, muscle cramps and falls over 12 months. He had widespread fasciculation and was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, and treated with nocturnal hypoventilation. Based on this diagnosis, he made significant personal and financial decisions including retiring and selling his house. He subsequently developed a lump in his right breast and was found to have gynaecomastia. This triggered genetic testing for Kennedy's disease leading to the correct diagnosis. This case highlights an unusual presentation of a rare disease leading to misdiagnosis and major repercussions for the patient. Recent genetic analysis from the 100 000 genome project suggests Kennedy's disease may be four times more prevalent in the population than previously thought, highlighting the need to consider genetic testing, especially if there is a suggestion of multisystem disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":39343,"journal":{"name":"PRACTICAL NEUROLOGY","volume":" ","pages":"302-305"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140132825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"End-of-life care.","authors":"Arani Nitkunan","doi":"10.1136/pn-2023-004075","DOIUrl":"10.1136/pn-2023-004075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>My 96-year-old aunt taught me so much about end-of-life care. As doctors dealing with long-term neurological conditions, our relationships with patients over many years should enable us to be much more involved in helping them make decisions about the ceilings of treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":39343,"journal":{"name":"PRACTICAL NEUROLOGY","volume":" ","pages":"345-346"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140132824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Denison Alves Pedrosa, Luis Filipe de Souza Godoy, André Luiz Guimarães de Queiroz, Carla Renata Aparecida Vieira Stella, Rodrigo B Thomaz
{"title":"Progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy isolated to the brainstem and cerebellum.","authors":"Denison Alves Pedrosa, Luis Filipe de Souza Godoy, André Luiz Guimarães de Queiroz, Carla Renata Aparecida Vieira Stella, Rodrigo B Thomaz","doi":"10.1136/pn-2023-003999","DOIUrl":"10.1136/pn-2023-003999","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":39343,"journal":{"name":"PRACTICAL NEUROLOGY","volume":" ","pages":"335-337"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140177007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tharuka Herath, Tsneem H S Mbydeen, Savindu Alagoda, May Saleh, Leena Naidu, Sunil Wimalaratna
{"title":"Simultaneous Horner's syndrome with anhidrosis and facial nerve palsy in internal carotid artery dissection.","authors":"Tharuka Herath, Tsneem H S Mbydeen, Savindu Alagoda, May Saleh, Leena Naidu, Sunil Wimalaratna","doi":"10.1136/pn-2023-004038","DOIUrl":"10.1136/pn-2023-004038","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":39343,"journal":{"name":"PRACTICAL NEUROLOGY","volume":" ","pages":"332-334"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140111746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optokinetic nystagmus: six practical uses.","authors":"David Edward Hale, Stephen Reich, Dan Gold","doi":"10.1136/pn-2023-003772","DOIUrl":"10.1136/pn-2023-003772","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) is a reflexive eye movement in response to movement of the viewer's visual environment that consists of a slow phase eye movement in the direction of the stimulus followed by a quick phase in the opposite direction. When tested at the bedside, the slow phases represent smooth pursuit, while the quick phases represent saccades. Normally, OKN is conjugate and symmetric (horizontally and vertically). Abnormalities in the optokinetic response can provide diagnostic and localising value. We describe six clinical scenarios where OKN testing is most useful for the practising neurologist.</p>","PeriodicalId":39343,"journal":{"name":"PRACTICAL NEUROLOGY","volume":" ","pages":"285-288"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140176945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"<i>The elements of eloquence by Mark Forsyth</i>.","authors":"Charles J S Nye","doi":"10.1136/pn-2024-004099","DOIUrl":"10.1136/pn-2024-004099","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":39343,"journal":{"name":"PRACTICAL NEUROLOGY","volume":" ","pages":"347"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140177008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}