EUROPEAN NEUROLOGICAL REVIEW – VOLUME 9 ISSUE 2 – WINTER 2014

Welcome to the winter edition of European Neurological Review, which features a diverse range of articles covering a number of therapeutic areas. This edition begins with a special report entitled ‘A Year of the Brain’. This article focuses on the economic burden of disorders of the brain, which is increasing with ageing populations around the […]

As the 751 new European MEPs begin their term, the European Brain Council (EBC) is launching its Year of the Brain, calling for new thinking from policy-makers to take stock of the impact of austerity on health and wellbeing in Europe. The EBC works in partnership with patients, scientists, healthcare professionals, industry and policy-makers to […]

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta – non-dopaminergic neurotransmission is also involved. In the basal ganglia circuitry there are many non-dopaminergic neurotransmitters and neuromodulators involved in the control of motor symptoms and implicated in the development of motor complications following long-term […]

Introduction to Apomorphine and its Role in the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease Andrew Lees Professor of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London. Apomorphine is a highly-potent dopamine agonist (DA) that, unlike other clinically available compounds in this class, selectively acts on both D1 and D2 dopamine receptors and has been shown in a […]

William Gower’s statement that seizures beget seizures1 is often quoted as a first recognition of seizure-dependent progressive character of epilepsies. It is worth saying that this assumption has by no means a general value as it does not apply to many types of epilepsies, namely to the idiopathic ones. A progressive course towards drug refractoriness […]

Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia, substantially increases the risk and severity of stroke and has a highly negative effect on patient outcomes. AF is associated with a pro-thrombotic state and studies have shown it increases the risk of stroke fivefold.1,2 This increased risk is particularly great in the elderly aged […]

Spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) is defined as a focal collection of blood within the brain parenchyma or ventricular system that is not caused by trauma.1 It is a heterogeneous condition resulting from several distinct underlying vasculopathies. Several interacting and overlapping risk factors may play a role in the vessel rupture. The overall incidence of ICH […]

Report of a Satellite Symposium Held at the Joint Congress of European Neurology, Istanbul, Turkey, 1 June 2014 Relevance of Systematic Real-world Data Collection for Physicians and Patient Physicians routinely collect data from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients as part of clinical practice. Much of these data are now in electronic formats. Minimum datasets for monitoring […]

Until recently, neuroscientists assumed that the brain was fixed in terms of function and structure. Nowadays, data supporting the notion of neuroplasticity1 have grown to such an extent that former assumptions must be replaced. Brain plasticity,2,3 the possibility of adapting brain functions and, indeed, of also modifying its structures to requirements from the internal and […]

Employing neuromodulation strategies to treat chronic pain has gained momentum in recent years, along with an expansion of the indications. These therapies are safe, reversible, and efficacious, improving both validated pain and functional measures. However, the trial procedure is not without risk and deserves a respectful assessment of the risks and the benefits associated with […]

Migraine is a primary headache (HA) disorder affecting about 18 % of women and 6 % of men in the US and Western Europe.1,2 Migraine is essentially a disabling headache, characterized by moderate to severe head pain, usually accompanied by nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia that may be preceded by focal neurologic symptoms, which are called […]

A growing body of evidence demonstrates the importance of walking limitations in multiple sclerosis (MS). At the same time, there is increasing pressure on health care providers to monitor the outcomes of their interventions. Owing to its impact on our patients’ functional status, quality of life, and health, walking appears as an essential parameter to […]