Psychosocial care for children receiving chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T‐cell therapy

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T‐cell therapy has transformed the treatment of relapsed/refractory B‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, this new paradigm has introduced unique considerations specific to the patients receiving CAR T‐cell therapy, including prognostic uncertainty, symptom management, and psychosocial support. With increasing availability, there is a growing need for evidence‐based recommendations that address the specific psychosocial needs of the children who receive CAR T‐cell therapy and their families. To guide and standardize the psychosocial care offered for patients receiving CAR T‐cell therapy, we propose the following recommendations for addressing psychosocial support.      

Smartphone applications available to pregnant women in the United Kingdom: An assessment of nutritional information

The importance of diet during pregnancy is critically important for the short‐ and long‐term health of both mother and child. The number of apps targeting pregnant women is rapidly increasing, yet the nutritional content of these tools remains largely unexplored. This review aimed to evaluate the coverage and content of nutrition information in smartphone apps available to U.K. pregnant women. Keyword searches were conducted in iTunes and Google Play stores in November 2018. Candidate apps were included if they targeted pregnant women, provided pregnancy‐specific nutritional information, had a user rating of at least 4+ based on at least 20 ratings, and were available in English. Nutritional content was assessed for accuracy against U.K. recommendations. Behaviour change techniques (BCTs) were also evaluated. Twenty‐nine apps were included, seven of which originated in the United Kingdom. There was a large variability in the quality of smartphone app nutritional information. The accuracy of nutrition information varied, and several apps conveyed inappropriate information for pregnancy. On average, 10 BCTs were identified per app (range 2–15). Overall, smartphone apps do not consistently provide accurate and useful nutritional information to pregnant women. This study highlights the need for the integration of evidence‐based nutritional information during app development and for increased regulatory oversight. App developers should also make it clear that nutritional content is intended for a specific geographical region or population or modify for the intended audience. These are important considerations for the design of future apps, which are increasingly used to complement existing maternity services.     

Corpus callosum infarction: radiological and histological findings

Journal of Neurology -     

Treatment of blepharospasm and Meige’s syndrome with abo- and onabotulinumtoxinA: long-term safety and efficacy in daily clinical practice

Journal of Neurology - Thirty years after their approval, botulinum toxin injections still are the first-line therapy for blepharospasm. The aim of our study was to analyze long-term data...     

Motor-evoked potentials in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: potential implications in detecting subclinical UMN involvement in lower motor neuron phenotype

Journal of Neurology - In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the involvement of lower motor neuron is well defined by electromyography, whereas a reliable marker of upper motor neuron (UMN)...     

Longitudinal Positron Emission Tomography of Dopamine Synthesis in Subjects with GBA1 Mutations

Mutations in GBA1, the gene mutated in Gaucher disease, are a common genetic risk factor for Parkinson disease, although the penetrance is low. We performed [¹⁸F]-fluorodopa positron emission tomography studies of 57 homozygous and heterozygous GBA1 mutation carriers (15 with parkinsonism) and 98 controls looking for early indications of dopamine loss using voxelwise analyses to identify group differences in striatal [¹⁸F]-fluorodopa uptake (K_i). Forty-eight subjects were followed longitudinally. Cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons of K_i and K_i change found significant effects of Parkinson disease. However, at baseline and over time, striatal [¹⁸F]-fluorodopa uptake in mutation carriers without parkinsonism did not significantly differ from controls. ANN NEUROL 2020;87:652–657     

Longitudinal medication profile and cost savings in Parkinson’s disease patients after bilateral subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation

Journal of Neurology - Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN DBS) has been shown to reduce antiparkinsonian medication in Parkinson’s disease. We aimed to investigate the...     

Dyskinesia Matters

Levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) represents a significant source of discomfort for people with Parkinson's disease (PD). It negatively affects quality of life, it is associated with both motor and nonmotor fluctuations, and it brings an increased risk of disability, balance problems, and falls. Although the prevalence of severe LID appears to be lower than in previous eras (likely owing to a more conservative use of oral levodopa), we have not yet found a way to prevent the development of this complication. Advanced surgical therapies, such as deep brain stimulation, ameliorate LID, but only a minority of PD patients qualify for these interventions. Although some have argued that PD patients would rather be ON with dyskinesia than OFF, the deeper truth is that patients would very much prefer to be ON without dyskinesia. As researchers and clinicians, we should aspire to make that goal a reality. To this end, translational research on LID is to be encouraged and persistently pursued. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society