Victor G. Dostrow

As is the case with a number of chronic, progressive neurologic disorders, there is a long running debate about whether pharmacotherapy modifies the course of Parkinson's Disease.

Prasugrel was recently approved by the FDA for a very narrow indication: Percutaneous coronary intervention patients with unstable angina, or MI with or without ST segment elevation.

It's clear that sleep deprivation impairs performance. However, data on persistent impairment from long working hours have been scarce, as most studies are cross-sectional.

Epilepsy is often a difficult disorder with which to live, as seizures are unpredictable and the consequences are potentially severe. The pharmacotherapy of epilepsy frequently entails a careful balance of drug dosing and timing, and anything upsetting this can lead to seizures or toxicity.

Vertebroplasty, the percutaneous injection of a cement into a vertebral fracture, has become a widely used procedure for the treatment of spinal compression fractures.

Much data of note are coming to light of late regarding factors which diminish some of the ravages of aging. I posted on this recently. However, several abstracts from the ongoing Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, in Vienna, Austria, deserve comment.

Tysabri (natalizumab) is a monoclonal antibody, which is an effective treatment for relapsing forms of MS. However, it can cause progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.