Recently, consumer articles heralded that blood tests for detecting Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) and many cancers were close to clinical availability. Given the narrow window in which AD must be diagnosed for present treatments to be effective, and …
Category: Neurology
Why talking to families of autistic individuals about brain donation is a priority
Efforts to generate a resource of postmortem brain tissue for research are in their infancy. Autism BrainNet, a program of the Simons Foundation, is trying to jump-start those efforts. Currently, there are fewer than 200 postmortem autistic brains in t…
A wake-up call for dementia detection: the urgent need for precision tools across health care
Dementia is advancing at an unprecedented rate—every three seconds, another person is diagnosed. Currently, 55 million people worldwide live with dementia, and by 2050, that number could soar to 139 million. These figures aren’t mere statistics; …
Overlooked problems in individuals with autism
A series of behaviors in autistic children, not well addressed by medical providers today, include self-harming, hitting, biting, mouthing, licking objects, pickiness with food, clothing textures, and touching private areas – otherwise known as “…
A neurosurgeon’s 23 simple things you can do (in five minutes or less) to improve your brain health
Here are 23 simple things you can do (in five minutes or less) to improve your brain health. Do one of them each day. Keep it up for a few short weeks and your brain will sing your praises. Attitude of gratitude The act of being grateful improves menta…
How biomarkers are revolutionizing dementia diagnosis and care [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Join us for an enlightening discussion with neurologist Amy E. Sanders as we explore the evolution of biomarkers in diagnosing and monitoring Alzheimer’s disease and…
The debate over Alzheimer’s diagnosis: biological markers vs. symptoms
The field of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is seeing a heated debate about the best way to diagnose this devastating condition. On one side, the Alzheimer Association (AA) proposed new criteria that rely solely on biological markers—such as proteins s…
New treatment guidelines transform care for restless legs syndrome [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! We dive into the evolving landscape of treatment for restless legs syndrome (RLS) with neurologist Andrew Spector. For decades, patients have been prescribed dopamine agon…
Top-down hierarchies in health care harm patients and health care workers alike
As I lay abandoned on a stretcher in the hallway of my university hospital’s emergency room, I felt powerless in my ability to improve the quality of my care. Nurses bustled back and forth between patient rooms, too busy to give me the attention …
When a physician gets a rare disease diagnosis
As an OB/GYN for the past 22 years, I have loved delivering babies, performing surgeries, and having long-term relationships with my patients. Now, I am on the other side of things, as a patient myself. I was diagnosed with adult polyglucosan body dise…
