“Sufferers of diseases, particularly terrible ones like Alzheimer’s disease, and their loved ones need and deserve something better than science can deliver today. However, the scientific rigor of the clinical trials process where approval is onl…
Category: Neurology
Where does the joy and meaning in medicine dwell? [PODCAST]
“The same question could be asked about the joy and meaning in medicine. Where does it dwell? And the answer may be the same. It dwells wherever we choose to let joy and meaning in medicine into our physician-healer lives. As I look back upon my …
A memoir of misunderstanding, loss, and learning
An excerpt from More to Life than More: A Memoir of Misunderstanding, Loss, and Learning. The MRIs were illuminated by a lightbox. A small group of us in Dr. Kelly’s office gathered around the images. We were looking at Lee’s brain. It could have been …
Christina Applegate reveals multiple sclerosis diagnosis
Award-winning actress Christina Applegate revealed on social media that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). “It’s been a tough road. But as we all know, the road keeps going,” wrote Applegate in a tweet. Multiple sclerosis is a neurolo…
Does Aduhelm mark the return of science-based medicine? [PODCAST]
“While we still lack a complete cause and effect model of Alzheimer’s disease, there is no doubt that the etiology is multifaceted and nonlinear. This accounts for the fact that it takes an incredibly long time for Alzheimer’s disease to develop….
Where does the the joy and meaning in medicine dwell?
“How many lives did you save today, Dad?” That is what my kids would ask me, rather sarcastically, many years ago, when they were young and when I arrived home late, missing our game of backyard basketball. They knew I was a neurologist. And, of course…
Should Medicare pay for Aduhelm?
In June, the FDA approved aducanumab (Aduhelm) to treat patients with Alzheimer’s disease using the agency’s accelerated approval pathway, despite significant concerns about the evidence regarding the drug’s safety and effectiveness. …
Aduhelm and how money and politics supersede science
Alzheimer’s disease is not the only cause of dementia, but it is the most common. The many other types of dementia, e.g., Lewy body, vascular or frontotemporal, mostly affect older adults. Collectively, dementias are terrible diseases striking at the …
Huntington’s disease and a patient’s perspective on genetic testing [PODCAST]
“When I was diagnosed as gene-positive for HD, just over ten years ago, there wasn’t anything promising on the horizon in terms of a cure. It has only been since new clinical trials were announced in the past few years that I have allowed myself …
The FDA was wrong about Aduhelm
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) negated the recommendation of its expert panel and approved Aduhelm to treat Alzheimer’s dementia (AD), contending that the possible benefit trumped the lack of evidence of efficacy. The FDA was inexcusably in err…
