Neurology
SAN DIEGO—The region of the brain that processes fear, anxiety, aggression and similar emotions is larger in veterans and active-duty service members with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder and mild traumatic brain injury than those with... View Article
Neurology
NASHVILLE, TN—Processes leading to impairment in schizophrenia and psychotic bipolar disorder might be more similar than previously assumed, according to a new study. The report in Schizophrenia Research pointed out that neuropsychological impairment is common... View Article
Neurology
GAINESVILLE, FL—When people want to describe themselves as uncoordinated, they might say they have trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time. However, the act of walking—one of the most basic human skills—is not... View Article
Neurology
SAN FRANCISCO—Traumatic brain injury has been called the “signature injury” of recent conflicts, with the DoD reporting nearly 384,000 TBIs sustained between 2000 and the first quarter of 2018. More than 4 out of 5... View Article
Neurology
PHILADELPHIA—Building on the success of the Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers, established in 2001, the VA has expanded care for the nearly 100,000 veterans affected by the neurodegenerative disease through the creation of... View Article
Neurology
WASHINGTON – In a case of welcome unintended consequences, the VA might be lowering the risk of Parkinson’s disease by treating another common condition: hepatitis C virus. An unresolved question is whether the treatment, which... View Article
Neurology
WASHINGTON—A recent political development, more than 50 years in the coming, has the potential to significantly change who receives benefits for Parkinson’s disease through the VA. About 2.6 million veterans who served during the Vietnam... View Article
Neurology
Only 15.3% of Eligible Patients Received All Interventions INDIANAPOLIS—Meticulously following clinical guidelines in VA patients who suffered transient ischemic attack or nonsevere ischemic stroke reduced by nearly one-third their risk of death within a year,... View Article
Neurology
PORTLAND, OR—Do seizure disorders affect veterans differently than patients who have never been in the U.S. military? And does the type of seizure matter? A study published in Epilepsy & Behavior examined those issues.1 VA... View Article
Neurology
BETHESDA, MD—How do disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) affect region-specific brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis? A recent study sought to answer that question. Researchers from the Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, at The Henry M. Jackson... View Article
Neurology
BOSTON—New research is calling into question whether traumatic brain injury is actually a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. A report in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia discussed recent research with neuropathologic or biomarker evidence of... View Article
Neurology
While exercise is important physical therapy for Parkinson's disease, it might be more than that.
Neurology
Emerging data has suggested effectiveness for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for treatment of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.
Neurology
Of the more than 28,000 veterans with multiple sclerosis (MS) who receive care at the VHA, almost 45% of them live in rural or highly rural areas, a recent conference presentation pointed out.
Neurology
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered crucial for in vivo detection and characterization of white matter lesions (WMLs) in multiple sclerosis.
Neurology
Despite insufficient evidence regarding its risks and benefits, marijuana is increasingly available and aggressively marketed to the public, according to a new study which sought to understand the public's views on the risks and benefits of marijuana use.
Neurology
Mild traumatic brain injury, commonly known as concussion, appears to increase a patient's risk of developing Parkinson's disease by as much as 56%, a new veterans study found.
Neurology
The risk of dementia is increased even in veterans who suffer mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) without loss of consciousness.
Neurology
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) not only improves motor function in patients with Parkinson’s disease, as demonstrated in earlier studies, it also appears to extend life, according to new VA research.
Neurology
A gene variant used to predict Alzheimer’s disease also appears to signal worse psychiatric symptoms in patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), a new study reported.
Neurology
While veterans serving in the military during the Gulf War era (GWE) appear to have higher risk for multiple sclerosis and a range of neurological illnesses, little has been documented previously on prevalent types of MS or other clinical features.
Neurology
INDIANAPOLIS — While many healthcare systems measure the quality of their stroke care, looking at performance early in the vascular disease process can help avoid acute events altogether.
Neurology
Neuroscientists are tackling some of the challenges to brain health predominantly experienced by servicemembers – and that has important implications for the broader population.
Neurology
Epilepsy is substantially more common in veterans than the general population and, in up to 40% of them, anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) fail to control their seizures.
Neurology
Parkinson’s disease (PD) can cause a wide range of motor and nonmotor symptoms (NMS).
Neurology
Apathy is a common behavioral problem in Alzheimer’s disease and can lead to everything functional impairment to higher medical costs to increased mortality.
Neurology
Low-impulse electrical stimulation (LIP-tES) to the brain shows promise in improving neural function in mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Neurology
PHILADELPHIA—Antipsychotic (AP) use in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients is associated with increased physical morbidity, according to a study in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.1 The study, led by researchers from the Parkinson’s Disease Research,... View Article
Neurology
WASHINGTON—Patients with TBI are considered to be at high risk for the development of sleep disorders, especially obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In a study published in the journal Neurology, researchers posited that the combination of... View Article
Neurology
Diagnosing multiple sclerosis in its early stages can be difficult in the best of circumstances.
Neurology
After several years of development and testing, the VA’s Multiple Sclerosis Surveillance Registry (MSSR) is ready for rollout — and that means veterans are likely to receive more consistent and better coordinated care.
Neurology
Meeting criteria for an epilepsy diagnosis significantly raises the risk of death among veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, a new study has revealed.
Neurology
For many veterans, the onset of epilepsy is terrifying, and a confirmed diagnosis does little to provide relief.
Neurology
SEATTLE—Hormonal changes related to explosive blast-related concussions often cause military veterans to suffer sleep disturbance, fatigue, depression and poor quality of life, according to a new study.The research evaluating hormone levels in 41 male veterans... View Article
Neurology
SAN DIEGO—Existing screening tools for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) miss too many confirming diagnoses, according to a new study.An article published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease reports a false-negative error rate of 7%. Researchers... View Article
Neurology
PHILADELPHIA — Parkinson’s disease patients prescribed antipsychotics are significantly more likely to die in the short-term, according to a new veterans study.
Neurology
African-Americans 50% More Likely to Experience Significant Disability.
Neurology
VA Could Help Validate New ClassificationsBy Annette M. BoyleBALTIMORE — Sometimes consensus sounds like controversy. In 2014, the International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in Multiple Sclerosis recommended a revision to the four subtypes of... View Article
Neurology
In the last few months, several federal agencies and Congress have taken steps to eliminate obstacles to the study and potential use of marijuana for veterans with epilepsy and other conditions.
Neurology
While veterans and servicemembers who have experienced a single unprovoked seizure and the clinicians who treat them would like clear, consistent next steps, new guidelines take them into solidly gray areas.
Neurology
“Brain scars” were detected in more than half of the active-duty servicemembers who underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Neurology
U.S. warfighters injured in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan had a 90% or more rate of survival, with a substantial part of that success attributed to medical evacuation teams that swiftly flew wounded servicemembers to locations such as Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany or to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas.
Neurology
By Annette M. BoyleBOSTON — For many older veterans, the transition from hospital to home can create confusion about which medications to take when. For veterans with cognitive impairment, the challenge increases — and so... View Article
Neurology
CHICAGO — Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients at the VA have insufficient knowledge about their condition, which is associated with poorer health outcomes, according to a recent study.The report, published in the Clinical Kidney Journal,... View Article
Neurology
By Sandra BasuWASHINGTON — If you had more money for traumatic brain injury research, where would you invest it?That is one of the questions VA Secretary Robert McDonald asked TBI researchers at a recent conference... View Article
Neurology
By Brenda L. MooneySAN FRANCISCO – New research on cholinesterase inhibitors is reducing the already limited options VA clinicians have to treat VA patients with dementia.More than a half-million veterans have Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and... View Article
Neurology
SAN ANTONIO — VA clinicians got a positive review for their prescribing of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in a cohort of Iraq/Afghanistan war veterans.“The patterns observed between AEDs and neurological/psychiatric comorbidities suggest that clinicians are practicing... View Article
Neurology
With blast-induced traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) the signature injury of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, research and intense military focus on improvised explosive devices (IEDs) have continued even as the military engagements have wound down.
Neurology
By Brenda L. MooneyNEW YORK — Over the next 15 years, chronic subdural hemorrhage (SDH) will become the most common adult brain condition requiring neurosurgical intervention in the United States, but healthcare systems may not... View Article
Neurology
Annette M. BoyleCHAPEL HILL, NC — Traumatic brain injury has been a signature injury of recent military engagements, with nearly 300,000 documented since 2000. Four out of five of those were mild traumatic brain injuries... View Article
