EAU20 Virtual

Auricular vagal nerve stimulation (AVNS) may be an effective therapeutic method to reduce cognitive impairment in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), results of a randomised-controlled trial showed. Dr Adam Broncel (Neuromedical, Poland) presented a randomised, double-blind study that compared AVNS with placebo in patients with MCI due to AD (n=60) [1]. Participants in the…

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an end-of-line treatment option for patients with chronic pain. However, controversies circle this topic, leading to a ‘trench war’ between neuromodulation practitioners and opponents. Dr Cecile de Vos (Erasmus University Medical Centre, the Netherlands) discussed the current evidence and ongoing developments in the field.“The clinical evidence on SCS up to 2010 is based on conventional…

In recent years, there have been various developments in vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS) modalities to treat patients with refractory epilepsy. Dr Paul Boon (Ghent University, Belgium) guided the audience through the latest research results.“Over 30% of patients with epilepsy are drug-resistant despite the development of many new anti-seizure medications,” expressed Dr Boon. VNS and anterior…

The 12-month data from the IB1001-301 study revealed a marked reduction in disease progression with N-acetyl-L-leucine (NALL) compared with placebo in patients with Niemann-Pick disease type C. NALL was efficacious irrespective of background miglustat treatment and well-tolerated in the study population.“NALL is a chemically modified amino acid which induces the normalisation of mitochondrial function with knock-on effects, including normalisation of…

Recent advances in therapeutic approaches for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) were highlighted by Prof. Sabrina Sacconi (Nice University Hospital, France). The focus was on genetic underpinnings, current therapies, and future perspectives for this debilitating neuromuscular disorder.SMA pathology is predominantly due to a deletion in exon 7 of the SMN1 gene, seen in 95% of cases. The SMN protein plays a…

Prof. Antonio Toscano (University of Messina, Italy) gave a comprehensive overview of recent advances in therapies for hereditary myopathies, focusing on Pompe disease. The presentation included a detailed analysis of multiple clinical trials, highlighting the efficacy and safety of enzyme replacement therapies (ERT) and novel therapeutic approaches.There has been a rapid evolution of therapies for hereditary myopathies, with new molecular…

The use of opioids is associated with an increased risk for dementia, but only from a certain intake quantity, results from a Danish observational study showed. The more opioids an individual uses, the higher the risk for dementia. The investigators emphasised that these findings need to be validated through causative research.Dr Nelsan Pourhadi (Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Denmark) and colleagues…

An internationally validated, easy-to-use tool (NEOS2) can predict which patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis will improve on first-line therapy at diagnosis.Anti-NMDA Receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis is the most common autoimmune encephalitis characterised by complex neuropsychiatric features and the presence of immunoglobulin G antibodies against the NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptors in the central nervous system, and early diagnosis and treatment can…

Transcranial ultrasound may be a valuable tool for the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) in patients with parkinsonism, possibly sparing the use of expensive imaging techniques. Prospective studies with longer follow-up and head-to-head studies comparing transcranial ultrasound with other diagnostic modalities are needed to further assess its value. “Although MRI, PET, and scintigraphy are useful instruments for diagnostic purposes, there…

Discussing prognostic estimates and goals of care may improve the alignment of medical decisions with the patient’s wishes, a Swiss study among patients with severe acute brain injury (SABI) indicated. “Patients with SABI lack decisional capacity,” said Dr Nawfel Ben-Hamouda (Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland). “So how can we go about the shared decision-making process?” Dr Ben-Hamouda explained that ‘goal-concordant care’…