Under natural conditions, non-human primates sleep from sunset to dawn, thus about 10–12 hours. Humans might be expected to show this same pattern but a 2015 study of hunter-gatherer groups in South America and Africa concluded that they sleep for 6–8 hours. This finding refutes the common assumption that sleep duration in industrialized societies has… Read more »
The health benefits of moderate coffee or tea intake are well-documented. But what if you drink both? According to a new study, the benefits are more than doubled. Jack H. Florin MD | Your Neurologist in Oragne County Those who drank both 2–3 cups of coffee and tea had a reduction in stroke and dementia… Read more »
Their brains are wired differently. Vestibular symptoms, mainly vertigo and nausea, are seen in 75% in people with migraine, even when they don’t have a headache. A new study showed that increased activity in certain brain regions may explain these common symptoms. The researchers used a simulated roller-coaster ride while patients were undergoing a functional… Read more »
Follow the money. We’re bombarded by TV ads pushing dietary supplements and other forms of pseudo-medicine marketed to our aging population. Enter dubious product claims for “brain protection” and treatment for sports concussions. These products are unproven and often promoted by practitioners and athletes with financial conflicts of interest. Examples are numerous. An industry-funded study… Read more »
More than half of people with MS report chronic pain severe enough to affect daily functioning, employment, and quality of life. For some, it is their worst symptom. One in five turns to opioids for relief. But opioids are a double-edged sword. Opioid users had more pain and fatigue than users. Depression and level of… Read more »
The role of viral infections in causing exacerbations of Multiple Sclerosis is well known. Potential safety concerns about using immunosuppressive MS disease modifying therapies (DMTs) during the COVID-19 pandemic are overstated, according to most MS experts. A new large community-based study found that 57% of people with MS and COVID-19 experience an MS exacerbation during… Read more »
Most physicians are convinced that it is 1) pernicious mind control, 2) ineffective, or 3) placebo. In fact, it can teach patients mind and body control. The ability to be hypnotized is a trait possessed by most people who can enter or terminate it at will. It is not effective in schizophrenia, or in people… Read more »
Benign paroxysmal positioning vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of vertigo. Symptoms are a brief spinning feeling, lasting a minute or two, and provoked by movement, especially turning over in bed or sitting up from bed. Responses to three questions out of a 6-item questionnaire were accurate in confirming or ruling out a diagnosis of… Read more »
Southern California is bracing for a tsunami of COVID-19 cases but people with neurological disorders still need care and support. Here are two updates. 1. A treatment for Alzheimer’s may be here soon. After more than a decade and billions of dollars spent in clinical trials, aducanumab, a monoclonal antibody that effectively clears amyloid from the… Read more »
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