Read on below for our highlighted selection of recent papers from the scientific press for February 2022.
For our highlighted Covid-19-related papers and studies, please explore the Breaking News category on EANpages, here.
- Longitudinal analysis reveals high prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus associated with multiple sclerosis
- Long-term Effectiveness of Adjuvant Treatment With Catechol-O-Methyltransferase or Monoamine Oxidase B Inhibitors Compared With Dopamine Agonists Among Patients With Parkinson Disease Uncontrolled by Levodopa Therapy: The PD MED Randomized Clinical Trial
- Safety, efficacy, and tolerability of memantine for cognitive and adaptive outcome measures in adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial
- Safety and efficacy of lower-sodium oxybate in adults with idiopathic hypersomnia: a phase 3, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised withdrawal study
Longitudinal analysis reveals high prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus associated with multiple sclerosis
This key study, which was conducted on a cohort of more than 10 million young adults of the US military, had the objective to test the hypothesis that multiple sclerosis is caused by Epstein-Barr virus. The authors found that the risk of multiple sclerosis increased 32-fold after the infection with Epstein-Barr virus (but did not after the infection with other viruses), with a 97% seroconversion rate among individuals who developed multiple sclerosis during follow-up contrasting with the 57% rate of seroconversion observed among individuals who did not develop this disease. Interestingly, the authors found an increase in serum levels of neurofilament light chain, a biomarker of axonal neurodegeneration, only following Epstein-Barr virus seroconversion. These impressive results suggest that Epstein-Barr virus is one of the leading causes of multiple sclerosis and may also be a critical contributor to the clinical course of this disease.
Bjornevik K, Cortese M, Healy BC, et al. Longitudinal analysis reveals high prevalence of Epstein-Barr virus associated with multiple sclerosis. Science. 2022 Jan 21;375(6578):296-301 DOI: 10.1126/science.abj8222
Long-term Effectiveness of Adjuvant Treatment With Catechol-O-Methyltransferase or Monoamine Oxidase B Inhibitors Compared With Dopamine Agonists Among Patients With Parkinson Disease Uncontrolled by Levodopa Therapy: The PD MED Randomized Clinical Trial
This randomized clinical trial study compared the long-term effects of adding a dopamine agonist or a dopamine reuptake inhibitor (either a monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor or a catechol-O-metyltransferase inhibitor) to levodopa for the treatment of patients with uncontrolled motor complications of Parkinson’s disease. The authors found no significant difference in the mobility scores of the Parkinson’s disease patient-rated questionnaire between the group on dopamine agonists and that on dopamine reuptake inhibitors used ad adjuvant therapy. However, scores were found to be a mean of 4.2 better with monoamine oxidase type B inhibitors compared with catechol-O-metyltransferase inhibitors.
Gray R , Patel S, Ives N, et al. Long-term Effectiveness of Adjuvant Treatment With Catechol-O-Methyltransferase or Monoamine Oxidase B Inhibitors Compared With Dopamine Agonists Among Patients With Parkinson Disease Uncontrolled by Levodopa Therapy: The PD MED Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol
2021 Dec 28;e214736. Online ahead of print. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.4736.
Safety, efficacy, and tolerability of memantine for cognitive and adaptive outcome measures in adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial
In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 study, the authors assessed the safety and efficacy of memantine, an uncompetitive antagonist of the NMDA subtype of glutamate receptors, for enhancing episodic memory of individuals with Down syndrome. Memantine was overall well tolerated, but showed no cognition-enhancing properties in adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome.
Costa ACS, Brandão AC, Boada R, et al. Safety, efficacy, and tolerability of memantine for cognitive and adaptive outcome measures in adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial. Lancet Neurol. 2022 Jan;21(1):31-41. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(21)00369-0.
Safety and efficacy of lower-sodium oxybate in adults with idiopathic hypersomnia: a phase 3, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised withdrawal study
This phase 3, multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised withdrawal study investigated the safety and efficacy of lower-sodium oxybate in a group of 154 adults with idiopathic hypersomnia, a central hypersomnolence disorder characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness, with prolonged night-time sleep and pronounced sleep inertia. The results of this study showed clinically relevant improvements in excessive daytime sleepiness and other symptoms of idiopathic hypersomnia, with the most frequently reported treatment-related adverse events consisting of nausea, headache, dizziness, anxiety and vomiting. These results convincingly support the use of lower-sodium oxybate as first-line therapy for the treatment of idiopathic hypersomnia, a disease for which there are no other approved treatments.
Dauvilliers Y, Arnulf I, Foldvary-Schaefer N, et al. Safety and efficacy of lower-sodium oxybate in adults with idiopathic hypersomnia: a phase 3, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised withdrawal study. Lancet Neurol. 2022 Jan;21(1):53-65. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(21)00368-9.