Cognitive neurology

Damage to the right hemisphere of the brain commonly causes unilateral neglect, which can affect both visual perception and hearing. New findings by Jacquin-Courtois and colleagues show that prism glasses designed to treat unilateral visual neglect can also ameliorate hearing loss—specifically, left auditory extinction—in patients with unilateral neglect. The researchers suggest that prism adaptation affects lateralized processes, as opposed to general arousal.

Parkinson disease

Like olfactory dysfunction, cardiovascular dysautonomia has been found to be an early nonmotor indicator of Parkinson disease (PD). Oka et al. found that olfactory dysfunction was significantly related to cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic dysfunction and vascular sympathetic dysfunction in patients with PD. The results indicate a close relationship between certain nonmotor symptoms of PD, such as olfactory dysfunction and failure of the autonomic network.

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) progresses more rapidly and aggressively—albeit less frequently—in African Americans than in white Americans. Weinstock-Guttman et al. analyzed brain MRI characteristics in patients with MS, and observed increased tissue damage and lesion volumes in the African American patients compared with white American patients. These data may explain the rapid clinical progression reported in African American patients with MS.

Brain imaging

Poor outcomes in patients with brain tumors can be partly attributed to limitations in neuroimaging, which hamper the identification of tumor recurrence. Contrast-enhanced susceptibility-weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient analysis can help clinicians to distinguish tumor regrowth from chemoradiation therapy-induced injury, according to new research. These imaging and analysis techniques could be used to improve follow-up and management of patients with brain tumors, suggest Al Sayyari and colleagues.