New developments in the treatment of neurological diseases

More than 8,000 researchers, clinicians and exhibitors from around the world gathered in San Francisco for the American Academy of Neurology 56th Annual Meeting, April 24 to May 1, 2004. Of the 1,300 studies at the conference, researchers presented more than 200 abstracts each on multiple sclerosis, stroke and dementia, 145 on epilepsy, 159 on Parkinson's disease, 132 on pain and about 50 each on tremor and dystonia. The use of brain imaging technology also figured strongly in the program, with 300 abstracts that mentioned magnetic resonance imaging and 50 that included positron emission tomography. Highlights included promising Parkinson's disease studies involving gene therapy and treatments using glial-cell-derived neurotrophic factor, but also new evidence of cardiac valve regurgitation associated with pergolide. Other highlights included studies on neural repair, new guidelines for the treatment of epilepsy and important studies comparing the thrombin inhibitor ximelagatran to warfarin for the prevention of stroke.