Alzheimer’s Doctor as Patient; Plastic Turned Into Levodopa; Unmet Autism Needs

Brent Beasley, MD, a former internal medicine physician and geriatrician who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at age 57, shared his personal experience with anti-amyloid treatment. (Fox News)

Researchers found that pupil dilation may be a marker of attention and effort in people with mild cognitive impairment. (Alzheimer’s & Dementia)

Microbes helped transform plastic bottle waste into levodopa, a frontline treatment for Parkinson’s disease, in a proof-of-concept study. (Nature Sustainability)

A U.S. population-based analysis reinforced research linking prenatal valproate exposure to neurodevelopmental disorders in children, suggesting a need to further evaluate zonisamide (Zonegran). (The BMJ)

Occupational dust exposure was tied to a higher rate of multiple sclerosis, especially when combined with smoking and genetic risk factors, a case-control study in Sweden found. (Neurology)

Both a targeted multidomain intervention and a behavioral management intervention helped adults with mild traumatic brain injury, a randomized trial showed. (JAMA Network Open)

Off-label treatment with sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, clinically improved symptoms in six patients with Leigh syndrome. (Cell)

Twelve weeks of consistent exercise boosted brain-derived neurotrophic factor in a small study of sedentary adults. (Brain Research)

Researchers assessed annual trends in unmet healthcare needs of autistic children in the U.S. (JAMA Pediatrics)

A genotype analysis showed that heterozygous variants in SLC12A6 can cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease of all clinical phenotypes, severity levels, and onset ages. (Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry)