The Handoff: Your Week in Neurology News – 12/8/16

The Handoff is a weekly roundup of neurology news covering various developments in subspecialties, the pharmaceutical industry, and the overall state of health care as it affects neurologists.

— Alzheimer’s-related deaths are being blamed in part for the alarming decrease in life expectancy reported by the National Center for Health Statistics. 

— The 21st Century Cures Act is being hailed as a significant boost for mental health, as it is the first law requiring equal insurance coverage of both mental and physical health. 

— Strobe lighting may be a potential target for non-invasive therapy for Alzheimer’s disease, according to results from a mouse study published in Nature. 

— Ethnic bias is prevalent in the neurology field, but some specialists are trying to change that.

— BBC broadcaster Andrew Marr is crossing the pond to undergo a controversial treatment that he hopes will address his disabilities after suffering a stroke.  

— Pfizer was hit with a $106 million fine from British regulators for hiking the price of phenytoin capsules nearly 2600%.

— Anavex Life Sciences reported positive results from their Phase 2a study of a drug that targets cellular homeostasis in Alzheimer’s disease. 

— Artificial intelligence may help to uncover a new treatment of ALS. 

— The National Institutes of Neurological Disorders and Stroke used state of the art imaging technology to visualize what happens to the brain during cerebral malaria. Watch the video below.