How do you tell when a low-grade glioma will turn into an aggressive high-grade glioma, before it’s too late? It just so happens that a specialized kind of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can predict cancerous transformation of brain tumors up to a year prior to when the malignancy would be visible on regular contrast-enhanced MRI, according to a new study^[1].

There are seven common misconceptions that the general public often believes in relation to Parkinson’s disease. Dispelling these myths will go a long way in creating awareness about this incurable, neurological disorder and allow those with it to feel more comfortable in society, and prevent misdiagnosis.

Age

The usual treatment (conventional) for Restless legs syndrome (RLS) includes lifestyle improvements, self-help techniques and relaxation techniques. When these are not enough to relieve the symptoms of RLS then medications are often the next step.

The first class of medications that doctor’s treating RLS turn to is the Primary Class of RLS medications. This primary class includes:

Sedative/hypnotic medication - Benzodiazepines and related drugs

Benzodiazepines sedatives (Restoril, Dalmane, Doral, Prosom, Xanax, Valium, Klonopin/Rivotril, Ativan, Serax)

Non-Benzodiazepines Sedatives (Ambien, Sonata, Imovane, Lunesta)

Drugs that are used to treat Parkinson's Disease - Dopaminergic Drugs (Sinemet, Pariodel, Eldepryl/Deprenyl, Mirapex, Requip, Dostinex, Tasmar, Comtan, Symmetrel, the Neupro patch

When studies were done on the causes and treatments of restless leg syndrome, the result was the disorder is more prevalent in the elderly. A study at the Department of Geriatrics in England ran a test involving 36 patients diagnosed with RLS symptoms.

Restless leg syndrome seems to be more prevalent in the elderly. The Department of Geriatrics at Liverpool, U.K., conducted a study that tested the levels of ferritin in the blood of 18 patients, it was found that these patients were found to have lower levels, in turn had a history of RLS. In turn, 18 patients with normal levels did not have the symptoms of RLS.

Did you know that there is no cure for restless legs syndrome and that there is no known cause yet? What is known is that the condition has been associated with other underlying conditions such as pregnancy, obesity, smoking, having an iron deficiency and also anemia. It can also be associated with individuals who have nerve disease, polyneuropathy, having a heavy metal toxicity or other toxins in your body, having a hormonal disease such as diabetes, or kidney failure when it is associated with a vitamin or mineral deficiency.

Medication Woes

Certain medications can increase the severity of symptoms for RLS including the taking of caffeinated products and drinking alcohol. H2-histamine blockers such as the medication Zantac and Tagamet as well as taking antidepressants such as Elavil can contribute to the severity of symptoms of RLS.