Hidden consciousness detected with EEG predicts recovery of unresponsive patients

A new study finds that signs of covert consciousness—subtle brainwaves detectable with EEG—are the strongest predictor of eventual recovery for brain-injured patients who otherwise appear completely unresponsive.

Clinical trial yields fewer relapses in multiple sclerosis patients treated with off-label drug

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with the drug rituximab had a significantly lower risk of relapse compared with MS patients receiving standard treatment. This has been shown in a phase 3 clinical trial by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Danderyd Hospital in Sweden published in The Lancet Neurology. Rituximab is not approved as an MS drug, but has proven to be effective in smaller studies and is therefore largely prescribed "off label."

WHO advises against use of two drugs for non-severe COVID-19

The antidepressant drug fluvoxamine and the gout drug colchicine are not recommended for patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 because there is currently insufficient evidence that they improve important outcomes for patients, and both drugs carry potential harms, says a WHO Guideline Development Group (GDG) panel of international experts in The BMJ today.

New study updates evidence on rare heart condition after COVID vaccination

A study published by The BMJ today provides an up-to-date summary of evidence on the risk of heart inflammation (myocarditis and pericarditis) after mRNA vaccination against the COVID-19 virus.