Controversial Neurologist to Lead NIH Unit; Hunter Trial Halted; Dads and Valproate

The NIH named John Gaitanis, MD, a pediatric neurologist with controversial views on autism, to lead the agency’s child health institute. (Science)

Age at menopause was associated with brain volume trajectory in a cohort study of older women. (JAMA Network Open)

Young survivors of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage faced substantial lifelong risks of developing new aneurysms, with no plateau seen over four decades, a prospective study showed. (JAMA Neurology)

The FDA approved florquinitau F 18 injection (Tauklarify), a tau PET imaging agent for Alzheimer’s disease, Lantheus announced.

The agency also placed a clinical hold on a trial of the investigational gene therapy clemidsogene lanparvovec (RGX-121) for mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type II, or Hunter syndrome, after asymptomatic small masses were found on the spines of five patients, Regenxbio said.

Drug screening and machine learning predicted neuroprotective agents in a preclinical model of MPS type IIIA, or Sanfilippo syndrome, a form of childhood dementia. (Nature Communications)

Experts argued that benzodiazepines are essential for managing inflight seizures and should be included in airline emergency medical kits. (JAMA Neurology)

Fathers who used the antiseizure drug valproate before conceiving were no more likely to have children with autism or attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder than others, data from Taiwan showed. (Neurology)

A longitudinal study suggested developmental pathways to autism in children with tuberous sclerosis complex. (Epilepsia)

Eisai said that once-weekly lecanemab subcutaneous injection (Leqembi Iqlik) is now available as initiation therapy for adults with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s. The at-home starter dose was approved in July.