What's in the literature?

Genetics continue to dominate the neuromuscular literature. The past 3 months have seen major breakthroughs in the genetics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, perhaps paving the way for better treatments in the near future. On a hopeful note, there are several articles on treatments that may prove to be beneficial, covering such diverse disorders as chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, dermatomyositis, and myasthenia gravis. Useful descriptive articles appear on myofibrillar myopathies, hyperCKemia, and on myasthenia gravis associated with anti-muscle-specific tyrosine kinase antibodies, all of which provide helpful guidelines for clinicians. Finally, for those involved in electromyography, an article and an editorial address the recurring question of the risk of performing a needle examination of muscles (particularly paraspinal muscles) of patients who are taking anticoagulants or antiplatelet agents.