Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Technique to visualize changes in nerve connections when flies learn may help to understand how memories form

For the first time, researchers have used a technique called optical imaging to visualize changes in nerve connections when flies learn. These changes may be the beginning of a complex chain of events that leads to formation of lasting memories.

14 May 2004

Study of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for severe, treatment-resistant lupus

The study will include a basic research component to examine the roles of B and T cells, white blood cells in the immune system, in triggering lupus symptoms.

14 May 2004

Cholesterol-lowering drugs could treat multiple sclerosis

Drug treatments for MS are expensive and only partially effective. Recent knowledge that statins promote an anti-inflammatory response from the immune system suggest a potential in the treatment of MS.

13 May 2004

Botswana begins massive emergency polio campaign

The Minister of Health of Botswana today kicked off a massive emergency immunization campaign in the southern African nation of Botswana, following the re-introduction of poliovirus into the country from Nigeria in February.

10 May 2004

Indicators identify shingles patients who have an increased risk of developing persistent pain

Researchers have recently confirmed a set of indicators that, alone and in combination, identify shingles patients who have an increased risk of developing persistent pain after the shingles rash heals. Results and implications of their study will be presented in the May 11 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

10 May 2004

Mad cow sent to slaughterhouse

On Friday, April 30th, the Food and Drug Administration learned that a cow with central nervous system symptoms had been killed and shipped to a processor for rendering into animal protein for use in animal feed.

7 May 2004

Tooth cells may help treat Parkinson's disease

Cells derived from the inside of a tooth might someday prove an effective way to treat the brains of people suffering from Parkinson's disease.

4 May 2004

New figures suggest Scotland is in the middle of a mumps epidemic

New figures raise public fears of a mumps epidemic by showing there were 370 confirmed cases of mumps in the first four months of 2001. This figure is almost an 800% increase on the total of recorded mumps cases for the whole of 2003.

3 May 2004

Iraqi Freedom low casualty rates compared with other recent conflicts

Military neurosurgeons serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom have recently reported a significant decrease in casualty rates compared with other recent conflicts.

3 May 2004

Botox helps children with cerebral palsy

Botox, or botulinum toxin, offers a new, non-surgical option for improving the upper extremity function of children with cerebral palsy (CP), report researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. L. Andrew Koman, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at Brenner Children’s Hospital, and his team recently completed a study using Botox to treat muscle spasticity of the arm and hand in children with CP.

1 May 2004

Functional genomics and proteomics may accelerate the discovery of new drugs and therapeutic molecules

Functional genomics and proteomics have been quite successful in identifying functions of potential therapeutic targets such as encoded proteins. In fact, the possibilities of identifying more than 10,000 novel target antigens in the human genome may accelerate the discovery of new drugs and therapeutic molecules.

29 Apr 2004

Transplanted bone-marrow cells could regenerate nerve cells in the brain

Findings of a preliminary study in this week's issue of THE LANCET suggest that transplanted adult bone-marrow cells could regenerate nerve cells in the brains of human stem-cell recipients. These early findings, if confirmed in future research, have implications for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

29 Apr 2004

Greater severity of depressive symptoms correlates with increased risk of stroke among whites

Greater severity of depressive symptoms correlates with increased risk of stroke among whites, according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 56th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., April 24 – May 1, 2004.

28 Apr 2004

PET imaging has recently been shown to aid in the diagnosis of particular neurological syndromes associated with cancer

PET imaging has been shown to improve detection of a variety of cancers, and earlier tests have suggested this technique may be useful in identifying small tumors in patients with paraneoplastic neurological disorders. But PET imaging is not yet widely available, and clear indicators of clinically meaningful outcomes using PET are essential to warrant use with this patient population.

28 Apr 2004

A popular supplement, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), may help prevent migraine

Migraine patients who took 100 mg three times a day of CoQ10—which acts as the body’s energy producer—had fewer attacks in three months than those who took a placebo. The participants taking CoQ10 also had fewer days with a headache and fewer days with nausea.

28 Apr 2004

People with uncontrolled epilepsy have low levels of a certain fatty acid

Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial to the proper development and function of cell membranes in the brain. But one particular fatty acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is found at abnormally low levels in patients with uncontrolled epilepsy, according to researchers at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.

28 Apr 2004

New teatment for intractable low blood pressure

Patients are generally pleased with a new Mayo Clinic drug treatment for a common form of impaired nerve transmission that causes dizziness and fainting when patients change position from lying down to standing up, and most want to continue using it.

28 Apr 2004

Blood pressure drug helps delay ischemic brain damage in stroke patients

A drug used to lower blood pressure can help stop or delay the progress of further ischemic brain lesions in stroke patients according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 56th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., April 24 – May 1, 2004.

27 Apr 2004

Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease

One variant of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease, according to an analysis of research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 56th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., April 24 – May 1, 2004.

27 Apr 2004

Improvement of Parkinson’s disease symptoms when neurorestorative molecule pumped to the center of the brain

A recent study has shown clinical improvement of Parkinson’s disease symptoms after long-term infusion of a neurorestorative molecule, pumped directly to the center of the brain. The study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 56th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., April 24 – May 1, 2004.

27 Apr 2004