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Anesthetic-loaded liposomes can delay onset of neuropathic pain

Using tiny spheres filled with an anesthetic derived from a shellfish toxin, researchers at Boston Children's Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a way to delay the rise of neuropathic pain, a chronic form of pain that arises from flawed signals transmitted by damaged nerves.

10 Oct 2012

Mayo researchers discover new therapy for patients with neuromyelitis optica

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a new therapy for patients with neuromyelitis optica that appears to stop inflammation of the eye nerves and spinal cord. NMO is a debilitating central nervous system disorder that is often misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS).

10 Oct 2012

Transfused blood age does not impact outcomes in premature babies

Using fresh red blood cells for premature babies who need blood transfusions does not improve outcomes over use of standard blood bank donations, show study findings published in JAMA.

9 Oct 2012

PUFA levels reduced in schizophrenia patients

Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis show that erythrocyte membrane concentrations of certain polyunsaturated fatty acids are reduced in the brains of people with schizophrenia.

9 Oct 2012

Reconditioning advised in orthostatic intolerance

Deconditioning is present in almost all patients with orthostatic intolerance, report US researchers.

9 Oct 2012

Point-of-care testing speeds patients through ED

Using point-of-care testing, instead of sending samples to a central laboratory, reduces the length of time that patients stay in the emergency department, shows a randomized trial.

9 Oct 2012

DBP ‘remains relevant’ in stroke risk assessment

A large study has shed light on the relationship of systolic and diastolic blood pressure with stroke risk as people age.

9 Oct 2012

First Edition: October 9, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about how a new poll indicates GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney gained a significant bounce from last week's debate performance.

9 Oct 2012

Innovative treatments can lead to functional improvements in patients with SCIs

A series of rehabilitation studies published in the September 2012 issue of the Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation demonstrate that innovative treatments for individuals with spinal cord injuries can lead to significant functional improvements in patients and a higher quality of life.

9 Oct 2012

Navigating the Labyrinth of Traumatic Brain Injury to Discover a Secondary Neurological Condition

Working with individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) every day, I see the debilitating effects and long-term struggles firsthand.

9 Oct 2012

Healthy lungs can retain age-related cognitive functions

Keeping the lungs healthy could be an important way to retain thinking functions that relate to problem-solving and processing speed in one's later years, new research suggests.

9 Oct 2012

New time-resolved multi-frame MRI technique can identify early-stage CAD

With the results of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers say they are closer to finding an imaging technique that can identify thickening of the coronary artery wall, an early stage of coronary heart disease (CAD). The study is published online in the journal Radiology.

9 Oct 2012

Eating tomatoes associated with reduced risk of stroke

Eating tomatoes and tomato-based foods is associated with a lower risk of stroke, according to new research published in the October 9, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Tomatoes are high in the antioxidant lycopene.

9 Oct 2012

ARIPI trial: Fresh blood not better for acutely ill premature babies

In a finding that runs counter to commonly held beliefs about fresh being better, a clinical trial published today by the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that acutely ill premature babies who received fresher blood did not fare better than those who received the current standard of care. There was no difference between the two approaches with respect to major organ injury, mortality and infection.

9 Oct 2012

Study sheds light on fundamental cellular process

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have mapped the precise frequency by which genes get turned on across the human genome, providing new insight into the most fundamental of cellular processes-and revealing new clues as to what happens when this process goes awry.

9 Oct 2012

New blood test can read genetic changes in prostate cancer

Scientists have designed a blood test that reads genetic changes like a barcode - and can pick out aggressive prostate cancers by their particular pattern of gene activity.

9 Oct 2012

Boston Scientific enters definitive agreement to acquire Rhythmia Medical

Boston Scientific Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately-held Rhythmia Medical, Inc., a developer of next-generation mapping and navigation solutions for use in cardiac catheter ablations and other electrophysiology procedures, including atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter.

9 Oct 2012

Maths-based tool can quantify the spread and infectiousness of viruses

Mathematicians have developed a powerful tool to quantify the spread and infectiousness of viruses like the pandemic H1N1 flu strain, which can be used together with modern laboratory techniques to help the healthcare system plan its response to disease outbreaks.

9 Oct 2012

Early blood pressure control reduces future CV events in diabetes

Type 2 diabetes patients who fail to properly control their blood pressure within a year of being diagnosed with hypertension face an elevated risk for future major cardiovascular events for up to 3 years subsequently, study results show.

8 Oct 2012

Wait until infection is confirmed before starting antimicrobials in ICU

Delaying antimicrobial treatment of patients in the surgical intensive care unit who have a suspected hospital-acquired infection does not increase the risk for mortality, and may even be associated with better outcomes than starting antimicrobials before culturing blood, say researchers.

8 Oct 2012