Paralysis News and Research

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Paralysis is the loss of muscle function in part of your body. It happens when something goes wrong with the way messages pass between your brain and muscles. Paralysis can be complete or partial. It can occur on one or both sides of your body. It can also occur in just one area, or it can be widespread. Paralysis of the lower half of your body, including both legs, is called paraplegia. Paralysis of the arms and legs is quadriplegia.

Paralyzed man walks again

Three years ago, baseball champion Rob Summers was hit by a speeding car in Portland, Oregon which smashed into his legs and left him with appalling injuries. He was told he would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair at best. However the 25 year old has become the first person paralyzed from the chest down to stand and take a step unaided.

22 May 2011

Stimulating electrode array assists paralyzed man to regain voluntary movements of limbs

A team of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and the University of Louisville have used a stimulating electrode array to assist a paralyzed man to stand, step on a treadmill with assistance, and, over time, to regain voluntary movements of his limbs.

21 May 2011

Breakthrough reason for cautious hope among those with spinal cord injuries

A team of scientists at the University of Louisville, UCLA and the California Institute of Technology has achieved a significant breakthrough in its initial work with a paralyzed male volunteer at Louisville's Frazier Rehab Institute - the result of 30 years of research to find potential clinical therapies for paralysis.

21 May 2011

Electrical experiment helps paralyzed man stand, walk

An electrode experiment has helped a paralyzed man stand and walk for short periods, which has some calling it a major breakthrough in treating paralysis. In other news, Ford is developing health-monitoring technology for cars.

21 May 2011

InVivo Therapeutics reports net loss of $1,278,000 for first quarter 2011

InVivo Therapeutics, a medical device company focused on the development of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries, today reported financial results for the first quarter 2011.

16 May 2011

Bedside screening tool can help diagnose acute aortic dissection

The most lethal and sudden cardiovascular event can be the toughest for doctors to diagnose. But a study by the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center shows new guidelines are effective for determining who's most likely suffering from an aortic dissection, which is tearing in the lining of the body's largest blood vessel.

16 May 2011

Computer games can improve patient's recovery from paralysis after stroke

Computer games are not just for kids. New research published in Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, a BioMed Central open access journal, shows that computer games can speed up and improve a patient's recovery from paralysis after a stroke.

16 May 2011

Being mildly overweight benefits ALS patients

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, may be an exception to the rule that being overweight is a health hazard. In a retrospective study of over 400 ALS patients, Massachusetts General Hospital researchers found that those who were mildly obese survived longer than patients who were normal weight, underweight or even overweight.

12 May 2011

Dorsogluteal buttock site still most popular despite known potential for sciatic nerve injury

Seven out of ten hospital nurses who took part in a Canadian study used the dorsogluteal (DG) buttock site to administer intramuscular injections - despite the potential risks of sciatic nerve injury - with only 14% using the ventrogluteal (VG) hip site recommended by the nursing literature.

10 May 2011

Young new nurses more likely to follow latest VG site advice to administer intramuscular injections

Seven out of ten hospital nurses who took part in a Canadian study used the dorsogluteal buttock site to administer intramuscular injections - despite the potential risks of sciatic nerve injury - with only 14% using the ventrogluteal hip site recommended by the nursing literature.

9 May 2011

The Miami Project, InVivo Therapeutics collaborate to develop novel spinal cord injury treatments

InVivo Therapeutics, a company focused on the development of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries, and The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine's Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, the world's most comprehensive spinal cord injury research center, today announced a strategic research collaboration for the development of novel SCI treatments.

5 May 2011

Study shows direct link between cotton swab use and ruptured eardrum

A study by Henry Ford Hospital shows a direct association between cotton swab use and ruptured eardrum. The study also shows that in most cases the rupture heals on its own and surgery is only necessary for the most severe cases.

28 Apr 2011

Major breakthrough in understanding of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Brandeis researchers have made a significant advance in the effort to understand amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by successfully reversing the toxicity of the mutated protein in the familial type of the disease.

27 Apr 2011

Rwanda, QIAGEN and Merck launch comprehensive national cervical cancer prevention program

The Government of Rwanda, together with QIAGEN N.V. and Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced the launch, in Kigali, Rwanda, of a comprehensive national cervical cancer prevention program that includes vaccination with GARDASIL [Human Papillomavirus Quadrivalent (Types 6, 11, 16 and 18) Vaccine, Recombinant] for appropriate girls 12 to 15 years of age and modern molecular diagnostic screening for women between the ages of 35 and 45.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 25 Apr 2011

Pediatric otolaryngologist to earn Charles Ferguson Clinical Science recognition

Stephen Maturo, MD, of Boston, MA, will receive the first place Charles Ferguson Clinical Science Award for outstanding achievement in the field of pediatric otolaryngology for his research paper titled "Intraoperative Laryngeal Electromyography in Children with Vocal Fold Mobility: Results of a Multicenter Longitudinal Study," during their annual meeting, April 29 - May 1, 2011, in Chicago, IL.

25 Apr 2011

New research: 56% of Canadians with AF do not fear having fatal stroke

New research reveals more than half of Canadians living with atrial fibrillation do not fear having a stroke, despite AF-related strokes being more severe, debilitating and twice as likely to be fatal.

19 Apr 2011

Nerve disorder expert Jack Griffin passes away

Jack Griffin, an internationally acclaimed and admired expert on diseases of the peripheral nervous system, founding director of the Johns Hopkins Brain Science Institute, and former director of Hopkins School of Medicine's Department of Neurology, died Saturday, April 16, after a long battle with bladder cancer. He was 69.

18 Apr 2011

Investigational Alzheimer's compounds may treat neuropathies

Drugs already in development to treat Alzheimer's disease may eventually be tapped for a different purpose altogether: re-growing the ends of injured nerves to relieve pain and paralysis.

15 Apr 2011

Insight into Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

Researchers at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre, Toronto Western Hospital have identified a cell receptor, which is responsible for cell death in the spinal cord in a condition called Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy.

15 Apr 2011

Viewpoints abound on impact of Ryan plan, government showdown

If the federal government shuts down at midnight on Friday — which seems likely unless negotiations take a sudden turn toward rationality — it will not be because of disagreements over spending. It will be because Republicans are refusing to budge on these ideological demands: No federal financing for Planned Parenthood. ... No local financing for abortion services in the District of Columbia. ... No funds for health care reform.

8 Apr 2011