Neurosurgery News and Research

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Overall risk of infection associated with most neuroangiographic procedures is very low

Patients undergoing cerebral angiography and neurointerventional procedures on the brain are at very low risk of infection-even without preventive antibiotics, reports a study in the March issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

5 Mar 2013

Elekta launches Versa HD system to treat cancers

During a live global event, Elekta announced the launch of Versa HD, an advanced linear accelerator system designed to improve patient care and treat a broader spectrum of cancers.

From Elekta 2 Mar 2013

Offices of family physicians appear to give preference to people with chronic health conditions

Some family physicians' offices discriminate against people of low socio-economic status, even when there is no economic incentive to do so under Canada's system of publicly funded universal health insurance, new research has shown.

27 Feb 2013

Adjustable shunt effectively alleviates hydrocephalus pressure

Using a shunt with an adjustable Strata valve that is initially set at the highest setting so it can be titrated down is a worthwhile approach to treat idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.

25 Feb 2013

Next generation deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy to be developed by Sapiens

Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation B.V. (Sapiens), an emerging medical technology company developing brain stimulation products, today announced that it has raised €7.5 m from the Dutch investment group INKEF Capital, in a further extension of their Series A financing round. The proceeds will be used for the development of its Steering Brain Stimulation implant and procedure solutions to treat Parkinson's disease (PD) and other functional brain disorders.

25 Feb 2013

Isotretinoin does not increase risk of inflammatory bowel disease

Doctors should not be discouraged from prescribing isotretinoin to adolescents for inflammatory acne, according to a new study by Canadian and U.S. scientists showing the drug does not increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

22 Feb 2013

UCLA plays a vital role in ongoing research into Rasmussen encephalitis

How do you find a cure for a devastating pediatric brain disease so rare that it can take decades to build a meaningful research base? In 2010, the parents of a patient created the Rasmussen Encephalitis (RE) Children's Project to help solve this problem. In a short amount of time, the foundation has raised funds to establish a consortium of top researchers, build a collection of samples of the disease from around the world and support projects to study the disease tissue and search for genetic links. The goal is to find a cure.

20 Feb 2013

Shorter version of abPG-SGA can potentially improve outcomes for cancer patients

Considering the many things a cancer patient has to think about, it's easy to understand why maintaining proper nutrition may not be top of mind. This can be true, too, at busy outpatient settings where it's often difficult to find the time and resources to test cancer patients for malnutrition.

18 Feb 2013

Hospitals may be unfairly punished for high readmission rates

When hospital patients have to be readmitted soon after discharge, hospitals look bad. A high readmission rate also can result in reduced Medicare reimbursements. But a study of spine surgery patients has found that the standard method used to calculate readmission rates is a misleading indicator of hospital quality.

16 Feb 2013

Selumetinib shrinks tumors in women with low-grade ovarian cancer

Researchers at The University of Arizona Cancer Center at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix have discovered that many women with low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary or peritoneum have seen their tumors stabilize or shrink after taking a regular dose of the compound selumetinib.

15 Feb 2013

FDA grants orphan drug status to Lentigen’s LG631-CD34 for treatment of glioblastoma multiforme

Lentigen Corporation, a biotechnology company specializing in the development and manufacture of lentiviral gene delivery products, announced today that that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug status to P140K methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT) transduced human CD34 cells for bone marrow protection in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme.

14 Feb 2013

DBS can lead to long-term improvement in patients with neuropathic pain

For many patients with difficult-to-treat neuropathic pain, deep brain stimulation (DBS) can lead to long-term improvement in pain scores and other outcomes, according to a study in the February issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

14 Feb 2013

Study questions high rate of cesarean deliveries in women with aneurysms

For women with aneurysms involving the brain blood vessels, pregnancy and delivery don't appear to increase the risk of aneurysm rupture, reports a paper in the February issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

11 Feb 2013

Northwestern Medicine expert offers tips to battle seasonal affective disorder

Winter is in full force. With short days and less exposure to sunlight, everyone feels less energetic and more people are vulnerable to depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), or winter depression, is a mood disorder related to seasonal variations of light. Symptoms start in late fall and oftentimes last until April or early spring. It affects between 10 to 20 percent of Americans, primarily younger adults and women.

10 Feb 2013

Older adults with COPD more frequently use benzodiazepines

A popular class of drugs commonly used to treat sleep and mood symptoms continues to be frequently prescribed despite being known to have potentially life-threatening side effects.

9 Feb 2013

Novel combination of ibrutinib and bortezomib could be effective new therapy for blood cancers

Laboratory experiments conducted by scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center suggest that a novel combination of the drugs ibrutinib and bortezomib could potentially be an effective new therapy for several forms of blood cancer, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

7 Feb 2013

Misonix revenue increases 19% to $8.0M for six months ended December 31, 2012

Misonix, Inc., a surgical device company that designs, manufactures and markets innovative therapeutic ultrasonic products worldwide for spine surgery, cranial maxillo – facial surgery, neurosurgery, wound debridement, cosmetic surgery, laparoscopic surgery and other surgical applications, today reported financial results for the six-months and the second quarter of fiscal year 2013, ended December 31, 2012.

7 Feb 2013