Neurosurgery News and Research

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Repeated surgeries may improve survival for patients with glioblastomas

People who undergo repeated surgeries to remove glioblastomas - the most aggressive and deadliest type of brain tumors - may survive longer than those who have just a one-time operation, new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

2 Nov 2012

Soy products do not prevent onset of vasomotor symptoms in women

A team of investigators led by UC Davis found that eating soy products such as soy milk and tofu did not prevent the onset of hot flashes and night sweats as women entered menopause.

2 Nov 2012

Encouraging results from stereotactic radiosurgery Phase I trial on kidney cancer

A first-of-its-kind clinical trial conducted at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center Seidman Cancer Center has shown encouraging results for the use of stereotactic radiosurgery to treat kidney cancer.

1 Nov 2012

Bronchial thermoplasty helps control severe asthma

Nearly 24 million people in this country suffer from asthma. For most of them, avoiding allergens and taking medications help keep their asthma under control. But for a small group with severe persistent asthma, frequent hospital visits tend to be the norm and taking medications and lifestyle changes don't do the trick. Northwestern Memorial Hospital is now using a new procedure called bronchial thermoplasty (BT), the first non-drug therapy approved by the Federal Drug Administration, for patients with severe asthma.

31 Oct 2012

Boston Scientific S-ICD system now available in Northwestern's Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is a condition in which the heart suddenly stops pumping blood. When this occurs, blood stops flowing to the brain and other major organs. Recent estimates show that approximately 850,000 people in the United States are at risk of SCA, and most of the people who have SCA, die from it. But, rapid treatment of SCA by using an implantable defibrillator can be lifesaving.

26 Oct 2012

Vascular endothelial cells play a larger role in pulmonary hypertension

It turns out the muscle cells on the outside of blood vessels have been wrongly accused for instigating lung disease. New research shows that while these muscle cells are responsible for constricting or dilating the blood vessels, they are not responsible for sensing the amount of oxygen that gets to the lungs. That message comes from the endothelial cells - special cells that line the blood vessels - along a "signalling pathway."

25 Oct 2012

Study finds high internet use by caregivers of children with hydrocephalus

When faced with disease, patients and caregivers now readily turn to the Internet for information and emotional support. This is particularly true in the case of caregivers of children with hydrocephalus.

25 Oct 2012

ACIS Anterior Cervical Interbody Spacer System launched by DePuy Synthes Spine

DePuy Synthes Spine today announced the launch of the ACIS Anterior Cervical Interbody Spacer System (ACIS System), a comprehensive set of spacers and instrumentation for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).

24 Oct 2012

Moms and babies more likely to die when co-ICU arises

When mothers and newborns are both admitted to intensive care units they are significantly more likely to die than when neither is admitted to an ICU, new research has found.

23 Oct 2012

VEGF produced by NPCs plays a strong role in influencing microglial behavior

The brain's key "breeder" cells, it turns out, do more than that. They secrete substances that boost the numbers and strength of critical brain-based immune cells believed to play a vital role in brain health. This finding adds a new dimension to our understanding of how resident stem cells and stem cell transplants may improve brain function.

22 Oct 2012

Leaders come together to discuss latest advances in neurosciences

Stony Brook Medicine's Neurosciences Institute brings together leaders in the field of neurosciences to present the latest advances in research and clinical care for neurodegenerative disorders, neuropsychiatric disorders, and neuro-ophthalmology.

20 Oct 2012

Shunting may not ward off poor hydrocephalus cognitive outcomes

Around half of patients with idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus will develop dementia, despite responding to shunting, study findings suggest.

19 Oct 2012

Nonmotor symptoms common in early-stage PD

Nonmotor symptoms occur in nearly all individuals with Parkinson’s disease, Italian study results suggest.

17 Oct 2012

UMB, UMCP to develop small robot that could help neurosurgeons in removing brain tumors

A research team from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) have been awarded a new $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue developing a small robot that could one day be a huge aid to neurosurgeons in removing difficult-to-reach brain tumors.

17 Oct 2012

Extradural brain stimulation safe and effective for patients with Parkinson's

Electrical stimulation using extradural electrodes—placed underneath the skull but not implanted in the brain—is a safe approach with meaningful benefits for patients with Parkinson's disease, reports the October issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

17 Oct 2012

New book aims to improve treatment and outcomes for people with head and neck injuries

Improving treatment and outcomes for people with life-threatening head and neck injuries is the aim of a comprehensive new book by one of Australia's eminent neurosurgeons.

17 Oct 2012

Elekta Synergy system with Agility 160-leaf MLC now available at Radboud

The first of three newly acquired Elekta Synergy treatment systems equipped with Agility 160-leaf multi-leaf collimator (MLC) is now up and running clinically at Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center - making the clinic the first in the Netherlands to use Agility.

From Elekta 15 Oct 2012

Premature babies from low-income families more likely to develop brain hemorrhages

Babies born prematurely to low-income parents have a disproportionately high risk for developing dangerous brain bleeds that require multiple surgeries and extensive follow-up, according to a small Johns Hopkins Children's Center study.

12 Oct 2012

Study identifies need for better definitions and diagnostic tools for sports head injuries

In recent years it has become clear that athletes who experience repeated impacts to the head may be at risk of potentially serious neurological and psychiatric problems. But a study of sports programs at three major universities, published in the October 2 Journal of Neurosurgery, finds that the way the injury commonly called concussion is usually diagnosed - largely based on athletes' subjective symptoms - varies greatly and may not be the best way to determine who is at risk for future problems.

11 Oct 2012

Transplanted neural stem cells able to produce new myelin in children with PMD

A Phase I clinical trial led by investigators from the University of California, San Francisco and sponsored by Stem Cells Inc., showed that neural stem cells successfully engrafted into the brains of patients and appear to have produced myelin.

11 Oct 2012