Contractions News and Research

RSS

Pacemaker Induced Transient Asynchrony could help slow down progression of heart failure

Johns Hopkins has demonstrated in animals that applying a pacemaker's mild electrical shocks to push the heart in and out of normal synchronized contraction for part of each day may be an effective way to slow down the progression of heart failure, a disorder that afflicts millions of Americans.

24 Dec 2015

Women who experience delay in labour willing to let go birth plans when unanticipated complications occur

A new study of women's experiences of delay in labour has revealed that many mums-to-be are prepared to abandon their antenatal plans for how they wanted their labours and births to be.

23 Dec 2015

Study on myosins may lead to therapies for muscle diseases, cancers

Understanding how tiny molecular motors called myosins use energy to fuel biological tasks like contracting muscles could lead to therapies for muscle diseases and cancers, says a team of researchers led by Penn State College of Medicine scientists.

22 Dec 2015

Diseases that cause skin-related problems can also trigger serious neurological conditions

Diseases such as lupus that cause rashes and other skin problems also can trigger migraine headaches, strokes and other serious neurological conditions, according to an article by Loyola University Medical Center physicians.

16 Dec 2015

Cancer drug can neutralize toxic RNA that causes myotonic dystrophy

A group of researchers has shown for the first time in cells and in a mouse model that a drug used to treat cancer can neutralize the toxic RNA that causes the prolonged muscle contractions and other symptoms of myotonic dystrophy type 1, the most common form of adult-onset muscular dystrophy.

11 Dec 2015

New artificial muscle imitates macroscopic movement of human muscles

The macroscopic movement of our muscles is caused by the collective movement of “biomolecular motors”. Scientists and engineers have long been trying to imitate this process.

10 Dec 2015

Could statins treat muscular dystrophy? An interview with Dr. Nick Whitehead and Dr Stan Froehner

In addition to their well established cholesterol lowering benefits, statins also have potent anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and antioxidant effects, which continue to be identified in a wide range of diseases.

30 Nov 2015

Eating a light meal during labor may benefit most healthy women

Most healthy women can skip the fasting and, in fact, would benefit from eating a light meal during labor, suggests research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2015 annual meeting. Improvements in anesthesia care have made pain control during labor safer, reducing risks related to eating, researchers note.

26 Oct 2015

Thyroid hormone treatment improves cardiac health in female rats with high blood pressure

Thyroid hormones administered to female rats with high blood pressure led to encouraging cardiac improvements, according to a study in the American Journal of Physiology led by NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine researcher Martin Gerdes.

14 Oct 2015

Quest Diagnostics scientists demonstrate new molecular combing technique that predicts cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy

Genetic testing for mutations beyond those currently recommended in medical guidelines may aid the identification of more couples at risk of having a child with cystic fibrosis, according to a study presented today at the 2015 American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting, which runs through October 10 in Baltimore, Maryland.

From Quest Diagnostics 13 Oct 2015

NC State scientists take a giant leap closer to understanding locomotion from the leg up

Using an "Avatar"-like bio-robotic motor system that integrates a real muscle and tendon along with a computer controlled nerve stimulator acting as the avatar's spinal cord, North Carolina State University researchers have taken a giant leap closer to understanding locomotion from the leg up.

13 Oct 2015

NYIT's Aydin Farajidavar receives NIH grant to develop implantable wireless device for measuring gastric activity

New York Institute of Technology Assistant Professor Aydin Farajidavar has received a $457,000 National Institutes of Health grant to develop an implantable wireless system to study the body's gastric and digestive systems.

8 Oct 2015

OB-Tools announces FDA approval of new TrueLabor maternal fetal monitor

OB-Tools is pleased to announce today U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its fetal heart rate monitoring unit. The fetal heart rate monitoring unit will be integrated into its new TrueLabor maternal fetal monitor.

30 Sep 2015

Cancer treatment does not affect pregnancy outcome, shows new study

Women who are pregnant when diagnosed with cancer can start treatment for their disease immediately and do not need to terminate their pregnancy due to worries over the effects of therapy on the development of their child.

29 Sep 2015

New molecule shows efficacy in inhibiting inflammation, preventing premature delivery in murine models

Premature births are intimately linked with inflammation of the uterine tissue, a biological response which induces contractions and preterm labor. In their search for a mean to prevent this phenomenon and complications related to deliveries occurring before 37 weeks of gestation, researchers at CHU Sainte-Justine and University of Montreal discovered an agent that shows efficacy in inhibiting inflammation and preventing or delaying uterine contractions and premature delivery in murine models - without adversely affecting the fetus or the mother.

9 Sep 2015

Finding better treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

In an effort to find a better treatment for spinal curvature in children and young people, the EU's "StimulAIS" project is focused on electrostimulation of muscles. Fraunhofer scientists worked with partners from industry and research to develop a prototype implant that would do the job.

3 Sep 2015

Peri-infarct pacing may not be beneficial in patients with large myocardial infarction

In patients with a large myocardical infarction (MI), pacing, with the left ventricular (LV) lead placed in the area of the lesion (peri-infarct) did not prevent further enlargement of the heart (remodeling), nor did it improve functional or clinical outcomes after 18 months, according to results of the Pacing Remodeling Prevention Therapy trial (PRomPT) trial.

30 Aug 2015

Simple lifestyle intervention can help prevent gestational diabetes in high-risk women

Gestational diabetes can be prevented by a simple, easily applicable individualized lifestyle intervention in high-risk women, finds a study led by Helsinki University Hospital and South Karelia Central Hospital, Finland. The results of the study are promising, and in line with previous published T2D prevention studies. The findings may have major health consequences for both the mother and the child.

31 Jul 2015

Study: Umbilical cord milking improves blood pressure, red blood cell levels in preterm infants

A technique to increase the flow of blood from the umbilical cord into the infant's circulatory system improves blood pressure and red blood cell levels in preterm infants delivered by Cesarean section, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

29 Jun 2015

Stanford researchers find how neurons work together to control movement in people with paralysis

Stanford University researchers studying how the brain controls movement in people with paralysis, related to their diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's disease, have found that groups of neurons work together, firing in complex rhythms to signal muscles about when and where to move.

24 Jun 2015