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Increasing specific brain fats could be potential strategy for preventing epileptic seizures

Increasing the concentration of specific fats in the brain could suppress epileptic seizures. This is evident from ground-breaking research carried out by the research groups of Professor Patrik Verstreken and Professor Wim Versées.

26 Sep 2016

Scientist uses stem cells derived from dental pulp to return hearing to deaf people

Deafness is a condition in which the hearing diminishes or disappears; currently there are few procedures to treat because it often is irreversible. Also, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the disease globally affects 360 million people.

23 Sep 2016

Researchers identify and treat new variant of antibiotic-resistant E. coli

Researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear have discovered a new mutation in a highly antibiotic-resistant strain of E. coli that resists clearance by the body's own immune system by inhibiting white blood cells that ordinarily kill and remove bacteria.

16 Sep 2016

UTSW surgeons remove acoustic neuromas through small incisions in the ear canals

A surgical team at UT Southwestern Medical Center is helping to pioneer a new minimally invasive procedure that extracts vertigo-inducing tumors from the inner ear without having to remove a large piece of skull, as is usually required.

15 Sep 2016

Research findings hold promise for new therapies using proliferating cells to treat patients with FECD

Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear have, for the first time, identified rapidly proliferating cells (known as "neural crest-derived progenitor cells") in the corneal endothelium of specimens from normal corneas and from corneas with Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD), a condition in which the cells responsible for keeping the cornea clear die prematurely — often leading to blindness.

14 Sep 2016

Memory loss symptoms not sufficient to diagnose other forms of Alzheimer's

Relying on clinical symptoms of memory loss to diagnose Alzheimer's disease may miss other forms of dementia caused by Alzheimer's that don't initially affect memory, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

13 Sep 2016

Study shows link between steroid use and poor outcomes in Lyme disease-associated facial paralysis

Researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School have found that patients who were prescribed corticosteroids as part of treatment for Lyme disease-associated facial paralysis had worse long-term outcomes of regaining facial function than those who were prescribed antibiotic therapy alone.

7 Sep 2016

Novel drug-dispensing contact lens effective in providing better pressure reduction in glaucoma model

A contact lens designed to deliver medication gradually to the eye could improve outcomes for patients with conditions requiring treatment with eye drops, which are often imprecise and difficult to self-administer.

29 Aug 2016

Scientists discover underlying mechanisms of proptosis in patients with thyroid eye disease

Researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear have identified new underlying mechanisms of proptosis, or bulging of the eyes, in patients with acute thyroid eye disease.

18 Aug 2016

GSK launches educational campaign to help raise awareness of meningitis

GSK today launched an educational campaign to help raise awareness of meningitis, a rare but potentially deadly disease.

8 Aug 2016

Simple, non-invasive test may help screen young children for hearing deficits linked to autism

Researchers have identified an inner ear deficiency in children with Autism that may impact their ability to recognize speech.

26 Jul 2016

New NIH grant to help advance Purdue University autism technology

Federal funding will help advance a Purdue University autism technology that helps communication and language development for children and families affected by severe, nonverbal autism and other communicative challenges.

10 Jul 2016

New genetic test provides rapid diagnosis of mitochondrial disease

Newcastle researchers have developed a genetic test providing a rapid diagnosis of mitochondrial disorders to identify the first patients with inherited mutations in a new disease gene.

7 Jul 2016

New book provides more insight into diagnosis and research of hereditary hearing loss

Genetics of Deafness offers a journey through areas crucial for understanding the causes and effects of hearing loss.

7 Jul 2016

Scientists explore why some kids respond better to cochlear implants than others

Four-year-old William Wootton was born profoundly deaf, but thanks to cochlear implants fitted when he was about 18 months old, the Granite Bay preschooler plays with a keyboard synthesizer and reacts to the sounds of airplanes and trains, while still learning American Sign Language.

1 Jul 2016

Researchers investigate why N14Y, N14K mutations have distinct effects in KID syndrome patients

A team of New York-based researchers has compared the effects of two disease-causing mutations, potentially explaining why patients with the rare genetic disorder keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness (KID) syndrome can experience different sets of symptoms.

28 Jun 2016

Unlocking the first gene to cause otosclerosis: an interview with Dr Ralph Holme

Otosclerosis is a common cause of hearing loss, particularly amongst young adults. It normally starts in their 20s or 30s and it affects about 1 in 200 hundred people. In the UK, about 300,000 people are affected by the condition.

7 Jun 2016

ITM researchers develop small, user-friendly device for real time detection of arrhythmias

Researchers at the Technological Institute of Morelia in Mexico, created a device for detecting cardiac arrhythmias in real time, and that turns portable a system that uses electrodes placed on the chest of the patient or as part of clothing (shirt), plus it allows to alert the physician at the same time there is an irregularity in the heartbeat.

20 May 2016

Action on Hearing Loss funds new study to discover ways of preventing deafness caused by cancer drug

A widely used anti-cancer drug, cisplatin, can cause permanent and severe hearing loss, having a devastating impact on the quality of life for cancer survivors.

19 May 2016

Researchers use high-power prisms to design new eyeglasses to expand visual fields of hemianopia patients

Researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School have designed three new eyeglasses using high-power prisms to optimally expand the visual fields of patients with hemianopia, a condition in which the visual fields of both eyes are cut by half.

18 May 2016