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Study shows epilepsy drug can protect vision of MS patients

A drug commonly taken to prevent seizures in epilepsy may surprisingly protect the eyesight of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 67th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, April 18 to 25, 2015.

17 Apr 2015

Toxic Botox travels through our nerves to reach central nervous system

New research might bring a frown to even the most heavily botoxed faces, with scientists finding how some of the potent toxin used for cosmetic surgery escapes into the central nervous system.

17 Apr 2015

Inflammation plays causal role in neurologic changes associated with Lyme disease

About 15% of patients with Lyme disease develop peripheral and central nervous system involvement, often accompanied by debilitating and painful symptoms. New research indicates that inflammation plays a causal role in the array of neurologic changes associated with Lyme disease, according to a study published in The American Journal of Pathology.

17 Apr 2015

Electronic micropump combined with anticonvulsant drug may treat brain diseases

Many potentially efficient drugs have been created to treat neurological disorders, but they cannot be used in practice. Typically, for a condition such as epilepsy, it is essential to act at exactly the right time and place in the brain.

16 Apr 2015

Researchers use virtual reality to develop new method for measuring balance control in glaucoma patients

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death and morbidity in older adults, especially those with a chronic eye disease such as glaucoma. To investigate this problem, a multidisciplinary group of researchers has become the first to use virtual reality technology to develop a new method for measuring balance control in those with glaucoma.

16 Apr 2015

Research: Stem cell injection may soon slow or reverse effects of age-related macular degeneration

An injection of stem cells into the eye may soon slow or reverse the effects of early-stage age-related macular degeneration, according to new research from scientists at Cedars-Sinai. Currently, there is no treatment that slows the progression of the disease, which is the leading cause of vision loss in people over 65.

16 Apr 2015

Johns Hopkins researchers create the largest library of brain cells from ALS patients

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have transformed skin cells from patients with Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), into brain cells affected by the progressive, fatal disease and deposited those human-made cells into the first public ALS cell library, enabling scientists to better study the disease.

15 Apr 2015

Study may help find treatments for nerve cell damage, neurodegenerative disorders

Scientists from Kyoto University's Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences in Japan have have discovered how nerve cells adjust to low energy environments during the brain's growth process.

13 Apr 2015

Stem cell disease model reveals how tumor suppressor may drive bone cancer

Using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), a team led by Mount Sinai researchers has gained new insight into genetic changes that may turn a well known anti-cancer signaling gene into a driver of risk for bone cancers, where the survival rate has not improved in 40 years despite treatment advances.

10 Apr 2015

Newly approved drug for rare blood cancer shows sustained benefit for 2 years

The most recent results from a clinical trial show that ibrutinib, a newly approved drug for Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, continued to control the rare blood cancer, with 95 percent of patients surviving for two years, report investigators from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

10 Apr 2015

National study comparing minimally invasive lumbar decompression (mild) with epidural steroid injections (ESIs) reaches full enrollment

Lumbar spinal stenosis is primarily a degenerative, age-related narrowing of the lower spinal canal resulting in compression of the nerve roots. MILD treats this compression by removing small portions of lamina and hypertrophic ligamentum flavum in a minimally invasive, outpatient procedure through an opening about the size of a baby aspirin...

9 Apr 2015

Plymouth researchers receive grant to develop effective therapy for Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease is an hereditary disorder of the nervous system caused by a faulty gene on chromosome four. The faulty gene leads to nerve damage in the area of the brain resulting in gradual physical, mental and emotional changes. Those born to a parent with Huntington's disease have a 50:50 chance of developing it, and there is currently no cure.

9 Apr 2015

National MS Society commits $28 million to support new MS research projects, training awards

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has committed $28 million to support an expected 84 new MS research projects and training awards. These are part of a comprehensive research strategy aimed at stopping MS, restoring function that has been lost, and ending the disease forever – for every single person with MS.

8 Apr 2015

Study identifies gut immune system as new, effective target for diabetes

A commonly-used drug to treat inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease, has been shown to lower blood sugar levels in obese mice, potentially identifying the gut immune system as a new and effective target in treating diabetes in humans.

8 Apr 2015

Study identifies genetic variants linked to Hirschsprung’s disease

Genetic studies in humans, zebrafish and mice have revealed how two different types of genetic variations team up to cause a rare condition called Hirschsprung’s disease. The findings add to an increasingly clear picture of how flaws in early nerve development lead to poor colon function, which must often be surgically corrected.

8 Apr 2015

Brain's primary visual cortex can drive the timing of actions

When managing, assigning each task to a specialist is often the most efficient strategy. Most researchers regard the brain as working similarly, with each region specialized to a given task. But Johns Hopkins neuroscientists have found, in rats, that the brain's primary visual cortex (VC) not only portrays the visual world but can also drive the timing of actions.

8 Apr 2015

New blood test may more accurately identify biomarkers for Parkinson's disease

A new blood test may more accurately identify blood signatures, or biomarkers, for Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a new study published in the journal Movement Disorders.

7 Apr 2015

Study reveals how cell's protein quality control mechanism helps combat neurodegenerative diseases

A molecular pathway known to suppress tumors appears to also be a major player in clearing cells of damaged proteins implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and certain types of dementia, new research in roundworms and human cells suggests.

6 Apr 2015

Adolescent binge-drinking alters genes needed for normal brain maturation

Binge-drinking during adolescence may perturb brain development at a critical time and leave lasting effects on genes and behavior that persist into adulthood.

3 Apr 2015

UC Davis' John S. Werner wins 2015 Verriest Medal from International Colour Vision Society

John S. Werner, a UC Davis neuroscientist and international authority on visual perception, has been selected to receive the 2015 Verriest Medal from the International Colour Vision Society for his contributions to understanding the structural and functional basis of color vision, how and why vision changes across the life span, and factors that contribute to loss of vision associated with disease. He will receive the award at the society's biennial symposium in Sendai, Japan, in July.

2 Apr 2015

Nerve News and Research

Study shows epilepsy drug can protect vision of MS patients

Toxic Botox travels through our nerves to reach central nervous system

Inflammation plays causal role in neurologic changes associated with Lyme disease

Electronic micropump combined with anticonvulsant drug may treat brain diseases

Researchers use virtual reality to develop new method for measuring balance control in glaucoma patients

Research: Stem cell injection may soon slow or reverse effects of age-related macular degeneration

Johns Hopkins researchers create the largest library of brain cells from ALS patients

Study may help find treatments for nerve cell damage, neurodegenerative disorders

Stem cell disease model reveals how tumor suppressor may drive bone cancer

Newly approved drug for rare blood cancer shows sustained benefit for 2 years

National study comparing minimally invasive lumbar decompression (mild) with epidural steroid injections (ESIs) reaches full enrollment

Plymouth researchers receive grant to develop effective therapy for Huntington's disease

National MS Society commits $28 million to support new MS research projects, training awards

Study identifies gut immune system as new, effective target for diabetes

Study identifies genetic variants linked to Hirschsprung’s disease

Brain's primary visual cortex can drive the timing of actions

New blood test may more accurately identify biomarkers for Parkinson's disease

Study reveals how cell's protein quality control mechanism helps combat neurodegenerative diseases

Adolescent binge-drinking alters genes needed for normal brain maturation

UC Davis' John S. Werner wins 2015 Verriest Medal from International Colour Vision Society

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

How microplastics and bacteria interact to drive antibiotic resistance

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