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Drugs that inhibit buildup of acylcarnitines may block axonal degeneration

Anyone whose hand or foot has "fallen asleep" has an idea of the numbness and tingling often experienced by people with peripheral nerve damage. The condition also can cause a range of other symptoms, including unrelenting pain, stinging, burning, itching and sensitivity to touch.

6 Mar 2013

Neuromonitoring predicts functional outcome after rectal cancer surgery

Intraoperative neuromonitoring of the bladder and internal anal sphincter can accurately predict postsurgical urinary and anorectal function, research suggests.

6 Mar 2013

Scientists report successful blocking of tumor development in genetic mouse model of human cancer

UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists report the first successful blocking of tumor development in a genetic mouse model of an incurable human cancer.

6 Mar 2013

Cognitive behavioral therapy brings relief to people with diabetic neuropathies, researchers find

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine and VA Boston Healthcare System have found that cognitive behavioral therapy can help relieve pain for people with painful diabetic neuropathies.

5 Mar 2013

Children with low-risk retinoblastoma do not need postoperative chemotherapy

New results from a prospective clinical trial conducted in France show that children with low-risk retinoblastoma do not need postoperative (adjuvant) chemotherapy to prevent disease recurrence or metastasis; the results also suggest that certain patients with intermediate-risk disease can receive less aggressive adjuvant treatment, or perhaps forego it altogether. Avoiding chemotherapy spares patients from treatment side effects and long-term health risks, such as cardiovascular disease and development of a second cancer.

5 Mar 2013

Study identifies how new ALS gene mutations cause other diseases of the brain, muscle and bone

Researchers supported by The ALS Association have discovered how mutations in new amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) genes cause not only ALS but also other diseases of the brain, muscle and bone.

4 Mar 2013

Researchers discover how LRRK2 mutations in familial Parkinson's damage brain cells

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered how the most common genetic mutations in familial Parkinson's disease damage brain cells.

4 Mar 2013

Study identifies two gene mutations that lead to death of nerve cells in ALS

A study led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has discovered mutations in two genes that lead to the death of nerve cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and related degenerative diseases.

4 Mar 2013

Shortage of TDP-43 protein causes muscle wasting and stunted nerve cells

A shortage of a protein called TDP-43 caused muscle wasting and stunted nerve cells. This finding supports the idea that malfunction of this protein plays a decisive role in ALS and FTD. The study is published in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA" (PNAS).

3 Mar 2013

Knockdown or deletion of Jmjd3 gene could improve efficiency of stem cell conversion process

The removal of a genetic roadblock could improve the efficiency of converting adult cells into stem cells by 10 to 30 times, report scientists from The Methodist Hospital Research Institute and two other institutions in the latest issue of Cell.

3 Mar 2013

Experience shows good results with secondary facelift surgery

Performed an average of a decade after initial facelift surgery, a "secondary" facelift can achieve similarly lasting results with a low complication rate, according to a paper in the March issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery-, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

1 Mar 2013

DDR may help decrease cognitive and physical effects of multiple sclerosis

Studies have shown that the popular video game, Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), which requires players to coordinate their movements to the beat of music, may help improve balance and mobility in certain patient populations.

28 Feb 2013

ECGs show structural difference in brain connections among children with autism

A look at how the brain processes information finds a distinct pattern in children with autism spectrum disorders. Using EEGs to track the brain's electrical cross-talk, researchers from Boston Children's Hospital have found a structural difference in brain connections. Compared with neurotypical children, those with autism have multiple redundant connections between neighboring brain areas at the expense of long-distance links.

27 Feb 2013

Acupuncture with de qi improves facial muscle recovery in Bell palsy patients

Patients with Bell palsy who received acupuncture that achieves de qi, a type of intense stimulation, had improved facial muscle recovery, reduced disability and better quality of life, according to a randomized controlled trial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

26 Feb 2013

Individuals with psychogenic disease do have brains that function differently

Psychogenic diseases, formerly known as 'hysterical' illnesses, can have many severe symptoms such as painful cramps or paralysis but without any physical explanation. However, new research from the University of Cambridge and UCL (University College London) suggests that individuals with psychogenic disease, that is to say physical illness that stems from emotional or mental stresses, do have brains that function differently.

25 Feb 2013

New technology for rehabilitation of amputees

For the first time an operation has been conducted, at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, where electrodes have been permanently implanted in nerves and muscles of an amputee to directly control an arm prosthesis. The result allows natural control of an advanced robotic prosthesis, similarly to the motions of a natural limb.

25 Feb 2013

WUSTL to develop 3-D computer models of brain biomechanics to better understand TBI

Washington University in St. Louis engineering researchers have received a five-year, $2.25 million grant to better understand traumatic brain injuries in efforts to improve methods for prevention and treatment.

25 Feb 2013

Researchers identify several genes associated with human neurological disorders

Scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) have identified several genes linked to human neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injury, in the sea lamprey, a vertebrate fish whose whole-genome sequence is reported this week in the journal Nature Genetics.

25 Feb 2013

Brain cooling after severe head injury may prevent epileptic seizures

In the weeks, months and years after a severe head injury, patients often experience epileptic seizures that are difficult to control. A new study in rats suggests that gently cooling the brain after injury may prevent these seizures.

22 Feb 2013