Nerve News and Research

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Light-sensitive protein to study Parkinson's disease

Introducing a light-sensitive protein in transgenic nerve cells... transplanting nerve cells into the brains of laboratory animals... inserting an optic fibre in the brain and using it to light up the nerve cells and stimulate them into releasing more dopamine to combat Parkinson's disease...

29 Oct 2012

First Edition: October 29, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about how the presidential election's outcome could impact the insurance industry as well as the fate of people who are sick or uninsured.

29 Oct 2012

Neuraxial anesthesia should be promoted for bilateral total knee replacements: HSS

Using regional anesthesia rather than general anesthesia reduces the need for blood transfusions in patients undergoing bilateral total knee replacement, according to a new study by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery, in New York City.

29 Oct 2012

Researchers use baker's yeast to identify new therapies for Lou Gehrig's disease

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a devastatingly cruel neurodegenerative disorder that robs sufferers of the ability to move, speak and, finally, breathe.

29 Oct 2012

Mouse model may provide clues on mechanism that links diabetes and aging to Alzheimer's

Growing evidence suggests that there may be a link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, but the physiological mechanisms by which diabetes impacts brain function and cognition are not fully understood. In a new study published in Aging Cell, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies show, for the first time, that diabetes enhances the development of aging features that may underlie early pathological events in Alzheimer's.

29 Oct 2012

Study describes how Dbr1 gene halts toxic buildup of TDP-43-a protein

Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes and the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered how modifying a gene halts the toxic buildup of a protein found in nerve cells. These findings point to a potential new tactic for treating a variety of neurodegenerative conditions, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease)-a fatal disease for which there is no cure.

29 Oct 2012

NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia participates in Symplicity system trial for hypertension

Patients with hypertension whose blood pressure cannot be brought down to safe levels despite taking three or more medications may have some relief coming their way. An innovative, first-of-its-kind clinical trial for a device representing a dramatic shift in treatment approaches for the toughest-to-treat patients is currently being conducted at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

From Medtronic 26 Oct 2012

Social or daily drinking may be more harmful to brain health

Drinking a couple of glasses of wine each day has generally been considered a good way to promote cardiovascular and brain health. But a new Rutgers University study indicates that there is a fine line between moderate and binge drinking - a risky behavior that can decrease the making of adult brain cells by as much as 40 percent.

25 Oct 2012

Eyes deceive neuromuscular monitoring efforts

Measuring train-of-four ratios at the eye muscles risks leaving patients with residual paralysis after reversal of neuromuscular blockade, a study in Anesthesiology shows.

24 Oct 2012

Paralympics athlete launches On My Feet Again at Neurotech Leaders Forum

A sailor who won a silver medal at this summer's London Paralympics describes in a new book how cutting-edge medical technology from the Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center allowed her to resume an active life after being paralyzed 14 years ago.

24 Oct 2012

Possible overlap exists between inflammatory bowel disease and IBS

Research unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas suggests a possible overlap of symptoms of two prevalent GI disorders: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and further suggests a possible link between subtle GI tract inflammation and IBS symptoms-a link that is also the focus of the first systemic review of the literature on this topic and an editorial both published in this month's American Journal of Gastroenterology.

23 Oct 2012

Exercise may protect the brain from age-related changes

People who exercise later in life may better protect their brain from age-related changes than those who do not, a study suggests.

23 Oct 2012

Eisai receives FDA approval for Fycompa to treat partial onset seizures

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Fycompa (perampanel) tablets to treat partial onset seizures in patients with epilepsy ages 12 years and older.

23 Oct 2012

Chronic electrical stimulation may help treat gastroparesis symptoms

Diabetic patients who suffer from a common complication of diabetes called gastroparesis may find that chronic electrical stimulation (ES) at specific acupuncture points could relieve gastroparesis symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, early satiety, abdominal fullness, upper abdominal pain and bloating, according to study results unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas.

22 Oct 2012

Dartmouth neurobiologist investigates brain's nerve cells that establish one's location and direction

The Who asked "who are you?" but Dartmouth neurobiologist Jeffrey Taube asks "where are you?" and "where are you going?" Taube is not asking philosophical or theological questions. Rather, he is investigating nerve cells in the brain that function in establishing one's location and direction.

20 Oct 2012

Shingles vaccine reduces risk of herpes zoster disease in older patients

Older adults who get the shingles vaccine have a nearly 50 percent reduced risk of developing the often debilitating disease, finds a new evidence review from The Cochrane Library.

20 Oct 2012

Longer looks: A Nobel for the economist behind the National Resident Matching Program; Helping Charlie end his life

A noted economist at Harvard, (Al) Roth was responsible for algorithms that matched medical students with their residency programs, children with their schools in Boston, and more recently, compatible kidney donors and transplant patients in paired donations.

19 Oct 2012

Quick, cheap eye scan can predict brain damage in people with multiple sclerosis

An inexpensive, five-minute eye scan can accurately assess the amount of brain damage in people with the debilitating autoimmune disorder multiple sclerosis (MS), and offer clues about how quickly the disease is progressing, according to results of two Johns Hopkins studies.

19 Oct 2012

Hereditary genes responsible for pain severity after motor vehicle collisions

Two studies presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY 2012 annual meeting found that hereditary genes were responsible for the amount and type of pain experienced after a motor vehicle collision (MVC).

17 Oct 2012

UAF scientists discover evolutionary origin of air breathing in vertebrates

University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists have identified what they think is the ancestral trait that allowed for the evolution of air breathing in vertebrates. They will present their research at the 42nd annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience Oct. 17 in New Orleans.

17 Oct 2012

Nerve News and Research

Light-sensitive protein to study Parkinson's disease

First Edition: October 29, 2012

Neuraxial anesthesia should be promoted for bilateral total knee replacements: HSS

Researchers use baker's yeast to identify new therapies for Lou Gehrig's disease

Mouse model may provide clues on mechanism that links diabetes and aging to Alzheimer's

Study describes how Dbr1 gene halts toxic buildup of TDP-43-a protein

NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia participates in Symplicity system trial for hypertension

Social or daily drinking may be more harmful to brain health

Eyes deceive neuromuscular monitoring efforts

Paralympics athlete launches On My Feet Again at Neurotech Leaders Forum

Possible overlap exists between inflammatory bowel disease and IBS

Exercise may protect the brain from age-related changes

Eisai receives FDA approval for Fycompa to treat partial onset seizures

Chronic electrical stimulation may help treat gastroparesis symptoms

Dartmouth neurobiologist investigates brain's nerve cells that establish one's location and direction

Shingles vaccine reduces risk of herpes zoster disease in older patients

Longer looks: A Nobel for the economist behind the National Resident Matching Program; Helping Charlie end his life

Quick, cheap eye scan can predict brain damage in people with multiple sclerosis

Hereditary genes responsible for pain severity after motor vehicle collisions

UAF scientists discover evolutionary origin of air breathing in vertebrates

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

The role of UV-Vis in biopharma QC

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