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Modulating immune response to injury could accelerate regeneration of peripheral nerves

Modulating immune response to injury could accelerate the regeneration of severed peripheral nerves, a new study in an animal model has found. By altering activity of the macrophage cells that respond to injuries, researchers dramatically increased the rate at which nerve processes regrew.

4 Oct 2012

UMass Amherst biophysicist receives 2013 Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award

University of Massachusetts Amherst biophysicist Jenny Ross has won one of the top national honors in her field, the 2013 Margaret Oakley Dayhoff Award, from the Biophysical Society of Rockville, Md. It is given to a woman who has achieved prominence for "substantial contributions to science," while showing very high promise for ideas and leadership in the early stages of her biophysical research career.

3 Oct 2012

DFG-funded project to research into complex regional pain syndrome

German Research Foundation funds a three-year joint project of the Mainz University Medical Center and the University of Münster to the tune of about EUR 460,000.

3 Oct 2012

Multiple sclerosis symptoms worse in those with low vitamin D levels

Low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased number of brain lesions and signs of a more active disease state in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study finds, suggesting a potential link between intake of the vitamin and the risk of longer-term disability from the autoimmune disorder.

3 Oct 2012

Statins linked to reduced glaucoma risk

Cholesterol-lowering medications in the statin class could significantly reduce the risk for developing open-angle glaucoma, show data for more than 500,000 older-age US individuals with hyperlipidemia.

2 Oct 2012

Statins may protect against glaucoma

People who take statins to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease are less likely to be diagnosed with the most common form of glaucoma, according to a nationwide study of more than 300,000 patients.

2 Oct 2012

Thermal imaging camera monitors pain processing in patients suffering from small fiber neuropathy

Early results from the NeuroSIPE* programme 'Beyond Pain' project, in research funded by the Dutch Technology Foundation STW, demonstrate how a FLIR SC5600 thermal imaging camera has been used as an effective, non-invasive tool for monitoring of pain processing in the central nervous system of patients suffering from small fiber neuropathy.

2 Oct 2012

Trial evidence is mixed regarding digital nerve reconstruction

Evidence supporting various surgical and postsurgical interventions in digital nerve reconstruction is inconsistent or imprecise, research shows.

1 Oct 2012

People with SIRT1 genetic variation more likely to develop vibration-induced white finger disease

Vibration-induced white finger disease (VWF) is caused by continued use of vibrating hand held machinery (high frequency vibration >50 Hz), and affects tens of thousands of people. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Clinical Epigenetics finds that people with a genetic polymorphism (A2191G) in sirtuin1 (SIRT1), a protein involved in the regulation of endothelial NOS (eNOS), are more likely to suffer from vibration-induced white finger disease.

1 Oct 2012

Gentle chiropractic care improves child's overall health and well-being

Irritation to a young person's nervous system can begin in utero. The baby's position during delivery (natural or cesarean) can create stress on their nervous system. Even a "normal, healthy" birth can induce 40-50 pounds of pressure on a newborn's neck and spine.

29 Sep 2012

Optics Express publishes new paper on smart micromanipulation aided robotic-surgical tool

Even the most skilled and steady surgeons experience minute, almost imperceptible hand tremors when performing delicate tasks. Normally, these tiny motions are inconsequential, but for doctors specializing in fine-scale surgery, such as operating inside the human eye or repairing microscopic nerve fibers, freehand tremors can pose a serious risk for patients.

28 Sep 2012

Lessons on the journey to commercialisation

One of the Asia Pacific region’s best known biotech leaders, Dr Greg Collier, says successful commercialisation of a new drug or therapy takes, “discipline, a strong set of nerves and a stroke of luck.”

28 Sep 2012

Efavirenz drug may play a key role in brain damage

The way the body metabolizes a commonly prescribed anti-retroviral drug that is used long term by patients infected with HIV may contribute to cognitive impairment by damaging nerve cells, a new Johns Hopkins research suggests.

28 Sep 2012

Nottingham expert to study impact of gluten intolerance on patients in the UK

A University of Nottingham expert has been awarded -80,000 by two national charities to study the impact of gluten intolerance on patients in the UK.

27 Sep 2012

Article reveals biochemical chain of events involved in penile erection

For two decades, scientists have known the biochemical factors that trigger penile erection, but not what's needed to maintain one. Now an article by Johns Hopkins researchers, scheduled to be published this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), uncovers the biochemical chain of events involved in that process.

27 Sep 2012

GW to evaluate effectiveness of glucose-lowering drugs against type 2 diabetes

John Lachin, professor of biostatistics, epidemiology and statistics at the George Washington University, has been awarded a five-year, $134 million grant from the National Institute of Health's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to conduct a clinical trial examining the long-term effectiveness of several glucose-lowering medications for treatment of people with type 2 diabetes. The grant sets a record as the largest sum award GW has ever received.

27 Sep 2012

Loyola now offers sacral nerve stimulation for patients with fecal incontinence

Fecal incontinence, or the inability to control the bowels, is a highly underreported and stigmatized condition, according to colorectal surgeons at Loyola University Health System (LUHS).

27 Sep 2012

Orexin-A hormone also affects emergence after anesthesia

A neuropeptide hormone called orexin-A—which plays an important role in regulating the normal sleep-wake cycle—also affects emergence (waking up) after anesthesia, reports an experimental study in the October issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

26 Sep 2012

Cochlear implant an option for unhappy stapes patients

Cochlear implantation is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with far advanced otosclerosis who have not benefitted from stapedectomy, report US researchers.

25 Sep 2012

NeuroSigma to launch Monarch eTNS system at 10th European Congress on Epileptology

NeuroSigma, Inc., a Los Angeles-based medical device company, announced today that its Monarch eTNS system for the adjunctive treatment of epilepsy and depression will make its debut at the 10th European Congress on Epileptology, which takes place in London, England from September 30 to October 4, 2012.

25 Sep 2012