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Illinois Back Institute offers non-surgical treatment for lower back pain

Chronic pain is terrifying. Sciatica and stenosis are two of the most common causes of persistent, debilitating back pain. Chicago resident Pedro Estrada suffered from extreme back pain that compromised his livelihood and soured his outlook on life. After taking time off from his job and consulting many doctors, he finally found relief with non-surgical treatment at the Illinois Back Institute.

17 May 2012

Stroke survivors from King County to share their stories during EMS Week

Hours, or even minutes, can mean the difference between life and death when someone is having a stroke. As part of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week from May 20-26, stroke survivors from King County will share their stories about how quick recognition of stroke symptoms and timely response and treatment through King County EMS helps patients survive and return to full health.

17 May 2012

Some hand function restored in quadriplegic patient with spinal cord injury

Surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have restored some hand function in a quadriplegic patient with a spinal cord injury at the C7 vertebra, the lowest bone in the neck. Instead of operating on the spine itself, the surgeons rerouted working nerves in the upper arms. These nerves still "talk" to the brain because they attach to the spine above the injury.

16 May 2012

Colonic tissue may help predict Parkinson's disease

Two studies by neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center suggest that, in the future, colonic tissue obtained during either colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy may be used to predict who will develop Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disorder of aging that that leads to progressive deterioration of motor function due to loss of neurons in the brain that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter essential to executing movement.

16 May 2012

Delayed loss of nerve cells in the brain linked to symptoms of depression following stroke

Several weeks after mild brain ischemia, mice display a depressive-like syndrome characterized by increased anxiety, inactivity and "cheerlessness". These symptoms of depression following a stroke are associated with the delayed loss of nerve cells in the brain's reward regions. This is the major finding of a study published in the current issue of Biological Psychiatry.

16 May 2012

Nerve transfer procedure helps patients recover movement in hands and extremities

San Diego based neurosurgeon, Dr. Justin M. Brown, M.D., Director of the Neurosurgery Peripheral Nerve Program at UCSD School of Medicine, has implemented a procedure that helps patients recover movement in their hands and extremities after spinal cord and brain injuries, strokes, and other forms of paralysis.

16 May 2012

InVivo Therapeutics reports net income of $3,150,000 for first quarter 2012

InVivo Therapeutics Holdings Corp., a developer of groundbreaking technologies for the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCI), today reported the financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2012 and provided a business update.

15 May 2012

Researchers find protein that controls neurotransmission: findings may lead to new drugs to treat neurological disorders

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered that the single protein -- alpha 2 delta -- exerts a spigot-like function, controlling the volume of neurotransmitters and other chemicals that flow between the synapses of brain neurons. The study, published online in Nature, shows how brain cells talk to each other through these signals, relaying thoughts, feelings and action, and this powerful molecule plays a crucial role in regulating effective communication.

15 May 2012

AxoGen first quarter revenues increase 47% to $1.65 million

AxoGen, Inc., a leading regenerative medicine company focused on the commercialization of proprietary products and technologies for peripheral nerve reconstruction and regeneration, today announced revenues for the first quarter ended March 31, 2012 of $1.65 million, a 47% increase over 2011 first quarter revenues of $1.12 million.

15 May 2012

FDA clears Bioness smaller leg cuff for use with L300 Foot Drop System

Bioness Inc. today announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market a smaller leg cuff for use with the company's L300 Foot Drop System.

14 May 2012

Even mild head injuries can cause abnormalities in brain function

Even mild head injuries can cause significant abnormalities in brain function that last for several days, which may explain the neurological symptoms experienced by some individuals who have experienced a head injury associated with sports, accidents or combat, according to a study by Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers.

14 May 2012

Mild head injuries can cause structural disruption of axons in the brain

11 May 2012

FDA warns about 'liberation therapy' for multiple sclerosis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting health care professionals and patients about injuries and death associated with the use of an experimental procedure sometimes called "liberation therapy" or the "liberation procedure" to treat chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI).

11 May 2012

PET imaging for sudden cardiac arrest can identify candidates for ICDs

New research from the University at Buffalo suggests that cardiologists may have a new way to identify patients who are at the highest risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and the most likely to benefit from receiving an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD).

11 May 2012

Researchers identify over 2500 mRNA along dendrites and axons

How do we build a memory in the brain? It is well known that for animals (and humans) new proteins are needed to establish long-term memories. During learning information is stored at the synapses, the junctions connecting nerve cells.

11 May 2012

DYNC1H1 genetic mutation contributes to SMA-LED

Scientists have confirmed that mutations of a gene are responsible for some cases of a rare, inherited disease that causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness: spinal muscular atrophy with lower extremity predominance, also known as SMA-LED.

11 May 2012

MAGI genes play a role in psychiatric disease

These findings are not about the classic story of gift-giving, although the MAGI genes (officially named membrane associated guanylate kinase, WW and PDZ domain containing proteins) do influence brain function in important ways.

11 May 2012

Glial cells pass on metabolites to neurons

Around 100 billion neurons in the human brain enable us to think, feel and act. They transmit electrical impulses to remote parts of the brain and body via long nerve fibres known as axons. This communication requires enormous amounts of energy, which the neurons are thought to generate from sugar. Axons are closely associated with glial cells which, on the one hand, surround them with an electrically insulating myelin sheath and, on the other hand support their long-term function.

11 May 2012

Researchers identify cellular mechanism associated with tinnitus

Researchers in the University of Leicester's Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology have identified a cellular mechanism that could underlie the development of tinnitus following exposure to loud noises. The discovery could lead to novel tinnitus treatments, and investigations into potential drugs to prevent tinnitus are currently underway.

10 May 2012

New technique measures brain activity in large populations of nerve cells

Researchers have developed a new technique which allows them to measure brain activity in large populations of nerve cells at the resolution of individual cells. The technique, reported today in the journal Nature, has been developed in zebrafish to represent a simplified model of how brain regions work together to flexibly control behaviour.

10 May 2012