Paralysis News and Research

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Paralysis is the loss of muscle function in part of your body. It happens when something goes wrong with the way messages pass between your brain and muscles. Paralysis can be complete or partial. It can occur on one or both sides of your body. It can also occur in just one area, or it can be widespread. Paralysis of the lower half of your body, including both legs, is called paraplegia. Paralysis of the arms and legs is quadriplegia.

Researchers overcome major stumbling blocks in developing HIV vaccine

An international team of researchers has demonstrated a way of overcoming one of the major stumbling blocks that has prevented the development of a vaccine against HIV: the ability to generate immune cells that stay in circulation long enough to respond to and stop virus infection.

13 Sep 2017

UCI-led consortium receives $8 million from NSF to develop brain-computer interface

The National Science Foundation has awarded $8 million to a consortium led by the University of California, Irvine to develop a brain-computer interface that can restore walking ability and sensation in individuals with spinal cord injury.

13 Sep 2017

Severe cases of polio-like illness observed among children in many countries

In Germany in the summer and autumn of 2016, several cases of illness in children were observed that were accompanied by acute flaccid paralysis.

8 Sep 2017

Scientists directly convert skin cells from healthy adults into motor neurons

Scientists working to develop new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases have been stymied by the inability to grow human motor neurons in the lab. Motor neurons drive muscle contractions, and their damage underlies devastating diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy, both of which ultimately lead to paralysis and early death.

7 Sep 2017

Biodegradable nanoparticle injected after spinal cord injury limits damage

After a spinal cord injury, a significant amount of secondary nerve damage is caused by inflammation and internal scarring that inhibits the ability of the nervous system to repair itself.

5 Sep 2017

New biomarkers for early Lyme Disease identified

A team of researchers led by Colorado State University has developed a test to facilitate early diagnosis of Lyme Disease, which it is hoped will improved treatment outcomes. Until now, it was difficult to distinguish Lyme disease from similar, less severe tick-borne conditions.

18 Aug 2017

Scientists use magnetic nanoparticles to trigger activity deep inside the brain

Scientists have used magnetism to activate tiny groups of cells in the brain, inducing bodily movements that include running, rotating and losing control of the extremities -- an achievement that could lead to advances in studying and treating neurological disease.

17 Aug 2017

Five things that parents should know about pediatric eye surgery requiring anesthesia

Healthy eyes play an important role in a child's development, and sometimes more than just a new pair of glasses may be required.

1 Aug 2017

Zebrafish study could hold clues to new therapies for people with spinal cord injuries

Fresh insights into how zebrafish repair their nerve connections could hold clues to new therapies for people with spinal cord injuries.

25 Jul 2017

Scientists uncover new gene therapy treatment routes for motor neurone disease

Scientists investigating the genetic causes and altered functioning of nerve cells in motor neurone disease (MND) have discovered a new mechanism that could lead to fresh treatment approaches for one of the most common forms of the disease.

14 Jul 2017

Scientists reveal role of cellular prion protein in development of NF2-related tumors

New research published today, 10th July 2017, online in the journal Oncogene could offer hope to the thousands of, mainly young, people affected by the hereditary condition Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2).

10 Jul 2017

Novel technique to monitor nerve function could transform the way doctors perform surgeries

In a first-of-its-kind study, Mount Sinai researchers have discovered a novel technique to monitor laryngeal and vagus nerve function while patients are under anesthesia during otolaryngology and neurosurgery procedures.

3 Jul 2017

Study sheds new light on extent of lethal rat lungworm's geographic range in Florida

University of Florida researchers have found rat lungworm, a parasitic nematode that can cause meningitis in humans and animals, in five Florida counties.

28 Jun 2017

Hospitals ramp up hyperbaric therapy for diabetics, despite concerns

The Villages Regional Hospital did not sweat its decision to add hyperbaric oxygen therapy in 2013.

28 Jun 2017

Insomnia drug appears to have opposite effect for patients with neurologic conditions

In a new systematic review in JAMA Neurology, Michigan Medicine researchers found reason to further explore the surprising effects of zolpidem that have been observed outside the scope of its primary Food and Drug Administration approval.

27 Jun 2017

Researchers uncover three-dimensional structure of tetanus toxin protein

"Our discovery could be used to design new medicines", says Pål Stenmark, Associate Professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University.

27 Jun 2017

Infectious disease experts examine how quickly Lyme disease symptoms resolve in children

For many Americans, the warmer weather of summer means more time spent outside: More gardening and yard work, more hikes in the woods, more backyard barbecues. But for this year in particular, some experts predict warmer weather will lead to more ticks.

23 Jun 2017

Study provides evidence that cortical targets could enhance motor function after spinal cord injury

Monica A. Perez, P.T., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery and The Miami Project, and colleagues, recently published A novel cortical target to enhance hand motor output in humans with spinal cord injury in the June issue of Brain that provides the first evidence that cortical targets could represent a novel therapeutic site for improving motor function in humans paralyzed by spinal cord injury (SCI).

23 Jun 2017

Genetic factors play significant role in causing ALS, study reveals

Up to 90 percent of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) report that they have no family history of the disease.

22 Jun 2017

KU Leuven research reveals mechanism behind post-operative ileus

In the days following abdominal surgery, patients' intestinal contents pass more slowly or not at all. New research at KU Leuven, Belgium, has now shown that this phenomenon -- known as post-operative ileus or bowel paralysis -- is not caused by the cells previously identified as the main players.

20 Jun 2017