Stroke News and Research

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A stroke is a medical emergency. Strokes happen when blood flow to your brain stops. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. There are two kinds of stroke. The more common kind, called ischemic stroke, is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. The other kind, called hemorrhagic stroke, is caused by a blood vessel that breaks and bleeds into the brain. "Mini-strokes" or transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), occur when the blood supply to the brain is briefly interrupted.

Deep brain stimulation remains an effective treatment for Parkinson's

A "brain pacemaker" called deep brain stimulation (DBS) remains an effective treatment for Parkinson's disease for at least three years, according to a study in the June 2010 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

21 Jun 2012

MountainView Hospital first in Nevada to use Xenex’s room disinfection device

In an ongoing effort to improve patient safety, MountainView Hospital today announced it is the first hospital in Nevada to use Xenex Healthcare Services' innovative germ-zapping room disinfection technology to keep patients even safer from infections.

21 Jun 2012

Psychologic distress has broad vascular risk impact

Psychologic distress has as large an impact on people’s cerebrovascular disease risk as on their ischemic heart disease risk, say UK researchers.

20 Jun 2012

Hypertension-associated hospitalizations of children on the increase

The number of children hospitalized with hypertension in the USA increased dramatically between 1997 and 2006, with associated increases in healthcare costs, say researchers.

20 Jun 2012

HCHD to offer APTA-accredited post-professional physical therapy residency programs

The Harris County Hospital District joins only one other public healthcare system in the nation to offer two post-professional physical therapy residency programs with the recent accreditation of the Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency by the American Physical Therapy Association.

20 Jun 2012

Study reveals critical aspect of how frontopolar cortex contributes to decision making

Researchers at the University of Iowa, together with colleagues from the California Institute of Technology and New York University, have discovered how a part of the brain helps predict future events from past experiences. The work sheds light on the function of the front-most part of the frontal lobe, known as the frontopolar cortex, an area of the cortex uniquely well developed in humans in comparison with apes and other primates.

20 Jun 2012

HealthSouth to acquire 36-bed inpatient adult rehabilitation unit of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa

HealthSouth Corporation announced it has signed a letter of intent to acquire the 36-bed inpatient adult rehabilitation unit of CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – Medical Center.

20 Jun 2012

Imaging vital to localize stroke

Clinical signs and symptoms can rarely distinguish posterior circulation infarction from anterior circulation infarction, say researchers.

19 Jun 2012

C-section rates in US stabilize after eight years of steady increase

A new report on trends in women's health in the United States reveals the national C-section rate has held steady at 33 percent since 2009, leveling off after eight years of steady increase that was in part driven by scheduled, elective surgeries and a trend for increasing the repeat C-section.

19 Jun 2012

FDA clears expanded indications for InTouch Health Remote Presence devices

InTouch Health, the world's premier provider of acute care telemedicine solutions, has received a new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance with expanded indications for use for its range of Remote Presence devices which includes RP-7i®, RP-Lite®, RP-Vantage® and RP-Xpress® as well as VisitOR1® which is sold by and is a registered trademark of Karl Storz.

19 Jun 2012

Skin disease shares common inflammatory pathway with metabolic disorder

Psoriasis is an independent risk for Type 2 Diabetes, according to a new study by researchers with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, with the greatest risk seen in patients with severe psoriasis.

19 Jun 2012

Antiarrhythmic short-term treatment useful for some patients

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequently sustained arrhythmia of the heart. It affects several million people in Europe. AF causes a loss of contraction in the atria and gives rise to heart failure. Moreover, it is associated with a high risk of stroke. One in five strokes is due to AF.

19 Jun 2012

LDL particles may be a more accurate measure of early-stage atherosclerosis

LipoScience, Inc., today announced publication of a clinical study in the current issue of Atherosclerosis suggesting that low density lipoprotein (LDL) particles may be a more accurate measure of early-stage (subclinical) atherosclerosis than LDL cholesterol among retired National Football League (NFL) players.

19 Jun 2012

Midwest patient receives successful stem cell transplant to cure sickle cell disease

Chicagoan Ieshea Thomas is the first Midwest patient to receive a successful stem cell transplant to cure her sickle cell disease without chemotherapy in preparation for the transplant.

19 Jun 2012

Psychological distress associated with higher risk of death from stroke

Psychological distress was associated with a higher risk of death from stroke, according to a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

19 Jun 2012

Penumbra adds MAX System of Reperfusion Catheters to family of aspiration thrombectomy devices

The Penumbra System family of aspiration thrombectomy devices now includes the MAX System of Reperfusion Catheters for removal of clots in patients experiencing acute ischemic stroke. The MAX System neuro-interventional devices offer a fast, simplified cerebral thrombectomy procedure with single-operator, over-the-wire delivery without the need for a large proximal balloon guide.

18 Jun 2012

Is curry good for you?

There have been several news stories over the years reporting that curry may be good for us. Most of them refer to a chemical in curry, known as curcumin.

18 Jun 2012

Surprising effects of brain injury

When Maria Ross' husband found his healthy and active wife unconscious on the bathroom floor, the pair had no idea they would embark on a journey into the world of brain injury, learning more about how trauma affects the brain - and your identity - than they ever cared to know.

16 Jun 2012

Novel technique can restore hand function in patients with spinal cord injury

Justin M. Brown, MD, reconstructive neurosurgeon at UC San Diego Health System, is one of only a few specialists in the world who have pioneered a novel technique to restore hand function in patients with spinal cord injury. In a delicate four-hour procedure, Brown splices together tiny nerve endings, only one millimeter in width, to help restore hand mobility. Most patients return home 24 hours after surgery.

16 Jun 2012

Six-month data from ReCor’s PARADISE System trial on resistant hypertension

ReCor Medical, an emerging medical device company, reported today six-month follow-up data on eight patients who have been treated via renal denervation for their resistant hypertension with the Company's PARADISE System—the only system for renal denervation that is based on ultrasound, not radiofrequency, energy.

16 Jun 2012