Neurosurgery News and Research

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Elekta’s high field MRI-guided linear accelerator installed at MD Anderson Cancer Center

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Elekta and Philips teams recently completed installation of the first high field (1.5 Tesla) MRI-guided linear accelerator in the United States.

From Elekta 13 Oct 2015

Study shows that IVIG could prevent brain atrophy, delay onset of Alzheimer's disease

In a Sutter Institute of Medical Research study published this month in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, the blood product intravenous immunoglobulin, or IVIG, was found to reduce brain atrophy and cognitive decline in patients in the early, pre-dementia phase of Alzheimer's disease.

12 Oct 2015

Study opens new doors to research possible treatment for patients suffering from neuropathic pain

Chronic pain results from disease or trauma to the nervous system. Damaged nerve fibres with heightened responses to normal stimuli send incorrect messages to pain centres in the brain. This phenomenon, called "peripheral and central sensitization" is one of the key mechanisms involved in the condition which touches people with diabetes, cancer, and those suffering from multiple sclerosis, among others.

12 Oct 2015

New microscope technology may help surgeons work with greater accuracy

Researchers at the University of Arizona have developed a prototype of a new microscope technology that could help surgeons work with a greater degree of accuracy. The new technology, call augmented microscopy, overlays images depicting diagnostic information such as blood flow and cancerous tissue over real images of blood vessels and other tissues and structures being viewed in the microscope.

8 Oct 2015

'Housing First' approach may not reduce obesity problems for homeless people with mental illness

The "Housing First" approach of giving homeless people with mental illness a place to live without any preconditions such as sobriety or enrollment in a psychiatric treatment program has many benefits. But losing weight isn't one of them.

30 Sep 2015

Glowing protein may replace fiber optic cable as light source in optogenetics research

Optogenetics has taken neuroscience by storm in recent years because the technique allows scientists to study the brain conveniently in animals, activating or inhibiting selected groups of neurons at the flip of a switch. Most often, scientists use a fiber optic cable to deliver light into the brain.

30 Sep 2015

Clinical trial initiated to determine feasibility, safety of focused ultrasound to treat depression

The first patient with depression has been treated with focused ultrasound. This procedure marks the beginning of a pilot clinical trial to determine the feasibility and safety of MR-guided focused ultrasound to non-invasively destroy a small volume of tissue deep in the brain - the anterior limb of the internal capsule - a well-established target for treating severe depression.

29 Sep 2015

Researchers develop strategies to prevent pediatric head injuries from toppled TV sets

Researchers from the University of Toronto and St. Michael's Hospital (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) reviewed medical articles describing head injuries caused by toppled television sets in children 0 to 18 years of age. These injuries, which can be severe and sometimes fatal in small children, are often unwitnessed by adult caregivers, indicating a lack of awareness of the dangers posed to toddlers by TV sets that are not securely mounted.

29 Sep 2015

TIS physicians selected as recipients of D Magazine 2015 Best Doctors in Dallas

More than 30 physicians credentialed to practice at Texas Institute for Surgery at Texas Heath Presbyterian Dallas (TIS) are recognized by D Magazine in its October issue, Best Doctors 2015.

26 Sep 2015

UT Southwestern surgeons help pioneer minimally invasive ear surgery

UT Southwestern Medical Center surgeons are helping to pioneer a trend that extends the advantages and benefits of minimally invasive surgery to patients who need middle ear surgery.

23 Sep 2015

Prashant Mahajan awarded $5.76 million grant to study how febrile infants can avoid invasive procedures

Prashant Mahajan, M.D., professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, chief of the Division of Emergency Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at Wayne State University and Children's Hospital of Michigan, has been awarded a five-year, $5.76 million grant (1R01HD085233) by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.

23 Sep 2015

Codman Neuro develops new MRI-resistant programmable valve for treatment of hydrocephalus

Codman Neuro* has developed a new MRI-resistant programmable valve with eight different pressure settings, including a ‘virtual off’ setting, for the treatment of hydrocephalus, a neurological condition that affects more than one million children and adults in the United States.

22 Sep 2015

New study looks at how remote conditioning can help reduce dementia

A new study is looking at whether short, daily bouts of reduced blood flow to an arm or leg can reduce the ravages of dementia.

22 Sep 2015

Fetuses with enlarged ventricles are not ideal candidates for fetal spina bifida surgery

Fetuses with enlarged ventricles--the fluid-filled cavities inside the brain--may be less likely than other fetuses to benefit from surgery in the womb to treat spina bifida, according to a study co-authored by researchers at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco.

16 Sep 2015

USF study shows spleen may be a new target for treating stroke-induced chronic inflammation

Stroke injures the brain, but a new University of South Florida study indicates an abdominal organ that plays a vital role in immune function, the spleen, may be a target for treating stroke-induced chronic inflammation leading to further brain cell death.

16 Sep 2015

Prenatal repair of myelomeningocele reduces need for CSF shunt within 12 months of life, shows MOMS data

Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) investigators analyzed updated data on the effects of prenatal myelomeningocele closure on the need for placement of a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt within the first 12 months of life.

15 Sep 2015

Uninsured, Medicaid stroke victims experience worse medical outcomes than patients with private insurance

Stroke victims who use Medicaid or are uninsured were more likely to die, stay hospitalized longer and have worse medical outcomes than patients with private insurance, a study by University of Florida Health researchers has found.

14 Sep 2015

BWH partners with MCHS to develop unique fetal program

Experts from BWH will partner with MCHS to provide recommendations related to the development of the program, including establishing a high-risk-fetal labor and delivery unit at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, slated to open in 2017, as well as guidance on clinical protocols and opportunities for training and education.

10 Sep 2015

Innovative vaccine therapy shows promise against glioblastoma brain tumors

An innovative vaccine therapy developed at Roswell Park Cancer Institute is being tested in a multisite clinical trial involving 50 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma brain tumors. The phase II study, now accruing patients at both Roswell Park and the Cleveland Clinic, will assess the effectiveness of the SurVaxM vaccine in combination with standard chemotherapy as treatment for this often-fatal cancer.