Autonomic Nervous System News and Research

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People with Prader-Willi Syndrome may have impaired autonomic nervous system

An Australian study reveals that people with the rare genetic disorder known as Prader-Willi Syndrome may have an impaired autonomic nervous system. This discovery opens up a new way of looking at the insatiable appetite experienced by all sufferers, as well as their very high risk of cardiovascular disease.

16 Nov 2012

Heart rate variability may help to understand chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Researchers have discovered for the first time that reduced heart rate variability – or changes in heart beat timing – best predicts cognitive disturbances, such as concentration difficulties commonly reported by people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

15 Nov 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

Paced breathing may reduce hot flashes in women

Regular, daily practice of calm or paced breathing may ease hot flashes, shows a new study published online in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society.

25 Sep 2012

Newly discovered neuronal pathway plays key role in controlling bone density during adolescence

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered that a neuronal pathway -- part of the autonomic nervous system -- reaches the bones and participates in the control of bone development.

5 Sep 2012

Researchers now add electronic sensors to tissue scaffolds

To control the three-dimensional shape of engineered tissue, researchers grow cells on tiny, sponge-like scaffolds. These devices can be implanted into patients or used in the lab to study tissue responses to potential drugs.

28 Aug 2012

New method helps engineer tissues with embedded nanoscale networks

A multi-institutional research team has developed a method for embedding networks of biocompatible nanoscale wires within engineered tissues. These networks—which mark the first time that electronics and tissue have been truly merged in 3D—allow direct tissue sensing and potentially stimulation, a potential boon for development of engineered tissues that incorporate capabilities for monitoring and stimulation, and of devices for screening new drugs.

27 Aug 2012

BioControl Medical receives FDA approval to initiate second phase of CardioFit study for heart failure

BioControl Medical has announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to begin the second phase of INOVATE-HF (INcrease Of VAgal TonE in Heart Failure), a global, multi-center, investigational device exemption (IDE) clinical study of the company's CardioFit system for heart failure.

12 Jul 2012

Ozone exposure associated with cardiovascular ailments

Young, healthy adult volunteers exposed for two hours to ozone developed physiological changes associated with cardiovascular ailments, according to a small study reported in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal.

26 Jun 2012

People on calorie restriction have better heart rate variability

People who restrict their caloric intake in an effort to live longer have hearts that function more like those in people who are 20 years younger.

7 Jun 2012

New research reveals effective treatments for gastrointestinal conditions

New research being presented at Digestive Disease Week- (DDW) reveals effective treatments for a number of gastrointestinal conditions, which are often chronic and costly.

22 May 2012

Viewing a needle prick leads to enhanced pain perception

Health professionals commonly say, "Don't look and it won't hurt" before administering an injection, but is there any scientific basis for the advice? A group of German investigators has found that, in fact, your past experience with needle pricks, along with information you receive before an injection, shape your pain experience. Their research is published in the May issue of Pain.

14 May 2012

New analysis on why some soldiers never seek PTSD care

U.S. Army researcher Maj. Gary H. Wynn, M.D., shared new analysis on why some Soldiers suffering from combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) never seek care or drop out of treatment early during a presentation today at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting. His presentation, "Epidemiology of Combat-Related PTSD in U.S. Service Members: Lessons Learned," also described the approaches the Army is using to address this issue and improve overall patient outcomes.

8 May 2012

Physician Therapeutics publishes results from Sentra PM clinical trial

Physician Therapeutics, Inc., a division of Targeted Medical Pharma, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company that manufactures and distributes specialty pharmaceuticals to physicians, pharmacies and skilled nursing facilities, published results from a clinical trial of the proprietary medical food Sentra PM.

3 May 2012

Paper describes results of BMT in models of Rett Syndrome

A paper published online today in Nature describes the results of using bone marrow transplant (BMT) to replace faulty immune system cells in models of Rett Syndrome. The procedure arrested many severe symptoms of the childhood disorder, including abnormal breathing and movement, and significantly extended the lifespan of Rett mouse models.

19 Mar 2012

Yoga may be effective in treating patients with stress-related psychological and medical conditions

An article by researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), New York Medical College (NYMC), and the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons (CCPS) reviews evidence that yoga may be effective in treating patients with stress-related psychological and medical conditions such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and cardiac disease.

7 Mar 2012

Referees' stress tolerance does not depend on specific physical condition

All referees feel stress on match days. However, contrary to what you might believe, a joint study by the Catholic University of Brasilia, A Coru-a University and James Cook University in Australia state that the level of stress is not linked to the physical condition of these referees, but to their nervous system. The researchers measured the activity of Spanish football referees on a normal day and on a match day.

22 Feb 2012

Deep brain stimulation can also affect respiratory function

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become a common treatment for patients with chronic pain or movement disorders. Now a unique set of experiments shows that electrical stimulation in some of the same brain areas can also affect respiratory function, according to a study in the February issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

16 Feb 2012

Novartis' Gleevec receives FDA approval for use in patients with CD117-positive GIST

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today granted Gleevec (imatinib) regular approval for use in adult patients following surgical removal of CD117-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

1 Feb 2012

Link between maternal nurturing and size of hippocampus in healthy children

School-age children whose mothers nurtured them early in life have brains with a larger hippocampus, a key structure important to learning, memory and response to stress. The new research, by child psychiatrists and neuroscientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is the first to show that changes in this critical region of children's brain anatomy are linked to a mother's nurturing.

31 Jan 2012