Central Nervous System News and Research

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Use of energy drinks in conjunction with alcohol popular among Italian university students

Energy drinks - known for their stimulant effects on the central nervous system - have become more and more popular among young people in recent years.

25 Sep 2007

Lymph nodes can be crucial for spreading low doses of infective prion agents

Lymph nodes can be crucial for spreading low doses of infective prion agents - the pathogens responsible for conditions such as scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease - into the nervous system, according to new research published in the online open access journal BMC Veterinary Research.

25 Sep 2007

AstraZeneca and UT Southwestern agree to a three-year collaboration to combat psychiatric illness

Depression is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States, affecting approximately 14.8 million adults or about 6.7 percent of the population age 18 and older in a given year(1).

25 Sep 2007

Acupuncture effective for treating low back pain

Six months of acupuncture treatment appears to be more effective than conventional therapy in treating low back pain, according to a study in the September 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, although the study suggests that both sham acupuncture and traditional Chinese verum acupuncture appear to be effective in treating low back pain.

25 Sep 2007

Acupuncture appears better for back pain than drugs and exercise

If you are one of the millions struggling to cope with lower back pain acupuncture might provide some welcome relief.

24 Sep 2007

Cell-surface sugar defects may trigger nerve damage in multiple sclerosis patients

Defects on cell-surface sugars may promote the short-term inflammation and long-term neurodegeneration that occurs in the central nervous system of multiple sclerosis patients, according to University of California, Irvine researchers.

21 Sep 2007

Brain controls the way fat is stored and metabolized

A system in the brain already known to regulate food intake also serves as a direct "remote control" for the way fat is stored and metabolized in the body, say University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers.

21 Sep 2007

Chronic fatigue syndrome linked to common stomach virus

A new study has provided some clues to the cause of the mystery illness called chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

17 Sep 2007

Attention turns to brain as driver of Chronic Fatigue symptoms

New research from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has delivered a final blow to the theory that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is driven by the body's immune system and in particular by its production of cytokines.

14 Sep 2007

Chronic fatigue syndrome linked to enteroviruses

Chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as ME (myalgic encephalitis), is linked to a stomach virus, suggests research published ahead of print in Journal of Clinical Pathology.

13 Sep 2007

The benefits of the contraceptive pill far outweigh the risks

A study by researchers in Scotland confirms that for most women who take the contraceptive pill, the benefits far outweigh any potential risks.

12 Sep 2007

The contraceptive pill may reduce risk of developing cancer

Taking the contraceptive pill does not increase a woman's chances of developing cancer and may even reduce the risk for most women, according to a study published on bmj.com today.

12 Sep 2007

Link between nicotine and atherosclerosis

It's well known that smoking cigarettes increases risk for a host of serious health problems from cancer to heart disease. Now a new study from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City looks at how they do their dirty work by contributing to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. The evidence points to nicotine, the addictive chemical in cigarettes.

11 Sep 2007

Validus Pharmaceuticals acquires bipolar drug Equetro from Shire

Validus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that it has acquired the unique Bipolar Disorder treatment, Equetro(R) (carbamazepine) extended release capsules, from Shire plc.

11 Sep 2007

Ovation Pharmaceuticals advances development pipeline with new phase III epilepsy study

OVATION Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the initiation of a pivotal Phase III clinical trial evaluating clobazam, a unique 1,5 benzodiazapine with significant anticonvulsant properties, as adjunctive treatment for patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), one of the most severe forms of childhood epilepsy that frequently persists into adulthood.

5 Sep 2007

Halting rabies in the brain

While rabies, an ancient scourge that still kills 70,000 every year in developing countries worldwide can be combated with a series of vaccines today, it nearly is always fatal when it reaches the brain.

5 Sep 2007

3D fruit fly images to benefit brain research

The fragile head and brain of a fly are not easy things to examine but MRC scientists have figured out how to make it a little simpler. And they hope their research will shed light on human disease.

5 Sep 2007

Hamburg to become Europe's hub of drug discovery

Hamburg is on its way to becoming a leading hub of Europe's academic drug discovery, with the northern German city's town hall today announcing the foundation of European ScreeningPort GmbH, a company that will run a state-of-the-art drug discovery service centre.

4 Sep 2007

Insights into the physiological basis of obesity

The past decade has witnessed an explosion of information regarding the role of the central nervous system (CNS) in the development of obesity and the influence of peripheral, hormonal signals that regulate CNS function to regulate food intake and metabolism.

3 Sep 2007

Impact of mild hearing loss on neurological processes

Mild to moderate forms of hearing loss can have a lasting impact on the auditory cortex, according to findings by researchers at New York University's Center for Neural Science.

30 Aug 2007