Central Nervous System News and Research

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Another enterovirus 71 case confirmed in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection has confirmed another enterovirus 71 in a 21-month-old boy, bringing this year's total to 34. He travelled to the Mainland from September 3 to 5.

6 Oct 2004

Mouse study suggests that survivors of severe heart attacks may have problems learning certain tasks

A new study in mice suggests that survivors of severe heart attacks may have a difficult time with some learning tasks.

29 Sep 2004

Stem cells from umbilical cord blood, given intravenously with mannitol drug reduce stroke size and damage

Researchers first gave the drug, mannitol, to provide temporary passage through the blood-brain barrier then transfused human umbilical cord blood cells into a stroke animal model. When used in the first hours and days following a stroke, stroke size decreased by 40 percent and resulting disability was significantly reduced.

26 Sep 2004

Cochlear implantation leads to a higher quality of life in elderly patients

According to health care experts, cochlear implantation in senior citizens seems to be not cost effective, due to a belief that elderly patients perform poorly in the postoperative audiological rehabilitation process due to degenerative processes in the central and peripheral auditory system.

18 Sep 2004

MRI is becoming more recognized as useful in the etiological investigation of sudden deafness

For the patient, sudden deafness can be terrifying. For the specialist, this disorder can be most challenging for the cause of sudden deafness cannot be readily determined by use of the most advanced diagnostic tests.

17 Sep 2004

ChemGenex discovers five new depression genes

ChemGenex Pharmaceuticals has announced that it has filed for patent protection for a further five novel depression-associated gene targets discovered by its depression and anxiety research group.

16 Sep 2004

Red Bull energy drink does not improve a person’s physical performance

Energy drinks – usually a mixture of caffeine, taurine, carbohydrates, B-complex vitamins and gluconolactone – have become very popular in recent years.

15 Sep 2004

Important discovery that will increase the understanding of multiple sclerosis

Scientists at the University of California, Santa Barbara have made an important discovery that will increase the understanding of multiple sclerosis, a debilitating disease of the central nervous system in which the myelin sheath, an insulating membrane surrounding the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, start to unravel for reasons as yet unknown.

14 Sep 2004

Chiropractic correction may help reverse multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease

A recent study of 81 cases, published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research (JVSR), is the first to show that correction of upper neck injuries may reverse the progression of both Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD).

10 Sep 2004

Scientists discover breakthrough method to treat neuronal diseases

What do stroke, epilepsy, head or spinal cord trauma, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease patients have in common? They all suffer from neuronal cell death brought about by the absence or malfunction of specific genes.

30 Aug 2004

Body symmetry could be a tell tale sign of an aggressive person

Researchers may get some indication of how aggressively an angry person will react by measuring the size relationship between a person’s ears and other body parts, according to a new study.

23 Aug 2004

StemCells issued U.S. stem cell patent

StemCells, Inc. has announced that the Company has been issued U.S. patent 6,777,233 for work done at the Company covering composition of matter claims for the human neural stem cell.

23 Aug 2004

Researchers find important gene for lupus

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have identified, for the first time, a gene variation associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a potentially fatal disease which causes the body's defence system to attack itself.

18 Aug 2004

Methods using preventive analgesia to treat pain after surgery before it develops

York University Professor Joel Katz is studying methods of preventing or significantly reducing pain after surgery by employing preemptive or preventive analgesia to treat pain before it develops.

17 Aug 2004

Study on RNAi technology targeting neurodegenerative diseases

Sirna Therapeutics has announced the publication of preclinical studies evaluating RNA interference-based therapies for a class of inherited neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) in the current issue of Nature Medicine.

16 Aug 2004

Research provides new hope for people with fetal alcohol syndrome

New research by Professor Ann Streissguth of the University of Washington shows that people diagnosed with either fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or fetal alcohol effect (FAE) are more likely to escape social and relationship problems if they are diagnosed early in life and raised in a stable and nurturing environment.

12 Aug 2004

Scopolamine prevents and relieves motion sickness - but possibly with more adverse effects than alternatives

Researchers from the Cochrane Collaboration have analysed all trials of scopolamine for motion sickness. They found 12 trials, mostly done in healthy young men in the navy.

12 Aug 2004

Scientists have tricked subjects in an experiment into believing that a rubber hand was part of their own body

The findings about the brain’s awareness of its own body will hopefully lead to better understanding of disorders of self-perception, as for example in brain-damaged patients who no longer recognise their own limbs after stroke, or amputees who still experience pain from limbs that are no longer there.

10 Aug 2004

New direction for research into Sly Syndrome

Findings by a Saint Louis University research team led by the scientist who discovered Sly Syndrome 32 years ago point to a new direction for research into the rare genetic disorder that can cause bone deformities, vision and hearing loss, mental retardation and death in children.

9 Aug 2004

Reminder to avoid handling bats for risk of rabies

In the wake of an increase in calls reporting human and pet contacts with bats, the Washington Department of Health has reminded people that avoiding bats can protect them from rabies. Bats are not aggressive animals and they generally do not intentionally attack humans.

9 Aug 2004