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Obese have impaired autonomic function which may lead to overeating

Research on obesity examining the role of hormones and the autonomic functions of the digestive system was presented at the 75th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American CoIlege of Gastroenterology.

18 Oct 2010

Studies explore impact of upper GI conditions on sleep

The impact of upper GI conditions, like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and functional dyspepsia, on sleep—and treatments aimed at providing relief to heartburn/acid reflux patients who suffer from disordered sleep—were explored in three new studies related to sleep dysfunction presented today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 75th Annual Scientific meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

18 Oct 2010

UCSF professor receives National Medal of Science

UCSF Nobel laureate Stanley B. Prusiner, MD, UCSF professor of neurology and director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, today (Oct. 15, 2010) was named to receive the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest honor for science and technology.

18 Oct 2010

AAO-MEACO Meeting highlights data on glaucoma risk in people with migraine, innovative uses of digital technology

Data on glaucoma risk in people with migraine and on innovative uses of mobile, digital technology are featured in today's Scientific Program, to be presented at the 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) - Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Joint Meeting.

18 Oct 2010

2010 AAO-MEACO meeting focuses on genetic medicine

Genetic medicine is the focus of two presentations at today's Scientific Program of the 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Joint Meeting. The AAO-MEACO meeting is in session October 16 through 19 at McCormick Place, Chicago. It is the largest, most comprehensive ophthalmic education conference in the world.

18 Oct 2010

Genentech and Biogen Idec announce positive results from ocrelizumab phase II RRMS study

Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, and Biogen Idec today announced 24-week results from a phase II study of ocrelizumab in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), the most common form of the disease. Ocrelizumab demonstrated a significant reduction in disease activity as measured by brain lesions and relapse rate.

15 Oct 2010

Pericytes regulate blood-brain barrier

While the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain from harmful chemicals occurring naturally in the blood, it also obstructs the transport of drugs to the brain. In an article in Nature scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet now present a potential solution to the problem. The key to the BBB is a cell-type in the blood vessel walls called pericytes, and the researchers hope that their findings will one day contribute to new therapies for diseases like Alzheimer's and stroke.

15 Oct 2010

Emerging Healthcare anticipates results of FDA-approved human embryonic stem-cell treatment

Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. eagerly anticipates the results of the first FDA-approved human embryonic stem-cell treatment on a patient with spinal cord injuries, which began this week.

15 Oct 2010

ACS awards Research Scholar Grant to Rensselaer researcher for breast cancer study

A recent Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society acknowledges the potential of Rensselaer researcher Lee Ligon's work on breast cancer. Ligon is investigating interactions between cells as breast cancer spreads within the body.

15 Oct 2010

Study finds TMS is an effective treatment solution for major depression

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), the treatment delivers a series of electrical pulses to the part of the brain associated with depression and other mood disorders. The pulses generate an electric current in the brain that stimulates neurons to increase the release of more mood-enhancing chemicals like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.

15 Oct 2010

EFNS recommends use of DaTSCAN injection with SPECT imaging for AD diagnosis

GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company, today announced that DaTSCAN (ioflupane I 123 injection), a radiopharmaceutical agent intended for use with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of the brain, has been recommended in updated European Federation of the Neurological Societies (EFNS) guidelines for the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The guidelines appear in the October issue of the European Journal of Neurology.

14 Oct 2010

Scientists find pericytes regulate blood-brain barrier

14 Oct 2010

'Keyhole' procedure safer than invasive approaches in removing acoustic neuroma without hearing loss

Results from a newly released 9-year study is bringing newfound hope to the approximately 3,000 Americans diagnosed each year with acoustic neuromas (AN), little-known brain tumors that can have devastating and even fatal consequences for sufferers.

14 Oct 2010

Experts reach consensus about DBS treatment for Parkinson's disease

Since the late 1990s, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has proven to be a lifeline for some patients suffering from Parkinson's disease, a cruel neurological disorder that can cause lack of control over movement, poor balance and coordination, and rigidity, among other symptoms.

14 Oct 2010

Study compares minimally invasive and open surgeries for lower back pain

Rush University Medical Center is assessing whether minimally invasive surgery to relieve lower back pain differs from open surgery in terms of complication rate, recovery time, outcome and cost.

13 Oct 2010

Kuwait Healthy Life Study to examine metabolic health in children

In the face of a dramatic worldwide increase in adolescent obesity and Type 2 diabetes, The Forsyth Institute today announced a research alliance with the Dasman Diabetes Institute of Kuwait to initiate studies that could lay a scientific basis for prevention. This collaboration, called The Kuwait Healthy Life Study, will examine conditions in children that predispose them to obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

13 Oct 2010

Integrated Research Network to analyze payor health policy for chronic pain medications

HealthCore's Integrated Research Network is enrolling family physicians, general practitioners, internists, neurologists, rheumatologists, endocrinologists, and pain management specialists in a first-of-its-kind study to analyze payor health policy for chronic pain medications.

12 Oct 2010

New microchip technology to identify neuronal regenerators

Scientists have long sought the ability to regenerate nerve cells, or neurons, which could offer a new way to treat spinal-cord damage as well as neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. Many chemicals can regenerate neurons grown in Petri dishes in the lab, but it's difficult and time-consuming to identify those chemicals that work in live animals, which is critical for developing drugs for humans.

12 Oct 2010

Carotid artery stenting increases risk of death, stroke

For patients with blockages in the carotid artery that supplies blood to the brain, carotid artery stenting (a non-surgical treatment) appears to be associated with an increased risk of both short- and long-term adverse outcomes when compared with surgical treatment (carotid endarterectomy), according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies that was posted online today and will appear in the February 2011 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Oct 2010

Chongqing Cancer Hospital commences treatment with Varian's RapidArc radiotherapy

Chongqing Cancer Hospital in Southwest China has become the first treatment center in Southwest China to offer cancer patients a faster, more precise form of image-guided radiotherapy that potentially enables doctors to improve outcomes while extending more advanced care to more patients. Clinicians at the hospital have used RapidArc® radiotherapy from Varian Medical Systems to treat patients for cancers of the nasopharynx, cervix, breast, and lung.

11 Oct 2010