Nerve News and Research

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Itchy and scratchy gene discovered

Itching for a better anti-itch remedy? Your wish may soon be granted now that scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified the first gene for the itch sensation in the central nervous system.

26 Jul 2007

Tetrabenazine protects brain cells in Huntington's disease model

A drug used in some countries to treat the symptoms of Huntington's disease prevents death of brain cells in mice genetically engineered to mimic the hereditary condition, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

25 Jul 2007

More products recalled in botulism scare

Concerns in the U.S. over cans of chilli contaminated by a bacteria which causes botulism, which prompted a recall of the products, has now been extended to include chilli, beef stew and other canned meat products, as well as four pet food products.

23 Jul 2007

Research to look at reasons for the formation of Lewy bodies

A University of Nottingham researcher has been awarded more than £440,000 by the Parkinson’s Disease Society (PDS) to investigate the causes of the condition.

23 Jul 2007

EpiCept to conduct Phase III study of EpiCept NP-1 for treatment of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy

EpiCept Corporation has announced that it will study EpiCept NP-1, its patented topical cream formulation of two FDA-approved drugs, 4% amitriptyline and 2% ketamine, for the treatment of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CPN) in the ATTRACT-CPN Phase III Study (Assessment of Topical Treatment Response with Amitriptyline and Ketamine: Combination Trial in Chemotherapy Peripheral Neuropathy).

23 Jul 2007

Bipolar disorder shrinks the brain

British researchers have found that people who suffer from manic depression or bipolar disorder as it is more often called, also experience a loss of brain tissue and an accelerated shrinking of their brain.

21 Jul 2007

New understanding of how anaesthetics work in the brain

An important clue to how anaesthetics work on the human body has been provided by the discovery of a molecular feature common to both the human brain and the great pond snail nervous system, scientists say today.

20 Jul 2007

New biochemical mechanism for memory storage

Our experiences - the things we see, hear, or do - can trigger long-term changes in the strength of the connections between nerve cells in our brain, and these persistent changes are how the brain encodes information as memory.

20 Jul 2007

Clue to preventing Alzheimer's found in Vindaloo

A new study by researchers in the United States has found during laboratory tests that tumeric, a spice used in curries may offer protection against Alzheimer's disease.

19 Jul 2007

Metal-on-metal artificial disc relieves pain from degenerative cervical disc disease

The neck and arm pain caused by degenerative cervical (neck) disc disease may be eliminated by replacing the problem disc with a metal-on-metal artificial disc, said Loyola University Health System neurological surgeon Dr. Russ P. Nockels.

19 Jul 2007

Plumber protein uses different tools to turn on genes

St. Jude investigators have discovered how a single molecular "on switch" triggers gene activity that might cause effects ranging from learning and memory capabilities to glucose production in the liver.

18 Jul 2007

Poor information on diet, but exercise seems good for adult type 2 diabetes

There are no high quality data to assess how well dietary treatments for type 2 diabetes work in people who have just been told they have the disease, but there is evidence that taking on exercise seems to be one way of improving blood sugar levels, according to the findings of a Cochrane Systematic Review.

18 Jul 2007

New technique restores the smile to faces of those with facial paralysis

Surgeons in the United States have used a new procedure to partially restore the muscle movement in the faces of patients with severe long-term facial paralysis.

17 Jul 2007

Taste loss after tonsillectomy unusual

In a small study of patients undergoing tonsillectomy, or removal of the tonsils, none reported an ongoing dysfunction in their sense of taste following the procedure, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Otolaryngology?Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

17 Jul 2007

Analysis of diabetes drugs

Most oral medications prescribed for type 2 diabetes are similarly effective for reducing blood glucose, but the drug metformin is less likely to cause weight gain and may be more likely than other treatments to decrease so-called bad cholesterol, according to a report funded by HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

17 Jul 2007

FDA approves Demipulse and Demipulse Duo Generators for use in vagus nerve stimulation

Cyberonics, Inc. has announced that the Demipulse and Demipulse Duo Generators for use in Vagus Nerve Stimulation ("VNS") Therapy were approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for commercial release.

17 Jul 2007

FDA approves gene test to detect spread of breast cancer into lymph nodes

Veridex, LLC, a Johnson & Johnson company, has announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the first intra-operative and gene-based test to detect the spread of breast cancer into the lymph nodes.

17 Jul 2007

Novel type of communication between nerve cells in the brain discovered

The findings may have relevance for the prevention and treatment of epilepsy, and possibly in the exploration of other aspects of brain functions, from creative thought processes to mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

17 Jul 2007

Real-time 3-D ultrasound in nerve blockade speeds patient recovery

Mayo Clinic physicians have adapted real-time 3-D ultrasound imaging devices -- including one designed to look at an infant's heart -- so that they can watch as they use a needle filled with anesthetic to numb individual nerves located inches under the skin.

16 Jul 2007

Children with Tourette's better at mental grammar skills

Children with Tourette's syndrome may have to put up with some unwanted movement and verbal tics, but neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center and the Kennedy Krieger Institute have found that they are much quicker at processing certain mental grammar skills than are children without the disorder.

16 Jul 2007