Nerve News and Research

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NogoReceptor reduces Alzheimer's plaque

Increasing the level of a protein that plays a key role in traumatic spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis reduces the concentration of disease-causing plaque in Alzheimer's disease, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the Journal of Neuroscience.

12 Feb 2006

Hormone discovered in bird brains also plays major role in mammalian reproductive system

University of California, Berkeley, researchers have discovered a new actor in the mammalian reproductive system, a hormone that fills a role long suspected, but until now undetected.

7 Feb 2006

Amputation among patients with diabetes mellitus - increased risk of neuropathy and diabetic ulcers in taller patients

Patients with diabetes mellitus are at risk of leg ulcers. These eventually become infected, respond poorly to treatment and often require amputation of the foot or part of the leg.

7 Feb 2006

Abraham Lincoln may have suffered from movement disorder

Researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Minnesota have discovered a gene mutation in the descendants of Abraham Lincoln's grandparents that suggests the Civil War president himself might have also suffered from a disease that destroys nerve cells in the cerebellum-- the part of the brain that controls movement.

7 Feb 2006

Mechanism of torpor - hibernation-like state

If doctors could put people in hibernation and pull them out at will, scientists think they could minimize damage from strokes, help recipients' bodies accept transplanted organs, perhaps even enable astronauts to travel in suspended animation until reaching distant destinations.

7 Feb 2006

Imaging technology detects subtle brain changes in Type 1 diabetics

Although people with diabetes are twice as likely as the general population to develop depression, the cause of this increased risk is not well understood.

7 Feb 2006

60 new genes controlled by regulatory sequences

Researchers worldwide are seeking to define ancient sections of our genetic code that may soon be as important to medical science as genes.

2 Feb 2006

Are dancers genetically different than the rest of us?

What makes dancers different than the rest of us? Genetic variants, says a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

2 Feb 2006

Study may provide new hope for cancer patients

New study by Mount Sinai researchers may lead to improved stem cell therapies for patients with compromised immune systems due to intensive cancer therapy or autoimmune disease. The study is published in this week's issue of Cell.

27 Jan 2006

Weight loss and exercise reduces urinary incontinence in women with prediabetes

Losing a modest amount of weight through dietary changes and increased physical activity reduces the occurrence of urinary incontinence (UI) in women with prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet diabetic.

27 Jan 2006

Run, skip, hop, jump or just walk to lift those blues

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin say a single 30-minute walk on a treadmill can give a temporary emotional lift to patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder.

26 Jan 2006

Sex calms the nerves

According to a Scottish psychologist the best way to calm your nerves prior to making a speech or giving a presentation in public, is to have sex, (not in public)!

26 Jan 2006

Treatment of down syndrome in mice restores nerve growth in cerebellum

Researchers at Johns Hopkins restored the normal growth of specific nerve cells in the cerebellum of mouse models of Down syndrome (DS) that were stunted by this genetic condition. The cerebellum is the rear, lower part of the brain that controls signals from the muscles to coordinate balance and motor learning.

25 Jan 2006

Breakthrough in lupus research

A major breakthrough in lupus research - one that may fundamentally change thinking on how the disease affects behavior and cognition - was reported in the January 17, 2006 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

25 Jan 2006

Anxious fathers make caesareans more painful for mothers

Fathers who are anxious during a caesarean operation may increase the pain experienced by the mother after the delivery of their baby, according to new research published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

25 Jan 2006

Undamaged nerve fibres cause ongoing pain not damaged

New research shows that it is undamaged nerve fibres that cause ongoing spontaneous pain, not those that are injured.

25 Jan 2006

University of Florida researchers restore vitality to cells in lab experiments

University of Florida researchers say primitive cells that act like molecular maintenance men - traveling throughout the body to repair damaged blood vessels - become too rigid to move in patients with diabetes, fueling the disease's vascular complications.

25 Jan 2006