Neurosurgery News and Research

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ISTO announces completion of enrollment in NuQu Phase I clinical study for discogenic back pain

ISTO Technologies, Inc., an orthobiologics company with a cell-based platform for cartilage regeneration, announced today the completion of patient enrollment in the Phase I clinical study for NuQu™, an injectable formulation of juvenile chondrocytes designed for the treatment of discogenic back pain. The study included 15 patients enrolled at two clinical sites. All patients enrolled in the trial suffered from persistent discogenic back pain and disability despite undergoing previous traditional conservative therapy.

5 Oct 2010

Researchers endeavor to create map of human brain's wiring using MEG technology

As a part of a $30 million dollar National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiative to map the human brain, Saint Louis University neurosurgeon Richard Bucholz, M.D. will image the brains of healthy adults with MEG technology, providing key information about brain function.

5 Oct 2010

Research on T cell may lead to new treatment options for type 1 diabetes

A research team from the University of British Columbia and the Child & Family Research Institute (CFRI) at BC Children's Hospital has identified the role of a type of T cell in type 1 diabetes that may lead to new treatment options for young patients.

5 Oct 2010

Study finds 50% increase in ATV-related brain and spinal injuries

Brain and spinal cord injuries related to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) appear to be increasing, reports a study in the October issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

5 Oct 2010

Integra LifeSciences launches EGR system in the U.S.

Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation announced today the launch of the Integra™ Endoscopic Gastroc Release (EGR) System in the United States. Integra's EGR System is a disposable device with a unique articulating blade that allows selective cutting of soft tissues. It is intended for use in the surgical treatment for posterior heel cord, or equinus, contracture.

4 Oct 2010

Alexander Technique training program improves endurance and posture during surgery

A century-old posture improvement technique developed by Shakespearian actor F.M. Alexander to correct his chronic laryngitis appears to enhance the posture and proficiency of surgeons who perform minimally invasive procedures.

4 Oct 2010

Advances in treatment and management of neurological disorders

The latest advances in treating neurologic disorders such as stroke, headache, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and sleep disorders are detailed in a special issue of the journal Neurologic Clinics.

4 Oct 2010

CT scans guidelines improve overall care for injured children

Following simple guidelines to determine when to perform follow-up CT scans on children admitted to the hospital with head injuries can lower risks, get kids home sooner, improve patient and family satisfaction and lower costs.

4 Oct 2010

Researchers find link between arterial stiffness and diastolic function

Physicians have identified a risk factor for heart disease in adulthood that can be present in children as young as 10. They're also calling for screening for this risk factor to help motivate children to exercise and lose weight.

4 Oct 2010

Elekta releases Atlas-based Autosegmentation 2.0 software for increasing contouring accuracy

Elekta recently launched ABAS (Atlas-based Autosegmentation) 2.0 software, which includes the Simultaneous Truth and Performance Level Estimation (STAPLE) algorithm to increase contouring accuracy. ABAS—considered the industry gold standard for autosegmentation accuracy—deforms atlases of anatomy previously defined on a reference image onto a new patient image, creating a new structure set fit to the patient anatomy and enhancing planning efficiency.

From Elekta 1 Oct 2010

Collagen Matrix's new Collagen Dental Membrane granted FDA 510(k) clearance

Collagen Matrix, Inc., the leader in collagen- and mineral-based matrix engineering, announced today that it has received FDA's 510(k) clearance of a new Collagen Dental Membrane derived from porcine dermis indicated for use in oral surgical procedures involving guided tissue and bone regeneration.

1 Oct 2010

Researchers discover key leukemia defense mechanism

Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center researcher Steven Grant, M.D., and a team of VCU Massey researchers have uncovered the mechanism by which leukemia cells trigger a protective response when exposed to a class of cancer-killing agents known as histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs).

1 Oct 2010

Study demonstrates rufinamide therapy is effective in reducing partial seizure frequency

Researchers from the Arkansas Epilepsy Program found treatment with rufinamide results in a significant reduction in seizure frequency compared with placebo, for patients with uncontrolled partial-onset seizures (POS).

1 Oct 2010

Neurologic Clinics journal publishes latest advances in neurologic disorders

The latest advances in treating neurologic disorders such as stroke, headache, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and sleep disorders are detailed in a special issue of the journal Neurologic Clinics.

1 Oct 2010

Johnson & Johnson acquires Marus Endovascular

Johnson & Johnson today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Micrus Endovascular, a global developer and manufacturer of minimally invasive devices for hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke. Johnson & Johnson announced its agreement to acquire Micrus on July 12, 2010.

28 Sep 2010

TONES procedure is safe and effective for treating brain diseases, traumatic injuries

Surgeons at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine and University of Washington Medical Center have determined that transorbital neuroendoscopic surgery is a safe and effective option for treating a variety of advanced brain diseases and traumatic injuries. This groundbreaking minimally invasive surgery is performed through the eye socket, thus eliminating the removal of the top of the skull to access the brain.

27 Sep 2010

Signaling pathway inhibition enhances autologous bone marrow transplant: Research

Identification of a molecular communications pathway that influences the mobilization of hematopoietic (blood) stem cells could lead to targeted therapies for improving bone marrow transplant success rates.

27 Sep 2010

CSDH disease causes high mortality rate in elderly population

An in-depth scientific article published in the Journal of Neurosurgery reveals that a fairly common disease in the elderly has a high mortality rate long after patients have undergone what is considered routine treatment. Chronic subdural hematoma in the elderly: not a benign disease reviews the cases of 209 patients with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH).

27 Sep 2010

Researchers create device to find ways to improve commonly used treatment for 'water on the brain'

Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) scientists participated in a study with researchers from the University of Utah that could help find ways to improve shunt systems used to treat the neurological disorder hydrocephalus, or "water on the brain," the leading cause of brain surgery for children in the United States. Researchers studied the shunt systems under a variety of conditions by creating a bioreactor that mimics the environment inside patients.

24 Sep 2010

FDA grants clearance for HPβCD treatment for Niemann Pick Type C disease

Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted clearance of an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to introduce Trappsol Cyclo (Hydroxypropyl Beta Cyclodextrin or HPβCD) into the brains of six year old identical twin girls dying of a rare brain-destroying cholesterol disease called Niemann Pick Type C (NPC).

24 Sep 2010