Paralysis News and Research

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Paralysis is the loss of muscle function in part of your body. It happens when something goes wrong with the way messages pass between your brain and muscles. Paralysis can be complete or partial. It can occur on one or both sides of your body. It can also occur in just one area, or it can be widespread. Paralysis of the lower half of your body, including both legs, is called paraplegia. Paralysis of the arms and legs is quadriplegia.

Scientists identify gene underlying a disease that causes temporary paralysis of skeletal muscle

Scientists have identified a gene underlying a disease that causes temporary paralysis of skeletal muscle. The finding, they say, illustrates how investigations of rare genetic diseases can drive insights into more common ones.

8 Jan 2010

New research reveals hand amputation may lead to permanent distortions in spatial perception

The space within reach of our hands - where actions such as grasping and touching occur - is known as the "action space." Research has shown that visual information in this area is organized in hand-centered coordinates - in other words, the representation of objects in the human brain depends on their physical location with respect to the hand.

7 Jan 2010

AMT receives Innovation Credit to develop gene therapy treatment for DMD

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics, a leader in the field of human gene therapy, announced today that it will receive an Innovation Credit of up to EUR 4 million from the Dutch government to support the development of AMT's gene therapy treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

6 Jan 2010

UC researchers receive $2.5 million grant to study treatment for voice disorders

For patients with severe voice disorders, the loss of their voice often means losing their social life, self esteem or livelihood. While existing therapies can treat mild to moderate voice disorders, physicians have a harder time determining effective treatments for those with severe cases.

30 Dec 2009

National MS Society calls for grant applications to examine the impact of CCSVI hypothesis

2009 saw exciting research progress, unprecedented opportunities on the horizon, and more scientists than ever working on resolving important questions. Despite the year's economic and financial challenges, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society continues to propel research forward to end MS. In 2009 the Society provided over $33.5 million to support 345 new and ongoing projects in its research portfolio, plus $1.5 million for Fast Forward, the Society's drug development subsidiary which continues to attract new funding streams.

23 Dec 2009

Second successful phrenic nerve decompression surgery

The Plastic Surgery Center today announced that immediately following a rare phrenic nerve surgery to repair his paralyzed diaphragm, a 47-year-old man has reported significantly improved breathing and feels “15 years younger.” The surgery marked the second known case of successful phrenic nerve decompression, both of which were performed by a New Jersey medical team led by Dr. Matthew Kaufman of the Plastic Surgery Center in Shrewsbury, New Jersey.

23 Dec 2009

Arab states need to address food security, other factors to meet MDGs by 2015, report says

Arab states must develop a plan to increase food security and create more jobs in order to meet Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets by 2015, according to a report published Sunday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Reuters reports.

22 Dec 2009

Researchers follow steps that lead some tumor cells to establish metastases

Up to 25% of cancer patients develop metastases in the brain - often long after successful treatment of the primary tumor. In almost all such cases, the prognosis is poor. The mechanisms responsible for the appearance of brain metastases have long been mysterious.

21 Dec 2009

Tips for preventing injury in winter sports

The tragic death of actress Natasha Richardson this past March put a spotlight on the potential risks inherent to skiing, as well as the deadly consequences that can result from head trauma. Richardson died two days after suffering an epidural hematoma and slipping into a coma. What at first appeared to be a minor bump on the head from a fall on a beginner ski slope in Quebec proved fatal.

19 Dec 2009

IRB approves Neuralstem's Phase I trial to treat ALS with spinal cord stem cells

Neuralstem, Inc. today announced that its Phase I trial to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) with its spinal cord stem cells has been approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.

19 Dec 2009

Musical greeting cards can pose danger for children

While musical holiday cards are a lot of fun, Their batteries pose a danger to little ones. Kids swallow them and stick them in their ears and nose, A health problem this does pose. The Montreal Children's Hospital doesn't mean to preach But please keep these batteries out of reach.

14 Dec 2009

UT researchers identify new molecule that slows ALS progression in mice

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that a molecule produced naturally by muscles in response to nerve damage can reduce symptoms and prolong life in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

11 Dec 2009

InVivo Therapeutics files an Investigational Device Exemption application with the FDA

InVivo Therapeutics Corporation has filed an Investigational Device Exemption application with the Food and Drug Administration requesting permission to advance to human clinical studies. InVivo is currently conducting its third primate study and expects to receive approval to begin a human study in 2010.

4 Dec 2009

ALS research collaboration receives philanthropic funding

Three prominent philanthropic organizations – The Angel Fund, The ALS Therapy Alliance and Project ALS -- dedicated to finding a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have financed a new collaboration between one of the world’s leading ALS researchers and RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company pursuing the development and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics based on RNA interference (RNAi).

30 Nov 2009

New approach for repairing damaged nerve fibers in spinal cord injuries using nano-spheres discovered

Researchers at Purdue University have discovered a new approach for repairing damaged nerve fibers in spinal cord injuries using nano-spheres that could be injected into the blood shortly after an accident.

27 Nov 2009

Study examines how dietary restriction and high-caloric diet influence biochemical responses

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine set out to address a question that has been challenging scientists for years: How do dietary restriction-and the reverse, overconsumption-produce protective effects against aging and disease?

23 Nov 2009

Experimental drug to restore function of nerves damaged in spinal cord injuries shows promise

Researchers have shown how an experimental drug might restore the function of nerves damaged in spinal cord injuries by preventing short circuits caused when tiny "potassium channels" in the fibers are exposed.

20 Nov 2009

New photocontrolled molecular switch regulates paralysis in living organisms

In an advance with overtones of Star Trek phasers and other sci-fi ray guns, scientists in Canada are reporting development of an internal on-off "switch" that paralyzes animals when exposed to a beam of ultraviolet light. The animals stay paralyzed even when the light is turned off. When exposed to ordinary light, the animals become unparalyzed and wake up.

19 Nov 2009

Neuralstem provides financial and business updates for third-quarter 2009

Neuralstem, Inc. today provided a financial and business update for the third quarter ended September 30, 2009.

17 Nov 2009

CRPS patients fare better with aggressive physiotherapy treatment, says new study

The saying "more pain, more gain" may be true for those already in terrible pain due to a chronic and debilitating condition, contrary to received wisdom. For those with Type I Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), working through the pain of an aggressive physiotherapy program often leads to far better results than a more cautious pain-free approach.

13 Nov 2009