Cerebral Palsy News and Research

Latest Cerebral Palsy News and Research

First-ever World Prematurity Day honors 13M infants born too soon worldwide

The nation's preterm birth rate slipped under 12 percent for the first time in nearly a decade, the fourth consecutive year it declined, potentially sparing tens of thousands of babies the serious health consequences of an early birth.

18 Nov 2011

High-field MRI can reveal tiny brain injuries in preterm infant

Pediatric neuroscientists at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital are the first to use high magnetic field strength MRI to reveal tiny white matter injuries in the developing brain previously undetectable using standard MRI.

8 Nov 2011

Acorda third quarter GAAP net income increases to $18.9 million

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2011.

4 Nov 2011

Nmnat1 protein may help prevent brain damage in babies with cerebral palsy

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that a protein may help prevent the kind of brain damage that occurs in babies with cerebral palsy.

3 Nov 2011

U.S. earns a 'C' on March of Dimes 2011 Premature Birth Report Card

Preterm birth rates improved in almost every state between 2006 and 2009, and in several states the change was more than 10 percent, according to the March of Dimes 2011 Premature Birth Report Card.

1 Nov 2011

Free computer application accurately models human motion

There are 640 muscles in the human body, or maybe it is 639. Or maybe it is 850. Or 656. It all depends on whom you ask. In any case, it is a lot. Stanford bioengineer Scott Delp knows; he has programmed almost every one into his latest work, OpenSim, a software application that helps medical professionals and bioengineers study, diagnose and correct abnormalities in how people move.

29 Oct 2011

Learning from one's mistakes may be better than practicing to perfection

Learning from one's mistakes may be better than practicing to perfection, according to a new study appearing in the October 19 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

19 Oct 2011

Scientists characterize and isolate potential stem cells to treat MS, myelin disorders

Scientists have improved upon their own previous world-best efforts to pluck out just the right stem cells to address the brain problem at the core of multiple sclerosis and a large number of rare, fatal children's diseases.

14 Oct 2011

GFAP protein levels can help identify HIE in newborns

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that increased blood levels of a protein specific to central nervous system cells that are vital to the brain's structure can help physicians identify newborns with brain injuries due to lack of oxygen.

14 Oct 2011

NICU stress linked with alterations in brain structure and function of preterm infants

New research shows that exposure to stressors in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is associated with alterations in the brain structure and function of very preterm infants. According to the study now available in Annals of Neurology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, infants who experienced early exposure to stress displayed decreased brain size, functional connectivity, and abnormal motor behavior.

4 Oct 2011

Strong connection between preterm birth and risk of epilepsy

Being born prematurely may increase your risk of developing epilepsy as an adult, according to a new study published in the October 4, 2011, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Oct 2011

Viewpoints: Sebelius on improving care; Samuelson on health costs; Durenberger on exporting U.S. system

Far too many Americans still go without the best care. That's why the Obama administration has joined with Truman Medical Centers and more than 2,500 other hospitals nationwide, along with thousands of employers, health insurers, provider organizations and patient advocates, to launch the Partnership for Patients … Over the next three years, we will reduce preventable injuries in hospitals by 40 percent. And we will cut hospital re-admissions by 20 percent, targeting the return trips that should never have occurred.

1 Oct 2011

First developmental study of human neural stem cells in subventricular zone

Researchers at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center have identified a new pathway of stem cell activity in the brain that represents potential targets of brain injuries affecting newborns.

29 Sep 2011

Scientists find a way to rapidly produce pure populations of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells

Scientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found a way to rapidly produce pure populations of cells that grow into the protective myelin coating on nerves in mice. Their process opens a door to research and potential treatments for multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and other demyelinating diseases afflicting millions of people worldwide.

26 Sep 2011

Free public lecture to reveal new insights into brain cells linked with stroke, cerebral palsy

A free public lecture at the University of Leicester is to discuss how the white matter of the brain could be the key to understanding and treating brain disorders - not grey matter as previously thought.

21 Sep 2011

NIH awards $13M grant to BMC for brain abnormality study in former ELGANS

Researchers and clinicians from Boston Medical Center (BMC) have been awarded a four year, more than $13 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study neurological and brain abnormalities in former extremely low gestational age newborns.

12 Sep 2011

Study on effects of adult stem cell treatments in patients with Hereditary Ataxia

The Journal of Translational Medicine reports on a new study in which 30 patients with Hereditary Ataxia showed statistically significant improvements in functionality and quality of life after being treated with a combination of cord blood-derived stem cell treatments and physical therapy.

7 Sep 2011

State roundup: Texas disability fight; rights of fetus asserted in Neb.

For Milla Powell, a 12-year-old from Austin with cerebral palsy, the little things make all the difference. Massage therapy to ease her tightened muscles. Recreational programs, in which therapists take her into the community to help her build her social skills. Music therapy to help Milla, who cannot speak, connect without words. But services like these are on the chopping block for thousands of Texans with disabilities -; another casualty of the significant budget cuts that state lawmakers passed in May.

3 Sep 2011

New medicines to target LPA receptors may prevent serious developmental brain diseases

Examining brain damage that occurs when fetuses in the womb are deprived of oxygen, researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered that damage does not occur randomly but is linked to the specific action of a naturally occurring fatty molecule called LPA, acting through a receptor that transfers information into young brain cells.

2 Sep 2011

First Edition: September 2, 2011

On Kaiser Health News' blog, staff writer Julie Appleby writes: "Insurers who offer 'association health plans,' which are often sold through trade groups or other organizations of affiliated members, will face the same scrutiny of premium rate hikes as other types of insurance, federal officials said Thursday."

2 Sep 2011