Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Caesarean section increases risk of persistent pelvic girdle pain compared with vaginal delivery

Caesarean section increases the risk of persistent pelvic girdle pain after delivery compared with vaginal delivery, according to a new study from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

17 Jan 2013

ELTD1 biomarker may help diagnose glioma

Researchers using sophisticated genetic testing techniques have identified a promising new biomarker for diagnosis of glioma—the most common type of malignant brain tumor, reports the January issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

17 Jan 2013

Athletes with concussions in early adulthood may be at increased risk of depression as they age

National Football League (NFL) players may be at increased risk of depression as they age due to brain damage resulting from concussions, according to two studies released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013.

17 Jan 2013

MPL vaccine can stimulate brain's natural defense mechanisms in people with AD

A team of researchers from Universit- Laval, CHU de Qu-bec, and pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has discovered a way to stimulate the brain's natural defense mechanisms in people with Alzheimer's disease.

17 Jan 2013

Women who have migraine with aura more likely to develop major cardiovascular events

Women who have migraines with aura, which are often visual disturbances such as flashing lights, may be more likely to have problems with their heart and blood vessels, and those on newer contraceptives may be at higher risk for blood clots, according to two studies released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013.

17 Jan 2013

New initiative aims to accelerate biomarker search in Parkinson's

A new initiative aims to accelerate the search for biomarkers - changes in the body that can be used to predict, diagnose or monitor a disease - in Parkinson's disease, in part by improving collaboration among researchers and helping patients get involved in clinical studies.

16 Jan 2013

Researchers identify new group of growth factor receptors that signal to brain tumours

One in 25,000 people worldwide is affected by neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a condition where the loss of a tumour suppressor called Merlin results in multiple tumours in the brain and nervous system.

16 Jan 2013

Stroke survivors with depression more likely to die

People who are depressed after a stroke may have a tripled risk of dying early and four times the risk of death from stroke than people who have not experienced a stroke or depression, according to a study that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013.

16 Jan 2013

People with early Parkinson's frequently experience many non-motor symptoms

While movement problems are the main symptom of Parkinson's disease, a new study shows that even early in the course of disease people frequently experience many non-motor symptoms such as drooling, anxiety and constipation.

16 Jan 2013

Reviva Pharmaceuticals completes enrollment in RP5063 phase 2 trial for schizophrenia

Reviva Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held drug discovery and development company, today announces completion of patient enrollment in the phase 2 clinical trial of RP5063 for the treatment of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

16 Jan 2013

Genetics researchers identify 25 additional copy number variations associated with autism

Genetics researchers have identified 25 additional copy number variations (CNVs)—missing or duplicated stretches of DNA—that occur in some patients with autism. These CNVs, say the researchers, are "high impact": although individually rare, each has a strong effect in raising an individual's risk for autism.

16 Jan 2013

Pfizer’s Quillivant XR now available in the U.S. for treatment of ADHD

Pfizer Inc. today announced that Quillivant XR (methylphenidate hydrochloride) CII for extended-release oral suspension is now available in the U.S. for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

16 Jan 2013

Bionic devices: an interview with Dr Rylie Green

Bionic devices are implants which replace biological functions which have been lost due to nerve damage. They use electrical signals to stimulate the remaining nerve cells following disease or injury. Although the term bionic was only coined in the late 1950s, the earliest bionic devices were cardiac pacemakers, developed in the early 1900s. However the first commercial implantable units were not available until the 1950s.

14 Jan 2013

Saliva gland test shows promise for Parkinson's

New research suggests that testing a portion of a person's saliva gland may be a way to diagnose Parkinson's disease.

11 Jan 2013

Apparent stem cell transplant success in mice may hold promise for people with ALS

Apparent stem cell transplant success in mice may hold promise for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease.

11 Jan 2013

Pannexin1 channel protein critical for memory and orientation

The channel protein Pannexin1 keeps nerve cells flexible and thus the brain receptive for new knowledge. Together with colleagues from Canada and the U.S., researchers at the Ruhr-Universit-t Bochum led by the junior professor Dr. Nora Prochnow from the Department of Molecular Brain Research describe these results in PLoS ONE.

10 Jan 2013

Leptin hormone also regulates airway diameter

A new study led by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers has found that leptin, a hormone that plays a key role in energy metabolism, fertility, and bone mass, also regulates airway diameter.

9 Jan 2013

Overall cancer death rates continue to decline in the U.S.: Report

The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2009, shows that overall cancer death rates continued to decline in the United States among both men and women, among all major racial and ethnic groups, and for all of the most common cancer sites, including lung, colon and rectum, female breast, and prostate.

9 Jan 2013

Dopamine-related drug exposure, Parkinson's increase risk of impulse control problems

Parkinson's disease itself does not increase the risk of impulse control problems such as compulsive gambling and shopping that have been seen in people taking certain drugs for Parkinson's disease, according to new research published in the January 8, 2013, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 Jan 2013

Beta blockers can reduce risk of Alzheimer's, other types of dementia

People taking the blood pressure drugs called beta blockers may be less likely to have changes in the brain that can be signs of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013.

9 Jan 2013