Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Botox finds a use in cancer treatment

The cosmetic treatment Botox may have a new use as an adjuvant to cancer therapy, providing an open door for chemotherapy and radiation treatments, according to a study published in the Feb. 15 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

17 Feb 2006

Study examines treatment to maintain blood pressure in those with disorder causing postural drops

Use of a medication called pyridostigmine alone or in combination with low-dose midodrine appears to improve standing blood pressure in patients with orthostatic hypotension, a fall in blood pressure associated with postural changes and standing

17 Feb 2006

Major Alzheimer's discovery

A team from the Faculty of Medicine at Universiti Laval and the research centre at CHUQ (Centre hospitalier universitaire de Quibec) has discovered a natural defence mechanism that the body deploys to combat nerve cell degeneration observed in persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

17 Feb 2006

Hormone aldosterone linked to quality of hearing

Researchers have linked a hormone known to adjust levels of key brain chemicals to the quality of our hearing as we age. The more of the hormone that older people have in their bloodstream, the better their hearing is, and the less of the hormone, the worse their hearing is.

16 Feb 2006

Lupus responds to stem cell transplant therapy

Transplanting patients with blood stem cells that originate from their own bone marrow can induce the remission of life-threatening, treatment-resistant lupus, according to a study that took place at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

13 Feb 2006

Case biologists move closer to biologically inspired robots

The brain as command center for bodily movement was too simple an idea, thought the Russian physiologist Nicolas Bernstein some 60 years ago.

9 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

Why anti-obesity cortisol reducing supplements do not work

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have revealed that the cortisol/obesity connection, touted by many weight-loss supplement marketers, may be even more tenuous than first thought.

2 Feb 2006

Deer antlers provide important clues for stem cell research

Research carried out by veterinary scientists at the Royal Veterinary College reveals that deer antler regeneration may use stem cells and involves similar mechanisms to those used in limb development.

2 Feb 2006

Deer a possible source of "mad cow like" disease

A University of Kentucky researcher has warned that eating deer could put people at risk of a disease similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) commonly known as mad cow disease.

30 Jan 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

$More fractures, less bone density in premenopausal women with diabetes$

More fractures, less bone density in premenopausal women with diabetes

Premenopausal women who have type 1 diabetes should strongly consider preventive screening for osteoporosis, the researchers of a new study on bone density conclude in the February issue of Diabetes Care.

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

Discovery of gene that causes Meckel-Gruber syndrome

The discovery of a gene that causes a rare, inherited and always fatal disorder, Meckel-Gruber (MKS) syndrome, may provide researchers with the common thread to unravel the mysteries of other birth defects.

23 Jan 2006

Duration of anesthesia not related to complications in plastic surgery

The length of time patients spend under anesthesia during facial plastic surgery procedures does not appear to be linked to their risk of complications or death, Yale School of Medicine researchers report this month in Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.

23 Jan 2006

Workplace stress plays is an important risk factor for heart disease and diabetes

Stress at work is an important risk factor for the development of heart disease and diabetes, finds a study published online by the British Medical Journal.

23 Jan 2006

Novel compound stops brain cell degeneration in Alzheimer's disease

Drug discovery researchers at Northwestern University have developed a novel orally administered compound specifically targeted to suppress brain cell inflammation and neuron loss associated with Alzheimer's disease.

22 Jan 2006

New microRNA mechanism for regulating brain function

Non-coding regions of the genome - those that don't code for proteins - are now known to include important elements that regulate gene activity. Among those elements are microRNAs, tiny, recently discovered RNA molecules that suppress gene expression.

18 Jan 2006

New findings about messenger molecule raise hopes for new drug

Uppsala University scientists have developed a new method for measuring the concentration of the messenger substance for cells, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), in individual living cells.

18 Jan 2006