Neurology News and Research

Latest Neurology News and Research

Mindfit brain fitness program helps frail seniors walk faster

Computerized brain fitness programs are known to help seniors improve their memory and focus. Now, a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has found preliminary evidence that such programs may help frail seniors walk faster, potentially preventing disability and improving quality of life. Results appear in the July 19 online edition of the Journal of Gerontology.

11 Aug 2010

Brain-wave pattern study may lead to techniques for enhancing sleep spindles

People who have trouble sleeping in noisy environments often resort to strategies like earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones that muffle the sound, but a new study from investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) may lead to ways to block disturbing sounds within the brain. In their report in the August 10 issue of Current Biology, the team reports finding a brain-wave pattern, reflecting activity of a key structure, that predicts the ease at which sleep can be disrupted by noise.

10 Aug 2010

Talecris and Grifols receive 'Second Request' from FTC regarding proposed merger

Talecris Biotherapeutics Holdings Corp. today announced that Talecris and Grifols S.A. have each received a request for additional information and documentary material, often referred to as a "Second Request," from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in connection with their proposed merger.

10 Aug 2010

Scientists work towards creating a vaccine for Parkinson's disease

Nina Brown, 68, and millions of others with a debilitating neurological condition called Parkinson's disease are counting on researchers for a cure. At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), protein chemists are working to develop a therapeutic vaccine.

10 Aug 2010

Alzheimer’s disease can now be predicted with 100% accuracy: Study

In a new development, Alzheimer's disease can now be predicted with up to 100 percent accuracy several years before its onset using three special marker proteins present in the spinal fluids. The study was published in the American Medical Association's Archives of Neurology.

9 Aug 2010

Scientists induce nerve tissue regeneration in patients with spinal cord injury

Researchers for the first time have induced robust regeneration of nerve tissue connections in injured adult spinal cord sites that control voluntary movement. These findings provide hope that it may be possible to design therapies for paralysis and other impairments of motor function arising from spinal cord injury.

9 Aug 2010

Opexa Therapeutics aims to complete planned experiments, develop clinical study protocols

Opexa Therapeutics, Inc., a company developing Tovaxin, a novel T-cell therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), today reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 and provided an update on its corporate developments.

7 Aug 2010

FDA confirms Advisory Committee meeting date for lorcaserin NDA review

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eisai Inc. announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified the company of the confirmed scheduling of an Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting on September 16, 2010, for the review of the lorcaserin New Drug Application (NDA). Lorcaserin, which Arena discovered and has developed for weight management, is intended for obese patients as well as overweight patients who have at least one weight-related co-morbid condition.

7 Aug 2010

Drugs that reduce activity of ABDH6 enzyme can prevent brain damage: Study

A newly discovered molecular mechanism helps control the amount and effectiveness of a substance that mimics an active ingredient in marijuana, but that is produced by the body's own nerve cells.

7 Aug 2010

AVANIR Pharmaceuticals reports net loss of $5.7M for third-quarter fiscal 2010

AVANIR Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today reported unaudited financial results for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2010.

7 Aug 2010

TEMPO study recommends early administration of Azilect in PD patients

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) today announced newly published long-term data on Azilect(rasagiline tablets) from the TEMPO study and its open-label extension. The findings confirm the long-term efficacy, safety and tolerability of Azilect® in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and further demonstrate the benefits obtained with early treatment initiation. The data was published in the June 2010 issue of the International Journal of Neuroscience.

6 Aug 2010

Repligen total revenue for first-quarter fiscal 2011 increases 39% to $7.01 million

Repligen Corporation today reported results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011, ended June 30, 2010. Total revenue for the first quarter was $7,010,000 compared to total revenue of $5,061,000 for the first quarter of fiscal year 2010, an increase of $1,949,000 or 39%. Bioprocessing product revenue for the first quarter was $4,269,000 compared to $2,473,000 for the first quarter of fiscal 2010, an increase of $1,796,000 or 73%.

5 Aug 2010

New studies question wide-spread hypothesis that CCSVI contribute to development of MS

Researchers at Umeå University in Sweden have performed a study that indicates that neither blood flow nor the flow of spinal fluid in the brain contribute to the development of multiple sclerosis, MS. The findings run directly counter to a much-discussed and widely spread Italian theory.

5 Aug 2010

Scientists discover Deep Brain Stimulation as potential treatment for early Alzheimer's

In a world first, Dr. Andres M. Lozano and his team at Toronto Western Hospital has shown using Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) on patients with early signs of Alzheimer's disease is safe and may help improve memory. The phase one safety trial of six Ontario patients took place from 2005 to 2008. All patients left hospital within 2 to 3 days of surgery, and continue to participate in regular follow-up cognitive assessments.

5 Aug 2010

Detection of Alzheimer's before symptoms occur

Research is on to detect the dreaded Alzheimer's disease even before any symptoms occur. In a newly proposed diagnostic criteria developed by experts from the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association three stages of the disease viz. pre-clinical Alzheimer's, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's dementia are described.

4 Aug 2010

Special issue on new developments in vestibular rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is essential for patients with disabling symptoms of dizziness, vertigo, and unsteadiness caused by disorders of the vestibular system. A special issue of The Journal of Neurologic Physical Therapy (JNPT) presents an update on new and emerging vestibular rehabilitation techniques, highlighting the physical therapist's role on the multidisciplinary teams providing patient care and research.

4 Aug 2010

MAP Pharmaceuticals reports net loss of $12.5M for second-quarter 2010

MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010.

3 Aug 2010

Other brain regions compensates loss of amygdale: Research

Many neuroscientists believe the loss of the brain region known as the amygdala would result in the brain's inability to form new memories with emotional content. New UCLA research indicates this is not so and suggests that when one brain region is damaged, other regions can compensate.

3 Aug 2010

Healthy heart may slow down aging of brain: Study

Keep your heart healthy and you may slow down the aging of your brain, according to a new study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.In the study, people whose hearts pumped less blood had brains that appeared older than the brains of those whose hearts pumped more blood. Decreased cardiac index, the amount of blood that pumps from the heart in relation to a person's body size, was associated with decreased brain volume using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

3 Aug 2010

GG genotype may increase severity of multiple sclerosis symptoms: Study

A new study shows a gene variant may increase the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. The research will be published in the August 3, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.For the study, researchers screened the oligoadenylate synthetase gene in 401 people with MS, 394 people without MS and 178 people receiving the MS treatment beta interferon.

3 Aug 2010