Neurology News and Research

Latest Neurology News and Research

Merz publishes Phase III study results assessing the impact of NT 201 on muscle tone

Data results published this month in Clinical Neuropharmacology, revealed that Merz Pharmaceuticals' NT 201 (botulinum toxin type A free from complexing proteins), also known by the brand name Xeomin in Europe and Canada, was statistically significantly more efficacious than placebo for the treatment of patients with post-stroke upper limb spasticity.

7 Oct 2009

AVANIR's STAR trial Phase III data to be presented at the World Congress on Controversies in Neurology

AVANIR Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced it will present detailed data from the Phase III confirmatory STAR trial in the treatment of pseudobulbar affect (PBA) at the 3rd World Congress on Controversies in Neurology (CONy) in Prague, Czech Republic on October 8 - 11, 2009 and the American Neurological Association (ANA) 134th Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD on October 11 - 14, 2009.

6 Oct 2009

Study reveals information about molecular structure of prions

A collaboration between scientists at Vanderbilt University and the University of California, San Francisco has led to the first direct information about the molecular structure of prions. In addition, the study has revealed surprisingly large structural differences between natural prions and the closest synthetic analogs that scientists have created in the lab.

6 Oct 2009

New wallet-sized card for detecting and monitoring concussions

In response to recent research that shows young athletes with repeated brain injuries are more at risk for future neurological problems, the Illinois Athletic Trainers Association (IATA) and the Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch (CINN) are offering a wallet-sized card with tips for detecting and monitoring concussions.

6 Oct 2009

Drivers with Parkinson's disease at greater risk of crashes on foggy days

Drivers with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease may be at higher risk of crashes on foggy days and other times of low visibility. The research, involving a driving simulation test, is published in the October 6, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

6 Oct 2009

ALS patients' bone marrow cells capable of differentiating into nerve-supporting cells

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, announced today that bone marrow cells taken from ALS patients were capable of differentiating into nerve-supporting cells.

5 Oct 2009

Study shows that GSK-3 gene determines the total number of neurons required for brain

In populating the growing brain, neural stem cells must strike a delicate balance between two key processes - proliferation, in which the cells multiply to provide plenty of starting materials - and differentiation, in which those materials evolve into functioning neurons.

5 Oct 2009

Non-invasive imaging technique can aid in diagnosing tinnitus

Complicating matters, physicians can rarely pinpoint the source of tinnitus, a chronic ringing of the head or ears that can be as quiet as a whisper or as loud as a jackhammer.

5 Oct 2009

6.5 percent of ACL reconstruction patients undergo second knee surgery

Patients who have their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructed are more likely to have subsequent knee surgery if they are women or are treated by a surgeon who does a low volume of ACL reconstructions, according to a study in the October 2009 TK issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. The study, conducted by investigators at Hospital for Special Surgery, also found that overall, 6.5% of patients undergoing ACL surgery had to undergo another knee operation within one year.

3 Oct 2009

Research study reveals primary chemotherapy benefits

Initial chemotherapy alone after surgery is just as successful as initial radiation therapy for patients from whom a very malignant brain tumor (anaplastic glioma) was removed. With this treatment, the patients survive on average > 30 months without a recurrence. A study conducted by the Neurooncology Working Group of the German Cancer Society led by researchers from Heidelberg and Z-rich showed that patients in primary therapy benefit to the same extent from chemotherapy alone as from radiation alone.

3 Oct 2009

International Society for Hip Arthroscopy to focus on new procedures for hip surgery at its inaugural meeting

Recent advances in diagnostic imaging techniques and hip arthroscopy procedures are giving physicians and surgeons better tools with which to treat hip pain. The 2009 International Society for Hip Arthroscopy meeting, hosted by Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, brings together leading surgeons from all over the world to take an in-depth look at hip arthroscopy and its potential benefits.

3 Oct 2009

SNM's joint session with CMOD on molecular imaging biomarkers in clinical research

SNM is collaborating with the International Partnership for Critical Markers of Disease (CMOD) during CMOD's 7th Annual Biomarkers and Surrogate Endpoints Symposium, Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Bethesda, Md., Oct. 19th, 2009.

3 Oct 2009

Society of Interventional Radiology offers intensive five-day course

The Society of Interventional Radiology presents Catheter Lysis of Thromboembolic Stroke (CLOTS)-an intensive five-day course featuring top interventional radiologists, neurointerventionists, neurologists and neuroradiologists offering doctors the opportunity to gain and/or upgrade skills to incorporate acute ischemic stroke care into their practice.

1 Oct 2009

Streptococcal infection does not cause OCD or Tourette syndrome, says study

New research shows that streptococcal infection does not appear to cause or trigger Tourette syndrome or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The research is published in the September 30, 2009, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

1 Oct 2009

EMD Serono submits NDA for Cladribine Tablets in the U.S.

EMD Serono, Inc. an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today the submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Cladribine Tablets, EMD Serono's proprietary investigational oral formulation of cladribine, as a therapy for reducing relapses in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

1 Oct 2009

Valeant Pharmaceuticals to acquire Private Formula International Holdings

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International (NYSE: VRX) today announced that it has agreed to acquire Private Formula International Holdings Pty Limited, a leading skincare company.

1 Oct 2009

Tβ4 therapy in EAE mice improves neurological functional recovery

REGENERX BIOPHARMACEUTICALS, INC. (NYSE Amex:RGN) announced today that researchers at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan, demonstrated for the first time that Tβ4 treatment of EAE (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis – an animal model for multiple sclerosis) significantly improves neurological functional recovery.

30 Sep 2009

New anticoagulant therapy has fewer side-effects than warfarin

In an article reviewed by F1000 Medicine Faculty Members Robert Ruff, Brian Olshansky and Luis Ruilope, the blood-thinner dabigatran is shown to protect against stroke, blood clotting and major bleeding as effectively as warfarin, but with fewer side effects.

30 Sep 2009

New treatment for Alzheimer's disease may be in the offing

Oleocanthal, a naturally-occurring compound found in extra-virgin olive oil, alters the structure of neurotoxic proteins believed to contribute to the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease. This structural change impedes the proteins' ability to damage brain nerve cells.

30 Sep 2009

Solos to supply MammoView surgical endoscopy instruments for Beth Israel Medical Center

Solos Endoscopy, Inc. (Pink Sheets: SNDY) is pleased to announce that the Company has received purchase orders for the MammoView(TM) line of surgical endoscopy instruments from Beth Israel Medical Center, one of the five Continuum Health Partners health care facilities that play a vital role in providing quality medical care for millions of New Yorkers.

29 Sep 2009