Neurology News and Research

Latest Neurology News and Research

Simple blood test 90% accurate in predicting Alzheimer's

A new blood test which has been developed by scientists in California may enable doctors to predict just who is likely to develop the the degenerative brain disease Alzheimer's.

15 Oct 2007

Professional welders risk losing their sense of smell

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that professional welders who work in enclosed spaces with poor ventilation may be at risk for loss of sense of smell. The study appears in Neurology .

12 Oct 2007

Pioneering approach to cardiovascular care

Thousands of heart patients in the Greater New York region will receive top quality, comprehensive cardiac care in an innovative cardiovascular program in which physicians at a major academic medical center will receive incentive payments based on 60 performance measures for outpatient and inpatient care.

12 Oct 2007

Patients with mild cognitive impairment have difficulty making medical decisions

New research from UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) indicates that patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), considered a pre-cursor to Alzheimer's disease (AD), have diminished skills in making important medical decisions compared to healthy adults.

12 Oct 2007

Researchers identify brain circuits used in sensation of touch

The ability to tactually recognize fine spatial details, such as the raised dots used in braille, is especially important to those who are blind.

11 Oct 2007

Trial of repeated antibiotic therapy for Lyme diseases

Findings from the first placebo-controlled study of chronic cognitive impairment after treated Lyme disease (also known as chronic Lyme encephalopathy) demonstrate that patients report moderate cognitive impairment, physical dysfunction comparable to patients with congestive heart failure, and fatigue comparable to patients with multiple sclerosis.

10 Oct 2007

$Accentia announces investigational new drug application for Revimmune for refractory MS$

Accentia announces investigational new drug application for Revimmune for refractory MS

Accentia Biopharmaceuticals has announced that it met with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 26, 2007 for a scheduled pre-Investigational New Drug (pre-IND) meeting on Revimmune.

10 Oct 2007

Relatives of Parkinson's disease victims more prone to dementia

According to a new study the relatives of people with Parkinson's disease are at an increased risk of developing dementia.

9 Oct 2007

Quick action after a minor stroke reduces the risk of a major stroke

According to two studies by British and French researchers quick action following a minor stroke reduces the chance of a major stroke later on.

9 Oct 2007

Smoking appears to have no effect on the progression of multiple sclerosis

Contrary to an earlier report, smoking appears to have no effect on the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in the October 9, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 Oct 2007

Injectable antibody reverses cognitive deficits in mice

A special protein can be injected into the body to reverse learning problems in mice that have an animal version of Alzheimer's disease, Saint Louis University researchers have found.

9 Oct 2007

Relatives of patients with Parkinson's disease may have an increased risk of developing dementia

Parkinson's disease is characterized by a decline in the functions of the central nervous system, such as motor skills and speech. Several studies have shown an increased risk of dementia in first-degree relatives of Parkinson's disease patients, while other studies have not confirmed the association, according to background information in the article.

9 Oct 2007

One injection of gene therapy spreads through brain in animal study

By targeting a site in a mouse brain well connected to other areas, researchers successfully delivered a beneficial gene to the entire brain - after one injection of gene therapy.

9 Oct 2007

HAART stops brain damage caused by HIV

A combination of drugs widely used to treat infections caused by HIV appears to stop brain damage caused by the virus as well, according to a study published in the October 9, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 Oct 2007

Central nervous system infections after heart transplants

Central nervous system infections develop infrequently following heart transplants but are a significant predictor of death, according to an article posted online today that will appear in the December 2007 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

9 Oct 2007

Potential new treatment for Huntington's disease found

MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegererative Disorders (MIND) researchers have identified a compound that may lead to a treatment that could protect against the effects of Huntington's Disease (HD).

9 Oct 2007

Pay-for-performance project to improve cardiovascular care

8 Oct 2007

Brain needs perfection in synapse number

Like Goldilocks, the brain seeks proportions that are just right. The proper number of synapses or communication between nerve cells, determined early in life, is crucial to having a healthy brain that can learn and retain information.

4 Oct 2007

People who don't finish high school are at a higher risk of developing dementia

...and Alzheimer's disease compared to people with more education, regardless of lifestyle choices and characteristics such as income, occupation, physical activity and smoking, according to a study published in the October 2, 2007, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Oct 2007

Antibiotic Minocycline shows potential as stroke treatment

People treated with the drug minocycline within six to 24 hours after a stroke had significantly fewer disabilities, according to a study published in the October 2, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Oct 2007