Feature Channels: Neuro

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The brain’s hypothalamus plays a key role in obesity and one of its major complications – type 2 diabetes. Nerve cells in the hypothalamus detect nutrients and hormones circulating in the blood and then coordinate a complex series of behavioral and physiological responses to maintain a balance between calories eaten and calories burned. Obesity and diabetes can result when this regulatory mechanism goes awry.

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The recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a brain aneurysm device has opened the door for neurosurgeons at Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience (JHN) to offer advanced treatment to patients suffering from large or giant aneurysms who otherwise have limited, effective options.

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New research suggests that people who are exposed to low levels of sunlight coupled with a history of having a common virus known as mononucleosis may be at greater odds of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) than those without the virus. The research is published in the April 19, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Neurosurgeons at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, have for the first time, initiated the restoration of lost brain tissue through brain bypass surgery in patients where blood flow to the brain is impaired by cerebrovascular disease. The study, which involved 29 patients, was published online in the journal Stroke.

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A new high-flow brain bypass procedure developed by a Saint Louis University surgeon is highlighted on the cover of Neurosurgery.

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The circadian system that controls normal sleep patterns is regulated by glial brain cells called astrocytes, according to a study in Current Biology. The research from Tufts provides, for the first time, a good genetic model to study the role of astrocytes in circadian rhythms and sleep disorders.

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A Mayo Clinic case study finds Botox may offer new hope to patients suffering disabling low cerebrospinal fluid headaches. The successful treatment also offers new insight into Botox and headache treatment generally. The case study was presented March 13th, 2011 at the American Academy of Neurology meeting in Hawaii.

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Researchers at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre, Toronto Western Hospital have identified a cell receptor, which is responsible for cell death in the spinal cord in a condition called Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (CSM). The findings, published today online in the journal Brain, show that when the cell receptor was blocked, nerve cells were preserved, protecting against loss of motor function.

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A new drug called perampanel appears to significantly reduce seizures in people with hard-to-control epilepsy, according to results of the first clinical trial to test the higher 12 mg dose of the drug. The late-breaking research will be presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, April 9–16, 2011, in Honolulu.

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Areas of the brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease may start shrinking up to a decade before dementia is diagnosed, according to a new study published in the April 13, 2011, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).

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Treating high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and other vascular risk factors may help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in people who already show signs of declining thinking skills or memory problems. The research is published in the April 13, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Subtle differences in brain anatomy among older individuals with normal cognitive skills may be able to predict both the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in the following decade and how quickly symptoms of dementia would develop.

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A study on the relationship between multiple sclerosis and chronic cerebral venous insufficiency, a narrowing of the extracranial veins that restricts the normal outflow of blood from the brain, found that CCSVI may be a result of MS, not a cause.

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Drugs already in development to treat Alzheimer’s disease may eventually be tapped for a different purpose altogether: re-growing the ends of injured nerves to relieve pain and paralysis. According to a new Johns Hopkins study, experimental compounds originally designed to combat a protein that builds up in Alzheimer’s-addled brains appear to make crushed or cut nerve endings grow back significantly faster, a potential boon for those who suffer from neuropathies or traumatic injuries.

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After a century of studying the causes of schizophrenia-the most persistent disabling condition among adults-the cause of the disorder remains unknown. Now induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated from schizophrenic patients have brought researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies a step closer to a fundamental understanding of the biological underpinnings of the disease.

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McGill researchers suggest malfunctions in neurons that filter visual information may be responsible for diseases such as ADHD and schizophrenia

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Tragically, infants experience severe or fatal head trauma as a result of intentional abuse. Shaken baby syndrome, now commonly referred to as non-accidental head trauma, is a serious form of abuse inflicted upon a child. While there have been other studies analyzing the relationship between economic hardship and child abuse, including head trauma, this research focuses specifically on severe head trauma trends in infants.

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Of the 4,030 new cases of brain tumors diagnosed in 2010, an estimated 2,880 were in children younger than 15. As many as 15 percent of these pediatric brain tumors occur in the brainstem. Eighty percent of brainstem gliomas (BSG’s) are diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs), an almost always fatal tumor with no effective treatment. Researchers studied the biology of pediatric brainstem glioma in an effort to advance treatment of this leading cause of brain tumor death in children.

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There has been increased awareness in the last year related to head injuries incurred in the NFL as well as in collegiate and high school football. While there have been many studies related to concussion in football, and more recently, the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy related to repetitive brain trauma in sports, this is the first in-depth analysis of the biomechanics of subdural hemorrhage formation specific to American football.

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Vanderbilt researchers conducting an extensive analysis of studies on traumatic brain injury (TBI), report today that 30 percent of TBI patients, or approximately 360,000 patients each year, will also suffer from depression after their injury. The report, funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), examined existing research on civilian blunt force trauma typically resulting from motor vehicle accidents, falls, assaults and sports injuries.

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EANS-4th WORLD ICH Congress 2011 to convene key specialists on May 2-5 in NewcastleGateshead.

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New evidence suggests that walking on a treadmill at a comfortable speed and for longer duration is the most effective exercise to improve mobility in people with Parkinson’s disease. That’s according to the first randomized trial comparing three types of exercise training in Parkinson’s disease. The late-breaking research will be presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, April 9–16, 2011, in Honolulu.

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University of Maryland researchers found that Parkinson's patients who did low intensity training on a treadmill for a longer duration improved their walking more than patients who walked at a higher-intensity for a shorter time.

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The American Association of Neuromuscular & and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM), in collaboration with the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPMR), released a new guideline on the most effective treatments for diabetic nerve pain, the burning or tingling pain in the hands and feet that affects millions of people with diabetes.

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New research suggests that a high number of Iraqi refugees are affected by brain and nervous system disorders, including those who are victims of torture and the disabled. The late-breaking research will be presented at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, April 9 – 16, 2011, in Honolulu.

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Brisk walking several times per week bestows benefits in just 3 months

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Results of the first randomized, placebo-controlled long-term clinical trial show the investigational drug safinamide may reduce dyskinesia or involuntary movements in mid-to-late stage Parkinson’s disease. The findings will be presented as late-breaking research at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, April 9–16, 2011, in Honolulu.

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Low back and leg pain secondary to degeneration of the lumbar spine (spondylolisthesis) is occurring with increasing frequency, concurrent with the rising population of people age 65 and older living in the US. As a result, there has been a marked increase in the rate of spinal fusion operations and corresponding healthcare costs over the past two decades. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. set out to assess the cost-effectiveness of TLIF, a single lumbar fusion surgical technique commonly used to stabilize the vertebrae of the spine and disc between the vertebrae.

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Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) has been the mainstay surgical treatment for cervical disc degeneration for many years. A study performed by researchers at Boulder Neurosurgical Associates and the University of Colorado at Boulder suggests that more optimistic patient expectation and mental health are significant factors that lead to improved clinical outcomes and higher patient satisfaction scores following cervical spine surgery.

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On December 5, 1960, 4-month-old Theo Dahl, the only son of best-selling author Roald Dahl and actress Patricia Neal, suffered a shattered skull in a horrific traffic accident involving his pram in New York City. What began as a personal tragedy for the family would soon evolve into an elaborate crusade by Roald Dahl to expound upon pre-existing valve technology for hydrocephalus with the goal of developing a shunt that would not obstruct.

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The Allen Human Brain Atlas reveals more than 90 percent similarity among humans and details genes at work throughout the brain to advance scientific research and medical outcomes

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In a research collaboration blind to affairs of politics, ethnicity, and religion, an international team led by Israeli scientists has identified the genetic cause of a neurological disorder afflicting members of a Palestinian family.

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The American Academy of Neurology has issued a new guideline on the most effective treatments for diabetic nerve pain, the burning or tingling pain in the hands and feet that affects millions of people with diabetes. The guideline is published in the April 11, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, and will be presented April 11, 2011, at the American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting in Honolulu.

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A leading panel of neurologists, including a University of Maryland physician, has issued new recommendations to help doctors offer the most up-to-date treatments for people with diabetic neuropathy.

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Scientists at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School are a step closer to treating, and perhaps preventing, muscle damage caused by neurodegenerative disorders and other forms of disease. In a newly published study, released today and cited as a Paper of the Week by the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the team has discovered that the gene polymerase I and transcript release factor, or PTRF, is an essential component of the cell process that repairs damaged muscle tissue. This discovery has the potential to lead to development of therapeutic treatment for patients who suffer from severe complications of diseases such as muscular dystrophy, cardiovascular disorders and other degenerative conditions.

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The drug laquinimod reduced the number of relapses for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), in a large, long-term Phase III clinical study that will be presented as late-breaking research at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, April 9–16, 2011, in Honolulu.

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In the first clinical trial of gene therapy for treatment of intractable pain, researchers from the University of Michigan Department of Neurology observed that the treatment that appears to provide substantial pain relief.

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Neurosurgeons know all too well the potentially devastating consequences of head injuries associated with sports. Neurosurgeons have been leaders in the field of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and have served as team physicians at all levels of athletics. In releasing this position statement, the Joint Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care of the AANS and CNS has acknowledged the seriousness of sports-related head injuries and neurosurgeons’ key role in treatment and prevention.

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Glioblastoma, or malignant glioma, is the most common malignant brain tumor, and also the most deadly, because it is very resistant to treatment. In general, current treatments have not yielded significant increases in survival rates, which is why research into novel therapies is so crucial. A novel brain tumor vaccine clinical trial study conducted at UCLA demonstrates a longer survival time in patients with glioblastoma.

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Tumors of the pituitary gland, often referred to as “the master gland” can cause striking physical, mental and psychological debilitation in patients. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston analyzed the value of fluorescence endoscopy in visually differentiating pituitary tumors from surrounding areas and its potential for improved tumor resection.

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Meningiomas are the most common benign intracranial tumors, and in individuals ages 35 and older, the most common type of brain tumor diagnosed. Researchers at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, analyzed factors predictive of outcomes and recurrence in patients with posterior fossa meningiomas treated with stereotactic radiosurgery.

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Thousands of Americans suffer from episodes of acute or persistent neck and arm pain every year as a result of underlying cervical disc disease. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) has been the mainstay treatment for many years. This is the largest combined analysis of class 1 data to date comparing the efficacy of artificial disc surgery (arthroplasty) to the ACDF procedure.

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An arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a tangle of abnormal and poorly formed blood vessels (arteries and veins), with an innate propensity to bleed. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine assessed the risks and efficacy of repeat stereotactic radiosurgery in patients with AVMs.

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A Tufts University research team shows that cell death in yeast can also result from the process by which the cell repairs damage that occurs within a repeated CAG/CTG sequence. Their findings increase understanding of how diseases like Huntington's develop in humans.

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Workshop Coincides with the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, Largest in World

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Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie has issued a state proclamation declaring the week of April 9-16, 2011, as “Brain Health Awareness Week” in the Aloha state. The proclamation coincides with two large events in Honolulu; the Brain Health Fair Saturday, April 9, and the American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting at the Hawaii Convention Center April 9-16, which is the world’s largest meeting of neurologists with more than 9,000 attendees.

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Workers exposed to welding fumes may be at increased risk of damage to the same brain area harmed by Parkinson's disease, according to a new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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Patients with a temporary surgical implant have used regions of the brain that control speech to “talk” to a computer for the first time, manipulating a cursor on a computer screen simply by saying or thinking of a particular sound.

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University of Utah School of Medicine researchers have found compelling evidence that Parkinson’s disease is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer and melanoma, and that this increased cancer risk also extends to close and distant relatives of individuals with Parkinson’s disease .

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Familiar voices, magnetic stimulation being tested in two clinical trials. One study is a double-blind, randomized trial in which family members and loved ones of the patients play very important roles.