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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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Researchers at the University of Michigan Health System have uncovered a new link between genetic variations associated with alcoholism, impulsive behavior and a region of the brain involved in craving and anxiety.

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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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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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Had a large stockpile of oral cholera vaccine been available and deployed to inoculate the majority of Haitians most at risk after the outbreak following last year’s earthquake, the illness and death from the cholera epidemic could have been reduced by about half, according to new research.

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Across many groups of animals, species with bigger brains often have better cognitive abilities. But it’s been unclear whether overall brain size or the size of specific brain areas is the key. New findings by University of Washington neurobiologists suggest that both patterns are important: bigger-bodied social wasps had larger brains and devoted up to three times more of their brain tissue to regions that coordinate social interactions, learning, memory and other complex behaviors.

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The meaning of the standard fecal coliform test used to monitor water quality has been called into question by a new study that identified sources of Escherichia coli bacteria that might not indicate an environmental hazard.

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Certain differentiated cells in breast tissue can spontaneously convert to a stem-cell-like state, according to Whitehead Institute researchers. Until now, scientific dogma has stated that differentiation is a one-way path; once cells specialize, they cannot return to the flexible stem-cell state on their own.

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New research indicates supplementation with the "sunshine vitamin" may be particularly beneficial for overweight African-American adults, a population at increased risk for both cardiovascular disease and vitamin D deficiency.

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New study contradicts prior research suggesting hormonal status affects voice

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Researchers have found that a master clock gene does not fluctuate regularly as it does in non-obese animals. This means that a key gene clock of the cardiovascular system does not work properly when obesity is present. The findings are believed to be the first of their kind.

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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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Pharmacogenetics (PGx) is the study of an individual’s variation in DNA sequence related to drug response. The goal is to select the right drug at the right dose and avoid adverse drug reactions or ineffective treatment. A study aims to develop a PGx test for forensics. Researchers announce their results.

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Researchers from Wisconsin and Texas identify benefits of certain EET analogs that increase sodium excretion and lower blood pressure

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Dr. Larissa Shimoda will discuss her research when she presents this year's Bowditch Lecture, "Effects of chronic hypoxia on the pulmonary circulation: Role of HIF-1," on Sunday, April 10, 5:45 pm, during the Experimental Biology meeting at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC.

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The American Physiological Society has recognized the importance of Dr. Shimoda's work by awarding her the Henry Pickering Bowditch Award Lecture. Award is given to select scientists younger than 42 whose accomplishments are original and outstanding. It is the Society’s second-highest award.

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Using sinus tissue removed during surgery at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have managed to grow a recently discovered species of human rhinovirus (HRV), the most frequent cause of the common cold, in culture.

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New research shows that rising sea surface temperatures in the central Pacific Ocean drive atmospheric circulation that has caused some of the largest shifts in Antarctic climate in recent decades.

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Study was performed in tissue cultures taken from mice. The polyphenols showed a dose-dependent suppression of adipocyte differentiation.

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Study shows consumption of GTP (at a level equivalent to about 4-6 cups of steeped green tea daily) & participation in tai chi independently enhanced markers of bone health by 3 and 6 months, respectively

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Is there a "health halo effect" for organic products?

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In honor of his illuminating work, the American Physiological Society has selected Dr. Roberto Bolli to present the Walter B. Cannon Memorial Lecture at the Experimental Biology 2011 meeting (EB 2011).

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Bolli and colleagues are conducting the groundbreaking study, "Cardiac Stem Cell Infusion in Patients with Ischemic cardiOmyopathy (SCIPIO)," to perfect a technique for using a patient's own cardiac stem cells to regenerate dead heart muscle after a heart attack.

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Johns Hopkins scientists have developed a simplified, cheaper, all-purpose method they say can be used by scientists around the globe to more safely turn blood cells into heart cells. The method is virus-free and produces heart cells that beat with nearly 100 percent efficiency, they claim.

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A new study has demonstrated no significant benefit of taking the drug bosentan for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

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

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A researcher determined to manipulate the activation of certain enzymes will present new findings about a previously unknown cellular process that the pancreas uses to selectively detect and gobble up activated enzymes before they can digest the organ, avoiding disease progression.

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The first of its kind, an effectiveness study by Newswise has shown that 93% of research news releases and 77% of feature news releases get at least 5 news clips in major media outlets. The study also explored the reach and relevance of web search results duplicating the original news release.

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Experts on metabolism will convene for a thematic program to discuss scientific advances in understanding the links between metabolic function and the onset of disease.

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The program will showcase the work of scientists from all over the world who have their sights set on reversing the epidemic of obesity by laying bare and manipulating, to mankind’s advantage, its molecular underpinnings. Nine 25-minute talks and numerous other shorter talks about groundbreaking obesity studies.

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A thematic program will bring together researchers from across the country to discuss recent developments in DNA replication, recombination and repair and the importance of these activities in cancer and gene therapy.

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Two dozen researchers will go public about their ongoing work aimed at improving our understanding of biological systems and contributing to our cache of healing compounds.

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Today, The Endocrine Society released a new Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the evaluation and treatment of pituitary incidentalomas. The CPG is published in the April 2011 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), a publication of The Endocrine Society.

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It turns out that exercising during pregnancy might be the earliest intervention strategy available to mothers for improving their child’s heart health after birth.

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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.

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The United States should pay close attention to how the United Kingdom carries out plans to assess a new drug’s worth using factors that go beyond clinical and cost effectiveness, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. In a commentary to appear in the April 7 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, the bioethicists detail and discuss a new, “value-based pricing” policy proposed by the British government.

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New research suggests that workers exposed to welding fumes may be at risk for developing brain damage in an area of the brain also affected in Parkinson’s disease. The study is published in the April 6, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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Johns Hopkins researchers report the discovery of a molecular switch that regulates the behavior of a protein that, when altered, is already known to increase human susceptibility to schizophrenia and mood disorders.

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MIT cancer biologists have identified a genetic change that makes lung tumors more likely to spread to other parts of the body. The findings, to be published in the April 6 online issue of Nature, offers new insight into how lung cancers metastasize and could help identify drug targets to combat metastatic tumors, which account for 90 percent of cancer deaths.

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Following years of futile attempts, new research from the Monell Center demonstrates that living human taste cells can be maintained in culture for at least seven months. The findings provide scientists with a valuable tool to learn about the human sense of taste and how it functions in health and disease.