A drug currently FDA-approved for use in diabetes shows some protective effects in the brains of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine report in a study online in the Journal of Neuroimmunology.
The largest study of its kind to date shows that women may not be able to learn as well shortly before menopause compared to other stages in life. The research is published in the May 26, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
People who take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins after a stroke may be less likely to have another stroke later, according to research published in the May 26, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University are investigating the molecular mechanisms of Huntington's disease (HD) to identify the pathways in the brain that are altered in response to mutant proteins, as well as to understand the cellular processes impacted by the disease in order to facilitate the development of effective pharmacological interventions. HD is a highly complex genetic, neurological disorder that causes certain nerve cells in the brain to waste away.
A Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center physician is among the first in the country to treat a patient using an FDA-approved liquid system for treating wide-necked brain aneurysms.
Chinese researchers have unlocked the mechanism of an emerging mind-body technique that produces measurable changes in attention and stress reduction in just five days of practice.
A new study shows that older people who are thinner or are losing weight quickly are at a higher risk of developing dementia, especially if they started out overweight or obese. The research is published in the May 19, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Any child confronting an outraged parent demanding to know "What were you thinking?" now has a new response: "Scientists have discovered that my brain is organized differently than yours."
A new tool can help predict whether people age 65 and older have a high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Research on the tool is published in the May 13, 2009, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
It takes less than a minute for a stroke to change a person's life forever, but taking the time to make a few simple lifestyle adjustments and finding out how to recognize an attack when it happens can save thousands of lives.
Traumatic Brain Injury is the single most common cause of death and disability in children and adolescents, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Now, according to a new study by UCLA researchers, the effects of a blow to the head, whether it's mild or a concussion, can linger for years.
Significant and widespread cognitive problems appear to exist in schizophrenia in its earliest phase, making it very hard for people with the disorder to work, study or be social, according to a new study published by the American Psychological Association.
The web's foremost website on Alzheimer disease reports on the highlights from the 3rd annual Human Amyloid Imaging (HAI) conference held recently in Seattle, WA. Amyloid beta, a peptide that builds up abnormally in the brains of Alzheimer patients, can be studied by brain imaging. This landmark advance promises to yield new insights into how brain changes with aging and Alzheimer disease.
Swinging their arms helped participants in a new study solve a problem whose solution involved swinging strings, researchers report, demonstrating that the brain can use bodily cues to help understand and solve complex problems.
Researchers have identified a key pathway that could lead to new therapies to repair nerve cells' protective coating stripped away as a result of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. An article appears in the May 13 online edition of the Journal of Neuroscience. The research may also lead to new therapies for autism, Alzheimer's disease, and perinatal brain injury.
UCLA researchers report that certain regions in the brains of long-term meditators were larger than non-meditators. Specifically, meditators showed significantly larger volumes of the hippocampus and areas within the orbito-frontal cortex, the thalamus and the inferior temporal gyrus "” all regions known for regulating emotions.
Early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease could save millions or even billions of dollars while simultaneously improving care, according to new work by University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers.
Change the lighting; improve your health. Researchers from Case Western Reserve University, the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Lighting Research Center and GE Consumer & Industrial have begun testing in a long-term care facility where daylight is not readily available.
Levels of biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid of individuals with very mild dementia may be associated with the rate at which their thinking, learning and memory skills decline, according to a report in the May issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Children who suffer traumatic brain injuries can experience lasting or late-appearing neuropsychological problems, highlighting the need for careful watching over time, according to two studies published by the American Psychological Association.
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and Duke University find that impaired brain plasticity may explain how disruption of a single gene in the brain can cause severe cognitive deficits.
For the last 10 years, postgraduate training in medicine has been under scrutiny, with studies citing concerns about resident fatigue and patient safety. Numerous adjustments were made by neurosurgical educators six years ago when the ACGME instituted the maximum 24-hour shift length and 80-hour resident work week. The Journal of Neurosurgery articles are the first to delve into this subject from the unique perspective of neurosurgery.
Continuing their groundbreaking research into the treatment of mood disorders in older adults, psychiatrists at the Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry at the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division in White Plains will begin new studies on the effects of quetiapine (Seroquel: Astra Zeneca) and lamotrigine (Lamictal: GlaxoSmithKline).
Of dozens of candidates potentially involved in increasing a person's risk for the most common type of Alzheimer's disease that affects more than 5 million Americans over the age of 65, one gene that keeps grabbing Johns Hopkins researchers' attention makes a protein called neuroglobin.
The spinal column is the most common site for bone metastasis. Metastatic spinal tumors are the most common type of malignant lesions of the spine, accounting for an estimated 70 percent of all spinal tumors. Estimates indicate that 30 to 70 percent of patients with cancer will experience spread of cancer to their spine. Research analyzes the effectiveness of sterotactic body radiosurgery in patients with metastatic spinal tumors.
It is estimated that 60,000 new cases of Parkinson's disease (PD) are diagnosed each year, adding to the estimated one to 1.5 million Americans who currently have the disease. One early sign of PD is the loss of the sense of smell (dysosmia), which often occurs prior to any abnormal movements. The exact reason for this loss is still under investigation, although it may be due to the loss of the brain cells that are used to sense and/or process odors.
The World Health Organization rates major depression as the top cause of disability worldwide, with an estimated 340 million people suffering from an episode of major depression every year. Sadly, statistics show that the suicide rate in people with major depression is as high as 15 percent. Research investigates the use of a new and less invasive form of stimulation in patients with medically refractive major depression.
In 2007, an estimated 20,500 new cases of primary malignant brain and central nervous system tumors were diagnosed, of which 16,605 were estimated to be gliomas. Gliomas can present a challenge for surgical resection (removal) because they invade normal brain tissue that may be highly functional, so it is crucial to develop techniques for improved visualization of the tumor's margins. Research studies the correlation between local fluorescence and MRI-enhancement on patients undergoing brain tumor surgery.
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN, also known as tic douloureaux) is the most common facial pain syndrome, characterized by episodic, intense, shock-like pain in one or more divisions of the trigeminal nerve. Although TN surgery is successful in about 60 to 90 percent of cases, some patients are especially challenging and continue to have persistent or recurrent TN despite multiple operations. Research evaulates the efficacy of surgery in TN patients who have experienced prior failed operations.
An estimated 3 percent of the world population, or about 197 million people suffer from some form of hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). Teenagers suffering from hyperhydrosis often experience social, emotional, and physical problems, exacerbating what is often an already vulnerable period of growth and maturity. Unfortunately, nonsurgical approaches are usually ineffective for severe forms of palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis. Research evaluates efficacy of a minimally invasive surgical procedure in teenagers with hyperhidrosis.
Every year, 200,000 patients in the United States develop shingles, for which there is no cure. The pain from shingles can be excruciating, and the cause might not be immediately evident. While some patients have mild cases and recover fully, other patients suffer from post-herpetic neuralgia, a painful syndrome that often cannot be adequately treated with pain-relieving medications. Research investigates the efficacy of a surgical pump to deliver medication to patients with post-herpetic neuralgia.
Dystonia is a very complex, highly variable neurological movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions. Dystonia results from abnormal functioning of the basal ganglia, a deep part of the brain which helps control coordination of movement. Patients with generalized primary dystonia suffer from repetitive twisting movements or abnormal postures due to involuntary muscle contractions.
Alzheimer's disease patients who develop delirium, a sudden state of severe confusion and disorientation, are significantly more likely to experience rapid cognitive decline than Alzheimer's patients who didn't experience delirium, according to research published in the May 5, 2009, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Delirium often develops in elderly patients during hospitalization or serious illness, and this acute state of confusion and agitation has long been suspected of having ties to Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Now a study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Hebrew Senior Life, confirms that an episode of delirium rapidly accelerates cognitive decline and memory loss in Alzheimer's patients.
Scientists have identified a protein that appears not only to be central to the process that causes Parkinson's disease but could also play a role in muting the high from methamphetamine and other addictive drugs.
Close to 1.5 million cases of traumatic brain injury (TBI) occur in the United States every year. Approximately 5.3 million people live with a TBI-related disability and an additional 60,000 people die annually from TBI. Research analyzes the role of the amino acid glutamate in TBI patient outcome and its potential for future treatment.
Hydrocephalus is a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up within the ventricles (fluid-containing cavities) of the brain and may increase pressure within the head. Venticuloperitoneal shunts remain the standard of care for the treatment of hydrocephalus, but can present complications for some older children. Research evaluates outcome in 105 children with ventriculopleural shunts placed at Children's Hospital Los Angeles over a 30-year period.
Vestibular schwannomas (frequently called acoustic neuromas) are common skull-base brain tumors that account for 57 percent of all nerve sheath tumors and 5 percent of all primary brain tumors. Typically, patients notice unilateral (one-sided) or asymmetrical hearing loss, but sometimes these tumors are found incidentally in patients with normal hearing. Research analyzes facial nerve function and hearing preservation in thousands of patients who underwent Gamma Knife radiosurgery for vestibular schwannomas.
Malignant gliomas are generally fatal tumors that are highly resistant to treatment. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most invasive type of glial tumor. These tumors tend to grow rapidly, spread to other tissue, and have a poor prognosis. Chemotherapy is not very effective because drugs are not able to penetrate the blood brain barrier, which prevents most drugs in the bloodstream from entering the brain. Research analyzes novel delivery of chemotherapy designed to maximize the amount of drug that infiltrates the tumor and minimize the side effects that occur in other parts of the body.
In 2007, an estimated 20,500 new cases of primary malignant brain and central nervous system tumors were diagnosed and approximately 12,740 deaths were attributed to these tumors. High grade glioma is the most common malignancy, as well as the most devastating. Research investigates potential of targeted delivery of controlled-release nanoparticles.
Degenerative changes in the neck are part of the normal process of aging and affect nearly everyone age 40 and older to some degree. But a serious condition called cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), typically affecting those age 50 and older, can lead to partial paralysis. Research shows that surgical intervention in patients with CSM leads to improved patient outcome.
Even very early in Alzheimer's disease, people become less efficient at separating important from less important information, a new study has found.
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers are the first to discover a form of synaptic memory in the olfactory bulb, the part of the brain that processes the sense of smell.
In a study that reveals the clearest picture to date of neuron death in Parkinson's disease, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have found that a trio of culprits acting in concert is responsible for killing the brain cells.
For 2.7 million Americans with epilepsy, seizures are not the only concern. People with epilepsy frequently face mood and behavior challenges and side effects from their medications, such as sleep and cognition problems. And, in many instances, these issues are not getting the attention warranted during visits with neurologists, according to a study supported by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics®, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Scientists have identified a protein that appears not only to be central to the process that causes Parkinson's disease but could also play a role in muting the high from methamphetamine and other addictive drugs.
Employees with epilepsy cost healthcare insurers and employers significantly more than those without the condition, according to findings from two studies presented here today at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting.
Researchers from the Department of Neurology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine will present several studies at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting. The meeting will take place April 25-May 2 in Seattle, WA.
Some experts believe that vision isn't possible without feedback from higher levels of the brain, but a study in the journal Neuron now demonstrates that the brain can rapidly recognize objects under a variety of conditions at a very early processing stage. The study, from Children's Hospital Boston, involved patients with epilepsy who were undergoing high-resolution brain mapping prior to neurosurgery.
In the first neuroimaging study to examine motor execution in children with autism, researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute found that children with autism relied more heavily on the brain region responsible for conscious, effortful movement, while their typically developing peers used a region of the brain important for automating motor tasks.
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