Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Reducing copper in the body delays onset of prion disease

Many of us are familiar with prion disease from its most startling and unusual incarnations-the outbreaks of "mad cow" disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) that created a crisis in the global beef industry. Or the strange story of Kuru, a fatal illness affecting a tribe in Papua New Guinea known for its cannibalism. Both are forms of prion disease, caused by the abnormal folding of a protein and resulting in progressive neurodegeneration and death.

13 Aug 2012

Combination therapy does not change safety and efficacy relationship of TORISEL for advanced RCC

Pfizer Inc. announced that the Phase 3 INTORACT trial (B1771006), evaluating the combination of bevacizumab plus TORISEL (temsirolimus) compared with bevacizumab plus interferon-alfa-2a (IFN-α-2a) in the first-line treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) across risk groups, did not meet its primary endpoint of superiority in extending progression free survival (PFS) in the study population.

12 Aug 2012

Novel model may allow clinicians to predict potential for recovery after SCI

For more than 1 million people in the U.S. living with spinal cord injury, the frightening days and weeks following the injury are filled with uncertainty about their potential for recovery and future independence. A new model based on motor scores at admission and early imaging studies may allow clinicians to predict functional outcomes and guide decision-making for therapy and care-giving needs, as described in an article published in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

9 Aug 2012

Active Biotech, Teva to commence third Phase III study of laquinimod for RRMS

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Active Biotech provided today an update on the clinical development program of once-daily oral laquinimod for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

9 Aug 2012

FDA approves Codman’s MEDSTREAM Programmable Infusion System

Codman & Shurtleff, Inc. (Codman), the global neurological device company, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval through a PMA supplement for its MEDSTREAM Programmable Infusion System, an implantable infusion pump and catheter system used in the treatment of spasticity, a movement disorder often caused by stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury.

9 Aug 2012

Omeros completes enrollment in first of two OMS103HP Phase 3 meniscectomy trials

Omeros Corporation today reported the completion of enrollment in the first of two planned Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating OMS103HP in patients undergoing arthroscopic partial meniscectomy surgery.

8 Aug 2012

Thomson Reuters abstracting and indexing services accept Elsevier’s PM&R for coverage

Elsevier, a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, is pleased to announce that The Journal of Injury, Function and Rehabilitation (PM&R), the official scientific journal of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R), has been accepted for coverage by Thomson Reuters abstracting and indexing services, including the Journal Citation Reports.

8 Aug 2012

Study investigates role of inflammation in ALS mouse model

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease wherein the cells of the central nervous system (CNS) involved in movement and coordination are destroyed. Although the mechanism of ALS is not completely understood, inflammation is believed to play a role in the disease process. A recent study by Howard Weiner and colleagues at Harvard Medical School and Tufts School of Medicine investigated the role of inflammation in a mouse model of ALS.

7 Aug 2012

Studies in mice reveal how mood-altering drugs may affect brain stem cells

Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have figured out how stem cells found in a part of the brain responsible for learning, memory and mood regulation decide to remain dormant or create new brain cells. Apparently, the stem cells "listen in" on the chemical communication among nearby neurons to get an idea about what is stressing the system and when they need to act.

7 Aug 2012

Fainting appears to have strong genetic predisposition

Fainting has a strong genetic predisposition, according to new research published in the August 7, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Fainting, also called vasovagal syncope, is a brief loss of consciousness when your body reacts to certain triggers, such as emotional distress or the sight of blood.

7 Aug 2012

Medical devices for diabetic peripheral neuropathy: an interview with Dr. Shai Gozani, CEO of NeuroMetrix

About two years ago NeuroMetrix changed their focus from general purpose devices, used to perform nerve conduction tests, to devices designed to specifically address diabetic peripheral neuropathy or DPN.

6 Aug 2012

Caffeine may ease movement symptoms of Parkinson's

While drinking caffeine each day does not appear to help improve sleepiness among people with Parkinson's disease, it may have a benefit in controlling movement, according to new research published in the August 1, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

3 Aug 2012

Scientists link some cases of Essential Tremor to specific genetic problem

Researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine and CHUM hospitals have linked some cases of Essential Tremor (ET) to a specific genetic problem. ET is the most common movement disorder, becoming increasingly frequent with increasing age, which is characterized by an involuntary shaking movement (tremor) that occurs with motion, particularly when doing precise fine movement.

3 Aug 2012

New insight into why glioblastoma multiforme recurs in adults

A study by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers published online today in Nature reveals new insight into why the most common, deadly kind of brain tumor in adults recurs and identifies a potential target for future therapies.

2 Aug 2012

B-cell substances may play a role in MS progression

Wayne State University School of Medicine researchers, working with colleagues in Canada, have found that one or more substances produced by a type of immune cell in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may play a role in the disease's progression. The finding could lead to new targeted therapies for MS treatment.

2 Aug 2012

Caffeine may help control movement in people with Parkinson's

Caffeine, which is widely consumed around the world in coffee, tea and soft drinks, may help control movement in people suffering from Parkinson's. This is the finding of a study conducted at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC) that was recently published in Neurology, the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Aug 2012

Miami Project to Cure Paralysis receives FDA permission to begin Phase 1 trial

The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, a Center of Excellence at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, has received permission from the Food and Drug Administration to begin a revolutionary Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate the safety of transplanting human Schwann cells to treat patients with recent spinal cord injuries.

1 Aug 2012

Treatments for peripheral neuropathic pain compared

The first study to compare the 8% capsaicin patch with pregabalin as a treatment for peripheral neuropathic pain begins, with enrolment of the first patient.

31 Jul 2012

Sinai Hospital to help investigate health and safety of astronauts in long-duration spaceflight

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore has been awarded one of 29 grants by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) and NASA's Human Research Program to help investigate questions about astronaut health and performance on future deep-space exploration missions.

31 Jul 2012

TAU researcher reveals link between plant and human biology

Increasingly, scientists are uncovering surprising biological connections between humans and other forms of life. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher has revealed that plant and human biology is much closer than has ever been understood - and the study of these similarities could uncover the biological basis of diseases like cancer as well as other "animal" behaviors.

31 Jul 2012