Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

American Academy of Pediatrics expands sleep safety guidelines

Creating a sleep environment for a child is much more than choosing a pretty blanket; it truly can be a life-or-death decision. "Sleep is extremely important for all of us, but especially for infants. It's when kids grow. The nervous system gets a chance to rest and assimilate all the new experiences and information the baby has learned throughout the day," said Lisa Martin, MD, Loyola University Health System pediatrician and associate professor of pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

17 Nov 2011

Aurora kinase inhibitor may treat neuroendocrine prostate cancer

An international team of researchers led by clinicians at Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered a genetic Achilles' heel in an aggressive type of prostate cancer -- a vulnerability they say can be attacked by a targeted drug that is already in clinical trials to treat other types of cancers.

17 Nov 2011

People with prior stroke or diabetes benefit from thrombolytic therapy

People with a history of stroke or diabetes who were given clot-busting drugs to break up blood clots after stroke fared better than those who did not receive the drugs, according to a study published in the November 16, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Nov 2011

Sex during adolescence can have negative effects on body and mood well into adulthood

A new study suggests that sex during adolescence can have lasting negative effects on the body and mood well into adulthood, most likely because the activity occurs when the nervous system is still developing.

16 Nov 2011

Researchers to begin drug development projects for rare and neglected diseases

Researchers will begin drug development projects for rare and neglected diseases that include potential treatments for a musculoskeletal disorder, a cognitive dysfunction disorder, a virus that affects the central nervous system of newborns, a parasitic worm infection, a form of muscular dystrophy and a rare lung disease.

16 Nov 2011

PAREXEL, UCB partner to provide clinical development services worldwide

PAREXEL International Corporation, a leading global biopharmaceutical services provider, today announced that it has been selected as one of two strategic partners by UCB, a global biopharmaceutical company, to provide clinical development services worldwide.

From Parexel 16 Nov 2011

Scientists discover definitive role for brain in regulating loss of muscle mass

Patients with cancer, heart disease and other chronic illness struggle not only with complications inherent to their disease, they also experience an involuntary loss of weight and muscle mass triggered by the body's natural response to infection and inflammation. Increasing nutrition intake does not mitigate the process and there is no treatment.

16 Nov 2011

Exercise may help fibromyalgia: Study

A new study shows that fibromyalgia patients who stopped taking medication but exercised regularly for six weeks reported improved memory function and less pain. While the finding is encouraging, it does not suggest a potential change in clinical care for fibromyalgia patients, the study authors stressed.

15 Nov 2011

Scil Proteins completes manufacturing agreement with Lundbeck

Scil Proteins, a private biotech company specialized in the research, development and production of recombinant proteins, announced today the successful completion of a manufacturing agreement for Lundbeck, an international pharmaceutical company specializing in central nervous system disorders.

15 Nov 2011

Clear link between erectile dysfunction and peripheral neuropathy

Spanish researchers have uncovered clear links between erectile dysfunction (ED) and peripheral neuropathy, according to a paper in the December issue of the urology journal BJUI.

15 Nov 2011

Researchers get $7.5M grant to combat nerve agents

A $7.5 million award will help researchers harness the body’s own defenses to counteract nerve agents and create new types of antidotes for exposure to pesticides and other poisons.

14 Nov 2011

Occupational chemical exposure raises for Parkinson's

A new research report contributes to the increasing evidence that repeated occupational exposure to certain chemical solvents raises the risk for Parkinson's disease. Researchers analyzed the occupational histories of twins in which one of the pair developed the neurodegenerative disorder, and assessed that twin's likelihood of exposure to six chemicals previously linked to Parkinson's.

14 Nov 2011

Study uses fMRI to assess changes in brain after exercise intervention

Areas of the brain responsible for pain processing and cognitive performance changed in fibromyalgia patients who exercised following a medication holiday, say researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center. They say the changes indicate brain functioning is more streamlined after an exercise intervention because less of the brain-s resources is devoted to processing bothersome fibromyalgia perceptions such as pain.

14 Nov 2011

Exposure to TCE may increase risk of Parkinson’s

A novel study in twins found that exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE)—a hazardous organic contaminant found in soil, groundwater, and air—is significantly associated with increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.

14 Nov 2011

Flexible brain implant could treat epileptic seizures

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed a flexible brain implant that could one day be used to treat epileptic seizures. In animal studies, the researchers used the device - a type of electrode array that conforms to the brain's surface - to take an unprecedented look at the brain activity underlying seizures.

14 Nov 2011

Worm model to evaluate drugs for Parkinson's disease

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have devised a simple test, using dopamine-deficient worms, for identifying drugs that may help people with Parkinson's disease.

11 Nov 2011

Researchers identify how to design drugs to target specific brain areas

The future of drug design lies in developing therapies that can target specific cellular processes without causing adverse reactions in other areas of the nervous system. Scientists at the Universities of Bristol and Li-ge in Belgium have discovered how to design drugs to target specific areas of the brain.

11 Nov 2011

Researchers uncover mechanism that governs cell specialization

Researchers at then Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have uncovered a mechanism that governs how cells become specialized during development.

10 Nov 2011

SNI receives NINDS grant to conduct clinical research studies on brain disorders

Swedish Neuroscience Institute (SNI) has been selected by the National Institutes of Health as the Pacific Northwest member of a national consortium of 25 neuroscience centers that will conduct clinical research studies on a variety of brain-related diseases.

10 Nov 2011

Rensselaer engineer receives $1.4M NIH grant to study new method to heal traumatic nerve damage

Injuries to the nervous system affect large numbers of people globally. Such injuries can result in loss of feeling or movement. With a new $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, Deanna Thompson, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, will investigate a promising new method to heal traumatic nerve damage, using electrical stimulation to prime and pump neuronal growth.

10 Nov 2011