Neurology News and Research

Latest Neurology News and Research

Children with autism and ADHD at increased risk for anxiety, mood disorders

Children with both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for being diagnosed with or treated for anxiety and mood disorders, according to a study published in Pediatrics today.

30 Mar 2018

Ultra-slow waves in the brain directly linked to consciousness

If you keep a close eye on an MRI scan of the brain, you'll see a wave pass through the entire brain like a heartbeat once every few seconds. This ultra-slow rhythm was recognized decades ago, but no one quite knew what to make of it. MRI data are inherently noisy, so most researchers simply ignored the ultra-slow waves.

29 Mar 2018

Expert group presents framework to address physician burnout

Physician burnout continues to be a pervasive issue, with more than 50 percent of doctors reporting problems such as dissatisfaction, high rates of depression, and increased suicide risk.

29 Mar 2018

Study provides broader picture of problems faced by stroke victims

A new study looks at what problems affect people most after a stroke and it provides a broader picture than what some may usually expect to see.

29 Mar 2018

Study identifies potential genetic link in sudden infant death syndrome

Rare genetic mutations associated with impairment of the breathing muscles are more common in children who have died from sudden infant death syndrome (also known as ‘cot death’) than in healthy controls, suggesting a possible genetic element of the disorder, according to a case-control study in the UK and USA published in The Lancet.

29 Mar 2018

Largest-ever study uncovers new genetic contributors to stroke

An international research group, including scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, studying 520,000 people from around the world has identified 22 new genetic risk factors for stroke, tripling the number of gene regions known to affect stroke risk.

28 Mar 2018

Simple bedside test may help doctors diagnose certain degenerative brain diseases

A simple bedside test that matches a change in heart rate with a drop in blood pressure after a patient stands may help doctors diagnose certain degenerative brain diseases.

28 Mar 2018

New gene therapy may help the brain to heal following stroke and other injuries

Researchers have discovered a genetic trigger that may improve the brain’s ability to heal in conditions such as stroke, concussion and spinal cord injury.

28 Mar 2018

Scientists demonstrate successful implementation of prosthetic memory system

Scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and the University of Southern California (USC) have demonstrated the successful implementation of a prosthetic system that uses a person's own memory patterns to facilitate the brain's ability to encode and recall memory.

28 Mar 2018

Study uncovers genetic trigger that may help the brain to recover from stroke, other injuries

Scientists have found a genetic trigger that may improve the brain's ability to heal from a range of debilitating conditions, from strokes to concussions and spinal cord injuries.

27 Mar 2018

Antibody sweeps away Alzheimer's plaques in mice

Years before people start showing characteristic symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, sticky plaques begin forming in their brains, damaging nearby cells. For decades, doctors have sought ways to clear out these plaques as a way to prevent or treat the disease.

27 Mar 2018

Researchers propose new approach to look deeper into brain function

To uncover connections between brain regions and specific cognitive functions, neuroscientists have long made extensive use of techniques like functional resonance imaging (fMRI). First introduced in the 1990's, the method allows tracking the brain's activity while a test subject performs a task or responds to stimuli in the MRI scanner.

26 Mar 2018

Researchers uncover cause of rare childhood neurodegenerative disease

Neurology researchers investigating a rare but devastating neurological regression in infants have discovered the cause: gene mutations that severely disrupt crucial functions in mitochondria, the energy-producing structures within cells.

23 Mar 2018

Specific immune cells may help slow progression of ALS, research shows

New research into Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) - also known as motor neuron disease - shows that specific immune cells may help slow progression of the disease, an important step towards developing new therapies to treat patients.

22 Mar 2018

Menopausal hormone therapy taken soon after menopause may benefit the brain

Taking menopausal hormone therapy soon after menopause to relieve symptoms may also benefit the brain, according to a study published in the March 21, 2018, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

22 Mar 2018

Researchers explain link between 2 key Alzheimer's proteins

It's a paradox of Alzheimer's disease: Plaques of the sticky protein amyloid beta are the most characteristic sign in the brain of the deadly neurodegenerative disease. However, many older people have such plaques in their brains but do not have dementia.

21 Mar 2018

Discovery of new ALS gene points to cytoskeleton as potential target for drug development

An international team of researchers led by John Landers, PhD, at UMass Medical School, and Bryan Traynor, MD, PhD, at the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health, has identified KIF5A as a new gene associated with the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

21 Mar 2018