Neurology News and Research

Latest Neurology News and Research

MGH researchers identify rare gene mutations that appear to cause late-onset AD

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have identified and validated two rare gene mutations that appear to cause the common form of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that strikes after the age of 60.

25 Sep 2013

First Direct Measurement Of Spinal Cord Myelin In MS

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24 Sep 2013

Changes in national diets linked to dramatic rise in AD prevalence in Japan and developing countries

In a paper just published electronically in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, dramatic increases in Alzheimer's disease in Japan and significant increases in developing countries are linked to changes in national diets.

24 Sep 2013

Study shows beneficial effects of mild hypothermia on cellular responses to TBI

Moderate reductions in body temperature can improve outcomes after a person suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI). New research that identifies positive effects of mild hypothermia on brain tissue is presented in an article published in Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

24 Sep 2013

Researchers develop first imaging tool to examine myelin damage in MS

Researchers have made an exciting breakthrough - developing a first-of-its-kind imaging tool to examine myelin damage in multiple sclerosis (MS). An extremely difficult disease to diagnose, the tool will help physicians diagnose patients earlier, monitor the disease's progression, and evaluate therapy efficacy.

24 Sep 2013

Parent sleep education improves daytime behavior of children with ASD

Parent sleep education is beneficial in improving sleep and aspects of daytime behavior and family functioning in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), according to a Vanderbilt study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

24 Sep 2013

Scientists validate new system for identifying individuals with preclinical Alzheimer's disease

For years, scientists have attempted to understand how Alzheimer's disease harms the brain before memory loss and dementia are clinically detectable. Most researchers think this preclinical stage, which can last a decade or more before symptoms appear, is the critical phase when the disease might be controlled or stopped, possibly preventing the failure of memory and thinking abilities in the first place.

24 Sep 2013

New diagnostic criteria for TSC appear in recent online issue of Pediatric Neurology

A paper detailing new diagnostic criteria for tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) appears in the most recent online issue of Pediatric Neurology. The author is Hope Northrup, M.D., professor of pediatrics at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

24 Sep 2013

Evidence shows that fear memories can be reduced during sleep

A fear memory was reduced in people by exposing them to the memory over and over again while they slept. It's the first time that emotional memory has been manipulated in humans during sleep, report Northwestern Medicine- scientists.

23 Sep 2013

Improved whole-brain signal-to-noise ratio carries implications for neurorehabilitation

The sweep of a needle across the grooves of a worn vinyl record carries distinct sounds: hisses, scratches, even the echo of skips.

21 Sep 2013

New cellular switch could eventually inhibit growth of aggressive malignant brain tumor

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a cellular switch that potentially can be turned off and on to slow down, and eventually inhibit the growth of the most commonly diagnosed and aggressive malignant brain tumor.

21 Sep 2013

CHMP recommends approval of Xofigo for CRPC, symptomatic bone and visceral metastases

Bayer HealthCare announced today that the the European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommended Xofigo (radium Ra 223 dichloride) for approval with a proposed indication for the treatment of adults with castration-resistant prostate cancer, symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastases.

20 Sep 2013

Dog food preservative may prevent nerve damage in patients taking chemotherapy

Working with cells in test tubes and in mice, researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that a chemical commonly used as a dog food preservative may prevent the kind of painful nerve damage found in the hands and feet of four out of five cancer patients taking the chemotherapy drug Taxol.

20 Sep 2013

Isis Pharmaceuticals announces preliminary data from ISIS-SMNRx Phase 1 study in infants with SMA

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that follow-up preliminary data from a single dose, open-label Phase 1 study of ISIS-SMNRx in children with spinal muscular atrophy, show that most SMA children receiving the two highest doses of the drug (6 mg and 9 mg) continued to show improvements in muscle function tests up to 14 months after a single injection of the drug.

19 Sep 2013

Study: Bird brain can serve as useful model to study human brain

Pursuing their interests in using the brains of birds as a model for the human brain, an international team of researchers led by Duke neuroscientist Erich Jarvis and his collaborators Chun-Chun Chen and Kazuhiro Wada have just completed a mapping of the bird brain based on a 10-year exploration of the tiny cerebrums of eight species of birds.

19 Sep 2013

First clinical trials to diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s disease

More than a century ago, Alois Alzheimer, a Bavarian physician, first identified the neurodegenerative brain condition that came to be known as Alzheimer's disease. Finding ways to diagnose and treat this disease has frustrated scientists and clinicians ever since.

19 Sep 2013