Neurology News and Research

Latest Neurology News and Research

Multiple sclerosis patients have higher spinal fluid levels of suspicious immune molecule

A protein that helps keep immune cells quiet is more abundant in the spinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), further boosting suspicion that the protein, TREM-2, may be an important contributor to the disease.

29 Sep 2008

Family history of brain tumours increases the risk

New research has found that people with a family history of cancerous brain tumours appear to have higher risk of developing the same kind of tumours.

23 Sep 2008

Migraine sufferers more at risk of deadly blood clots

According to new research migraine sufferers may be more at risk of developing deadly blood clots in their veins.

16 Sep 2008

Unusual case of a woman who suffered stroke after having sexual intercourse

Minutes after having sexual intercourse with her boyfriend, a 35-year-old woman suddenly felt her left arm go weak. Her speech became slurred and she lost feeling on the left side of her face.

15 Sep 2008

FDA grants approval to Talecris Biotherapeutics for Gamunex for neurological disorder CIDP

Talecris Biotherapeutics, Inc. announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for Gamunex (Immune Globulin Intravenous [Human], 10% Caprylate/Chromatography Purified) as a treatment for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). CIDP is a debilitating neurological disorder that results in muscle weakness and fatigue, which can lead to severe impairment of motor skills.

15 Sep 2008

New cannabis-like drugs could block pain without affecting brain

A new type of drug could alleviate pain in a similar way to cannabis without affecting the brain, according to a new study published in the journal Pain on Monday 15 September.

15 Sep 2008

Keppra XR approved in the U.S. for partial onset seizures

UCB announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Keppra XR (levetiracetam extended-release tablets) for use as an add-on to other antiepileptic treatments for people with partial onset seizures who are 16 years of age and older. Keppra XR is expected to be available in U.S. pharmacies at the end of September 2008.

15 Sep 2008

Vitamin may protect the ageing brain from memory loss

Scientists in Britain are suggesting that a vitamin found in meat, fish and milk, may offer protection against memory loss in older people.

9 Sep 2008

Depression and autism are subjects of public forum on research

The University of Rochester Medical Center will present a forum on the progress of mental health research Sunday Sept. 14.

8 Sep 2008

FDA 'fast track' granted to BioMS Medical for lead drug, dirucotide for the treatment of multiple sclerosis

BioMS Medical Corp has announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States has granted fast track designation for the Company's lead drug, dirucotide (MBP8298), for the treatment of secondary progressive MS (SPMS). Dirucotide (MBP8298) is currently being evaluated in a U.S. pivotal phase III trial, named MAESTRO-03, at 68 sites with approximately 510 patients.

4 Sep 2008

President Bush signs law to ensure health benefits for 'sole survivor' veterans

President Bush on Friday signed into law legislation (HR 5825, S 2874) that will guarantee health benefits for "sole survivor" veterans who receive honorable discharges, the Los Angeles Times reports.

4 Sep 2008

Exercise on a treadmill helps stroke survivors years later

New research has found that exercising on a treadmill helped stroke survivors improve their mobility and physical conditioning.

2 Sep 2008

High cholesterol levels drop naturally in children on high-fat antiseizure diet

Elevated cholesterol levels return to normal or near normal levels over time in four out of 10 children with uncontrollable epilepsy treated with the high-fat ketogenic diet, according to results of a Johns Hopkins Children's Center study reported in the Journal of Child Neurology.

26 Aug 2008

New technique offers hope for stroke sufferers

If a stroke patient doesn't get treatment within approximately the first three hours of symptoms, there's not much doctors can do to limit damage to the brain.

25 Aug 2008

New sleep lab to benefit shift-workers

Two specialist laboratories opening night at the University of Sydney will shed light on the impact of sleep and circadian disruption in medical disorders and shift-workers, and the neurobiological mechanisms underlying substance abuse and depression.

21 Aug 2008

FDA approves tetrabenazine for Huntington's disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved tetrabenazine, the first drug approved for use in the United States to treat Huntington's disease, a fatal, inherited neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no cure. The action comes about eight months after an advisory panel unanimously voted to advise FDA to make the medication available to treat the disease.

17 Aug 2008

URMC & NIH partner to expand, accelerate clinical research in neurological diseases

The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke are hosting a week-long training session designed to create a new generation of researchers with the specialized skills necessary to conduct clinical trials in neurological disorders.

14 Aug 2008

PET scans spot signs of early Alzheimer's

Scientists in Finland say a type of imaging technique known as positron emission tomography (PET) scanning may be a useful and non-invasive way of diagnosing the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

11 Aug 2008

Media coverage of persistent vegetative state and end-of-life decision-making

In 1990, Theresa Schiavo, an American citizen, had a cardiac arrest that caused irreversible brain damage which led to a persistent vegetative state diagnosis. A few years later, this diagnosis became a source of conflict over the interruption of artificial nutrition.

10 Aug 2008

First cigarette "buzz", addiction linked to gene

Anyone who has ever tried smoking probably remembers that first cigarette vividly. For some, it brought a wave of nausea or a nasty coughing fit. For others, those first puffs also came with a rush of pleasure or "buzz."

10 Aug 2008