Neurology News and Research

Latest Neurology News and Research

Most support Alzheimer's research based on family consent

By the time they have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, many patients' decision-making ability is so impaired that they cannot give informed consent to participate in research studies.

15 Jan 2009

Treatment may need to be modified for elderly glioblastoma patients

Glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive type of brain tumor, accounts for a majority of the brain tumors seen in patients 65 years or older.

14 Jan 2009

Delusions associated with consistent pattern of brain injury

A new study provides a novel theory for how delusions arise and why they persist.

13 Jan 2009

Relapses more frequent in patients diagnosed with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis

Patients who develop multiple sclerosis before age 18 appear to experience more relapses of symptoms than those diagnosed with the disease as adults, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Neurology.

12 Jan 2009

HRT linked to brain shrinkage, but not lesions

Two new studies show that commonly prescribed forms of postmenopausal hormone therapy may slightly accelerate the loss of brain tissue in women 65 and older beyond what normally occurs with aging.

12 Jan 2009

Discovery of mechanism that may explain Parkinson's and other neurological disorders

Studying just eight families worldwide, the international team of researchers have discovered a genetic defect that results in profound depression and parkinsonism in a disorder known as Perry syndrome.

12 Jan 2009

Diabetes associated with different types of brain injury in patients with dementia

Patients with dementia and diabetes appear to display a different pattern of injuries in their brains than patients with dementia but without diabetes, according to an article posted online today that will appear in the March print issue of Archives of Neurology.

12 Jan 2009

Reasons behind the South's higher stroke death rate

Southerners die from stroke more than in any other U.S. region, but exactly why that happens is unknown.

9 Jan 2009

Growth of new brain cells requires 'epigenetic' switch

New cells are born every day in the brain's hippocampus, but what controls this birth has remained a mystery.

8 Jan 2009

Study looks at Fatal Familiar Insomnia

Fatal Familiar Insomnia (FFI) is one of the diseases considered as rare - there are less than 100 cases described throughout the world.

7 Jan 2009

New understanding of seizure behaviors and epilepsy

Two children have a seizure. One child never has another seizure. Twenty years later, the other child has a series of seizures and is diagnosed with epilepsy.

6 Jan 2009

New drug being tested for Fragile X syndrome

A pilot trial of an oral drug therapy called fenobam has shown promising initial results and could be a potential new treatment option for adult patients with Fragile X syndrome (FXS).

6 Jan 2009

Innovative brain-scan technology helps visualize brain aging before symptoms appear

UCLA scientists have used innovative brain-scan technology developed at UCLA, along with patient-specific information on Alzheimer's disease risk, to help diagnose brain aging, often before symptoms appear.

6 Jan 2009

Smokers with stroke in the family six times more likely to have stroke too

A new study shows that people who are smokers and have a family history of brain aneurysm appear to be significantly more likely to suffer a stroke from a brain aneurysm themselves.

1 Jan 2009

Researchers link blood sugar to normal cognitive aging

Maintaining blood sugar levels, even in the absence of disease, may be an important strategy for preserving cognitive health, suggests a study published by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC).

1 Jan 2009

Scientists reverse brain birth defects using stem cell therapy

Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have succeeded in reversing brain birth defects in animal models, using stem cells to replace defective brain cells.

29 Dec 2008

Patient-derived induced stem cells retain disease traits

The dying cells - the same type lost in patients with the devastating neurological disease spinal muscular atrophy - confirmed that the University of Wisconsin-Madison stem cell biologist had recreated the hallmarks of a genetic disorder in the lab, using stem cells derived from a patient.

22 Dec 2008

vCJD blood test achieves 100% accuracy

Amorfix Life Sciences has announced it achieved 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity in a second blinded trial of human blood samples using its EP-vCJD blood test in collaboration with the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) in the United Kingdom.

21 Dec 2008

Neuralstem files IND for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis stem cell trial

Neuralstem, Inc. announced this morning that it has filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin a clinical trial to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease).

18 Dec 2008

MRI brain scans provide valuable diagnostic information about Alzheimer's

MRI scans that detect shrinkage in specific regions of the mid-brain attacked by Alzheimer's disease accurately diagnose the neurodegenerative disease, even before symptoms interfere with daily function, a study by the Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) in Miami and Tampa found.

18 Dec 2008