Newsline — Friday, October 5, 2012 8:00
U.S. Soldier to Undergo Surgery Following Traumatic Brain Injury in Afghanistan
Noninvasive Imaging Method Helps to Identify Tumor Aggressiveness
Thursday, October 4, 2012 13:31
Researchers have validated a method of noninvasive imaging that offers valuable information about interstitial fluid pressure of solid tumors, which may aid in identifying aggressive tumors. The results of the study appear in Cancer Research, a journal from the American Association for Cancer Research. Many malignant solid tumors develop a higher interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) than normal tissue. High IFP in tumors may cause a reduced uptake of chemotherapeutic agents and resistance to radiation therapy. In addition, a high IFP can promote metastatic spread. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Commonly Used HIV Drug May Cause Decline in Memory
Thursday, October 4, 2012 8:00
The way the body metabolizes a commonly prescribed anti-retroviral drug used long-term by patients infected with HIV may contribute to cognitive impairment by damaging nerve cells, according to new research from Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 50 percent of those infected with HIV eventually develop some form of brain damage that, while mild, can affect their ability to drive, work or participate in daily activities. It has long been assumed that the disease was causing the damage, but Hopkins researchers say the drug efavirenz may be the cause. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Children’s Bicycle Helmets Proven Effective in Impact and Crush Tests
Wednesday, October 3, 2012 13:00
Bicycling is a favorite physical activity engaged in by Americans, and children are among its most ardent participants. It has been estimated that 70 percent of children between the ages of five and 14 ride bicycles. However, bicycling is not without its dangers; one of the worst is risk of head and brain injury during a crash. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, head injury is the most common cause of death and serious disability from bicycle crashes. The best protection offered to mitigate this injury is the bicycle helmet, but few bicyclists wear helmets regularly, and children are less inclined to wear helmets than adults. In fact, national estimates of helmet use among children range from just 15 to 25 percent. To determine just how effective bike helmets can be, neurosurgeon Tobias Mattei, MD, and his research team at the Illinois Neurological Institute and Bradley University tested how well helmets withstood forces of impact and crush tests when covering human cadaver skulls. They discovered that wearing a helmet can reduce the acceleration…
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New Brain Cancer Drug Earns Orphan Status from U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Wednesday, October 3, 2012 7:00
U.S. health regulators have granted orphan drug status to Cell Therapeutics Inc.’s brain cancer drug — a move that sent the company’s shares up 26 percent in premarket trading, it reports. The designation was given based on preliminary data from a mid-stage study of the drug, Opaxio, for treating glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) — the deadliest and most common type of primary brain tumor in adults — the company says. Orphan status is granted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to drugs that treat diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people, and provides seven years of marketing exclusivity from the date of approval. For more information, click here to read the full article.
Spinal Manipulation No Better Than Other Treatments for Acute Lower Back Pain
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 16:15
Manipulating or “adjusting” the spine is a popular way to treat occasional or acute lower back pain — defined as pain lasting six weeks or less — and is covered by many health insurance plans. However, a recent review by The Cochrane Library found no evidence to suggest that said adjustments are more effective than other therapy options, such as exercise and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). In fact, acute lower back pain resolves on its own in most cases. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), lower back pain, commonly caused by injury or overuse, affects eight out of 10 people. Spinal manipulation (SMT) — a technique used by chiropractors, osteopaths, naturopaths and some medical doctors — often is used to improve range of motion of the joints of the spine. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Study Links Early Menopause to Heart Attack, Stroke
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 9:35
Women who experience early menopause are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke than those for whom occurs at a later age, reports a new study by Melissa Wellons, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Vanderbilt Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism. Dr. Wellons conducted the research while working at the University of Alabama-Birmingham; it appears in the current issue of Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society. According to Dr. Wellons, this study is especially important because cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in U.S. women. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Synthetic Cannabinoid May Treat Primary and Metastatic Forms of Brain Cancer
Monday, October 1, 2012 15:23
Researchers at University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center are investigating the safety and tolerability of a synthetic cannabinoid called dexanabinol (ETS2101). The drug, which is delivered as a weekly intravenous infusion, is being tested in patients with all forms of brain cancer, both primary and metastatic. “In this Phase I study, we are examining the safety of multiple doses of dexanabinol, extent of penetration into the brain and suitability for future trials,” says Santosh Kesari, MD, PhD, principal investigator and director of neuro-oncology, UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. “What we hope to determine is the safe and optimal dose of drug in the brain.” Dexanabinol is a cannabinoid derivative that causes no psychotropic effects. Previously, it was tested as a neuroprotective in patients suffering from traumatic brain injury. During these trials, the drug was discovered to cross the blood-brain barrier. More recently, researchers at e-Therapeutics plc, who are supporting the current trial, found that dexanabinol kills cultured cancer cells derived from many tumor types. Additional research in Kesari’s lab showed the drug’s…
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People with Generalized Anxiety Disorder Have Weaker Brain Connections
Monday, October 1, 2012 8:00
A new imaging study out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) shows that people with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have weaker connections between a brain structure that controls emotional response and the amygdala — groups of nuclei located deep within the medial temporal lobes of the brain — which suggests that the brain’s “panic button” may stay on due to lack of regulation. Lead author Jack B. Nitschke, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, says the findings support the theory that reduced communication between parts of the brain explains the intense anxiety felt by people with GAD. Anxiety disorders are the most common class of mental disorders. GAD — which is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable worry — affects nearly six percent of the population. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Emotionally Neglected Children May Have Higher Risk of Stroke as Adults
Friday, September 28, 2012 13:00
New research suggests that children who are emotionally neglected have a higher risk of stroke in adulthood. The study appears in the Sept. 19, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Studies have shown that children who were neglected emotionally in childhood are at an increased risk of a slew of psychiatric disorders; however, our study is one of few that look at an association between emotional neglect and stroke,” says study author Robert S. Wilson, PhD, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. For more information, click here to read the full release.