Newsline — Tuesday, January 24, 2012 8:00
Study Examines How Well Protective Headgear Works for Small Children Engaged in Winter Activities
Abnormal Chromosome Serves as Prognosis Indicator for Rare Brain Tumor
Monday, January 23, 2012 11:04
The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) recently performed an analysis of clinical trial results demonstrating that a chromosomal abnormality — specifically, the absence (co-deletion) of chromosomes 1p and 19q — has definitive prognostic and predictive value for managing the treatment of adult patients with pure and mixed anaplastic oligodendrogliomas. The presence of the chromosomal abnormality was linked with a substantially better prognosis and near-doubling of median survival time when treatment combined with chemotherapy and radiation therapy was tested against treatment with radiation therapy alone. Oligodendrogliomas are uncommon tumors representing approximately four percent of all brain tumors. Mixed oliogdendrogliomas (those also containing astrocytic elements) account for one percent of all brain tumors. Pure and mixed oligodendrogliomas that contain anaplastic (malignant) cells tend to grow more quickly than non-anaplastic tumors. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Experimental Drug May Aid Dogs with Spinal Cord Injuries
Friday, January 20, 2012 15:25
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences are testing an experimental drug that may benefit dogs with spinal cord injuries — work they hope will one day help people with similar injuries. Funded through a three-year, $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, the drug to mitigate damage has already proven effective in mice at UCSF. The Texas team now will test how it works in previously injured short-legged, long torso breeds of dog such as dachshunds, beagles and corgis — breeds that often suffer injuries when a disk in their back spontaneously ruptures, damaging the underlying spinal cord. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Research Cites High Rates and Impact of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Among Military Personnel
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 14:45
As the last U.S. troops return home from Iraq, new research is revealing the rates and impact of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) among military personnel serving in Iraq/Afghanistan — that’s according to The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR), the official journal of the Brain Injury Association of America. Studies suggest that British troops sent to Iraq or Afghanistan have lower rates of mTBI than their American counterparts, and that psychological factors existing before deployment contribute to lasting symptoms in military personnel with mTBI. Other research explains the relationship between mTBI and other traumatic injuries, the high burden of mTBI on family caregivers, and a positive approach to treatment. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Certain Brain Areas Increase in Size During Use of Arm Slings or Casts
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 16:51
The use of a sling or cast after an arm injury may cause the brain to shift quickly to adjust, says a new study published in the Jan. 17, 2012, print issue of Neurology — the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers detected increases in the size of brain areas that were compensating for the injured side and decreases in brain areas that were not being used due to the cast or sling. “These results are especially interesting for rehabilitation therapy for people who’ve had strokes or other issues,” said study author Nicolas Langer, MSc, with the University of Zurich in Switzerland. “One type of therapy restrains the unaffected, or ‘good,’ arm to strengthen the affected arm and help the brain learn new pathways. This study shows that there are both positive and negative effects of this type of treatment.” For more information, click here to read the full release.
Salk Institute Scientists Discover Gene Useful in Development of Lungs and Brain
Monday, January 16, 2012 8:00
Salk Institute for Biological Studies scientists have identified a gene that causes cells to develop multiple cilia, tiny hair-like structures that move fluids through the lungs and brain. The finding may aid scientists in generating new therapies that use stem cells to replace damaged tissues in the lung and other organs. “Cells with multiple cilia play a number of important roles, including moving fluids through the respiratory tract, brain and spinal cord,” says Christopher R. Kintner, a professor in Salk’s Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, who led the research. “Knowing the gene that instructs cells to develop multiple cilia helps us understand how we might coax stem cells into developing into this type of cell, which we could then use to repair damaged tissue.” For more information, click here to read the full release.
Researchers Seek to Diagnose Alzheimer’s Earlier
Friday, January 13, 2012 13:00
Scientists are reporting development and initial laboratory tests of an imaging agent that may detect the tell-tale signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the brain — signs that currently can’t confirm a diagnosis until after patients die. The researchers’ report appears in ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters. Masahiro Ono and colleagues explain that, at present, no proven laboratory test or medical scan exists for Alzheimer’s, which is taking an increasingly heavy toll on the world’s older population. Patients are diagnosed with the disease based on their medical history and symptoms like memory loss, which often is a sign of normal aging. Right now, the only definitive way to diagnose Alzheimer’s involves an autopsy in which brain samples are examined for the presence of the clumps and tangles of an abnormal protein that occur in the disease. For more information, click here to read the full release.
The Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute Celebrates Successful First Year
Friday, January 13, 2012 9:00
In December of 2010, Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston opened the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI), one of the world’s first basic research institutes for childhood neurological diseases. Its goal: to speed up the pace of discoveries related to brain development and function. In its first year, the NRI proved its ability to complete that mission with accomplishments that include significant research breakthroughs, grants and faculty awards. Dr. Huda Y. Zoghbi — director of the NRI and professor of neurology, neuroscience, pediatrics, and molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) — credits the institute’s progress to its multi-disciplinary research team, a collaborative approach and a strong infrastructure of core facilities designed to support both. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Johns Hopkins Researchers Discover How Sense of Touch Affects Brain
Thursday, January 12, 2012 13:00
Neuroscientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have uncovered how the sense of touch is wired in the skin and nervous system, opening new doors to understanding how the brain collects and processes information from hairy skin. The findings appear in the Dec. 22 issue of the Cell journal. “You can deflect a single hair on your arm and feel it, but how can you tell the difference between a raindrop, a light breeze or a poke of a stick?” says David Ginty, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins. “Touch is not yes or no; it’s very rich, and now we’re starting to understand how all those inputs are processed.” For more information, click here to read the full release.
Use of Nicotine Patch Linked to Improvement in Mild Memory Loss Among Older Adults
Thursday, January 12, 2012 10:00
The use of a nicotine patch may help improve mild memory loss in older adults, reports a study published in the Jan. 10, 2012, print issue of Neurology — the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Nicotine has been shown to improve cognitive performance in smokers who have stopped smoking. In addition, previous short-term studies with nicotine have revealed improvement of both attention and memory in those who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. This new study examined nicotine in people with mild cognitive impairment — the stage between normal aging and dementia when people experience mild memory or thinking problems, but no significant disability. For more information, click here to read the full release.