Newsline — Thursday, April 25, 2013 13:00
Promise for MS, Cerebral Palsy: Skin Cells Morphed into Healthy Brain Cells
Using Lasers to Kill Brain Tumors
Thursday, April 25, 2013 9:31
Researchers have tested a new device said to destroy brain tumors with a laser system. The Neuroblate device, as it is known, is guided by an MRI and then uses a laser to heat and kill the brain tumor at its exact location. Study participants saw longer survival periods after tumor removal than those who had an advanced form of the disease but had not undergone the treatment. Click here to read the full story.
Extracellular Vesicles May Open Doors for Brain Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 13:00
Noted in an article in the April 2013 edition of Neurosurgery, the recent discovery of circulating “nano-sized extracellular vesicles” (EVs) that carry proteins and nucleic acid derived from brain tumors may open new doors for brain cancer diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. Researchers believe that EVs could be used as delivery vehicles or immune modulatory tools for brain cancer treatment. Click here to read the full article.
New Treatment Guidelines for Seizure-Causing Tapeworm
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 9:28
There is a new evidence-based treatment guideline for a tapeworm infection that causes seizures. The guideline, published in Neurology, has been issued by the American Academy of Neurology. Neurocysticercosis, as the infection is known, is common in developing countries and has been on the rise in developed nations like the United States. It affects the brain and spinal cord, and leads to seizures and brain swelling. The guideline recommends that a drug combination of albendazole and a corticosteroid can treat neurocysticercosis effectively. Click here to read the full story.
New Findings Unlock Clues to Alzheimer’s
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 12:43
Findings reported in the journal Neuron have shed light on one of the major toxic elements of Alzheimer’s disease. Brain damage in Alzheimer’s disease is linked to the overactivation of an enzyme known as AMPK. In mouse models of the disease, scientists blocked the enzyme and protected neurons from the loss of neuron-to-neuron connection points, which often occurs in the early phase of Alzheimer’s disease. These discoveries could lead to an understanding of how the disease works and how to prevent its onset. Click here to read the full story.
Stem Cells Are Doing a Little Spring Cleaning, Too
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 9:00
New findings from a team of scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School have determined that stem cells undergo a type of “spring cleaning” that readies them for replacing aging or damaged nerves cells. Without a protein that governs the internal cleaning, called FIP200, stem cells suffer damage from their own waste products and lose their ability to turn inro other types of cells. Click here to read the full story.
Experts: More Research Needed on Long-term Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury
Monday, April 22, 2013 13:00
According to a review article in Nature Reviews Neurology, long-term studies and a search for genetic risk factors are necessary to predict a person’s risk for permanent brain damage after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Recent events with athletes like Junior Seau have brought light to the need for preventive action and diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which can develop after TBI. Researchers suggest tracking the neurological health of military veterans and athletes – often at high risk of TBI – for effective study of TBI and its long-term impact. Click here to read the full story.
Brain Imaging Unveils Neurobiology of Anorexia, Bulimia
Monday, April 22, 2013 9:18
Current treatments for eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia are said to be limited and ineffective, as patients often relapse and face chronic illness. Researchers believes that a limited understanding of how brain function affects eating disorder symptoms prove to be a hinderance in the development of new eating disorder treatments. A program at the University of California, San Diego, is developing an imaging-based treatment technique designed to address the neurobioglogy of anorexia nervosa. Recent findings have discovered alternations in the brain connected to food and anxiety in anorexic individuals. Click here to read the full story.
Migraine Triggers Are Difficult to Identify, Study Says
Friday, April 19, 2013 13:00
A new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center has found that while the majority of migraine sufferers cite a number of external triggers as the cause of their migraine episodes, it is almost impossible for patients to determine the cause of their debilitating headaches without undergoing formal experiments. Click here to read the full story.
Brain Imaging Study: Thinking About Future Benefits Can Curb Impulsive Decisions
Friday, April 19, 2013 9:00
Looks like the key to resisting temptaton can be found in a new brain imaging study from Washington University in St. Louis, a study which found brain activity that differentiated impulsive and patient people. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that patient individuals hone in on future rewards in a way that make delaying gratification seem pleasurable. The findings also suggest that impulsive people do not or cannot imagine the future, thus desiring their rewards right away. Click here to read the full story.