Newsline — Monday, January 28, 2013 9:58
Parkinson’s Patients Experience Non-Motor Symptoms Such as Anxiety at Initial Onset
Researchers Find Growing Evidence of Role Mutated Genes Play in Development of Schizophrenia
Thursday, January 24, 2013 13:45
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have identified a rare gene mutation in a single family with a high rate of schizophrenia, adding to evidence that abnormal genes play a role in the development of the disease. The researchers, who presented the findings in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, say that family members with the mutation in the gene Neuronal PAS domain protein 3 (NPAS3) appear at high risk of developing schizophrenia or another debilitating mental illnesses. Normally functioning NPAS3 regulates the development of healthy neurons, especially in a region of the brain known as the hippocampus, which appears to be affected in schizophrenia. The Johns Hopkins researchers say they have evidence that the mutation found in the family may lead to abnormal activity of NPAS3, which has implications for brain development and function. To read the full story, click here.
FDA Approves Clinical Trial of Auditory Brainstem Implant Procedure for Children in the U.S.
Thursday, January 24, 2013 9:59
On Jan. 22, 2013, the Los Angeles-based House Research Institute and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave final approval to begin a clinical trial of an Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) procedure for children. The trial is a surgical collaboration sponsored by the House Research Institute in partnership with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Vittorio Colletti, MD, of the University of Verona Hospital, Verona, Italy. The ABI was developed at the House Research Institute and is the world’s first successful prosthetic hearing device to stimulate neurons directly at the human brainstem, bypassing the inner ear and hearing nerve entirely. Since the procedure began, more than 1,000 adults worldwide have received the ABI. “Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is thrilled that the FDA has approved the Auditory Brainstem Implant clinical trial for children,” says pediatric neurosurgeon Mark Krieger, MD, FAANS, who serves as both chief of Medical Staff and chief of the division of pediatric neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “We are looking forward to offering this innovative procedure to…
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Neural Imaging Shows How Human Brain Adapts to Injury
Wednesday, January 23, 2013 8:00
Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging (CCBI) have used a new combination of neural imaging methods to find out how the human brain adapts to injury. The research reveals that when one brain area loses functionality, a “back-up” team of secondary brain areas immediately activates — this replaces not only the unavailable area, but its confederates. Study results appear in Cerebral Cortex. “The human brain has a remarkable ability to adapt to various types of trauma, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke, making it possible for people to continue functioning after key brain areas have been damaged,” says Marcel Just, the D.O. Hebb Professor of Psychology at CMU and CCBI director. “It is now clear how the brain can naturally rebound from injuries and gives us indications of how individuals can train their brains to be prepared for easier recovery. The secret is to develop alternative thinking styles, the way a switch-hitter develops alternative batting styles. Then, if a muscle in one arm is injured, they can use the batting…
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Researchers Explore Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s Diseases
Tuesday, January 22, 2013 13:00
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) changed Daniel Duran’s life. Instead of long, frozen “off” periods due to Parkinson’s disease, he now enjoys hours at a time when he can move about. This type of therapy requires delicate surgery and does not work for all patients, but ongoing work shows that the treatment can provide relief from the slow, abnormal movements caused not only by Parkinson’s disease, but by the medications taken to control it over time. The successful use of electrodes in Parkinson’s patients such as Duran has led researchers to believe that DBS might help those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, too. For more information, click here to read the full article.
Brain Tumor Center Tests More than 2,000 Compounds in Search of New Glioblastoma Treatment
Tuesday, January 22, 2013 10:02
Researchers at the Brain Tumor Center at the University of Cincinnati (UC) Neuroscience Institute are throwing almost everything but the kitchen sink at an aggressive type of brain tumor that has proved stubbornly resistant to conventional forms of treatment. In a novel, investigator-initiated study, James Driscoll, MD, PhD, and his team are testing more than 2,000 different small-molecule compounds for signs of effectiveness in the treatment of the high-grade glioma tumor known as glioblastoma multiforme. They have quickly developed a high-throughput, automated screen to rapidly test hundreds of compounds at the same time. And although not yet prepared to discuss the results, Dr. Driscoll says he hopes to be able to pursue funding for a phase-1 clinical trial involving one or more of the compounds within the next 12 months. The trial would take place at the Brain Tumor Center, a center of excellence within the UC Neuroscience Institute and the UC Cancer Institute. Both institutes are part of the UC College of Medicine and UC Health. For more information, click here to read the…
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Researchers Discover Natural Enzyme Involved in Deadly Brain Tumors
Monday, January 21, 2013 13:00
Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most common types of brain tumors in adults; it’s also one of the most devastating. Even with recent advances in surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, the aggressive and invasive tumors become resistant to treatment, and the median survival rate of patients is only about 15 months. In a study published in Neuro-Oncology, researchers at Mayo Clinic identify an important association between the naturally occurring enzyme Kallikrein 6 — also known as KLK6 — and the malignant tumors. “Our study of Kallikrein 6 showed that higher levels of this enzyme in the tumor are negatively associated with patient survival and that the enzyme functions by promoting the survival of tumor cells,” says senior author Isobel Scarisbrick, PhD, of Mayo Clinic’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. For more information, click here to read the full release.
Stroke Survivors with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder More Likely to Avoid Treatment
Monday, January 21, 2013 11:23
A new survey of stroke survivors shows that those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are less likely to adhere to treatment regimens that reduce the risk of an additional stroke. Researchers found that 65 percent of stroke survivors with PTSD failed to adhere to treatment, compared to 33 percent of those without PTSD. The survey also suggests that non-adherence in PTSD patients is partly explained by increased ambivalence toward medication. Among stroke survivors with PTSD, approximately one in three (38 percent) had concerns about their medications. Results of the study, led by Columbia University Medical Center researchers, appear in the British Journal of Health Psychology. For more information, click here to read the full release.
University of Oregon Concussion Research Shows Athletes May Need Months, not Days, to Recover
Friday, January 18, 2013 12:00
Normally, most doctors give athletes about a week to 10 days to recover from a concussion; however, new research from the University of Oregon’s Department of Human Physiology shows that some brains can be impaired even two months after a head injury. Graduate student David Howell helped lead the study, which involved about 20 Eugene, Ore.-area high school athletes who had suffered concussions. Each participating concussed athlete was put through visual and cognitive brain tests. The athletes were tested multiple times over a two-month period where researchers analyzed their “attention level” and “task-switching” abilities. Each subject’s results then were compared to a non-concussed subject’s results with similar physical attributes. The results showed that many concussed athletes took milliseconds longer to answer questions up to two months after their initial injury. Without full recovery, this could mean more injury for athletes. For more information, click here to read the full release.
‘FlyWalker’ Program Tracks Insects’ Steps, Could Advance Parkinson’s Research
Friday, January 18, 2013 8:00
They may have wings, but fruit flies (Drosophila) spend plenty of time on their feet. These insects also are a standard animal model for studying neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Scientists often create fruit flies that contain the same genetic mutations as seen in these disorders to see how the DNA changes affect the insects. But for all the complex genetic tools they employ, the way of measuring the resulting motor defects remains crude: A researcher will knock the flies in a vial down to the bottom with a quick tap, and then wait to see how long it takes for the insects to climb to the top. According a new report in eLife, a research team at Columbia University in New York has developed a more accurate and sophisticated way to quantify such movement. They first videotape a fly walking, and then use computer software that can spot the individual footpads of the insect and mark when each of these hits the surface. With this data, they can calculate the insects’ walking speed,…
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