Newsline — Wednesday, July 1, 2015 10:25
Better Clinical Management Improves Quality of Life for Neurofibromatosis Patients
Eye Motion Detection Sensors Identified
Friday, June 26, 2015 13:00
Scientists may have finally discovered how the eyes functionally detect motion, a mechanism which has been a mystery throughout the development of medical science. Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reported in an online issue of the journal eLife that they have identified a neural circuit in the retina, located at the back of the eye, which carries signals related to motion detection. “There are many elements in the retinal circuitry that we haven’t figured out yet,” said the lead researcher of the study. “We know the signals from the rods and cones are transmitted to the retina — where the amacrine and ganglion cells are located — and that’s really where the ‘magic’ happens that allows us to see what we see. Unfortunately, we still have a very limited understanding of what most of the cells in the inner retina actually do.” This research may lay out groundwork for constructing an artificial retina for those who have suffered physical vision loss.To learn more about this study, click here.
New Data on Botulinum Toxin as Treatment for Nerve Pain
Friday, June 26, 2015 9:00
According to a study recently published in the journal Anesthesia & Analegesia, botulinum toxin could serve as an effective new treatment for two forms of neuropathy. The study shows differing effects of local versus spinal injection of botulinum toxin and offers new insight into the molecular-level explanations for how “Botox” works to affect pain processing. Building on previous mouse-model studies, the researchers performed experiments in mice to evaluate the effects of botulinum toxin type B (BoNT-B) on exaggerated pain responses to touch (allodynia) in one or both hind paws after nerve injury. Mononeuropathy (single nerve injury) was induced by cutting a single spinal nerve and polyneuropathy (multiple nerve injury) by giving the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. For both types of neuropathy, the study evaluated the effects of injecting BoNT-B directly into the affected paw or into the spine. In mononeuropathy, injecting BoNT-B into the affected paw significantly reduced abnormal pain responses. In polyneuropathy, local BoNT-B injection reduced allodynia in the injected paw only. The reduction in allodynia after local BoNT-B injection lasted about two weeks before…
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Specialized Proteins Detected in Blood of Alzheimer’s Disease Patients
Thursday, June 25, 2015 13:00
A newly discovered protein in the bloodstream may provide a clearer diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study conducted by a research team from the University of California, San Francisco, the National Institute on Aging and NanoSomiX, Inc. They published their findings in the journal Neurology, and reported the discovery of lysosome biomarkers in those definitively diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Three separate proteins were found to have severely elevated levels in those diagnosed, indicating that the body was accelerating waste removal mechanisms related to brain tissue loss. “These proteins are in very tiny nerve cell-derived blood particles called exosomes. Abnormal levels of the proteins may be useful biomarkers that could help us study early treatments to limit or reverse the damage to brain cells and even prevent the development of the full-blown disease,” said the author of the study. “The results also show us that there are major abnormalities in how these proteins function in brain cells, which could potentially provide a new target for treatments.” To learn more about this study, click here.
Network Model for Social Media Tracking Sheds Light on Neural Networks
Thursday, June 25, 2015 9:00
In a study recently published in the journal Neuron, an international team of researchers from Indiana University and Switzerland used data-mapping methods that were created to track the spread of information on social media networks to help trace the spread of information in the human brain. By applying the social network models to the brain, researchers were able to study specific connections and nodes that may be responsible for higher forms of cognition. In order to conduct the study, the research team performed diffusion spectrum imaging on the brains of 40 research volunteers at University Hospital Lausanne in Switzerland. The team then created a composite map of regions and long-range connections in the brain and applied a dynamic model for information spreading based, in part, on a lead researcher’s model for tracking viral content on the Internet. The model highlighted the pattern of this information’s spread. The researchers could trace a signal from a specific point and observe how quickly it spread through the brain. They could also use the model to infer what connections were used in…
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Fragile X Proteins Involved in Proper Neuron Development
Wednesday, June 24, 2015 13:00
Recent findings may offer a new understanding of the condition fragile X syndrome, which is known as one of the most common genetic intellectual disabilities, and is strongly cited as the greatest contributor to autism spectrum disorder. The study, conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center, published in the journal Cell Reports, found that two critical proteins in fragile X appeared to impact cognitive development of neurons in mice. Their two proteins were revealed (FMRP and FXR2P) to have distinct mechanisms in neuron creation, drawing into question what causes the malfunction and how it can be prevented on a genetic level. “The findings suggest that fostering new nerve cell development during the postnatal period may have therapeutic potential for people with fragile X syndrome and other neurological disorders,” explained the lead researcher of the study. “If we can find a way to reactivate the FMRP gene, we may be able to treat the disease.” To learn more about this study, click here.
New Treatment Hope for Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Wednesday, June 24, 2015 9:00
In a recent discovery by scientists at the CHUM Research Centre and the University of Montreal, a previously unknown link was found between the immune system and the death of motor neurons in amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The findings could potentially offer a new approach for developing drug treatments that can slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows that the immune system in the animal model C. elegans, a tiny one millimeter-long roundworm, plays a critical role in the development of ALS. More than a dozen genes are related to ALS, and if a mutation occurs in one of them, the person will develop the disease. Scientists introduced a mutated human gene (TDP-43 or FUS) into C. elegans, a nematode worm widely used for genetic experiments. The worms became paralyzed within about 10 days, and the research team’s challenge was to find a way of saving them from dying. This study highlights a never previously suspected mechanism — even…
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Migraine Community Sees Promise in New Class of Drugs
Tuesday, June 23, 2015 15:46
Findings presented at the American Headache Society’s (AHS) annual scientific meeting have the migraine community hopeful about a new class of drugs called Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibodies, which are showing promise in treating high-frequency episodic migraine and chronic migraine. “This development is a transformative moment in migraine treatment,” said the chair of the organization’s scientific program. “There’s no question that we need something better … In fact, for prevention we really need something designed specifically for migraine.” A new class of anti-migraine drugs have not been available since the development of triptans in 1991, which are not preventives and are only designed to treat migraine attacks. The new class of therapeutic agents appears to reduce elevated levels of the peptide known as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a key driver of migraine pain. Data presented at the AHS annual scientific meeting reported that the drug, as a preventive treatment of high-frequency episodic migraines, achieved a significant reduction in the number of headache hours after one week (in human trials), with more than half of patients who…
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Brain Inflammation Triggered by Chronic Pain and Depression
Tuesday, June 23, 2015 8:46
In a study recently published in The Journal of Neuroscience, scientists from UC Irvine and UCLA found a link between brain inflammation and chronic nerve pain, suggesting that a direct biophysical link exists between long-term pain and the depression, anxiety and substance abuse that is common in these patients. About a quarter of Americans suffer from chronic pain, making it the most common form of enduring illness for those under the age of 60. In the mouse-model study, the research team discovered that pain-derived brain inflammation causes the accelerated growth and activation of the immune cells, microglia, which trigger chemical signals within neurons that restrict the release of dopamine. However, treating the animals with a drug that inhibits microglial activation later restored dopamine release and reward-motivated behavior. “For over 20 years, scientists have been trying to unlock the mechanisms at work that connect opioid use, pain relief, depression and addiction,” noted the lead research of the study. “Our findings represent a paradigm shift which has broad implications that are not restricted to the problem of…
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Syllables that Oscillate in Neuronal Circuits
Monday, June 22, 2015 13:00
Addressing a longstanding belief that cortical oscillations are related to the interpretation of sensory stimuli in the brain, two studies propose that improperly produced oscillations can lead to major language disorders. A team from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have reported in the journals eLife and Frontiers in Human Neurosciences that a computerized model of neuronal microcircuits reveals the critical role of neuronal oscillations as language is decoded. “Using a large corpus of sentences pronounced by English-language speakers showing a great variety of pace and accents, researchers observed that these coupled oscillations split words in an intelligent way: they adapted to the pace of the speaker and could correctly detect not only the syllabic barriers but also syllables identity. Theta oscillation could follow the syllabic pace in a flexible way and synchronize the activity of gamma waves, which can encipher phonemes,” explained the lead researcher of the study. To learn more about this study, click here.