Neurology News and Research

Latest Neurology News and Research

Single fibronectin injection can prevent chronic pain development after SCI

Chronic neuropathic pain following a spinal cord injury is common and very difficult to treat, but a new therapeutic strategy requiring a one-time injection into the spinal column has potential to improve patient outcomes.

9 Feb 2012

SSRIs may minimize risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy

A groundbreaking study published in Elsevier's Epilepsy & Behavior provides evidence in mouse model that drugs known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs; one category of antidepressants) may reduce the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).

9 Feb 2012

First comprehensive look at how metal-on-metal total hip replacements fail in patients

A study by Hospital for Special Surgery researchers has provided the first comprehensive look at just how metal-on-metal total hip replacements are failing in patients around the country.

9 Feb 2012

$OATS procedure superior to microfracture in repairing cartilage defects$

OATS procedure superior to microfracture in repairing cartilage defects

A new study has demonstrated that a procedure wherein healthy cartilage is transplanted to fix an area of damaged cartilage (osteoarticular cartilage transplantation or OATS procedure) is superior to the standard of care for repairing cartilage defects. It is thought that fixing such lesions may ultimately help to prevent the onset of osteoarthritis, and get athletic individuals back to sporting activities reliably.

9 Feb 2012

Elan fourth quarter total revenue increases 18% to $271.0 million

Elan Corporation, plc today reported its fourth quarter and full-year 2011 financial results.

8 Feb 2012

New blood-thinning drugs likely to replace Coumadin for patients with non-valvular AF

Within a few years, a new generation of easy-to-use blood-thinning drugs will likely replace Coumadin for patients with irregular heartbeats who are at risk for stroke, according to a journal article by Loyola University Medical Center physicians.

7 Feb 2012

Epilepsy surgery improves QOL and long-term seizure control

While epilepsy surgery is a safe and effective intervention for seizure control, medical therapy remains the more prominent treatment option for those with epilepsy. However, a new 26-year study reveals that following epilepsy surgery, nearly half of participants were free of disabling seizures and 80% reported better quality of life than before surgery.

7 Feb 2012

Low-dose MNC hUCB therapy effective in ALS-modeled mice

Repeated, low-dose injections of mononuclear cells derived from human umbilical cord blood have been found effective in protecting motor neuron cells, delaying disease progression and increasing lifespan for mice modeling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, report University of South Florida researchers and colleagues from Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Inc., and the Ribeirao Preto School of Medicine at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

7 Feb 2012

New scoring method helps predict functional outcomes in stroke

A new scoring method can help doctors quickly decide which stroke patients will respond well to the clot-busting drug alteplase, according to a study published in the February 7, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 Feb 2012

Valeant divests generic Benzaclin and Efudex to Mylan

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. today announced that it has completed the divestiture of 1% clindamycin and 5% benzoyl peroxide gel (IDP-111), a generic version of Benzaclin, and 5% fluorouracil cream, (5-FU), an authorized generic of Efudex, to Mylan Inc..

6 Feb 2012

Takeda launches EDARBYCLOR in the U.S. for treatment of hypertension

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc., announced EDARBYCLOR (azilsartan medoxomil and chlorthalidone) is now available by prescription in U.S. pharmacies for the treatment of hypertension to lower blood pressure in adults.

6 Feb 2012

UCLA professor receives ASA's Feinberg Award for clinical stroke research

Dr. Jeffrey L. Saver, professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of the UCLA Stroke Center, received the William Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke at the American Stroke Association's 2012 International Stroke Conference in New Orleans on Feb. 2.

4 Feb 2012

CT-guided catheters carry t-PA to shrink clots in patients with ICH

Johns Hopkins neurologists report success with a new means of getting rid of potentially lethal blood clots in the brain safely without cutting through easily damaged brain tissue or removing large pieces of skull. The minimally invasive treatment, they report, increased the number of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) who could function independently by 10 to 15 percent six months following the procedure.

4 Feb 2012

Aspirin plus clopidogrel unlikely to prevent recurrent strokes and may increase risk of death, bleeding

The anti-blood clot regimen that adds the drug clopidogrel (Plavix) to aspirin treatment is unlikely to prevent recurrent strokes and may increase the risk of bleeding and death in patients with subcortical stroke according to late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.

4 Feb 2012

Brain may replace sensory experiences to help understand common metaphors

When a friend tells you she had a rough day, do you feel sandpaper under your fingers? The brain may be replaying sensory experiences to help understand common metaphors, new research suggests.

4 Feb 2012

Whole exome sequencing provides clues about rare mutations in aneurysms

An innovative approach to genome screening has provided clues about rare mutations that may make people susceptible to brain aneurysms, predisposing them to brain bleeds, according to preliminary late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.

4 Feb 2012

G-CSF's AX200 does not improve stroke-related disability

A new drug that showed promise in animal studies and an early clinical trial didn't improve disability among stroke patients, according to late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.

4 Feb 2012

New experimental device effectively removes blood clots in stroke patients

An experimental device for removing blood clots in stroke patients dramatically outperformed the standard mechanical treatment, according to research presented by UCLA Stroke Center director Dr. Jeffrey L. Saver at the American Stroke Association's 2012 international conference in New Orleans on Feb. 3.

4 Feb 2012

Addiction could be a legacy from parents: Study

Researchers have found that like other inherited traits – addiction could be a legacy from parents. A child of drug-addicted parents is eight times more likely to become an addict than a child growing up in a drug-free home. However in families whose very brains seem primed for addiction, some children still go on to lead productive lives free of drugs, according to new research.

3 Feb 2012

Married men with stroke symptoms seek medical attention earlier than women

It's been said that marriage is good for your health - especially if you're a man. Research at Mayo Clinic in Arizona shows that's true when it comes to seeking care for stroke symptoms.

3 Feb 2012