Medical Animations Neurology

Toxicity Mechanism Identified For Parkinson's Disease
Neurologists have observed for decades that Lewy bodies, clumps of aggregated proteins inside cells, appear in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. The presence of Lewy bodies suggests underlying problems in protein recycling and waste disposal, leading to the puzzle: how does disrupting those processes kill brain cells? One possible answer: by breaking a survival circuit called MEF2D.

Novel Glioblastoma Mouse Model Developed By Salk Researchers
Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have developed a versatile mouse model of glioblastoma - the most common and deadly brain cancer in humans - that closely resembles the development and progression of human brain tumors that arise naturally. "Mouse models of human cancer have taught us a great deal about the basic principles of cancer biology," says Inder Verma, Ph.D., a professor in the Laboratory of Genetics.

Expectant Brains Help Predict Anxiety Treatment Success
A network of emotion-regulating brain regions implicated in the pathological worry that can grip patients with anxiety disorders may also be useful for predicting the benefits of treatment. A new study appearing online Jan. 2 reports that high levels of brain activity in an emotional center called the amygdala reflect patients' hypersensitivity to anticipation of adverse events.

Researchers Link Blood Sugar To Normal Cognitive Aging
Maintaining blood sugar levels, even in the absence of disease, may be an important strategy for preserving cognitive health, suggests a study published by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). The study appeared in the December issue of Annals of Neurology. Senior moments, also dubbed by New York Times Op-Ed columnist David Brooks as being "hippocampically challenged," are a normal part of aging.

Smokers With Stroke In The Family 6 Times More Likely To Have Stroke Too
A new study shows that people who are smokers and have a family history of brain aneurysm appear to be significantly more likely to suffer a stroke from a brain aneurysm themselves. The research is published in the December 31, 2008, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology and will appear in the January 6, 2009, print issue of Neurology®.

Bright Lights, Not So Big Pupils
A team of Johns Hopkins neuroscientists has worked out how some newly discovered light sensors in the eye detect light and communicate with the brain. The report appears online this week in Nature. These light sensors are a small number of nerve cells in the retina that contain melanopsin molecules.

"Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Neurological Diseases" 6th Meeting In "Emergence & Convergence" Series
La Fondation Ipsen and Nature Publishing Group share the same desire to help new scientific knowledge emerge and facilitate the exchange of the most promising ideas from a variety of different research areas. In 2007, the two organisations came together to create a new series of scientific events - the Emergence & Convergence mini-symposia - one-day meetings highlighting some of the most dynamic sectors in biological and medical research.

CXCL1 Decreases Severity Of Multiple Sclerosis-like Disease
A group led by Dr. Cedric Raine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine have explored the expression of an immune molecule (CXCL1) that interacts with myelin-producing cells, finding that CXCL1 decreases the severity of disease in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). They report their data in the January 2009 issue of The American Journal of Pathology. The autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS) attacks the central nervous system, resulting in demyelination of neurons.

Risk Takers, Drug Abusers Driven By Decreased Ability To Process Dopamine
For risk-takers and impulsive people, New Year's resolutions often include being more careful, spending more frugally and cutting back on dangerous behavior, such as drug use. But new research from Vanderbilt finds that these individuals--labeled as novelty seekers by psychologists--face an uphill battle in keeping their New Year's resolutions due to the way their brains process dopamine.

Researchers At Columbia University Medical Center Link Blood Sugar To Normal Cognitive Aging
Maintaining blood sugar levels, even in the absence of disease, may be an important strategy for preserving cognitive health, suggests a study published by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC). The study appeared in the December issue of Annals of Neurology. Senior moments, also dubbed by New York Times Op-Ed columnist David Brooks as being "hippocampically challenged," are a normal part of aging.

UC Davis Researchers Find Molecule That Targets Brain Tumors
UC Davis Cancer Center researchers report the discovery of a molecule that targets glioblastoma, a highly deadly form of cancer. The finding, which is published in the January 2009 issue of the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, provides hope for effectively treating an incurable cancer. Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive type of primary brain tumor in adults.

Study Investigates The Cost Effectiveness Of Spinal Surgery
Back pain affects more than 80 percent of people and costs more than $100 billion annually in the U.S. But is the surgery cost effective? A study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center suggests that for patients with spinal stenosis, a laminectomy, or surgical removal of some soft bone and tissue, is a reasonable value. However, for patients with spinal stenosis with associated slipped vertebrae, the benefits of spinal fusion surgery may not be enough to offset costs.

SciClone Announces First Patient Enrolled In Phase 2 Clinical Trial Using SCV-07 To Prevent Oral Mucositis
SciClone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCLN) today announced the enrollment of its first patient in its phase 2, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to assess the safety and efficacy of SCV-07 for prevention of oral mucositis (OM) in patients receiving radio-chemotherapy for the treatment of head and neck cancer.

Hebrew University Scientists Succeed Through Stem Cell Therapy In Reversing Brain Birth Defects
Scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have succeeded in reversing brain birth defects in animal models, using stem cells to replace defective brain cells. The work of Prof.

StemCells, Inc. Receives FDA Approval To Initiate Clinical Trial Of HuCNS-SC® Cells In A Myelin Disease
StemCells, Inc. (NASDAQ:STEM) today announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate a clinical trial of the Company's proprietary HuCNS-SC product candidate (purified human neural stem cells) to treat Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease (PMD), a fatal brain disorder that mainly affects young children. This Phase I trial is designed to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of HuCNS-SC cells as a treatment for PMD.