By Health Center: Nervous%20System
Gene scan finds link across array of childhood brain disorders
Mutations in a single gene can cause several types of developmental brain abnormalities that experts have traditionally considered different disorders. With support from the National Institutes of Health, researchers found those mutations through whole exome sequencing -- a new gene scanning technology that cuts the cost and time of searching for rare mutations.
FDA Approves Cuvposa (glycopyrrolate) for Chronic Drooling in Children
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Cuvposa (glycopyrrolate) Oral Solution to treat chronic severe drooling caused by neurologic disorders in children ages 3 years to 16 years. Drooling is normal in infants. But a significant proportion of the developmentally disabled population experiences drooling caused primarily by neuromuscular dysfunction that makes it hard to swallow. Cuvposa reduces drooling by lowering the volume of saliva produced.
Endometrial Stem Cells Restore Brain Dopamine Levels
Endometrial stem cells injected into the brains of mice with a laboratory-induced form of Parkinson's disease appeared to take over the functioning of brain cells eradicated by the disease. The finding raises the possibility that women with Parkinson's disease could serve as their own stem cell donors. Similarly, because endometrial stem cells are readily available and easy to collect, banks of endometrial stem cells could be stored for men and women with Parkinson's disease.
A Brain-Recording Device that Melts into Place
Scientists have developed a brain implant that essentially melts into place, snugly fitting to the brain's surface. The technology could pave the way for better devices to monitor and control seizures, and to transmit signals from the brain past damaged parts of the spinal cord.
Researchers Discover First Genes for Stuttering
Stuttering may be the result of a glitch in the day-to-day process by which cellular components in key regions of the brain are broken down and recycled, says a study in the Feb. 10 Online First issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The study, led by researchers at the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health, has identified three genes as a source of stuttering in volunteers in Pakistan, the United States, and...
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Linked to Low Levels of Serotonin
The brains of infants who die of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) produce low levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that conveys messages between cells and plays a vital role in regulating breathing, heart rate, and sleep, reported researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health. SIDS is the death of an infant before his or her first birthday that cannot be explained after a complete autopsy, an investigation of the scene and circumstances of the death, and a review of the medical...
Small Changes in Protein Play Large Role in Huntingtons Disease
In Huntington's disease, a mutated protein in the body becomes toxic to brain cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that a small region adjacent to the mutated segment plays a major role in the toxicity. Two new studies supported by the National Institutes of Health show that very slight changes to this region can eliminate signs of Huntington's disease in mice.
Drug That Crosses Blood-Brain Barrier Reduces Formation of Brain Metastases in Mice
The drug vorinostat is able to cross the blood-brain barrier and reduce the development of large metastatic tumors in mice brains by 62 percent when compared to mice that did not receive the drug, according to a new study. In humans, the drug has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of a cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma but can be used experimentally to study its effectiveness against other cancers. This research, by investigators at the National Can...
The Importance of Monitoring Vitamin D Status in the U.S.
Dr. Howard Nash
The NIH Common Fund's Human Microbiome Project
The Shell Egg Rule - Protecting the Public From Salmonella Contamination
The Public Health Impact of Tobacco Product and Advertising Regulation
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