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Researchers have long known that dopamine, a brain chemical that plays important roles in the control of normal movement, and in pleasure, reward and motivation, also plays a central role in substance abuse and addiction. In a new study conducted in animals, scientists found that a specific dopamine receptor, called D2, on dopamine-containing neurons controls an organism's activity level and contributes to motivation for reward-seeking as well as the rewarding effects of cocaine.
National Institutes of Health (Neurologia) - Lun, 11 Luglio 2011
http://www.nih.gov
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A team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, have uncovered a novel mechanism regulating gene expression and transcription linked to Spinocerebellar ataxia 7, an inherited neurological disorder.
Eureka Alert (Neurologia) - Lun, 4 Luglio 2011
http://www.eurekalert.org
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A recently licensed drug that helps control seizures in adults who have epilepsy could soon be recommended for use in the NHS. This comes as draft guidance from NICE out today (17 June) provisionally advises that retigabine (Trobalt, GSK) could be prescribed as an add-on treatment option if other medicines have been ineffective or produced unmanageable side effects.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Neurologia) - Lun, 27 Giugno 2011
http://www.nice.org.uk
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A randomised, double-blind, parallel-group trial showed similar rates of the primary endpoint with terutroban and aspirin, without safety advantages for terutroban. In a worldwide perspective, aspirin remains the gold standard antiplatelet drug for secondary stroke prevention in view of its efficacy, tolerance, and cost.
The Lancet (Neurologia) - Mar, 14 Giugno 2011
http://www.thelancet.com
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Autism blurs the molecular differences that normally distinguish different brain regions, a new study suggests. Among more than 500 genes that are normally expressed at significantly different levels in the front versus the lower middle part of the brain's outer mantle, or cortex, only 8 showed such differences in brains of people with autism, say researchers funded in part by the National Institutes of Health.
National Institutes of Health (Neurologia) - Mar, 7 Giugno 2011
http://www.nih.gov
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A study assessed the diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of clinical, imaging and motor evoked potentials (MEP) for predicting the short-term prognosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). The usefulness of clinical variables for predicting the course of MS on an individual basis is limited, despite being associated with the disease course. By training a NNet with the most informative variables we achieved a good accuracy for predicting short-term disability.
BioMed Central (Neurologia) - Mar, 7 Giugno 2011
http://www.biomedcentral.com
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Among the various proposals to prevent dementia onset, physicians also mention daily supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids (above all EPA: eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA: docosaesaenoic acid), usually contained in fish oil. In England, 867 patients between 70 and 80 years of age, not affected by diabetes and with normal cognitive capability (MMSE ≥ 24) have been enrolled and randomized to receive a daily supplementation with EPA (200 mg), with DHA (500 mg) and olive oil or placebo.
MedNews (Neurologia) - Lun, 30 Maggio 2011
http://mn.medsurfnews.com/
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The European Food Safety Authority has today published a guidance document for the risk assessment of engineered nanomaterial (ENM) applications in food and feed. The guidance is the work of the Authority’s Scientific Committee and is the first of its kind to give practical guidance for addressing potential risks arising from applications of nanoscience and nanotechnologies in the food and feed chain. The guidance covers risk assessments for food and feed applications including food additives, enzymes, flavourings, food contact materials, novel foods, feed additives and pesticides.
World Health Organization (Neurologia) - Lun, 16 Maggio 2011
http://www.who.int
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A decline in memory and fine-motor skills is common among patients who undergo a bone marrow or stem cell transplant to treat leukemia or lymphoma, but most patients return to normal within five years, according to a new study.
Medline Plus (Neurologia) - Mar, 10 Maggio 2011
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus
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In the 1920s Harvard University graduate student Clyde E. Keeler discovered two surprising facts about mice he had bred in his rented attic room. One, all the progeny were completely blind. Two, despite the animals’ blindness, their pupils still constricted in response to ambient light, albeit at a slower rate than did the pupils of sighted mice. Many years later researchers extended Keeler’s observation, showing that mice genetically engineered to lack rods and cones (the light receptors involved in vision) nonetheless reacted to changes in light by adjusting their circadian clock--the internal timer that synchronizes hormone activity, body temperature and sleep.
Scientific American (Neurologia) - Mar, 10 Maggio 2011
http://www.sciam.com/