Football
Concussions Not Properly Appreciated
As
reported in the September-October issue of the American Journal of Sports
Medicine, high school football players who sustain concussions often
return to play prematurely because the significance of their injuries is
not appreciated. Return-to-play guidelines are not inclusive of some of
the most common signs and symptoms such as concentration deficits, blurred
vision (sensitivity to light), amnesia, dizziness and balance deficits.
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Brain
Development in 4-D
Sophisticated
imaging techniques can be used to visualize changes in brain structure
during childhood. A report published in the March 9, 2000 issue of the
journal Nature describes "the creation of spatially complex,
four-dimensional quantitative maps of growth patterns in the developing
human brain." The authors of the report believe that their form of
dynamic mapping "may . . . offer advantages in tracking fine-scale
effects of therapeutic interventions in dementia (and other
diseases)."
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Stroke
Damage May Be Reversible
A
study from the University of California, Los Angeles Stroke Unit, has
shown that the early use of clot-busters may reverse stroke injury. Time
is critical: clot-busting drugs generally must be used within 3 hours of
symptom onset. Therefore, it is particularly important for patients to be
aware of the warning signs of a stroke. Stroke symptoms include sudden
onset of weakness or numbness, difficulty speaking, severe headache and
vision problems, among others.
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Brain
Trauma Linked To Alzheimer’s
Findings
to be published in the September issue of the Journal of Neuropathology
and Experimental Neurology support earlier studies saying brain trauma can
raise the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. In experiments performed on
anesthetized pigs, a research team at the University of Pennsylvania
School of Medicine found that even moderate brain trauma can set off a
biochemical process that leads to development of amyloid plaques in the
brain tissues. This is the same kind of brain deterioration seen in
patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
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Human
Neurons Establish Connections in Rats With Severe Spinal Cord Injuries
As
reported (in the July, 2002 Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine), human neurons
grown as cells cloned from a tumor help restore some function in severely
injured spinal cords of rats. All seven rats in the delayed
(two weeks after injury) transplant group recovered electrical activity in
spinal cord neurons that control muscle movement. The cells sprouted
fibers, or axons, that grew into the undamaged, intact portions of the
spinal cord above and below the injured area.
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Protein
Helps Injured Nerve Cells Regenerate
Researchers
at Boston's Children's Hospital and Harvard University report that the
protein, inosine, switches on a number of genes involved in the growth of
nerve cells. Inosine caused nerve cells in rats to sprout new axons
and when those axons meet, they form new synapses through which messages
can be sent. Also inosine and related molecules may help prevent
damage from brain injury and stroke, as well as the progression of
Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, by shutting off the mechanism that signals
healthy brain cells to die.
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President
Reagan's Death Renews Search for Alzheimer Cure
In
the ten years between President Regan's poignant letter to the American
people disclosing his diagnosis of Alzheimer disease, much research has
been undertaken but few of the findings have made their way into clinical
practice. With the aging of the baby boomer population, there will be an
explosion of Alzheimer cases which will burgeon into a major public health
problem. Research into Alzheimer includes study of brain cell
regeneration, diagnosis, drugs, genes and stem cells
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Damage to Left Side of Brain Raises Infection
Risk
As reported in the May, 2004, issue of Annals of Neurology, damage to the dominant side of the brain, which is the left side in most people, seems to suppress the immune system. This effect could make a person more susceptible to infection. The immune and nervous systems are interlinked, influencing each other in complex ways that are just beginning to be understood.
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