A substance in human mesenchymal stem cells that promotes growth appears to spur restoration of nerves and their function in rodent models of multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have found.
medicine
Molecular imaging links systemic inflammation with depression
New research published in the April issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine reveals that systemic inflammation causes an increase in depressive symptoms and metabolic changes in the parts of the brain responsible for mood and motivation. With this finding, researchers can begin to test potential treatments for depression for patients that experience symptoms that are related to inflammation in the body or within the brain.
Who will benefit from stroke drug? New score can help decide
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.
Brains of addicts are inherently abnormal: study (Update)
(Medical Xpress) — Researchers funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) at the University of Cambridge have identified a brain abnormality which is found in drug-dependent individuals as well as their siblings who have had no history of drug addiction. The brain abnormality identified by the researchers makes it more difficult for individuals to exercise self-control.
Zapping the brain to treat severe depression in human patients
Severe Depression by Zapping the Brain
Chances are that you know somebody, perhaps a family member, friend, or acquaintance, who has had severe depression or at least some kind of depression before.
It’s a hugely prevalent mental disorder, with up to 17% of people in the US suffering from it at some point in their lives.
In a small subset of severe depression cases, even strong medication or electroconvulsive brain therapy don’t help.
To treat these patients, a group of psychiatrists and neurosurgeons in Mannheim and Heidelberg, Germany, have successfuly conducted an initial deep brain stimulation study.
Deep brain stimulation is a surgical procedure where a thin metal wire, an electrode, is implanted into a certain part of the brain to stimulate it. The electrode has to be placed in a very, very specific area (millimeters in size) of the brain and thus the patient’s head is fixed in place with a ‘stereotactic rig,’ which is a precisely machined device that can guide the electrode to a precise coordinate within the head.
The scientists in this most recent study implanted the electrode into the habenula, which is a small group of neurons that is thought to be involved in reward processing and many other functions. They found that habenular stimulation was able to successfuly treat a 64-year-old woman who had intractable, severe depression since the age of 18!