Did you know multiple sclerosis (MS) means multiple scars? New research shows that the brain and spinal cord scars in people with MS may offer clues to why they developprogressive disability but those with related diseases where the immune system attacks the central nervous system do not. Researchers assessed if inflammation leads to permanent scarring…

Researchers have found a treatment that increases the speed of nerve regeneration by three to five times, leading to much better outcomes for trauma surgery patients. «We use the term ‘time is muscle,’» said Christine Webber, an associate professor in the U of A’s anatomy division and a member of the Neuroscience and Mental Health…

A new analysis of US data finds an unexpectedly high prevalence of prescription opioid use among youth. As recently as 2015-2016, 21% of adolescents and 32% of young adults said they had used these drugs in the past year. Nearly 4 percent and 8 percent, respectively, reported misusing opioids. Nearly 4 percent and 8 percent,…

Researchers have demonstrated that a new liquid biopsy approach overcomes traditional barriers to quickly and efficiently diagnose and monitor high-grade pediatric gliomas. Researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and Michigan Medicine C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, however, were optimistic that cerebrospinal fluid could be a valuable source for tumor DNA that could help…

Electroconvulsive therapy, which may be effective at lowering long-term risks of suicide and death among patients with certain mood disorders, may result in longer hospital stays and increased health care costs, according to researchers. They said delivering the therapy in outpatient settings may make the treatment more cost-effective. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) — which involves passing…

Researchers have developed a new mouse model of Huntington’s disease that recapitulates more Huntington’s disease-like characteristics than earlier models, providing new clues to the disease and giving researchers a powerful new tool to test new therapies. Huntington’s disease affects more than 30,000 people in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and…

A new study has concluded that people who wear a hearing aid for age-related hearing problems maintain better brain function over time than those who do not. It builds on important research in recent years pulled together by the Lancet Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care, through which hearing loss emerged as an important…

Patients and medical providers should be aware that chronic opioid use can interfere with sleep by reducing sleep efficiency and increasing the risk of sleep-disordered breathing. Opioid use has boomed in the last decade, with nearly 92 million Americans using prescription opioids and 11.5 million people misusing them. In addition to understanding the risks of…

An interdisciplinary research team experimented on patient-based cell cultures in the laboratory. The new combination of active substances they identified will have to undergo clinical trials before they can be used to treat patients. Lack of protein DJ-1 makes you sick A protein called DJ-1 plays a crucial role in keeping nerve cells functioning. If…

Scientists have identified the primary target of the experimental cancer drug CX-5164, revealing a possible risk for late effects of treatment. CX-5461 is a small molecule that has been studied for more than a decade. It has been widely described as a first-in-human inhibitor of the enzyme RNA polymerase 1. Phase II clinical trials of…