Brain salad surgery

waltky · Feb 17, 2013

Uncle Ferd says dey oughta map Granny's brain so she don't get lost...

Scans reveal intricate brain wiring
16 February 2013 - Scientists are set to release the first batch of data from a project designed to create the first map of the human brain.

The project could help shed light on why some people are naturally scientific, musical or artistic. Some of the first images were shown at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Boston. I found out how researchers are developing new brain imaging techniques for the project by having my own brain scanned. Scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital are pushing brain imaging to its limit using a purpose built scanner. It is one of the most powerful scanners in the world.

The BBC's Pallab Ghosh gets a look at how his brain is wired

The scanner's magnets need 22MW of electricity - enough to power a nuclear submarine. The researchers invited me to have my brain scanned. I was asked if I wanted "the 10-minute job or the 45-minute 'full monty'" which would give one of the most detailed scans of the brain ever carried out. Only 50 such scans have ever been done. I went for the full monty.

It was a pleasant experience enclosed in the scanner's vast twin magnets. Powerful and rapidly changing magnetic fields were looking to see tiny particles of water travelling along the larger nerve fibres.By following the droplets, the scientists in the adjoining cubicle are able to trace the major connections within my brain.

Arcs of understanding
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waltky · Feb 24, 2013

Brain has partial ability to shield itself from the destructive damage caused by a stroke...

Brain's 'stroke shielding' cracked
24 February 2013 - A part of the brain's ability to shield itself from the destructive damage caused by a stroke has been explained by researchers.

It has been known for more than 85 years that some brain cells could withstand being starved of oxygen. Scientists, writing in the journal Nature Medicine, have shown how these cells switch into survival mode. They hope to one-day find a drug which uses the same trick to protect the whole brain. Treating a stroke is a race against time. Clots that block the blood supply prevent the flow of oxygen and sugar to brain cells, which then rapidly die. But in 1926, it was noticed that some cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain involved in memory, did not follow this rule. "They're staying alive when the prediction would say that they should die," said Prof Alastair Buchan from Oxford University who has investigated how they survive.

I'm a survivor

Experiments on rats showed that these surviving-cells started producing a protein called hamartin - which forces cells to conserve energy. They stop producing new proteins and break down existing ones to access the raw materials. When the researchers prevented the cells from producing hamartin, they died just like other cells. Prof Buchan said: "We have shown for the first time that the brain has mechanisms that it can use to protect itself and keep brain cells alive."

Their aim is to develop a drug that can produce the same effect, which could be given when an ambulance arrived. This would buy the brain time until clot-busting drugs could be given in hospital. The researchers do not know why these cells have this defence, but other nearby cells in the hippocampus do not. There are differences in function. The cells that die are known as CA1 cells which are very plastic and are involved in laying down memories whereas the surviving, or CA3, cells are less adaptable. Speaking to BBC News online, Prof Buchan said the focus of this research was on "ways to keep brain cells alive" which could have impacts beyond stroke - such as in Alzheimer's disease and spinal cord injuries.

Commenting on the study, Dr Clare Walton from the Stroke Association said: "Previous research has shown that some brain cells are naturally more resilient than others, and this study has identified a particular protein in the cells that is responsible. "In the future, researchers could try to turn on this protein in other, less resilient brain cells to reduce the brain damage caused by stroke. "The findings of this research are exciting, but we are still a long way off from developing a new stroke treatment."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21547508
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waltky · Mar 5, 2013

Human Connectome Project scans will reveal how brain works...

World's most detailed scans will reveal how brain works
5 March 2013 - Scientists say they have published the most detailed brain scans "the world has ever seen" as part of a project to understand how the organ works.

The aim of the project is to determine how a person's brain structure influences their talents and behaviour. Researchers involved in the so called Human Connectome Project have published the scans of 68 adults in the study. They eventually hope to scan 1,200 people and also collect details of their behavioural traits and DNA. The information is made freely available to neuroscientists in their quest to unlock the secrets of the human brain. The project leader, Prof David Van Essen of Washington University in St Louis, told BBC News that sharing the data with the international community of researchers would spur rapid advances in brain science. "We are very optimistic that as the community delves in and begins working on these data sets, they will reveal new insights into the brain circuits of healthy adults," he said.

Daydream Believer: an MRI scan of the brain at rest. Regions in yellow are strongly linked to the area indicated by the blue spot.

Subjects involved in the project have their brain scanned for a total of four hours. For part of that time, they carry out a battery of tasks, which include arithmetic, listening to stories, gambling and moving parts of their body. Volunteers also engage in tests that assess their skills and abilities. In addition, DNA samples are taken. The scans are essentially a wiring diagram for each person's brain. They show how different parts are connected by nerve fibres and also the thickness of the bundles, which is thought to be an indication of the importance or strength of a particular connection- a so-called "structural map". Scanning can also show which parts of the brain are activated for particular tasks - known as a "functional map". With all this information, researchers will be able to see if an individual's brain wiring is related to their skills, such as musicality, sociability and aptitude for science or maths.

Neural circuitry

According to Oxford University's Dr Tim Behrens, who is collaborating with Prof Van Essen, the study will "uncover which neural pathways are important in determining human behaviours". The eventual aim of the project is to understand how the healthy human brain is wired and how differences between individuals make each person unique - shaping their personalities and their capacity to think and feel. "We have the highest quality data of the entire human brain that the world has ever seen. The question is that with more cutting edge (scanning) methods, how much can we decipher the circuits that give us our distinctive capabilities?" he said.

By learning more about how the healthy human brain works, the research will inevitably be of use to those studying brain disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Among those who will be delving through the data is Ed Bullmore, a professor of psychiatry at Cambridge University. He believes that psychiatric problems, such as schizophrenia, drug addiction and obsessive compulsive disorder are generally arise from irregular brain development.

Dementia
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gamewell45 · Mar 5, 2013

waltky said: ↑

New concussion test...

Army finds simple blood test to identify mild brain trauma
15 Oct.`10 — The Army says it has discovered a simple blood test that can diagnose mild traumatic brain damage or concussion, a hard-to-detect injury that can affect young athletes, infants with "shaken baby syndrome" and combat troops.
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hmmmm....brain salad surgery....one of Emerson, Lake and Palmers better LP's.

waltky · Mar 17, 2013

Hey! Who ya callin' a fat-head?...

Patients Fat May Help Treat Brain Tumors
March 15, 2013 - Stem cells taken from a patients own body fat may one day be used to treat a deadly brain cancer, based on some promising but still preliminary research.

The brain tumor known as glioblastoma occurs mostly in men, and most patients dont live much more than a year after being diagnosed. Most of the cancer can be removed by surgery, but unfortunately we just cant cure the cancer, and we have to rely on other techniques to be able to do it, says Johns Hopkins University neurosurgeon Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa. He and his colleagues are trying to improve a treatment aimed at the cancer cells left behind after most of the tumor is cut away in surgery.

Harvesting stem cells from a person's fat could prove effective in treating brain cancer, according to a new report.

In recent years, doctors have focused on a kind of adult stem cell called mesenchymal stem cells, which are drawn to these cancer cells. They can track those cells that are migrating in the human brain, and they can actually deliver a treatment. We can use them as Trojan horses, Quiñones said. The mesenchymal stem cells now used on patients come from donor bone marrow. Quiñones new idea is to get them from the patients own fat tissue, a procedure which is cheaper and less invasive, and also avoids the risk of rejection.

In laboratory tests, as he reports in PLOS ONE, the results seem promising, even though he admits its not exactly clear how these stem cells seek out the cancer cells. But once they reach the cancer, they can target the disease in two ways. They seem to secrete something that makes these tumors less aggressive already. And then we couple that with the ability to genetically engineer them to deliver a treatment that we know that can be effective on brain cancer. Alfredo Quiñones and his colleagues have begun experiments with animals, but he says it will be three to five years before human trials begin.

http://www.voanews.com/content/fat-brain-cancer-treatment-tumor/1622434.html
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waltky · Aug 15, 2013

Mebbe dey could examine the bumps on dey's heads too...

Brain 'Folds' May Predict if Drugs Will Help Psychosis
August 14, 2013 The extent of folds on the outer layer of the brain could give doctors a clue as to how well people suffering problems such as hallucinations or delusions will respond to antipsychotic drugs.

Researchers using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of people with psychosis identified patterns of folds in the brain that could act as markers of whether a patient's symptoms will be eased by medication. Since around half of young patients get little or no benefit from the first medicines prescribed after a psychotic episode, the scientists said the finding could help identify those at greatest risk and may also help the search for better drugs. There have been few advances in developing novel anti-psychotic drugs over the past 50 years and we still face the same problems with a sub-group of people who do not respond to the drugs we currently use, said Paola Dazzan from King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, who led the research. We could envisage using a marker like this one to identify people who are least likely to respond to existing medications and focus our efforts on developing new medication specifically adapted to this group, she added.

Psychosis describes mental illness symptoms like delusions and hearing voices and can be a feature of schizophrenia, which the World Health Organization says affects about 24 million people globally, and bipolar disorder, which is estimated to affect 4 percent of people. Current treatment involves a combination of antipsychotic drugs, psychological therapies and social support. But many patients do not respond to the initial medicines prescribed by their doctor, putting them at risk of further psychotic episodes and deteriorating mental health.

Dazzan's team, whose work was published on Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, used MRI to scan the brains of 126 people - 80 who had experienced a first episode of psychosis and 46 healthy controls. The scans were done shortly after the psychotic episodes, and the participants were assessed again 12 weeks later to see whether symptoms had improved after initial treatment with antipsychotic medications. The researchers looked at a feature of the brain called cortical gyrification - the extent of folding or wrinkling of the cerebral cortex, the outermost sheet of brain tissue that plays a key role in memory, language and consciousness.

They found that people who did not respond to treatment had less gyrification in many brain regions - particularly in areas considered important in psychosis such as the temporal and frontal lobes. All of us have complex and varying patterns of folding in our brains. For the first time we are showing that the measurement of these variations could potentially guide us in treating psychosis, said Lena Palaniyappan of Britain's Nottingham University, who worked with Dazzan. The researchers said their findings would need to be validated by further studies before routine MRI scanning could be recommended for all psychotic patients. But Dazzan said that in the longer term, if we are able to identify poor responders at the outset, we may be able to formulate personalized treatment plans for that individual patient.

http://www.voanews.com/content/brain-fold-may-predict-if-drugs-will-help-psychosis/1730034.html
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waltky · Sep 7, 2013

Mad Cow disease outbreak in New England area...

Type of mad cow disease may have infected patients
Sat, Sep 07, 2013 - Thirteen people who recently underwent neurosurgery in Massachusetts and New Hampshire may have been exposed to a rare and fatal brain condition similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly known as mad cow disease, because of potentially infected surgical instruments.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said on Thursday that five patients treated at Cape Cod Hospital between June and last month are at low risk of infection for the disease, called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). On Wednesday, New Hampshire announced eight patients treated at a hospital in New Hampshire may also have been exposed.

INFECTED

Surgical instruments used on the patients may have become infected with the microscopic protein that causes CJD after they were initially used on someone now suspected of having carried the disease. Normal sterilization procedures at hospitals reduce, but do not eradicate, the protein that causes CJD. The risk of CJD exposure from the instrument was first identified by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services after the device was used on a patient in New Hampshire, who was subsequently suspected to have CJD, the Massachusetts health body said in a press release. The CJD risk to the Massachusetts patients is extremely low, as those patients underwent spinal surgery and not brain surgery, it said. However, there is no way to test for CJD. The disease can only be confirmed by an autopsy.

INSTRUMENTS

A spokeswoman for Medtro-nic Inc, Cindy Resman, said a surgical kit of instruments it provided was used in the original New Hampshire case and all of the five Massachusetts cases. She said the instruments were also used on two patients in a third state, but declined to name that state. The instruments included a metal reference frame and brace used in surgical navigation during the procedure, she said. A spokeswoman for the Massachusetts health body, Anne Roach, said the instruments used on all the patients were routinely cleaned before and after use, but that the prion that causes sporadic CJD is not completely eradicated by the standard sterilization process mandated at hospitals. New Hampshire had warned on Wednesday that eight patients who recently underwent neurosurgery at the Manchester hospital may have been exposed as a result of potentially infected instruments.

AUTOPSY

It said an autopsy was being performed on the original patient to test for the presence of sporadic CJD. Those results have not yet been released. Officials in both states said there is no risk to the general public and that all 15 patients who may have been exposed have been notified. Sporadic CJD is similar to mad cow disease, but not linked to beef consumption. It crops up spontaneously without a known cause. There is no known treatment or cure for the condition, which has symptoms including failing memory, personality changes, blindness and sudden jerky movements.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2013/09/07/2003571583
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waltky · Sep 21, 2013

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease spreads through tainted surgical equipment...

Fatal rare brain disease confirmed in N.H. patient; 15 possibly exposed
21 Sept.`13 ~ A neurosurgery patient treated at a New Hampshire hospital this spring did have a rare brain disorder known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, health officials confirmed Friday. That means that 15 other people in three states may have been exposed to the invariably deadly infection through potentially tainted surgical equipment.

Autopsy results came back positive for CJD from the National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center and were reported to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and Catholic Medical Center, where the surgery took place.

Earlier this month, New Hampshire officials notified eight patients who may have been exposed to CJD through shared equipment. Five others in Massachusetts and two in Connecticut were also warned of the risk, health officials in those states said. "Though we are not surprised by the test results, we are saddened by the toll this disease takes on families and our sympathies go out to all those affected," said Dr. Jose Montero, New Hampshire's director of public health, in a statement. The initial patient turned out to have sporadic CJD, which occurs spontaneously. It's not the variant form of the disease that causes a human type of "mad cow disease" and is associated with eating beef contaminated with the cattle version of the infection, called bovine spongiform encephalotpathy, or BSE, experts said.

The problem arose because standard hospital disinfection techniques cannot eradicate the prion that causes CJD. A prion is a protein and the type that causes BSE and CJD is misfolded and somehow manages to transform other proteins into disease-causing shape. The initial patient had surgery at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, N.H., where eight others were also treated. The five Massachusetts patients underwent surgery at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, while the two Connecticut patients were treated at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in West Haven, health officials said.

The Massachusetts and Connecticut patients were all treated using a guided imaging navigation system manufactured by Medtronic Inc., as well as the surgical tools that go with it, a company spokeswoman said. Other patients were treated with tools made by different manufacturers. Hospitals frequently share high-cost neurosurgery equipment on a fee-for-use or rental basis, which explains why they were used in more than one hospital. The risk of infection is very low, noted Dr. Joseph Pepe, president and CEO of Catholic Medical Center. The eight New Hampshire patients were notified Friday of the autopsy results.

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waltky · Dec 24, 2013

Court Appoints Neurologist To Assess Teen Declared Brain Dead...

Jahi McMath: Judge extends order to keep brain-dead girl on ventilator
23 Dec.`13 -- A judge on Monday gave the family of Jahi McMath the gift of Christmas with the 13-year-old brain-dead girl, ordering that she be kept on a ventilator through next week while doctors perform more tests to determine if the girl has any chance of recovering.

A court-appointed neurologist was scheduled to report his findings in a closed hearing Tuesday morning, but no matter the result of the tests, Jahi's family vowed to keep fighting to keep the girl breathing. The ruling Monday from Alameda County Superior Court Judge Evelio Grillo will likely allow the family to spend Christmas in the girl's room on the third floor of Children's Hospital Oakland. Above all else, the family wants "to give her more time," Jahi's mother, Nailah Winkfield, said. "Hopefully everything will work out in her favor, because I know my daughter wants to live. She enjoys life, and I know she wouldn't like somebody putting a time limit on her life."

The family's attorney, Christopher Dolan, said that "hope stays alive if she stays alive," adding that he was grateful "that this family won't be attending a funeral on Christmas." Grillo originally barred the hospital from taking the girl off the ventilator or ending her IV fluids before Monday. On Monday, Grillo appointed Dr. Paul Fisher, chief of pediatric neurology at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, to test Jahi's brain activity. Fisher will present his findings in a closed-court hearing at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in downtown Oakland. The judge has not said when he will rule on whether the hospital can take the girl off the ventilator after his order expires.

Jahi underwent tonsil surgery to correct sleep apnea on Dec. 9; she began suffering complications including bleeding after the surgery, went into cardiac arrest and was declared brain dead Dec. 12. Since then, the family has been embroiled in a public battle with hospital administrators in a case that has gained national attention, at one point saying that the hospital's chief of pediatrics told them the girl needed to be taken off the ventilator "quickly." After the hearing Monday, Dr. David Durand, Children's Hospital Oakland's chief of pediatrics, spoke to the media for the first time and said that Jahi's condition was the result of a "very complex surgery. It was more complex than just a tonsillectomy." When pressed, Durand said he was unable to discuss the case any further. Hospital officials have repeatedly declined to discuss specifics of the case, citing medical privacy laws and asking the family's permission to release information.

The family also wants to bring in a second expert: Dr. Paul A. Byrne, neonatologist, pediatrician and clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Toledo's College of Medicine, who has clashed with other physicians over the diagnosis of "brain dead." Byrne, a devout Catholic, has said that brain death is not true death, a belief that contrasts with the majority of the medical establishment. Both sides expressed satisfaction with Monday's ruling. Jahi's grandmother, Sandra Chatman, said it would allow Jahi's family to be "a little settled." "We're not totally satisfied," she said. "But we do feel like we are finally being heard, and that this is a step toward making sure that Jahi is still alive on Christmas, and that's been very important to us since the beginning of this whole thing."

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waltky · Jan 16, 2014

Traumatic Brain Injury linked to early death risk...

Moderate to severe TBI linked to increased risk of early death
January 15, 2014 ~ People who survive six months or longer after suffering traumatic brain injuries continue to remain at risk for premature death long after their injury, according to a study published Wednesday by the American Medical Association.

The study, led by Dr. Seena Fazel at the University of Oxford in England, used data from Sweden going back to 1954. With data from such a long time period, the research team was able to draw conclusions about the long-term consequences of moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries, Fazel said. “One of the bottom lines is thinking about this as a chronic illness, a chronic disease,” he said. His team found that while traumatic brain injuries, or TBI, tend to be one-off events, they have chronic, long-term consequences, he said. “And one of the consequences is premature mortality.”

The risk of premature death after a TBI is small — just 3.6 percent, according to the study. But among those who survived six months or longer after a TBI, there was a threefold increase in the odds of dying early when compared to the general population, according to the study. The odds of early death jump even higher for TBI patients also suffering from psychiatric illnesses, depression or substance abuse. “The co-morbidity seems to elevate risks really substantially,” Fazel said. “For instance, if you have TBI and psychiatric illness, your odds of suicide before the age of 56 are increased 19-fold.”

About half of the early deaths noted in the study resulted from external factors, such as suicide, accidents and other injuries. The other half came from a range of other conditions, such as heart disease and cancer. However, Fazel said the study was not designed to draw conclusions about why there is such a correlation between TBI and early death.

Asked about what the study means for military personnel who have suffered TBIs, Fazel said he hoped TBI patients would be more likely to seek assessment or treatment if they know they’re at increased risk for depression or other ailments developing after a TBI. “In a way, it’s about coming to terms with the changes and being aware of what are some of the possible consequences going forward.”

Moderate to severe TBI linked to increased risk of early death - News - Stripes
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See also:

VA eases rules for claims on some TBI-related health problems
December 16, 2013 WASHINGTON — Veterans Affairs officials are easing disability filing rules for brain injured veterans with additional combat complications like depression, dementia or Parkinson’s disease.

The move comes after outside studies linked those secondary illnesses — along with unprovoked seizures and diseases of the hypothalamus and pituitary glands — to traumatic brain injury. Veterans who prove their TBI is service-related won’t have to prove those secondary issues also stem from combat wounds, creating a quicker path to receive disability payments. As with any claim, the amount for payouts will still depend on the severity of the health issues.

According to Veterans Benefits Administration statistics, about 73,000 veterans are currently receiving disability payments for service-connected brain injuries. But outside experts estimate that one in five recent combat veterans — more than 500,000 individuals — may suffer from some level of TBI. VA officials could not say how many veterans may suffer from both TBI and one of the five new presumptive illnesses. However, they categorized the number of affected cases as “small” and said they do not expect the new rule to have a noticeable change on the claims inventory or backlog.

They also noted that the change does not create any new entitlements for veterans, only speeds up awards for injuries already covered under VA rules. In the past, veterans had to submit medical documentation linking the TBI and the secondary condition before claims would be approved. The new rules go into effect in mid-January. Although the outside research focused on younger veterans, the new policy covers veterans of all generations.

http://www.stripes.com/news/va-eases-rules-for-claims-on-some-tbi-related-health-problems-1.257939
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Related:

Stars and Stripes' coverage of traumatic brain injury (TBI)

waltky · Apr 19, 2014

New test to diagnose concussions...

Study: High-speed eye tests aid in diagnosis of concussion
April 18, 2014 In studies relevant to the gridiron and other kinds of battlefields, researchers hope to use a new test based on eye movements to bring increased accuracy to the diagnosis of concussions.

The research, by Allegheny Health Network and corporate partner Neuro Kinetics Inc., involves the use of high-speed digital photography and other technology to analyze a patients tracking of dots of light or other visual stimuli, which are projected against a light or dark background. In an initial study of high school football players, those with concussions had more difficulty tracking the images than a control group without brain injury. Results of the study will be among the promising developments in orthopedic medicine to be highlighted this month on the website of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. With the Allegheny Health Networks involvement, OHara-based Neuro Kinetics now is exploring a potential military application with trials at Naval Medical Center San Diego and Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash. Mounting concern about the long-term effects of concussions has spawned a flurry of new studies including other research at Allegheny Health and at the University of Pittsburgh and its medical center on how to better detect and manage concussions.

Gazette J. Howison Schroeder, CEO of Neuro Kinetics Inc., hopes I-Portal will be more precise than other methods used to diagnose concussions.

There is no single confirmatory diagnostic test for concussion, said Dr. Jeff Kutcher, director of Michigan Neuro*Sport at the University of Michigan, who helped to write the American Academy of Neurologys sports concussion guideline. Unlike broken bones, which show up on X-rays, or other conditions that can be detected through imaging, concussions are not readily observable. While doctors, athletic trainers and professionals have balance and cognition tests to guide them, diagnosis of concussions still relies partly on the self-reporting of athletes who may just want to return to the game. To some degree, you are relying on patients telling you how they feel, said Sam Akhavan, a sports medicine specialist at Allegheny General Hospital whos involved in the research of the Neuro Kinetics technology, called I-Portal.

J. Howison Schroeder, Neuro Kinetics president and CEO, said he hopes I-Portal will be more clinically precise than methods now used to detect concussions, including the well-established King-Devick Test, a 2-minute eye-movement test that measures the speed and accuracy with which a person reads a sequence of numbers. Eye-movement tests, including King-Devick, also are used to assess people for multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, dyslexia and other disorders. Concussions are a major concern for the military, whose soldiers can sustain the injury in combat, and for sports at the scholastic, college and professional levels. The National Football League faces a lawsuit from more than 4,000 former players who claim they werent properly warned about, or treated for, concussions. A judge last year rejected a proposed $765 million settlement, saying she didnt believe the sum was sufficient.

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waltky · May 2, 2014

Brain implant to boost memory...

US researchers plan brain implant to boost memory
Fri, May 02, 2014 - Highly secretive US military researchers say that in the next few months they will unveil new advances toward developing a brain implant that could one day restore a wounded soldiers memory.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is forging ahead with a four-year plan to build a sophisticated memory stimulator, as part of US President Barack Obamas US$100 million initiative to better understand the human brain. The science has never been done before and raises ethical questions about whether the human mind should be manipulated in the name of staving off war injuries or managing the aging brain. Some say those who could benefit include the 5 million US citizens with Alzheimers disease and the nearly 300,000 US military men and women who have sustained traumatic brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you have been injured in the line of duty and you cant remember your family, we want to be able to restore those kinds of functions, DARPA program manager Justin Sanchez said this week at a conference in Washington convened by the Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas. We think that we can develop neuroprosthetic devices that can directly interface with the hippocampus and can restore the first type of memories we are looking at, the declarative memories, he said.

Declarative memories are recollections of people, events, facts and figures and no research has ever shown they can be put back once they are lost. What researchers have been able to do so far is help reduce tremors in people with Parkinsons disease, cut back on seizures among epileptics and even boost memory in some Alzheimers patients through deep brain stimulation. Those devices were inspired by cardiac pacemakers and pulse electricity into the brain much like a steady drum beat, but they do not work for everyone.

Experts say a much more nuanced approach is needed when it comes to restoring memory. Memory is patterns and connections, said Robert Hampson, an associate professor at Wake Forest University. For us to come up with a memory prosthetic, we would actually have to have something that delivers specific patterns. Hampson said that he could not comment specifically on DARPAs plans. Hampsons research on rodents and monkeys has shown that neurons in the hippocampus the part of the brain that processes memory fire differently when they see red or blue, or a picture of a face versus a type of food. Hampson and colleagues have been able to extend the animals short-term, working memory using brain prosthetics to stimulate the hippocampus.

They could coax a drugged monkey into performing closer to norms at a memory task, and confuse it by manipulating the signal so that it would choose the opposite image of what it remembered. According to Hampson, to restore a humans specific memory, scientists would have to know the precise pattern for that memory. Instead, scientists in the field think they could improve a persons memory by simply helping the brain work more like it used to before the injury. The idea is to restore a function back to normal or near normal of the memory processing areas of the brain so that the person can access their formed memories, and so that they can form new memories as needed, Hampson said. It is easy to see how manipulating memories in people could open up an ethical minefield, said Arthur Caplan, a medical ethicist at New York Universitys Langone Medical Center.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2014/05/02/2003589413
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waltky · May 30, 2014

Concussions get Obama's attention...

Obama: US must change 'suck-it-up' culture on concussion and head injuries
Thursday 29 May 2014 White House seeks to increase awareness on head injuries President says he may have suffered football concussion

America must change its suck-it-up culture when it comes to responding to head injuries, President Barack Obama said at a White House event on Thursday, during which he revealed his suspicion that he himself sustained concussions as a young athlete. As the Department of Defense and National Collegiate Athletic Association announced a $30m research programme into the effects of repeated concussions in sport, the president said the biggest problem was attitudes that prevent players from resting after receiving blows to the head. We have to change the culture that says 'suck it up', said Obama. Identifying concussion and being able to self-diagnose is something that does not make you weak, it makes you strong. The concern was echoed by army chief of staff Ray Odierno, who said only 16% of the army's 200,000 cases of traumatic brain injury were combat-related and added: The biggest problem is recognising that it is OK to come forward.

The danger of repeated concussion in amateur and professional sport has become a growing issue in recent years, but a panel of experts said that danger was still not fully understood, and that there should be more education of the public. Many parents, the experts said, believed concussion injuries only affected a few full-contact sports, such as American football. All across the country, parents are having a troubling conversation, and thats about the risks of concussions. Theres a lot of concern but theres a lot of uncertainty, said Obama. Concussions are not just a football injury every season, youve got boys and girls who are getting concussions in lacrosse and soccer and wrestling and ice hockey, as well as football. The panel heard from two soccer players who suffered long-term neurological problems from repeated blows sustained in collisions with other players, while heading the ball or in clashes with goalkeepers. Data from the Centers for Disease Control suggests young people in the US make 250,000 emergency room visits a year with brain injuries sustained in sports and recreation.

President Barack Obama listens to Victoria Bellucci, a high-school graduate who has suffered five concussions.

But medical experts caution that there is huge variation in the severity of such injuries, and say the most important steps are to recognise the symptoms of concussion and to take players off the field or court if there is any suspicion at all of a head injury. The term 'mild concussion' is a misnomer, said Dr Gerard Gioia, chief of pediatric neuropsychology at Childrens National Medical Center. They are like snowflakes: every one is different. The panel of medical experts also said it was vital that concern about the risks of concussion did not deter parents from letting children take part in sport. We want to make sure parents put this into context, said Dr Dawn Comstock, who runs the National High School Sports Injury Surveillance programme. The negative consequences of an inactive lifestyle are still much worse.

This was echoed by Obama, who said the event was intended to give parents more information, not to scare them. Obviously theres a huge public-health interest in making sure that people are participating in sports, he said. But sports is also just fundamental to who we are as Americans and our culture So with all of these questions swirling around, as a parent and as a fan, and in discussions with a lot of other parents and fans who happen to be in this White House, we decided why not use our convening power to help find some more answers. In a number of unscripted comments during the event, the president also spoke of his own experiences as a sportsman and a parent. When I was young and played football briefly, there were a couple of times where Im sure that that ringing sensation in my head and the need to sit down for a while might have been a mild concussion, and at the time you didnt think anything of it, he said. The awareness is improved today but not by much.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/29/obama-suck-it-up-culture-concussion-head-injuries
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waltky · Oct 17, 2014

Schizophrenics smoke at three times the rate of smoking in the general population...

Why Do So Many Schizophrenics Smoke?
A whopping 75 percent to 90 percent of people with schizophrenia smoke.

That's three times the rate of smoking in the general population. Compared with other smokers, people with schizophrenia also tend to smoke more often and inhale more deeply. What's going on here? Scientists think the nicotine in tobacco smoke may temporarily reduce some symptoms of schizophrenia. People with the condition may not be consciously aware of why they're so drawn to cigarettes. But by smoking, they're actually self-medicating. Unfortunately, they're also increasing their risk for cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, and early death.

To cut these health risksby as much as 60 percent in the case of cardiovascular disease quitting smoking is vital. That's why a recent review article in the journal Addiction is such good news. Based on eight previous studies, the authors found that quit-smoking strategies worked about as well for those with severe mental illness as for the population at large. When mental illness was well managed, giving up cigarettes also didn't make symptoms flare out of control.

It's About the Brain

Scientists are still studying how nicotine and schizophrenia may be linked. The brain contains several types of receptorsproteins on the surface of cells that receive chemical messages. Nicotine attaches to the same type of receptors as a brain chemical called acetylcholine. This brain chemical affects memory, attention, alertness, and mood. Nicotine receptors also affect levels of dopamine and glutamate, two other important brain chemicals. An imbalance in these chemicals is thought to occur in schizophrenia.

When people with schizophrenia smoke, nicotine attaches to its receptors. This may help brain chemicals get into better balance, and that may help the brain to work more smoothly. As a result, memory, learning, attention, and thinking speed may improve. Negative symptoms, such as lack of motivation and interest, may also lessen. Such improvements are short-lived, however, and the brain quickly adapts to the levels of nicotine. This is why a nicotine patch doesn't have the same effect as intermittent cigarette smoking. Brain chemistry isn't the whole story. Social factors play a role in smoking as well. When you're around other smokers, it's tempting to join in. Some people with schizophrenia pick up the habit at a day program, hospital, or group home.

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waltky · Nov 5, 2015

Brain tapeworm surgery...

Live tapeworm pulled from California man's brain
5 Nov.`15 - A California man is recovering after he had a live tapeworm removed from his brain during emergency surgery.

Luis Ortiz was admitted to a hospital in Napa with what he called the worst headache of his life. In a brain scan, neurosurgeon Soren Singel discovered the larva of a tapeworm and told Mr Ortiz he had about 30 minutes to live. The tapeworm grew inside a cyst that cut off circulation and water flow to the rest of his brain. "I stood up and then I threw up," said Mr Ortiz. "The doctor pulled it out and he said it was still wiggling, and I'm like 'Ugh, that doesn't sound too good.'"

Luis Ortiz said the diagnosis did not "sound too good"

The US Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports larval cysts in the brain - neurocysticercosis - develop after a person swallows microscopic eggs passed in the faeces of a person who has an intestinal pork tapeworm. Once inside the body, those eggs hatch and the worms can make their way to the brain. The CDC says approximately 1,000 people per year are hospitalised for neurocysticercosis and removal of the larvae.

A red line still marks the spot where doctors removed a tapeworm from Luis Ortiz's head

Mr Ortiz is recovering after the surgery in August and is hoping to return to Sacramento State University, where he was scheduled to begin his final year before the surgery. "It's probably more gratifying to me to be living, because if I would have waited a little bit longer, then I probably wouldn't be here right now," he told CBS San Francisco.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34732010
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waltky · Nov 21, 2015

Optune w/ Avastin improves survival rate in brain cancer patients...

NovoCure's cancer therapy effective in late-stage study
20 Nov.`15 - NovoCure Ltd said its lead cancer therapy improved survival rate in brain cancer patients in combination with Avastin in a late-stage study, sending its shares up 23 percent in extended trading.

NovoCure's therapy, Optune, which was evaluated in combination with Roche Holding AG's cancer drug, reduced the risk of death by 39 percent in patients, compared with patients treated with Avastin alone, Novocure said in a statement on Friday.

Optune is an FDA-approved device for use in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive form of brain tumor in which 90 percent of adult patients die within 24 months after the diagnosis. The portable, non-invasive device uses low-intensity electric fields to slow and even reverse tumor growth and destroy the cancer cells.

Optune in combination with Merck & Co Inc's chemotherapy drug, temozolomide, was approved by the FDA in October to treat adult patients. (http://bit.ly/1FS2rgj) Novocure, which went public in October, said it plans to present the data from the study at the 20th Annual Society for Neuro-Oncology Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. The company's shares closed down 1.6 percent at $22.04 on the Nasdaq on Friday.

http://news.yahoo.com/novocures-cancer-therapy-effective-stage-study-223119085--finance.html
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waltky · Dec 16, 2015

Seeking Ways to Help Heal Damaged Brains...

Researchers Seek Ways to Help Damaged Brains Heal
December 15, 2015 Using powerful microscopes and imaging devices, Rice University researcher Amina Qutub can observe brain cells in a glass container and the connections they make with each other.

Normal brain activity results from those cells called neurons linking together in complex networks, and researchers are seeking a better understanding of how that happens. "We are looking at how neural progenitors, which are cells that can regenerate in the brain, form active neural networks," she said. Brain cells connect with each other through both chemical and electrical signals, and they utilize a variety of proteins to stimulate growth. Qutub's team of Rice University scientists and technicians combine such fields as biology, electrical engineering and nanotechnology to unravel the mysteries of how this works. "Any one cell here is influenced by all of its neighbors in the environment, Qutub said. So, we are teasing out how that one cell, as it becomes an electrically active neuron, is affected by the community of cells."

Elaborate, beautiful structures

In the laboratory there is a piece of abstract art that is composed of images of neuron networks, showing their vast complexity. "They form very elaborate and beautiful structures, Qutub said of the neurons, and the different network structures relate to what they do, their function. What we are trying to figure out is what are the chemical signals that lead to a particular structure and, in turn, how does that chemical structure lead to the electrical signals that you get when you have active neurons." The Rice research is supported in part by President Barack Obama's $300 million BRAIN Initiative, which is modeled after the Human Genome Project.

The research opens up a huge door to better understanding the brain," Qutub said. Like many other people around the world, Qutub has seen how a stroke or a disease such as Alzheimer's can disrupt brain function, and she hopes this research will one day provide better treatment. "We are understanding the mechanism of how these cells can grow back, and with it we can identify better drugs and better targets from the basic science work," she said. For now, the research team is focused on developing a dynamic computer model that can help analyze interactions in the world's most complex mechanism.

Video
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waltky · Jan 20, 2016

New implantable brain monitor dissolves when no longer needed...

Implantable brain monitor dissolves when no longer needed
Jan. 18, 2016 - The sensors may also be built into similar monitors that can be used for other organs.

Researchers created thin, electronic sensors that can be implanted in the brain after injury to monitor temperature and pressure, and then dissolve when they are no longer needed. The sensors, developed by scientists at the University of Illinois and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, may also be built into similar monitors that can be used for other organs.

Although there are many devices used to monitor activity in the body, they can be large, unwieldy and sometimes require surgery to be removed. Those that are implanted also often carry the risk of infection or rejection by the body, which the scientists said is avoided because the new devices dissolve away. "The ultimate strategy is to have a device that you can place in the brain -- or in other organs in the body -- that is entirely implanted, intimately connected with the organ you want to monitor and can transmit signals wirelessly to provide information on the health of that organ, allowing doctors to intervene if necessary to prevent bigger problems," said Dr. Rory Murphy, a neurosurgery resident at Washington University School of Medicine, in a press release. "And then after the critical period that you actually want to monitor, it will dissolve away and disappear."

The small sensor connects to an embeddable wireless transmitter that lies on top of the skull.

In a study published in the journal Nature, the researchers describe the devices, which are made out of polylactic-co-glycolic acid and silicone. The devices were first tested in saline, which caused them to dissolve within a few days. Researchers then tested them in rats, taking accurate measurements and then seeing them dissolve successfully. The researchers said the next step is to start testing the devices in humans for both safety and accuracy. "With advanced materials and device designs, we demonstrated that it is possible to create electronic implants that offer high performance and clinically relevant operation in hardware that completely resorbs into the body after the relevant functions are no longer needed," said Dr. John Rogers, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois. "This type of bio-electric medicine has great potential in many areas of clinical care."

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2016...-no-longer-needed/6051453138438/?spt=slh&or=8
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See also:

Most younger people with stroke symptoms would not go to ER
Jan. 11, 2016 - Nearly three-quarters of people under age 45 would wait to see if symptoms subsided or got worse before seeking treatment.

People under age 45 may underestimate or ignore stroke symptoms and delay going to the hospital for treatment, according to a new survey of Americans. Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles were surprised to find nearly three-quarters of people they spoke with would wait to see if the symptoms subsided or got worse. Treatment for a stroke is critical within the first few hours in order to minimize or reverse damage to the brain. Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, killing about 130,000 people per year. There are approximately 795,000 strokes in the United States each year, about 610,000 of which are first or new strokes, the agency reports.

Dr. David Liebeskind examines Jennifer Reilly, who had a stroke at age 27. Reilly waited weeks to seek treatment while periodically experiencing numbness in one of her hands before waking up in the middle of the night with an excruciating headache -- and didn't go to the hospital until a coworker insisted the next day.

Previous research also has shown there has been up to a 53 percent increase in the number of strokes experienced by Americans between the ages of 15 and 44. "Timely treatment for stroke is probably more important than for almost any other medical problem there is," said Dr. David Liebeskind, a professor of neurology at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, in a press release. "There is a very limited window in which to start treatment because the brain is very sensitive to a lack of blood flow or to bleeding, and the longer patients wait, the more devastating the consequences." Researchers at UCLA interviewed more than 1,000 people about their actions within the first three hours of experiencing common symptoms of stroke such as weakness, numbness, difficulty speaking, or difficulty seeing.

Just one out of three who participated in the survey said they would be "very likely" to go to the hospital, while 73 percent of participants said they would wait to see if symptoms improved or got worse before seeking treatment. Researchers said part of this is a lack of familiarity with the symptoms or their potential seriousness. In addition to understanding risk factors and lifestyle decisions that can lower the risk of stroke, the researchers suggest keeping in mind the acronym F.A.S.T., which stands for: "Face drooping, Arm weakness, or Speech difficulty -- it's Time to call 911." "Believe it or not, it's on the order of minutes or hours when somebody has to seek medical attention," Liebeskind said. "There simply is no time to wait. It's a message that we clearly need to get to younger people more effectively."

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2016...oms-would-not-go-to-ER/9281452524836/?spt=trc
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Lights, music in casinos interact with brain like drug addiction
Jan. 20, 2016 -- Flashing lights and music encourage rats to make risky decisions in a "rat casino" in ways similar to their effect on humans, which scientists said may offer some explanation for gambling addiction.

Scientists at the University of British Columbia found rats were more likely to engage in risky, gambling-like behavior with bright lights and loud sounds -- and were less likely when a specific dopamine receptor was blocked in their brain.

The dopamine D3 receptor is already suspected to be important to drug addiction, meaning the new study supports theories that addictions have a common biological cause. "Anyone who's ever designed a casino game or played a gambling game will tell you that of course sound and light cues keep you more engaged, but now we can show it scientifically," said Dr. Catharine Winstanley, an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, in a press release. "I often feel that scientific models are decades behind the casinos. I don't think it's an accident that casinos are filled with lights and noise."

In the study, published in the journal Neuroscience, researchers trained rats to play gambling-like games. The rats then had to choose between four reward and punishment gambling options and they were tested for their response with and without lights and loud sounds.

While the scientists report rats generally learn to avoid risky behaviors that result in punishment, the light and sound caused them to continue taking larger risks. When the scientists administered a drug that blocked the dopamine D3 receptor, the rats' risky decision-making decreased. "This brain receptor is also really important to drug addiction, so our findings help support the idea that risky behavior across different vices might have a common biological cause," said Michael Barrus, a doctoral candidate at the University of British Columbia.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2016...ke-drug-addiction/9311453313763/?spt=slh&or=2
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waltky · Feb 24, 2016

Stroke comes from ancient phrase 'struck down by the hand of God'...

Researchers Spot Genetic Markers for Ischemic Strokes
February 23, 2016 - Stroke is a brain attack caused either by a broken blood vessel that results in bleeding in the brain or, more commonly, a blockage by a blood clot or plaque. The blockage interrupts the flow of oxygen, and brain tissue dies.

Stroke was the second-leading global cause of death behind heart disease in 2013, accounting for 11.8 percent of total deaths worldwide, and it was the leading cause of preventable disability, according to the American Stroke Association. Brad Worrall, a professor of neurology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, said stroke "is a relatively generic term that actually comes from antiquity"; it is drawn from the notion of the victim being "struck down by the hand of God.

A stroke patient undergoes an electrocardiogram while recovering at Juntendo University Hospital in Tokyo.

Researchers led by Worrell have now discovered the biological underpinnings of the blockage-type stroke, called ischemic stroke. This type "can be caused by a clot forming in the heart and breaking loose and going and causing blockage, by an embolism or something traveling through the blood, [or] by hardening of the arteries in the blood vessels of the neck or blood vessels at the base of the brain. The genes that predispose people to ischemic stroke were found in a massive study involving 17,000 stroke patients and healthy people. Researchers then replicated the search in tens of thousands of patients around the world.

Worrall said the discoveries, published in the journal Lancet Neurology, give scientists avenues through which to explore the biological mechanisms of stroke. And at the end of the day, the most important thing is to prevent the disability from stroke," he said. "We want to identify ways to prevent this horrible disease from claiming more victims. The findings, Worrall said, might one day help lead to the development of targeted treatments to prevent strokes.

http://www.voanews.com/content/researchers-spot-genetic-markers-for-ischemic-strokes/3203857.html
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waltky · Mar 17, 2016

Granny says Uncle Ferd needs a brain transplant...

Scaffold allows scientists to grow brain cells for transplants
March 17, 2016 - Functioning neural cells could be grown and transplanted into human brains, suggesting a new treatment for neurodegenerative disorders is on the horizon.

Scientists developed a scaffold that allows them to grow functional human neurons, which could lead to injections of fresh brain cells as part of treatment for neurodegenerative conditions. The 3D micro-scaffold developed at Rutgers University and Stanford University allows scientists to turn reprogrammed stem cells into neuronal networks, more of which survived when injected into mouse brains than previous efforts at brain cell replacement.

Individual cells injected into brains don't have a high survival rate, but scientists found that injecting cells that formed neural connections while growing on the scaffold significantly increased the number that survived. "If you can transplant cells in a way that mimics how these cells are already configured in the brain, then you're one step closer to getting the brain to communicate with the cells that you're now transplanting," Dr. Prabhas Moghe, research director at the School of Engineering and Health Sciences Partnerships at Rutgers University in a press release. "In this work, we've done that by providing cues for neurons to rapidly network in 3D."

Human neurons on a 3D scaffold designed to help the cells form neuronal networks to be injected into patients exhibit firing activity, seen in yellow, in response to electrical current.

For the study, published in Nature Communications, scientists designed a scaffold, made of webbed polymer strands, that is about 100 micrometers wide. Scientists then seeded the scaffold with pluripotent stem cells created from adult skin cells and induced to differentiate into neural cells. As they grew, the cells produced outgrowths, linking them to one another, allowing them to transmit and receive neural signals. The tiny neural networks were then injected into slices of mouse brain, as were individual neural cells, with the scientists finding cells in the networks were about 3.5 times more likely to survive than isolated, solo cells. When the scaffolds were injected into the brains of live mice, scientists found the tiny networks increased cell survival by 38 times over isolated cells.

The next step will be fine-tuning the scaffolds and finding ways to differentiate stem cells into specific types of brain cell, with the specific goal of developing a treatment for Parkinson's disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. Although the method of growing new cells is promising, an actual treatment for Parkinson's or any other condition using the scaffold-grown cells is likely 10 to 20 years away, the scientists said.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2016...nsplants/4571458222120/?spt=mps&or=4&sn=tn_us
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waltky · May 5, 2016

Laser Brain Cancer Treatment breaks down the blood-brain barrier...

Laser Brain Cancer Treatment May Offer Extra Advantage
May 04, 2016 Neurosurgeons using lasers to treat brain cancer have discovered that the technique breaks down the blood-brain barrier, a finding that could lead to new treatment options for patients with the deadly disease.

The blood-brain barrier is sort of a natural "security system" that shields the brain from toxins in the blood but also blocks potentially helpful drugs such as those used in chemotherapy. "We were able to show that this blood-brain barrier is broken down for about four weeks after you do this laser therapy," said Dr. Eric Leuthardt, a professor of neurosurgery at Washington University in St. Louis. "So not only are you killing the tumor, you are actually opening up a window of opportunity to deliver various drugs and chemicals and therapies that could otherwise not get there."

The study using lasers to treat people with brain cancer is now in a so-called Phase II clinical trial, in which a treatment is given to a larger group of people than the initial phase to see whether it is effective and to further evaluate its safety. The laser technology, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2009 as a surgical tool to treat brain tumors, involves a small, laser-tipped probe that heats up and kills tumors from the inside out.

This undated image made available by the National Institutes of Health and National Center for Microscopy shows cancer cells.

As part of the trial, patients after the laser therapy are given the powerful chemotherapy drug doxorubicin, known as one of the least likely to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. "Kind of makes you smile when they say you are a good candidate for something new," said Kathy Smith, a participant in the clinical trial who has been battling cancer since 2009. Initially diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Smith is now being treated for recurrent glioblastoma, one of the most difficult forms of brain cancer to treat. Most patients diagnosed with these types of brain tumors survive just 15 months, according to the American Cancer Society.

The trial is still ongoing but Leuthardt called the initial results promising. "What's interesting is that the blood-brain barrier is a two-way street," Leuthardt said. "By breaking it down, you can get things into the brain, but also by breaking it down, now things can go from your brain out into your circulation, to your peripheral system, which includes your immune system." Leuthardt said he is using drugs to "amplify the immune system to fight the cancer" in combination with laser therapy. The researchers hope to publish their findings later this year.

http://www.voanews.com/content/laser-brain-cancer-treatment-offer-extra-advantage/3316232.html
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waltky · May 10, 2016

Mebbe a way to get past the blood-brain barrier...

Doctors Unveil Potential New Tool to Fight Brain Cancer
May 09, 2016 - Neurosurgeons may have found a way to get past the blood-brain barrier to better delivery chemotherapy to patients

The blood-brain barrier is a natural defense system that prevents harmful substances in the blood from entering the brain. Doctors may have found a way to get past the barrier to treat cancer patients. Neurosurgeons have been using lasers to treat brain cancer since 2009, but now they say the technique may also allow them to deliver chemotherapy drugs directly into the brain. The key is getting past the protective blood-brain barrier, which does its job so well it also keeps out potentially lifesaving chemotherapy drugs. Kathy Smith has ovarian cancer that spread to her brain, a type of brain cancer called glioblastoma. There were I believe three tumors at that time and I was not at all happy about those critters, she said. Smith was treated with laser therapy. Doctors insert a tiny probe into the brain, directly to the cancer where it burns up the tumor from the inside out.

According to Washington University Neurosurgery Professor Eric Leuthardt, during the procedure it was discovered the therapy had an unintended effect on the blood-brain barrier. We were able to show that this blood-brain barrier is broken down for about four weeks after you do this laser therapy," he said. "So not only are you killing the tumor, you are actually opening up a window of opportunity to deliver various drugs and chemicals and therapies that could otherwise not get in there.

In Kathy's case, a powerful, experimental chemotherapy drug called doxorubicin, which has been notoriously hard to get past the barrier was delivered directly into her brain. What is interesting is the blood-brain barrier is a two-way street," said Eric Leuthardt. "By breaking it down you can get things into the brain, but also by breaking it down, now things can go from your brain out into your circulation, to your peripheral system, which includes your immune system. And the immune system helps fight cancer.

The procedure is dangerous, a compromised blood-brain barrier puts the brain at risk, but so far it has worked well for Smith. Patients diagnosed with glioblastoma tumors usually survive just 15 months after diagnosis. But Smith has been fighting her cancer since 2009. Kind of makes you smile when they say you are a good candidate for something new," she said. "So I got worked into that study and it did work out beautifully. The team of neurosurgeons, from Washington University in St. Louis are hoping to publish a more formal report on their work later this year.

VIDEO
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waltky · Aug 25, 2016

Speeding blood clotting with nanoparticles...

Newly Developed Nanoparticles Speed Blood Clotting
August 24, 2016 - Researchers are working to develop nanoparticles that could speed blood clotting and potentially save lives.

Blunt force trauma, stab wounds and gunshot wounds can all cause life-threatening internal bleeding. And for soldiers in wartime, more and more are returning with internal bleeding linked to traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, caused by roadside bombs, according to Erin Lavik, a researcher at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. Surgery is the most common method used to stop hemorrhaging and prevent death. "One of the things about hemorrhaging is you can bleed a lot and be fine, Lavik said, but then there's a tipping point where, if you bleed past a certain point, it's suddenly lethal."

A number of research teams are working to develop agents that can help speed blood clotting. Lavik and his colleagues are using nanoparticles microscopic particles that are part of a protein complex in the body that act as bridges to platelets, which are blood fragments that rush to the site of an injury to stop bleeding. The nanoparticles, which are delivered intravenously, stick to the platelets, activating them quickly so they join together to hasten the formation of clots. After the bleeding has stopped, the particles clear the system.

An Afghan soldier and a U.S. soldier were injured by a roadside bomb blast, Sept. 18, 2010. Such blasts can cause to traumatic brain injuries and internal bleeding. Researchers are looking at ways to better treat such injuries.

The researchers tested the nanoparticles in rats. One test simulated bleeding from a blast shock that often causes injuries in hollow internal organs, such as the lungs. A test on the liver, a blood-rich organ that can be ruptured by a blow to the abdomen, showed that nanoparticles look promising in stanching the bleeding. The researchers are also looking at nanoparticles as a way to minimize bleeding in brain and spinal cord injuries, as well. Lavik presented the work at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society.

Human trials will be conducted to make sure the nanoparticles don't trigger a harmful immune response. Another concern is that the nanoparticles could worsen clotting in the legs or lungs, which can be deadly. Lavik estimates it could take five to ten years for a nanoparticle treatment to be ready to administer in hospital emergency rooms or combat zones.

http://www.voanews.com/a/nanoparticles-speed-blood-clotting/3479504.html
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waltky · Aug 30, 2016

Pentagon interested in brain-stimulating devices...

Regulation of Brain-stimulating Devices Unclear as Popularity Grows in US
August 29, 2016 - Two developments over the past month signaled the growing popularity of transcranial direct current stimulation, commonly referred to as tDCS, in America.

In late July, the U.S. Defense Department announced that Halo Sport would partner with a Pentagon start-up company (Defense Innovation Unit Experimental hyperlink) to use the device to bolster the athleticism of elite American special operations troops, already highly-skilled professional soldiers who train hard to maintain top physical conditioning. This new approach is already generating lots of enthusiasm, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said during an official launch of the partnership. Our military services, combatant commands, and defense agencies like the speed and agility it affords.

Michael Tinsley of the U.S. (L) and Jamaica's Leford Green clear hurdles during the men's 400m hurdles in London in 2012.

Days later, a handful of American Olympians arrived in Rio for the 2016 games, having used Halos electricity-generating headphones to train and prepare for competition. Which begs the question: does it work? Theres quite a bit of evidence showing that brain stimulation over the motor cortex improves motor performance, said Anna Wexler, a Ph.D. candidate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who is closely studying tDCS devices, in particular the "do-it-yourself" communities. Halo is on relatively solid scientific ground.

A team of U.S. Navy SEALs fires on insurgents from a rooftop in this April 2006 file photo in Ramadi, Iraq.

The companys CTO and co-founder Brett Wingeier, formerly an engineer and clinical scientist at NeuroPace with 25 patents to his name, explained the process as targeting a specific area of the brain that governs how we move our bodies. A lot of high physical performance is actually due to your brain optimally controlling your body, and one thing that happens when you train is that your brain constantly itself, Wingeier said. During a 20-minute session, Halo, he said accelerates the neurological improvements with training, so your brain gets a little better a little bit faster at controlling your body. Research conducted in scientific laboratories backs up that claim.

Neuroscience

According to Wexler, the study of tDCS really got going around 2001. And the idea of brain stimulation has gone far beyond improving learning and athletic skills to look for answers in treating serious illnesses epilepsy, Parkinsons Disease, chronic pain and depression and anxiety. Among the 1,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies now completed, Wexler, who has done a lot of research on devices made at home (direct to consumer) by the so-called do-it-yourself (DIY) community, has written there is reason to think the therapy could be beneficial for such conditions. Theres one side, the direct-to-consumer side, which is a little more iffy. And then there the laboratory studies, which are more controlled, which I am inclined to trust more, Wexler said. But there has been a lot of hype about studies with really small sample sizes.

DIY video for a homemade tDCS device:
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waltky · Sep 20, 2016

Peripheral nerve cells can be coaxed to repair damaged axons...

Nerve Cells Can Be Switched on to Repair Damage
20 Sept.`16 - Scientists at the University of Wisconsin have found a way to coax peripheral nerve cells into repairing damaged axons. Peripheral cells extend outside the central nervous system into the arms and legs and are responsible for sensation. They contain long fibers known as axons that transmit impulses from the brain. They can be damaged in diseases such as diabetes, causing pain.

The axons are surrounded by a protective sheath called myelin, a fatty insulation that speeds electrical signals from the brain. Myelin is created by Schwann cells, but researchers have discovered that Schwann cells can also stimulate nerve regrowth. They conducted an experiment in mice with both intact axons and axons which had been cut. Using a method for switching on genes, they saw Schwann cells become more active, but only in the injured rodents. They went into a repair mode that stimulated nerve regrowth. This clean-up, as researchers call it, began within days of the injury.

Supportive Schwann cells (green) surround the conductive axon (purple) of a neuron in the peripheral nervous system in this artificially colored image.

As part of the clean-up process, the Schwann cells send signals that enlist blood cells to help in the repair. During this time, the myelin begins to dissolve to make room for the axonal repair. After the axons are on the road to recovery, a new myelin sheath begins to form over the regenerated fibers. The scientists identified a particular pathway that switches the Schwann cells on or off. They suggest drugs may some day be available to activate the repair program. A report on axonal regeneration was published in The Journal of Neuroscience.

Lead researcher John Svaren, a professor of comparative biosciences at the University of Wisconsin, says its not clear that this single on-off pathway works to regenerate all axonal nerve cell damage. But hes hopeful that its a key repair mechanism, not only within the peripheral nervous system but for nerve damage within the brain. Until now, Svaren says scientists have thought of the Schwann cell as a static entity, with only one function: producing myelin. But he is excited that the cells can be coaxed to become first responders in helping to repair the peripheral nervous system.

http://www.voanews.com/a/nerve-cells-trigger-repair/3516984.html
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