As we grow older, changes to the nerves in the throat result in less sensitivity, which may play a role in why the elderly are more likely to develop repeat cases of pneumonia, as well as trouble swallowing (dysphagia) and aspiration, according to a new study published in the May 2007 edition of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.
New studies in the laboratory of Dr. Darwin J. Prockop, Director of Tulane University?s Center for Gene Therapy, are shedding light on the previously mysterious mechanism through which even relatively small amounts of stem/progenitor cells taken from a patient?s own bone marrow enhance repair of damaged tissues.
Hopkins researchers have identified a backup supply of stem cells that can repair the most severe damage to the nerves responsible for our sense of smell. These reservists normally lie around and do nothing, but when neighboring cells die, the scientists say, the stem cells jump into action. A report on the discovery will appear online next week in Nature Neuroscience.
Depression may be an early symptom of Parkinson’s disease, according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 ? May 5, 2007.
Working in shifts throughout the day instead of a normal day job could shorten your life span, an Indian study has found.
Brains are able to adjust automatically to the demands of distinguishing between small differences in smell, new research at the University of Chicago shows. The research, which was conducted on rats, suggests that the human brain may be more adept at distinguishing smells than previously thought.
It may seem easy to change your mind, but if it’s your brain we’re talking about, maybe it’s harder than we think. A University of Houston professor is looking into this with research into something called ‘brain plasticity.’
Researchers have developed an animal model of infantile spasms, improving the likelihood of finding new treatments for the thousands of young children who suffer from these catastrophic epilepsy seizures, according to research to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology?s 59th Annual Meeting in Boston, April 28 ? May 5, 2007.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that the same ingredient used in dandruff shampoos to fight the burning, itching and flaking on your head also can calm overexcited nerve cells inside your head, making it a potential treatment for seizures. Results of the study can be found online in Nature Chemical Biology.
The herbal medicine Dan Shen, a standard treatment for ischemic stroke in China, lacks strong scientific evidence to support such use, according a new review of studies.