Neurological Disorders
Multiple Sclerosis
‹NEW› Interferon Only Partially Successful in MS - [11/11/08]
Summary: Regular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluations show that only about half of patients with multiple sclerosis achieve and sustain a response to treatment with interferon beta over three years, according to a study that will appear in the January 2009 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Comment: This study reveals that some MS patients (about half) may relapse after treatment with interferon. This is the first long-term study to follow this trend among MS patients. In other words, interferon treatment may not be effective for every patient with MS.
Read article - Only Half of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Achieve and Maintain Response to Interferon Treatment
Multiple Sclerosis Reversed with Leukemia Drug - [10/23/08]
Summary: A new drug that was recently developed to treat leukemia has been shown to reverse the nerve damage caused by multiple sclerosis. This drug stopped the advancement of multiple sclerosis and even helped reverse the damage from this neurological condition. "This is the first drug that has shown the potential to halt and even reverse the debilitating effects of MS and this news will rightly bring hope to people living with the condition day in, day out," says Lee Dunster head of research at the MS Society.
Comment: Because multiple sclerosis is a debilitating and usually fatal disease, this new drug can give those with this condition hope. This is the first drug known to help reverse the progressive side effects of multiple sclerosis which may improve the life of those with this condition.
Read article - Medical News TODAY October 23, 2008
Preventing Falls - [10/22/08]
Summary: Falls are a serious health concern for millions of Americans. Some risk factors for falls include mobility difficulties, depression, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, and hearing loss. Tips for avoiding falls include getting annual physical exams, consuming diets with adequate amounts of calcium and Vitamin D, not smoking, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption, exercise, keeping homes safe from hazards, and wearing shoes with no-skid soles.
Comment: Every year more than 11 million Americans fall and injure themselves, resulting in 368,000 hip fractures last year. Seniors and those at risk for falls should follow the tips and guidelines issued to prevent falls. Making small changes in lifestyle can protect those with multiple sclerosis from falls and injuries.
Read article - HealthNewsDigest.com October 22, 2008
Patients Misunderstand Written Screening Tests - [10/14/08]
Summary: The majority of physicians require patients to answer written questions while in the waiting room to visit the doctor. However, a new survey has revealed the gap between doctors and patients in the process of answering the written questions. Because of the difference in literacy between patients and physicians, most patients are confused, or don't understand most of the questions. According to Dr. Master, one of the authors of this survey, the predominant reason for this is illiteracy.
Comment: Illiteracy is becoming more common in American which is causing great problems to physicians. Not only is there a problem with illiteracy but also with patients who are innumerate. By answering the surveys to the best of your abilities, you will receive better diagnosis or treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Read article - Medical News TODAY October 14, 2008
Internet Consulted More Often Than Doctors - [10/12/08]
Summary: New market research shows that over the past year more adults went to the internet to get health information than consulted a doctor. This trend may likely be the product of an increasing consumer comfort in using the web to find reliable medical information. In addition, rising costs of healthcare coverage and visits to the doctor may be adding to the preference for first looking for information online.
Comment: The impacts of this trend, as well as others, will be discussed in an online seminar entitled "Is TV Dead? How the New New Media Changes Pharmaceutical DTC Advertising". The event is scheduled for October 14th at 11am EST and October 16th at 3pm EST.
Read article - Medical News Today. October 12, 2008.
Read article - Register for the Seminar
Economics Theory Provides Insight to Neurological Conditions - [10/11/08]
Summary: The Granger causality is an economic theory used for determining whether links in events are coincidence or influenced from the events and processes. Research has shown that this economic theory can be used to better understand the influences of different parts of the brain. They used the frontoparietal cortex and the visual cortex, and used the Granger causality to determine that the frontoparietal cortex influences the visual cortex.
Comment: Researchers have been using MRI's to study the influences in the brain, but this method can only show results every two seconds, which can be too slow to see the influences. The Granger causality can be used to improve studies of brain functions and influences, and can also be used to determine the affects of lesions in certain brain areas. This method could help researchers develop better treatments for neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease.
Read article - Science Daily October 11, 2008
Vitamin D Linked to Overall Health - [10/10/08]
Summary: Vitamin D has been linked to improved overall health. This vitamin affects 36 organ tissues in the body including bone marrow, breast, colon, intestine, kidney, lung, prostate, retina, skin, stomach and uterus tissues. It has also been linked to improving immune systems, insulin secretion, heart health, blood pressure, muscle, brain activity, and decreased risk of cancer. For most adults 200-600 IU of daily vitamin D is recommended, but some experts recommend up to 2000 IU daily.
Comment: Vitamin D has previously been thought to improve bone health, but this study shows that it can affect all areas of health. By increased intake of vitamin D people with multiple sclerosis can experience improved health.
Read article - Medical News TODAY October 10, 2008
Protein May Be Realted to MS - [10/03/08]
Summary: TREM-2, a protein which fills an important job of helping to keep immune cells quiet, has been found to be more abundant in the spinal fluid of those with Multiple Sclerosis than those without. Previously seen only on the surface immune cells, the protein was found floating around in the fluid, leading researchers to refer to it as "free-agent" copies of TREM-2. It is suspected that the TREM-2 proteins which are floating around are binding with molecules which need to bind with the TREM-2 on the surface of immune cells. This is stopping TREM-2 from reducing immune inflammation and promoting phagocytosis.
Comment: It was previously known that blocking TREM-2 from the immune cells of mice made the conditions of a mouse with MS worse. This new research backs up these previous findings and may lead researchers down a path to more treatments and possibly a cure for MS.
Read article - Healthfinder.gov. October 3, 2008.
Medicare Eliminates Coverage for 10 "Reasonably Preventable" Errors - [10/02/08]
Summary: New regulations, which will take effect next Wednesday, have Medicare halting payment for 10 errors which they have deemed "conditions that could reasonably have been prevented." Expected to affect hundreds of thousands, the new rules will mostly likely not result in a major reduction in expenses.
Comment: This new decision comes on the heels of announcements by four state Medicaid organizations last year in which they eliminated 28 "never events", preventable errors, from coverage. The trend seems to be growing and could have negative ramifications for millions of Americans. Among others, healthcare professionals have begun expressing concern about the decision.
Read article - Medical News Today. October 2, 2008.
Disease Diagnosis Kit - [10/01/08]
Summary: Scientists at the University of Leeds have developed a biosensor technology that can detect bio-markers (molecules in the body that are often a sign of disease) with the use of anti-bodies. This technology could be used in a simple test that may be able to detect conditions such as multiple sclerosis, heart disease, strokes or cancer. "We've designed simple instrumentation to make the biosensors easy to use and understand," says Dr Millner.
Comment: A method called ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbant Assay) uses blood or urine to test for disease markers and is currently the most common one used. However, this test can take up to two hours to complete and can only be used by trained medical personal. This new discovery of technology may lead to great medical advances by making it easier to diagnose and detect serious conditions.
Read article - Medical News TODAY October 1, 2008