BrainBlog by Massachusetts Avenue Neuroscience

Results Bolster Tysabri for Multiple Sclerosis

Research results disclosed at the American Academy of Neurology reveal that over two years Biogen/Elan's Tysabri was about twice as effective as existing therapries in reduceing multiple sclerosis flare-ups and was slightly better in reducing disease progression.  Such results revive hope the drug, withdrawn from the market earlier this year after two, and later a third, clinical trial patient died, will return to the market.

Associated Press

Walking Robot Goes on Sale in Japan

Two thousand 15-inch tall walking man-shaped robots called nuvo for home security and entertainment are going on sale in Japan for the equivalent of $5,450.

The robot can walk, get up and respond to voice commands and has links to mobile phones so that people can check on images of their homes taken on a digital camera inside the robot's head.

Associated Press . ZMP Company Website

Diffusion MRI Can Track Brain Tumor Treatments

A special type of MRI can predict up to ten weeks earlier than traditional techniques if brain tumors are responding to chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Such predictions can spare patients from weeks of ineffective treatment and afford the opportunity to switch to potentially more effective therapies.

Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences . Medical Study News . University of Michigan Press Release

A Rare Buff of Smoke Threatens Stroke

Moyamoya disease, an extremely rare disease (one in two million in USA) causing a progressive narrowing of the internal carotid arteries carrying blood to the brain and often resulting in disabling strokes can be successfully treated by a Stanford University neurosurgeon.  The disease was first characterized in Japan where moyamoya means puff of smoke and is characterized by a wispy cloud of narrowing blood vessels appearing on X-ray images.  The key to successful outcomes is knowing to look for this diagnosis in patients exhibiting otherwise unexplainable symptoms; unexplainable strokes, temporary speech or vision problems, headaches, mental decline, seizures, or attacks of limb numbness and weakness.  Most patients are diagnosed as children from 5 to 15, or adults from 30 to 40, and nearly two-thirds are female.

New York Times . Moyamoya.com internet support

Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig [BOOK RECOMMENDATION]

The final chapters of a newly published biography of baseball legend Lou Gehrig describes in intimate and inspiring details the baseball legend's struggle with the disease that would borrow his name during the two years after he retired from the sport. These details emerge from never before published correspondence with his doctor which also shed light on experimental treatments and the medical ethics prevailing at the time. It is retching to see how doctors and spouses often hid medical realities from patients in a way that today would not be common.

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75% Lose Sleep

Three out of four American adults report frequent sleep difficulties with one of four feeling these difficulties are enough of a problem to have an impact on their daily life, according to the National Sleep Foundation's annual poll which also indicates the average amount of daily sleep is 6.9 hours.

In anticipation of final market clearance for Sepracor's Lunesta, the first sleeping pill approved for long-term use, The Wall Street Journal surveys behavioral solutions for the sleep deprived.  See article.

National Sleep Foundation Survey Results

80 Multiple Sclerosis Genes Identified

Serono completed the first phase of their large scale MS Whole Genome association study by annoucning that scans of 100,000 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) from 1,600 subjects, half of whom having mutlple sclerosis, revealed 80 genes involved in the inflammatory and neuro-degenerative pathways the disease.  The company hopes to complete scans of the remaining 500,000 SNPs by the end of next year.

Serono Press Release