Tag: nerve

Researchers visualize fast brain signals from outside the skull

The brain processes information using both slow and fast currents. Until now, researchers had to use electrodes placed inside the brain in order to measure the latter. For the first time, researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Berlin Institute, successfully visualized these fast brain signals from the outside – and

Nerve stimulation reduces pain and opioid use after orthopedic surgery

A technique called percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation yields “impressive” reductions in pain scores and opioid use during the first week after common orthopedic surgery procedures, concludes a randomized clinical trial published Online First in Anesthesiology, the official peer-reviewed journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), today. The benefits of postoperative nerve stimulation were “much

VR offers hope to nerve injury patients experiencing chronic pain

We all feel physical pain in different ways, but people with nerve injuries often have a dysfunctional pain suppression system, making them particularly prone to discomfort. Now researchers have uncovered that virtual reality (VR) can reduce types of pain typically seen in patients with nerve injuries – and that VR can boost the dysfunctional pain

What are Amyloid Plaques?

Amyloid plaques are aggregates of misfolded proteins that form in the spaces between nerve cells. These abnormally configured proteins are thought to play a central role in Alzheimer's disease. The amyloid plaques first develop in the areas of the brain concerned with memory and other cognitive functions. The amyloid hypothesis Amyloid plaques form when pieces

Spinal Cord Stimulation May Ease Diabetic Nerve Pain

TUESDAY, Nov. 10, 2020 — Low-frequency spinal cord stimulation (SCS) may be effective for treating painful diabetic neuropathy (DN), according to a study scheduled for presentation at the 19th Annual Pain Medicine Meeting, a meeting of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, held virtually from Nov. 20 to 22. Erika Petersen, M.D.,

Researchers study if nerve cells evolved to talk to microbes

Various diseases of the digestive tract, for example severe intestinal inflammation in humans, are closely linked to disturbances in the natural mobility of the intestine. What role the microbiome—i.e. the natural microbial community colonizing the digestive tract—plays in these rhythmic contractions of the intestine, also known as peristalsis, is currently the subject of intensive research.

Protein offers protection against nerve degeneration in ALS model

Increasing the levels of the anti-aging protein hormone Klotho improves the neurological deficits and prolongs life span in an experimental model with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). In addition, brain immune cells called microglia play an important role in protecting the brain against inflammation and, likely, motor neuron loss in this model. ALS or Lou Gehrig’s

Stimulating the vagus nerve in the neck might help ease pain associated with PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental condition caused by a traumatic event. People with PTSD may experience intrusive memories, negative thoughts, anxiety and chronic pain. The condition is typically treated with a combination of psychotherapy, anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications. It’s this connection between mental health and pain that interests Imanuel Lerman, MD, associate

Nerve Transfer Promising for Acute Flaccid Myelitis Patients

THURSDAY, Jan. 17, 2019 — Two patients diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis and upper-extremity neuropathy who were treated with peripheral nerve transfer continue to demonstrate functional recovery at two years, according to a case series recently published in Pediatric Neurology. Eliana B. Saltzman, M.D., of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, and

Severe depression: Vagus nerve stimulator improves lives

The National Institute of Mental Health suggest that over 16 million people in the United States have had at least one episode of major depression in the past year. Of these, more than 10 million adults report that the condition severely impaired their quality of life. There are a variety of treatments available for depression,