BrainBlog

From The New York Times : City Tackles Meningitis in Brooklyn By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA The New York Times 29 June 2006 City health officials yesterday announced a novel assault on a large meningitis outbreak in Brooklyn, seeking to vaccinate thousands of drug users and others in and around Bedford-Stuyvesant against the bacterium that has sickened 23 people and killed eight of them. That group of cases, over the past seven months, "is one of the largest outbreaks of meningitis described in the U.S. literature in the last couple of decades," said Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden. And the department's response, a mass vaccination for meningococcal meningitis , made possible by a new, more effective vaccine, appears to be the first in the city's history, he said. [ ... Read the full article ... ] - Anthony H. Risser | neuroscience | neuropsychology | brain

From an NIH press release: Neurons Grown from Embryonic Stem Cells Restore Function in Paralyzed Rats For the first time, researchers have enticed transplants of embryonic stem cell-derived motor neurons in the spinal cord to connect with muscles and partially restore function in paralyzed animals. The study suggests that similar techniques may be useful for treating such disorders as spinal cord injury, transverse myelitis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and spinal muscular atrophy. The study was funded in part by the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The researchers, led by Douglas Kerr, M.D., Ph.D., of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, used a combination of transplanted motor neurons, chemicals capable of overcoming signals that inhibit axon growth, and a nerve growth factor t...

Salter K, Jutai J, Foley N, Hellings C, & Teasell R. (2006). Identification of aphasia post stroke: A review of screening assessment tools. Brain Injury, 20(6), , 559-568. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Parkwood Hospital, St. Joseph's Health Centre, London, Ontario, Canada. Introduction: Aphasia is one of the most common consequences of stroke. Early identification, diagnosis and treatment of language deficits are important steps in maximizing rehabilitation gains. A routine screening test is an invaluable tool in the identification and appropriate referral of patients with potential communication problems. The present study presents an evaluation of the measurement properties of screening tools for aphasia found within the stroke research literature.Methods: Screening tools were identified following searches of the published research literature in stroke. Instruments were reviewed on the basis of reliability, validity, classification sensitivity and prac...

From an NIH press release: Easy-to-Read Booklets on Alzheimer’s Disease, Memory Loss Offered by NIA The National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health, now offers two free booklets designed to help people with limited literacy skills learn about Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and memory loss. In these easy-to-read booklets, the medical and technical language has been replaced by plain language, stories, photographs, and other features to help readers understand the content. “Our goal was to produce strong, clear materials to make information about AD and memory loss accessible to everyone, including those with limited literacy skills,” says Richard J. Hodes, M.D., director of the NIA. “These booklets also are excellent starting points for anyone who needs basic information about AD and memory prob...