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PLEASE READ THIS FIRST....
Some of these articles relate to medical research and should be
taken as such. Translation into real medicines, or new treatment available
in the UK may take much longer! Included here for interest/information.
You should always seek the advice of your GP if you are concerned at anything
you may read here.
The articles are
shown in date order, starting with the most recent. They cover all
neurological conditions. Most
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click here.
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professionals, you may wish to sign up to Health News at www.health-news.co.uk
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For the latest scientific research into
Parkinson's Disease, try the World Parkinson's Disease Association website.29.11.02
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Blood test for MS sufferers
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to top
The risk of imminent relapse in multiple
sclerosis patients can be worked out with simple blood tests, a
discovery which could help doctors prescribe drugs to stop it happening. The
tests check for signs of an immune reaction to particular proteins – the
presence of certain antibodies means an attack is likely to take place within a
few months, say researchers in Austria.
BBC News Online 10/07/03
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Children’s headaches “affect schoolwork"
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to top
US doctors say the one in ten children and one in
four teenagers who regularly experience severe
headaches appear to have more emotional problems and more
difficulties at school than children with other chronic conditions like cancer
and rheumatic diseases. Dr Scott Powers, joint director of the Cincinnati
Children’s Headache Center, says, “The fact that the impact of these
headaches is at least equal to that of childhood illnesses often considered more
severe and debilitating suggests that paediatricians and other caregivers should
place more emphasis on their recognition, diagnosis and effective
treatment."
BBC News Online 07/07/03
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Duchenne gene discovery Back
to top
Scientists believe they may have made progress in
finding a treatment for Duchenne muscular
dystrophy, a wasting disease caused by mutations that prevent a gene
producing a chemical needed to protect muscle cells.
Researchers at the Medical Research Council’s
clinical sciences centre are trying to issue the body instructions to ignore the
faulty parts of the dystrophin gene, and they hope the technique, called
“anti-sense" therapy, could be applied by injecting drugs that carry
small fragments of genetic code instead of an entire gene.
BBC News Online 07/07/03
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Protein discovery boost for Alzheimer’s
treatment
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to top
Scientists hope to develop earlier diagnosis and
new treatments to slow brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s after discovering
how a protein helps cause their onset. Researchers have found the protein,
called 14-3-3, plays a key role in such neurodegenerative
diseases by binding to other brain proteins and making them
malfunction. Alastair Aitkin, a professor of protein biochemistry at Edinburgh
University, said the breakthrough could lead to gene therapy or new drugs to
disable the harmful proteins and arrest the progress of the diseases.
The Scotsman 02/07/03; p.7
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MRI “may avert stroke" Back
to top
Research indicates that the use of magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) to assess bleeding in arteries affected by plaques may
help predict heart attack or stroke. Canadian and UK scientists say MRI detects
high-risk complicated plaques in the neck arteries of 60 per cent of people with
signs or symptoms that often precede stroke. “If we can identify dangerous
plaque, these drugs may be able to stabilise plaque before symptoms begin,"
says lead author Alan Moody of Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences
Center, in Toronto.
HealthScout 11/06/03
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Alternative for stroke patients Back
to top
Some stroke
patients react well to treatment with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), but
blood clots redevelop in as many as one in five patients, according to research
from South Korea. Scientists at Yonsei University in Seoul say the new clots
dissolve on administration of abciximab, another blood-thinning medication.
Study author Dr Ji Hoe Heo says, “This study is promising because simple but
careful observation for occurrence of reappearance of clots may improve the rate
significantly by giving abciximab in those patients."
HealthScout 28/05/03
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Cannabis-based medicine hits UK shelves Back
to top
Medicines made from extracts of the illegal drug
cannabis may soon be available in chemists across the UK. GW Pharmaceuticals,
which has pioneered the medicinal use of cannabis extracts in its products, has
signed a deal allowing German pharmaceutical group Bayer to market Sativex,
GW’s treatment for multiple sclerosis.
Bayer will have exclusive rights to market Sativex in the UK.
Financial Times 22/05/03; p.25
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Buddhists really do know secret of happiness Back
to top
US scientists have proved that Buddhists really
do hold the key to happiness. Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
has shown that in experienced Buddhists, the brain’s
“happiness centre" is constantly alive with electrical signals. The
positive effects are seen all the time, not only during meditation, which
suggests that the Buddhist way of life may affect the way their brains work.
These findings may eventually allow researchers to develop meditation techniques
as treatments for depressive illnesses.
The Times Online 22/05/03
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Head injuries “linked to" Parkinson’s
disease Back
to top
It appears there may be a link between head
injuries and Parkinson’s disease. US scientists say people who
suffer a head injury may be four times more likely to develop the condition than
those who have not, and those whose injury causes them to be admitted to
hospital could be at eight times the risk. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in
Minnesota say only severe head injuries, that is those that lead to longer loss
of consciousness and brain bruising visible in a CT scan, increase the risk.
They are unable to explain why head injuries should have this effect.
BBC News Online 20/05/03
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Survey reveals epilepsy ignorance
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to top
The National Society for Epilepsy
says its research reveals widespread ignorance about the condition, with many
people unaware of how to help when they see someone having a seizure. Some
people questioned believe fits are the result of possession by spirits. The
society is targeting police forces, schools, universities and colleges with an
information campaign. Its spokeswoman, Margaret Thomas, says, “There are still
1,000 epilepsy-related deaths each year and one way to reduce this is to
increase awareness amongst people with the condition, the general public, and
members of the emergency services."
BBC News Online 19/05/03
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Smart
eggs could hold key to healthy eating
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to top
“Smart eggs" produced by hens fed a special diet that includes tuna
oil go on sale next week. The eggs contain an ingredient called DHA that
helps to maintain healthy brain and eye structure. Stonegate Farms, the
producer, said two eggs a day could provide the correct amount of long-chain
fatty acids recommended by the Food Standards Agency.
The Independent 15/05/03; p.9
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Call for better awareness of mini-stroke Back
to top
US researchers urge that people be educated about
the risks and symptoms of mini-stroke, or transient
ischaemic attack (TIA). A telephone survey indicates that only 9 per
cent of people could give the definition of TIA or identify one of its symptoms,
which are the same as for a normal stroke, but resolve themselves within 24
hours. “People think that because these symptoms go away quickly, they don’t
need to worry about them, but that’s definitely not the case. People who’ve
had a TIA are at high risk of having a stroke, particularly in the first few
days after the TIA," says Dr Claiborne Johnston, of the University of
California, San Francisco.
HealthScout 13/05/03
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CJD treatment “working"
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to top
A controversial potential cure for variant
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is beginning to show results,
according to the family of a teenager who is undergoing the treatment. Don Simms
says that since starting the treatment, which involves injections directly into
the brain, his son Jonathan has shown improvement in his condition. Pentosan
polysulphate had not previously been used to treat vCJD in a human, but it had
slowed the disease’s progress in animals.
The Independent Online 12/05/03
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Cost of ME Back
to top
Research carried out for the charity Action for ME
suggests the total cost to the economy of the condition, also known as chronic
fatigue syndrome, runs to £3.5 billion a year. An estimated 240,000 Britons
have ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis), which was recognised by the Department of
Health as a medical illness only last year, following years of campaigning by
patient groups. Action for ME says the findings highlight the need to carry out
urgent research into the condition because the cause of ME is unknown.
BBC News Online 12/05/03
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Weather “can cause migraines"
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to top
The US National Headache Foundation says a number of
weather conditions can trigger migraines.
These factors can cause changes in the body’s chemical balance, and changes in
barometric pressure can cause the blood and blood vessels to compensate for
reductions in oxygen, bringing on the headache. When migraine sufferers travel
by air or take part in diving, changes in oxygen levels produce inflamed blood
vessels and nerves around the brain.
HealthScout 28/04/03
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New aid for back pain Back
to top
An engineer has invented a device to relieve back
pain after suffering years of back discomfort himself. Jeff
Callander’s “Impleo" works by decompressing the spine while lying back
in an inclined, arched position. The Impleo is thought to be the only device to
offer an incline that results in better circulation and relieves the muscles, nerves
and joints from pressure. Bending backwards with decompression helps to correct
the structural faults produced by excessive bending forward.
Daily Record 28/04/03; p.18
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Alzheimer’s-Parkinson’s link found
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to top
US scientists believe there may be a common cause
behind Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
and say the diseases may be triggered by the same brain chemicals. Scientists at
the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine say taut – which can stop
neurons from working properly – is abnormally high in patients with
Alzheimer’s, while alpha-synuclein – which regulates communication between
neurons in the brain – may turn toxic and damage cells in patient’s with
Parkinson’s. The fluids can work together to create amyloid lesions – the
cause of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
BBC News Online 28/04/03
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MS treatment prospect Back
to top
Stem cells may be able to repair damage caused by a
form of multiple sclerosis (MS), and relieve
its symptoms. Scientists at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan
intend to try an experimental procedure on monkeys using human stem cells, but
say a treatment for human patients, if possible at all, is years away. In
initial trials, the researchers created a disease in mice that mimics MS, and
found that injected stem cells travelled to damaged nerve areas and changed into
cells needed to make repairs. Research on monkeys is expected to begin in the
next few months, and the results are expected by the end of 2004.
The Associated Press 17/04/03
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University to research motor neurone disease Back
to top
Birmingham University is to be at the forefront of
research to establish the causes of motor neurone
disease. Professor Karen Morrison will head a team that will collate
a DNA bank of genetic material from disease sufferers, blood relations and
partners. Researchers will examine the DNA along with environmental factors to
determine the different factors that may have led to the onset and progression
of the disease. The study will take place over five years in conjunction with
Kings College London and Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital.
The Birmingham Post 17/04/03; p.3
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16.4.03 Back
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ME sufferers “ignored" in Wales
Wales is lagging behind the rest of the UK in
treating myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)
sufferers, it was claimed yesterday (15/04/03). Health Minister Jane Hutt has
come under fire for ignoring thousands of people with the debilitating
condition. Ian McDonald, chairman of the Welsh Association of ME Support blames
doctors for failing to diagnose the condition properly and an almost complete
lack of specialist and support services for sufferers.
The Western Mail 16/04/03; p.7
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15.4.03 Back
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Grape juice may prevent stoke
Drinking grape juice can dramatically reduce men’s
blood pressure and risk of suffering a stroke,
scientists said yesterday (14/04/03). Regular consumption could cut the risk of
a fatal stroke for men with hypertension by 14 per cent. Purple grape juice also
reduces the chance of dying through heart disease by 9 per cent. Volunteers with
high blood pressure experienced a significant reduction in blood pressure after
drinking two glassed of the juice a day for 12 weeks.
Daily Mail 15/04/03; p.36
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Patients “do not discuss CAM use"
US doctors say many people with traumatic brain
injuries supplement their conventional care with complementary and
alternative medicine (CAM). However, most of them do not discussing it with
their doctors, according to a study by the University of Michigan Health System.
Dr Sharon McDowell says, “A lot of patients are embarrassed to tell their
doctors, while others don’t even realise that the vitamin supplements and
other substances they are using can be as active as drugs, which can affect
their medical treatment."
HealthScout 03/04/03
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3.4.03
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Student solves head injury mystery
A high-school student has helped solve how the brain
is damaged by head injury. It has been
thought that this is because the brain first collides against the skull at the
point of impact, and then rebounds. However, this does not explain why the
second injury is often more severe. Laura Drew, a student in Ohio, developed a
model to simulate what happens inside the head in an accident. It showed that
when it was propelled into a wall, the brain was forced into the back of the
head by the momentum of the denser cerebrospinal fluid, which is carried
forward. Only after this impact takes place does the brain rebound and hit the
skull at the point of impact. This explains why injury on the opposite side of
the head is usually more severe.
BBC News Online 03/04/03
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Diabetes “causes brain tissue loss"
A loss of brain tissue caused by type 1 diabetes may
explain why diabetics appear to have higher rates of cognitive impairment
throughout life, according to a neurosurgeon at the State University of New York
at Buffalo. Dr Richard Chan says while it is well known that people with the
condition are more prone to problems including nerve
damage, kidney failure and stroke,
less is understood about its effect on the brain. He says MRI scans show that
nearly 90 per cent of diabetic patients have a brain volume that lower than the
50th percentile of the non-diabetic subjects, and this indicates there is a loss
of tissue.
HealthScout 03/04/03
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31.3.03 Back
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Alarm at surge in disability claims
The number of people receiving money to help them
cope with the cost of disability has increased by more than a million in less
than a decade, raising concerns about the physical and mental health of UK
society. Figures for the disability living allowance
reveal a significant rise across all age groups in the past nine years, from 1.2
million in 1993, to 2.4 million last year. The figures also show a fourfold
increase in people receiving payments for mental health problems.
Financial Times 31/03/03; p.9
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31.3.03 Back
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Parkinson’s results “remarkable"
Five patients with advanced Parkinson’s
disease have shown “remarkable" improvement after injections
of a protein directly into the brain, according to scientists at Frenchay
Hospital in Bristol. They say a growth factor called GDNF led to an improvement
of 39 per cent in motor skills and of more than 60 per cent in accomplishing
routine activities. A team of UK and US scientists administered 40-millionths of
a gramme of the protein a day for 18 months into a part of the brain called the
putamen. They believe the hormone is drawn deeper into the brain where the
dopamine-producing nerve cells reside.
Guardian Online 31/03/03
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28.3.03 Back
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Cigarettes and stroke risk
Men’s risk of stroke
increases with every cigarette they smoke, according to US researchers who say
smoking more than a packet a day doubles the risk. Dr Tobias Kurth, of Brigham
and Women’s Hospital in Boston, says, “Our results add to the multiple
health benefits that can be accrued by abstaining from cigarette smoking."
The Stroke Association says stroke is the largest single cause of severe adult
disability in the UK, affecting over 300,000 people.
BBC News Online 28/03/03
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25.3.03 Back
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Possible explanation for stroke risk in blacks
Middle-aged black Americans are twice as likely as
whites to suffer blood vessel damage in the eye as a result of high blood
pressure, according to scientists in Singapore. The condition, called
hypertensive retinopathy, is characterised by haemorrhages on the retina, and is
most often seen in diabetics. Lead author Dr Tien Yin Wong, of the National
University of Singapore, says the finding may explain why African Americans are
at a higher-than-average risk of stroke;
because blood vessel damage in the eye is linked with similar changes in the
brain.
Reuters Health Online 25/03/03
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25.3.03 Back
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New uses for Botox
Botox may be used to treat lower back pain, among
other conditions, according to scientists in Europe in the US. Studies presented
at the American Pain Society conference in Chicago, Illinois, show evidence that
the treatment can work not only in chronic lower back pain, but also in sciatica
and some forms of neck pain. Controlled amounts of the drug can be used to
manipulate brain chemistry, controlling contractions in diseases linked to
severe muscle spasms, such as multiple sclerosis.
Rehabilitation specialist Dr Todd Schlifstein, of New York University Medical Centre,
says Botox is an important new option, particularly for people who may not
respond to traditional care.
HealthScout 25/03/03
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25.3.03 Back
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Link between blood pressure and brain cells
Researchers at the universities of Aberdeen and
Edinburgh say they have found evidence that high blood pressure causes a loss of
brain cells. Magnetic resonance imaging scans on elderly people, who as 11 year
olds had their thinking power measured in the Scottish Mental Survey of 1932,
showed areas of brain tissue loss. In tests of non-verbal reasoning, memory and
learning, processing speed and executive function people with the most white
matter achieved the lowest scores.
HealthScout 25/03/03
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25.3.03 Back
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GPs accused over disabled baby
An epileptic
woman gave birth to a disabled boy after two GPs continued to prescribe her
drugs that were known to cause deformities in an unborn child, the General
Medical Council heard yesterday (24/03/03). One of the doctors then altered
computerised medical records to cover up the blunder. The GPs, from Southampton,
allegedly ignored several letters from a hospital registrar advising the dose of
the anti-epilepsy drug Epilim be reduced and another saying the prescription
should be stopped.
The Daily Telegraph 25/03/03; p.14
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20.3.03
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Birmingham gets revolutionary scanner
A revolutionary scanner that could help save the
lives of children with brain tumours has
been installed at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. The scanner is the first of
its kind to be installed in a children’s hospital outside London, and experts
hope it will help diagnose cases earlier and so increase the chance of recovery.
The magnetic resonance spectroscopy will be used to carry out research into
specific childhood brain cancers.
The Birmingham Post 20/03/03; p.8
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19.3.03
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Backpacker paralysed by rare illness
A 28-year-old British man who was paralysed after
getting a rare brain infection while backpacking in Australia has left hospital
after almost four years. Steven Daw, a university graduate from Loughborough in
Leicestershire, is moving to a nursing home close to his family. Mr Daw is
dependent on a ventilator after catching Murray Valley
encephalitis, a virus spread by mosquitoes. He is paralysed in the
arms and legs as a result of the disease, which only affects 1 in 500 people who
are bitten, and for which there is no cure.
BBC News Online 19/03/03
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19.3.03
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Headache knowledge “insufficient"
A US specialist says many diagnoses of sinus or
tension headaches are wrong. Dr Robert Kaniecki, director of the headache centre
at the University of Pittsburgh, says sinus headaches are extremely rare, and
tension headaches are not usually severe enough to make someone go to the
doctor. Most of patients actually have migraine,
he says, and the condition is misdiagnosed because many family doctors do not
have sufficient knowledge. Dr Kaniecki says, “Only 48 per cent of internal
medicine physicians and 62 per cent of family practice residency graduates
report being very prepared to treat headaches."
HealthScout 19/03/03
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19.3.03
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Caffeine may influence Parkinson’s risk
The risk of Parkinson’s
disease may be reduced in women who take hormone replacement therapy
(HRT) and consume little or no caffeine. A study at the Harvard School of Public
Health in the US indicates that women on HRT who drink more than five cups of
coffee a day may increase their risk, but that men’s risk of the disease is
reduced by greater caffeine consumption.
HealthScout 19/03/03
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17.3.03
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Ecstasy “may have long-term health
effects"
Doctors say the use of Ecstasy could cause
long-lasting brain damage and depression.
Psychologists at London Metropolitan University have found that people who had
tried Ecstasy on only a few occasions have depression levels four times higher
than those who had taken a range of other drugs. They have urged people to stay
away from the drug, even though many users regard it as a harmless part of
weekend recreation.
Ananova 17/03/03
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15.3.03
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Letter in John
O Groat Journal
15 March 2003:
A
patient-focused service for people with epilepsy
SIR – 30,000 Scots living with
epilepsy
will welcome being in the driving seat
behind the NHS changes outlined in the Government’s new Partnership for Care
White Paper.
Health boards are already able to set local targets to tackle unacceptable
inequalities in health care, such as the present “postcode lottery” in
waiting times to see an epilepsy specialist. These new proposals will help to
ensure a patient-centred and patient-focused NHS with appropriate information
and support available “at the right time and in the right place” to people
with epilepsy.
As Scotland’s voice for epilepsy, we know there is a great need for high
standards of medical care regardless of where people live. This has driven
Epilepsy Scotland’s work with health boards to develop new epilepsy networks
that will unite primary and hospital staff and resources. We support the
Government’s key aims because patients will be central partners in decisions
taken about treatments and services.
For years the epilepsy community has been neglected. The new White Paper
encourages health professionals to take an active part in modernising the health
service for the benefit of patients. Creating integrated care records for
patients helps NHS staff to work as a team when treating anyone diagnosed with
epilepsy.
We of course welcome £2.2 billion extra resources to improve health services
and we applaud the emphasis on the patient. The challenge, as ever, is to steer
NHS Scotland in the right direction and end the yearly scandal of misdiagnosis
and unnecessary epilepsy deaths. That will be a “partnership for care” to
boast about!
Allana Parker,
PR and government
relations manager,
Epilepsy Scotland,
48 Govan Road,
Glasgow.
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14.3.03
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Surgery for superman
Superman star, Christopher Reeve, has had electrodes
implanted in his diaphragm in an experiment designed to enable the paralysed
actor to breathe on his own. The outpatient operation involved threading tiny
wires through incisions in the diaphragm. The wires connect to a control box
worn outside the body. Reeve, the third person to undergo the procedure, can now
breathe for more than two hours without a respirator, compared to 10 minutes
before the procedure.
The Scotsman 14/03/03; p.6
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13.3.03
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Hope
for Huntington’s treatment or cure
Scientists in the US believe gene therapy could be
used to slow down or cure the fatal brain disorder Huntington’s
disease. Dr Beverly Davidson and colleagues at the University of Iowa
have been able to shut off or silence a genetic mutation that inserts a repeated
DNA sequence into the gene encoding the Huntington protein in mice. “If you
reduce levels of the toxic protein even modestly, we believe you’ll have a
significant impact," said Dr Davidson.
BBC News Online 13/03/03
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13.3.03
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Brain
implant may restore memory
US researchers have developed an artificial aid to
the brain, and say that they are ready to test it. They have made a model of the
memory store – the hippocampus – and programmed it on to a silicon chip.
This could one day be fitted to a human suffering brain damage from stroke,
epilepsy or dementia.
The Guardian 13/03/03; p.7
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11.3.03
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Statins
“may help relieve MS"
Scientists say statins could be used to treat multiple
sclerosis in its early stages. Research at the Institute of
Ophthalmology and at University College London indicates that statins prevent
the accumulation of lymphocytes in the brain by hampering the operation of a
signalling molecule called Rho GTPase, which facilitates their entry. Researcher
Professor John Greenwood says, “It’s fair to say this could alleviate and
attenuate disease progression."
BBC News Online 11/03/03
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7.3.03
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Care
homes fee rise “unacceptable"
Large numbers of Scottish care homes for the elderly
have raised their fees, reducing the cash boost pensioners should enjoy under
free personal care, a survey revealed yesterday (06/03/03). Nearly 70 per cent
of councils who took part in the Age Concern Scotland poll said they knew homes
in their area had driven up charges since the policy – intended to save the
elderly thousands of pounds – was launched. Alexis Jay, chair of the free
personal care implementation group, said, “This sort of increase is
unacceptable."
The Herald Online 07/03/03
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7.3.03
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CJD boy’s new hope
A teenager suffering from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
(CJD) is improving thanks to a controversial treatment, according to his
parents. The 18-year-old has had the drug, pentosan polysulphate injected
directly into his brain to combat the incurable variant-CJD.
A High Court ruling was needed before he could start the treatment. His father,
Don Simms, said last night, (06/03/03), “By the law of averages, Jon should be
dead by now."
Daily Mirror 07/03/03; p.33
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7.3.03
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Hospital
apologises for terminal diagnosis
A top children’s hospital is to apologise after
wrongly telling parents that their six-year-old daughter was terminally ill.
Kelvin and Jackie Owen spent £10,000 to give their daughter the best before she
died, including taking her on overseas holidays. Alder Hey Children’s Hospital
has now told them their daughter did not have Batten disease but has epilepsy.
Daily Express 07/03/03; p.15
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6.3.03 Back
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Progress
in CJD prevention
Scientists at Imperial College in London have found
that the development of prion disease in mice can be prevented by the use of
monoclonal antibodies. The discovery means it may one day be possible to prevent
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and “mad cow" disease. Dr Simon Hawke says,
“We’re making promising advances towards a possible treatment."
BBC News Online 06/03/03
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4.3.03
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Famous
faces jog amnesiac’s memory
A man who suffers from such pronounced amnesia that
he can’t remember his parents are dead has learnt to recognise famous faces.
The man lost his memory at 27 after a radical operation removing parts of his
brain to cure his epilepsy. Now, after half a century of living without a
memory, he has finally learnt to recognise famous faces. Experts believe the
breakthrough happened due to a “mental osmosis" where the man has slowly
gleaned pieces of information. It means that even though he finds it difficult
to retain information for 30 seconds his brain is still capable of learning.
The Scotsman 04/03/03; p.7
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26.02.03
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BSE
epidemic scaled down
Scientists have again scaled down the predicted
epidemic of new variant CJD. A study
published today by a leading team of epidemiologists at Imperial College London
has lowered the number of future deaths to fewer than 7,000. Millions of people
were exposed to BSE-infected beef in the 1980s and 1990s and it was initially
estimated that as many as 100,000 people could succumb to the incurable brain
disease.
The Daily Telegraph 26/02/03; p.6
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21.2.03
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Blacks
“have higher risk of stroke"
Black people living in the parts of the southern US
have the highest risk in the country of dying from stroke,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to its
report, 166 out of 100,000 African Americans died of stroke during the study
period, compared with 117 out of 100,000 whites and 79 out of 100,000 American
Indians and Hispanics. Overall, the US average is 121 stroke deaths per 100,000
people.
Reuters 21/02/03
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21.2.03
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Risk factor for
stroke
A study in Israel suggests that heart disease
sufferers who have elevated levels of the amino acid homocysteine may be at a
fourfold greater risk of stroke than those
with the lowest levels. The reasons for the difference are not clear but there
is evidence that homocysteine may damage blood vessels and predispose people to
forming fatty deposits and blood clots in their arteries.
HealthScout 21/02/03
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20.2.03
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Discovery
may lead to CJD test
Scientists in Italy say a form of the brain illness Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease (CJD) also infects the nasal passages, a discovery that
raises hopes for a diagnostic test for the condition. Researchers at the
University of Verona have found mutated prions in the nasal tissues of people
who died of sporadic CJD. At present there is no cure or method of diagnosis for
the condition, and a test could help select patients for experimental
treatments.
The Associated Press Online 20/02/03
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20.2.03
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New
epilepsy plan “will fail to prevent deaths"
Charities attacked a new government epilepsy
action plan launched yesterday (19/02/03), saying it would have no effect on the
hundreds of epileptic deaths in the UK each year. The action plan is a response
to an audit report by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, which
found that up to 500 people were dying from epilepsy each year. The plan has
committed £1.2 million to the NHS Modernisation Agency to improve access to
neurology services, but charities have criticised the lack of targets.
The Independent 20/02/03; p.6
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19.02.03
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Boost
for epilepsy care funding
The government is to put more than a million pounds
into epilepsy care over the next two years.
The funding will raise awareness of the condition among health professionals,
and improve they way in which medicines are prescribed to epileptics. The
National Institute for Clinical Excellence will carry out an appraisal of
anti-epilepsy drugs, producing guidelines in 2004. However, campaigners say the
plan will not deliver real change, and that there are too few doctors
specialising in the condition.
BBC News Online 19/02/03
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19.02.03
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Low-calorie
diet “saves brain cells"
A lower-calorie diet could save brain cells, and
allow mental capacity to be maintained later in life. US researchers say rats
fed 40 per cent fewer calories than normal produce double the levels of a
protein known to protect brain cells, but admit that Western lifestyles would
make it hard for people to follow such a regime. Professor Christiaan
Leeuwenburgh, of the University of Florida, says, “We’re not going to do it
right away to improve our memories – we’re going to do it probably…to
prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer."
BBC News Online 19/02/03
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18.02.03
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Shallow
nerve stimulation offers pain relief
An electrode inserted under the scalp may be used to
block pain by applying electrical impulses to a nerve, and US doctors are
exploring how widely the technique could be applied. The use of implanted
electrodes in the spine is well established, but they must be above the site of
the pain. However, it is possible to stimulate head and facial nerves at skin
level, and a firm called Medtronic is considering carrying out a study of
occipital nerve pain.
The Associated Press Online 18/02/03
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Better
stroke recovery prospects
Reopro (abciximab), normally used to prevent the
formation of blood clots in angioplasty patients, may be able to help stroke
victims by enlarging the time window for their treatment. US scientists say it
can be given as long as six hours after the onset of stroke, whereas the only
currently approved medical treatment available has to be administered no later
than three hours after onset.
HealthScout 18/02/03
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17.02.03 Back
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Stroke
training recommended for public
US researchers say members of the public could
easily be trained to identify stroke
symptoms, helping sufferers to receive medical help more quickly. Scientists at
the University of North Carolina who asked lay people to use a three-stage test
called the Cincinnati
Prehospital Stroke Scale – used by doctors and nurses to identify an
incidence of stroke – found that they administered the test correctly in 96
per cent of cases.
BBC News Online 17/02/03
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12.02.03 Back
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Epilepsy
misdiagnosis is UK-wide
Epilepsy Scotland have once again
brought epilepsy into the spotlight with their latest letter to appear in the
Caithness Courier today, 12 February 2003. For the full text of the letter
from Epilepsy Scotland's website, click on this link.
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Health
Chiefs told to help ME victims
Thousands of ME
sufferers are being let down by health services, a report claims. The
illness, once dismissed as "yuppie flu", affects more than 20,000
Scots. Now the Scottish Executive have ordered health boards to draw up plans to
develop services for them. The Executive report says more complex cases
need to be referred to specialists and a care plan should be drawn up for
patients.
Chief Medical Officer Mac
Armstrong said NHS boards could use the report as "a base on which they can
develop local service". The report comes just days after new research
into ME was hailed as a major breakthrough. Doctors at Glasgow's Southern
General have discovered that ME sufferers produce higher levels of a chemical
called choline in the area of the brain that controls voluntary movement.
Daily Record, p 22 8.02.03
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7.02.03
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John
O Groat Journal covers epilepsy support group efforts in far north
Click on this link
to read the coverage of our campaign to start up a far north epilepsy group
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Consultant’s
error rate “not unusual"
An inquiry has reported that a consultant
paediatrician misdiagnosed 618 children with epilepsy.
Andrew Holton, described as a “caring, supportive and dedicated"
consultant at Leicester Royal Infirmary, got slightly more than 31 per cent of
his epilepsy diagnoses wrong, but escaped disciplinary action after evidence was
presented that this rate of misdiagnosis by generalist paediatricians is not
unusual. Dr Richard Newton, president of the British Paediatric Neurology
Association, called for action by the government to double the number of
specialists and to fund a national epilepsy treatment network.
The Guardian 05/02/03; p.8
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Scientists in the US have found evidence that
meditation has biological as well as spiritual effects. The results of a small
study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggest it could be beneficial to
the brain and the immune system. The
researchers found that volunteers who had practiced meditation for eight weeks
showed increased electrical activity levels in the left side of the frontal part
of the brain. The meditators also had higher levels of a flu antibody following
an injection at the start of the trial.
(BBC News Online 05/02/03)
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A drink or two for brain’s sake
Drinking alcohol in moderation is already known to
cut heart attack risk, and new research suggests that the same is true for
preventing stroke. A study at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana,
concludes that one to two drinks a day can produce a reduction of almost 30 per
cent in stroke risk. However, the risk is
increased by more than by more than 60 per cent by heavy drinking, according to
the researchers.
CNN Online 05/02/03
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MS Society Scotland highlight
long wait for drug assessments
Mark Hazelwood of the
Multiple Sclerosis
Society
Scotland has today made a number of appeals via the media to the Scottish
Executive to do something about the long wait many people with MS face to have
an initial assessment for beta interferon drug treatments that could make a
difference to their quality of life. To read the full text of the press
release and for more background, follow this link.
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31.01.03
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(The
following is the text of a letter printed in the John
O Groat Journal today, 31 January 2003)
Attitudes to epilepsy slow to
change
"People
with epilepsy watching The
Lost Prince drama (BBC
1) will feel relieved that times have changed since the 1900's when young
Prince John was locked away from society because he had epilepsy. The
decision to keep Prince John hidden was based on the belief that it would be too
traumatic for his family or friends to witness seizures. Out of sight, out
of mind was the social solution of the day.
Attitudes to epilepsy have been
slow to change. People with epilepsy in the United Kingdom were forbidden
to marry until 1970 when the law was repealed. The law has moved on.
What has not yet disappeared is
the social stigma of epilepsy.
30,000 Scots have epilepsy and
many still find it hard to shake off the unwanted prejudices associated with the
world's most common brain disorder. Even in these enlightened times,
people whose epilepsy is well controlled often prefer not to speak about it
because they fear how others will react. Few public figures, never mind
royalty, talk openly today about having seizures.
Epilepsy can affect anyone at any
time in their life - as 10 people in Scotland discover each and every day when
they are newly diagnosed. Unlike Prince John, they will not be locked away
but many will encounter attitudes which are outdated. As Scotland's voice
for epilepsy, we will continue to fight discrimination and stigma until they are
consigned to the past."
Allana Parker, PR and
Government Relations Manager, Epilepsy
Scotland, 48 Govan Road, Glasgow
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Hope for amyloid treatments
The discovery of a new way of dealing with the build
up of misshapen proteins could lead to treatments for Parkinson’s
and Alzheimer’s diseases. When proteins
cluster together abnormally they form microscopic plaques in the organs,
disrupting their function. This can cause one or more of over 80 rare diseases
known collectively as familial amyloid polyneuropathy.
Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute in California have found a way to
stop a protein called transthyretin from clumping, by exposing it to tiny
“designer" molecules, and they hope the approach will work to prevent a
number of amyloid diseases.
BBC News Online 31/01/03
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Parents win campaign over CJD death
The parents of a woman who died after contracting new-variant
CJD won a five-year battle yesterday (28/01/03) to prove she had
eaten infected meat. Pamela Beyless, 24, was among five people from the same
village to die from the human form of “mad cow" disease. Her father,
Arthur, refused to accept a decision that natural causes were to blame and there
were no grounds for an inquest. Yesterday, the same coroner who refused to hold
the original hearing finally recorded a verdict of death by misadventure, a
ruling that may pave the way for inquests into other cases that have been
refused.
The Daily Telegraph 29/01/03; p.9
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Guidelines on child seizure treatment
Guidelines issued by the American Academy of
Neurology and the Child Neurology Society says doctors should avoid routinely
using anti-epileptic drugs to treat first
unprovoked seizures in children. It was once common to do so, but experts say
the risk of daily treatment with the drugs may be greater that the benefits.
Most children who have a first unprovoked seizure have few or no recurrences,
according to the guidelines.
HealthScout 28/01/03
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Hope for Huntington’s treatment
US scientists believe a dye may offer a way to stop
an abnormal brain process that leads to Huntington’s
chorea, a devastating genetic disease in which cells misconstruct a protein
called Huntingtin. The abnormal proteins clump together and are believed to
poison brain cells, particularly those associated with muscle control.
Scientists at Harvard Medical School in Boston have shown that a dye called
Congo red can impede the aggregation process, and that cells treated with the
substance are less likely to die than those left untreated.
BBC News Online 23/01/03
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21.1.03 Back
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Cell transformation discovery
US scientists say immature bone marrow cells can
move to the brain and become fully functioning brain cells. They believe this
ability could be used in the development of treatments for brain
trauma and diseases like as Alzheimer’s
and Parkinson’s. Researchers at the
National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke found evidence of the
process in post-mortem samples. Lead researcher Dr Eva Mezey says overcoming
scientific scepticism about the idea is the first step towards accepting the
proposition that adult stem cells could some day be used to replace lost neural
elements.
BBC News Online 21/01/03
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“Stroke risk higher in type 1 diabetes"
Compared to the general population, patients with
type 1 diabetes seem to have a three to four times higher risk of dying from stroke,
according to UK research. That risk is five to seven times higher in young
adults with the condition. The new observations “emphasise the vital need to
identify and treat known cardiovascular risk factors in young people with
diabetes," said the study’s lead investigator Dr Susan Laing from the
Institute of Cancer Research in Sutton.
Reuters Health 16/01/03
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New epilepsy drug success
An epilepsy drug
approved by the US authorities for use in adults may relieve seizures in some
children who do not respond to other treatment, according to US scientists. In a
small trial with 39 children, Keppra (levetiracetam) reduced seizures by 50 per
cent in a third of the children, and stopped them completely in three, say
scientists at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.
HealthScout 13/01/03
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2.1.03 Back
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Brain disorder progress
Scientists in the US hope the development of a
new test for Hallervorden-Spatz
Syndrome, a rare brain disorder similar to
Parkinson’s disease, could lead to a better understanding of a range of
neurological conditions. Magnetic resonance imaging of the basal ganglia shows a
distinctive brain pattern, according to researchers at Oregon Health &
Science University and the University of California, San Francisco. The pattern
is thought to be caused by a deficiency in the pantothenate kinase (PANK2) gene.
BBC News Online 02/01/03
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Athletics
Coach takes on role with disabled
A top athletics coach has taken up a new
three-year post to promote sports
development for people with a disability in
the Highlands. As Highland disability sports development officer, Charlie
Forbes will play the key role in developing a network of co-ordinators to
promote sporting opportunities in the North. Working closely with Highland
Disability Sport and the voluntary sector, he will begin his work by
establishing what already exists by way of sports activity for people who have a
disability and help identify a programme of activities for the new year.
He hopes to travel throughout the Highlands to meet coaches and school sports
co-ordinators to encourage greater involvement of people. Mr Forbes will
be based at Drummond School, Inverness. His post is funded by The Highland
Council, the Social Inclusion Programme, Highland Health Board, Highlands and
Islands Enterprise, sportscotland, Royal Mail and Highland Disability
Sport.
As a teenager Mr Forbes was a promising
footballer and spent two weeks on trial for Aberdeen FC, but his real love is
athletics and he has been actively involved with Inverness Harriers since
1985. He is also team manager with the Scottish senior athletics
international team and an active competitor on the veteran athletics
circuit. Mr Forbes said: "My role is to get out and about and ensure
people with a disability - junior and senior - get equal opportunities to
sporting activities.
Press & Journal, 19.12.02
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Pledge for Stroke Victims
Consultant physician Tim Shallcross yesterday
responded to complaints that stroke patients
are not getting enough help or advice on their discharge from Caithness General
Hospital. Dr Shallcross pledged to
investigate whether there are gaps in the system, which he said was meant to
ensure that patients were given all the information and contacts they needed to
help with their rehabilitation at home.
The concern raised at the Caithness and North
Sutherland Health Forum has been echoed by a local support group which cares for
stroke victims. Dr Shallcross is based at the Queen Elizabeth wing, where
the majority of stroke patients are treated at the Wick hospital. He said
"The information is there and all the patients should be offered the opportunity
to be put in touch with the local branch of Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland
(CHSS). That is meant to happen and we would certainly be failing if it
was not happening. If there are problems I would certainly like to
know." Dr Shallcross said it was possible that not all patients were
being asked by staff if they would like to be referred to CHSS. He is
anxious to get details of the concerns of forum members to help him address any
short-comings to the procedures. Dr Shallcross said it was unfair to
suggest that patients were not helped to prepare for their return to the
community. He said all his patients were given the chance to return home
with an occupational therapist before their discharge to help them identify and
address any problems they might have.
Looking to the future, Dr Shallcross said the
CHSS was currently awaiting the outcome of a bid by the New Opportunities Fund
which, if successful, would provide three-year funding to employ specialist
stroke nurses in Caithness and Lochaber.
North Highland co-ordinator of CHSS Janice
Falconer said: "For some reason , we do not see nearly as many as we know
we could help. A lot of people, once they join our group, say they did not
get the information about us. Whether they were given information and then
just forgot about it, I don't know."
This year, four of its 26 attendees have been
referred from Caithness General, where 80 or so patients are admitted each year
with strokes.
Story by Iain Grant in Press & Journal, 19
December 2002
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The hidden dangers of high blood pressure
High blood pressure may be even more dangerous than
most doctors and patients realise, a study of more than 1 million people has
found. Even a small fall in blood pressure within the 'normal' range can
dramatically reduce the risks of heart disease and stroke.
The research, conducted by the British Heart Foundation, confirms the benefits
of lowering blood pressure – even among people in their 70s and 80s, a group
thought not to benefit.
The Daily Telegraph 13/12/02; p.10
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Obesity linked to increased risk of stroke in
men
Men who are obese are twice as likely as their
leaner peers to suffer a stroke, US
researchers report. The study finding adds more support to the view that excess
body weight is hazardous to health. While it is well known that obesity raises
the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer, the current
report shows that it is also a risk factor for stroke. 'Our findings underscore
the fact that your risk of stroke is modifiable when it comes to how much you
weigh,' said Dr Tobias Kurth of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Reuters Health 10/12/02
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Brain chemical key to SAD
Australian scientists have found a molecular basis
for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which makes many people depressed in
winter. They say low levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter
or chemical messenger in the brain, are responsible. A team at the Baker
Research Institute in Melbourne analysed blood samples from volunteers.
Serotonin levels were lower during the Australian winter - June to August - than
at other seasons, and lowest on days when there was little or no sunshine.
The Financial Times 06/12/02; p.4
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3.12.02
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CJD - hope that worst is over
Figures released by the Department of Health show
that the human form of 'mad cow disease' is in decline. So far this year there
have been 15 cases of new variant CJD, in
comparison with 20 last year and 28 the year before.
The Daily Telegraph 03/12/02; p.13
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29.11.02 Back
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Fears of new threat from BSE
Scientists at London and Zurich universities have
found evidence that 'mad cow disease' may be causing a second epidemic of brain
disease in humans. They say bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) could be
behind the 'sporadic' form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
(CJD), as well as the better-known new variant CJD. The incidence of
'sporadic' CJD in the UK has risen by up to 100 per cent in the last 10 years.
The Independent 28/11/02; p.2
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28.11.02 Back
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Botox® 'may relieve cluster headaches'
Injections of Botox®, the wrinkle-smoothing toxin,
may provide relief to some people with cluster headaches that do not respond to
conventional treatment, according to Chicago headache specialists. Seven out of
10 people with cluster headaches experienced
at least some relief after receiving Botox injections, say the researchers from
the Robbins Headache Clinic and Rush Medical College in Illinois. Although the
scientists point out that larger studies are needed to confirm the benefits,
they say the treatment may help some patients.
Reuters Health 28/11/02
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25.11.02 Back
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Needles 'treat migraine better'
Research in Italy indicates that acupuncture is
more effective than drugs in treating migraine.
Scientists at the Women’s Headache Centre in Turin say the technique reduces
both the frequency of attacks and the level of pain experienced.
The Daily Mail 25/11/02; p.7
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22.11.02 Back
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Stroke
linked to migraine in women
The frequency and type of migraine
suffered by young women may be an indicator of stroke
risk, according to UK scientists. Researchers at the Radcliffe Infirmary in
Oxford and Imperial College, London, confirm earlier reports of a connection
between ischaemic stroke and migraine with aura but stress that the risk of
stroke is generally low.
HealthScout 22/11/02
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22.11.02 Back
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Folic acid 'may help reduce heart and stroke
risk'
Researchers say the daily use of a folic acid
supplement could lead to a lower risk of heart attack and stroke.
Folic acid reduces levels of homocysteine, an amino acid known to cause heart
disease. Dr George Wald of Southampton General Hospital says the supplements,
available in health food shops, could be of benefit to people aged over 55 who
already have heart disease.
The Daily Mail 22/11/02; p.31
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18.11.02 Back
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'Beer could prevent brain condition'
Scottish ministers are suggesting that beer could be
'medicated' with thiamine (vitamin B1) as a way of reducing the incidence of Wernicke's
encephalopathy, a brain condition related to alcohol use. Critics
of the idea say it would undermine the message that alcohol ought to be consumed
in moderation.
The Guardian 18/11/02; p.1
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15.11.02 Back
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Row
over Cause of Multiple Sclerosis
BBC's "Reporting Scotland" on Thursday
14 November covered a debate over the causes of multiple
sclerosis, arising from a paper to be published next week in the Journal of the
Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh. The scientists at the heart of
the new theory have cast doubt on the currently accepted causes. For the
full text of the BBC Scotland article, click here.
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12.11.02 Back
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Football career 'led to death'
An inquest has ruled that an ex-professional
footballer died as the result of brain injury
caused by heading a football repeatedly. The case may open the way for claims by
other former players. Jeff Astle, 59, died in January. His health had been
deteriorating over the past five years. During his playing career at West
Bromwich Albion he was noted for the force of his headers. The South
Staffordshire coroner recorded a verdict of death by industrial disease.
The Guardian 12/11/02; p.5
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11.11.02
Pain survey results
A survey by The
Pain Society indicates that a quarter of adults in the UK suffer some form
of pain every day, but that only 7 per cent of them seek specialist help. The
society’s president-elect, Beverly Collett, says untreated or inadequately
treated pain can have a serious impact on emotional well-being. One of the most
common forms of pain is in the back, with recent estimates suggesting that it
leads to 52 million lost working days each year, and costs the NHS £481
million.
Ananova 11/11/02
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7.11.02 Back
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Parkinson's hope
Ecstasy-like drugs might be useful to treat the
symptoms of Parkinson's disease, even though
Ecstasy has been identified as having a strong causal link to the brain
condition, according to scientists at the University of Manchester. Their
experiment, involving marmoset monkeys, is reported in New Scientist.
The Times 07/11/02; p.4
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Cholesterol-cutting drugs may help MS patients
Cholesterol-lowering drugs usually prescribed to
prevent heart disease and stroke may also help patients suffering from multiple
sclerosis (MS), according to researchers. When a leading cholesterol
drug was tested in mice with an MS-like condition, it reversed the paralysis
caused by the illness and prevented relapses. The findings mirror results
published last month, which showed that statins cut MS-linked activity in human
cells in the laboratory. US scientists at the University of California, San
Francisco and Stanford University Medical Centre believe that if the drug
performs as well in human trials it could be a safe, easy-to-take therapy for
the progressive autoimmune disease.
Reuters Health 06/11/02
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6.11.02 Back
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Treatment helps girl with cerebral palsy to
walk
Intensive therapy at the Peto
Institute, in Budapest, Hungary has helped a two-year-old English girl with
cerebral palsy to walk. Olivia Anderson, from County Durham, was unable to crawl
or stand before she attended the institute but, three weeks into the treatment,
her parents say she is walking with the aid of parallel bars and is more
communicative. The therapy involves doctors training dormant parts of the brain
to compensate for the damaged sections that restrict a child's movements.
Daily Mirror 06/11/02; p.15
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Caution urged over cannabis medicines
Psychiatrists say the introduction of cannabis-based
medicines should be handled carefully, in the light of research into a link
between cannabis use and schizophrenia. Dr Deepak Cyril D'Souza, Yale University
School of Medicine, in the US, says there is concern that people who smoke large
amounts of cannabis over long periods of time are at higher risk of developing
the condition.
BBC News Online 06/11/02
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5.11.02 Back
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Cannabis-based medicines 'next year'
Medicines containing derivatives of cannabis could
be available in the UK within a year. The results of clinical trials conducted
by GW Pharmaceuticals
show that the medicines – delivered by oral spray – could help to relieve
symptoms of multiple sclerosis. GW plans to
seek marketing approval from the Medicines Control Agency early next year.
BBC News Online 05/11/02
The
House of Lords Report on Medicinal Cannabis (1998)
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4.11.02 Back
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Epilepsy drug link to birth defects
Babies born to women taking a common epilepsy
drug during pregnancy are almost twice as likely to have birth defects as those
born to women on other epilepsy medication, a study has found. An audit of more
than 2,000 pregnant women with epilepsy discovered that the drug sodium
valproate carries significantly greater risk than alternative medications. The
national study, by doctors at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, found that
there were markedly different rates of malformation in the babies of women
taking sodium valproate and the infants of mothers taking other epilepsy drugs.
The Times 04/11/02; p.2
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1.11.02 Back
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Palliative role of
cannabis
"Sinclair Dunnett examines
the controversy of growing cannabis and its merit as a palliative for certain
illnesses. There are ongoing trials at present for the use of cannabis, in
various forms, for the alleviation of pain in many diverse areas of medicine,
including the latter stages of cancer. Heroin is now an acceptable part of
mainstream medicine, when administered for pain relief as morphine.
Cocaine derivatives are used in anaesthetic. Maybe one day cannabis will
provide us with a bona fide medical use too.
Mr Dunnett does no credit to himself
or the many sufferers of ME
in seeming to dismiss the validity of this illness in his examination of
cannabis. In areas where the medical profession is drawing a blank
regarding cures, surely the examination of ways to control the symptoms deserve
a little more respect.
In the meantime I would ask Mr
Dunnett to be aware of the damage he may cause with slighting remarks regarding
a very difficult and sensitive illness. ME sufferers are often scorned,
and it is as hard for them to understand their debility as it is for the general
public and indeed the medical profession. None of us is all-knowledgeable
- let us not dismiss out of hand a possible road to discovery and cure."
Letter to the Editor, John O
Groat Journal, Caithness Friday 1 November 2002 (Name and address supplied)
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Scare stories about killer virus 'untrue'
Scare stories that West Nile virus has reached the
UK are wrong, the government's Natural Environment Research Council has said.
Scientists at the council's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Oxford are
investigating UK birds for signs of the virus – a germ carried by mosquitoes
that has killed 190 people in the US this year. Although the scientists are
believed to have detected antibodies to the virus, this could be a sign of past
infection in migratory birds rather than current infection by mosquitoes
carrying West Nile virus.
The Financial Times 01/11/02; p.6
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30.10.02 Back
to top Seizure Alert Dogs
May Assist In Seizure Reduction
In this week's Epilepsy Action Newsletter it is reported
that Seizure Alert
Dogs, dogs that are trained to recognise specific changes before a tonic-clonic
seizure in humans, can also help reduce the frequency of seizures, according to
a report in the journal Seizure.
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CJD risk after instrument error
As many as 29 patients may have been put at risk of
developing vCJD by
a hospital in Middlesborough. Surgeons are believed to have re-used instruments
that should have been quarantined as soon as it was discovered they had also
been used on a patient infected with the brain disease. South Tees NHS Trust is
arranging to meet the patients who may be at risk.
The Independent 30/10/02; p.1
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29.10.02 Back
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Hope for Huntington’s disease sufferers
A
treatment for Huntington’s disease could
be step closer following results from a UK study. Amarin Corporation said data
from final-stage studies showed that Lax-101 improved symptoms in
“statistically significant” numbers. The company and its partner, Laxdale,
will now discuss the data with the US Food and Drug Administration.
(The Financial Times 29/10/02;
p.24)
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Trial of high-risk therapy for severe MS planned
Italian scientists have announced plans for a
major trial of a controversial stem-cell therapy in people with severe multiple
sclerosis (MS) who do not respond to conventional treatment.
Professor Giovanni Mancardi from the University of Genoa said up to 240 people
would take part, even though early studies suggest that the new therapy carries
a high mortality risk as well as possible clinical benefits. The treatment
involves removing and storing the patients’ own stem cells from bone marrow,
then using drugs to knock out the immune system in order to stabilise the course
of MS.
Reuters Health 28/10/02; p.16
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28.10.02 - updated 1.11.02 above Back
to top
Scientists warn UK to be on look-out for West
Nile virus
Scientists are urgently trying to determine
whether a killer virus wreaking havoc in the US has arrived in Britain,
according to the Guardian
newspaper.
Evidence has been found in dead birds of
antibodies to West Nile virus, although no human cases have been detected where
the illness has developed in this country. Doctors had been warned to look out
for unexplained instances of brain inflammation.
The Guardian, Monday 28 October 2002, p2
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21.10.02 Back
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Diet could be the key to Parkinson's resistance
A diet with plenty of vitamin E could help to reduce the risk of developing
Parkinson's disease, according to scientists in the US. Researchers at Harvard
Medical School believe the vitamin’s antioxidant qualities prevent the cell
damage caused by the disease.
The Daily Mail 22/10/02; p.27
* Vegetable
oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables are the main dietary sources of vitamin
E. Fortified cereals are also an important source
of vitamin E. Always ask your GP or neurologist for advice before changing
your diet.
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21.10.02 Back
to top
Rib nerves repair spinal injury in rat study
The results of a new US study suggest that collecting tiny nerves from the
ribs and grafting them into the spinal cord along with a growth factor may help
repair spinal injury – at least in rats. 'It’s very exciting,' said lead
researcher Dr Vernon Lin, director of the Spinal Cord Injury Group at the Long
Beach Veterans Administration Medical Centre in California. However, more
research is needed to determine whether the technique would work in humans.
Reuters Health 18/10/02
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18.10.02 Back
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WHO says heart disease could be cut dramatically
The World Health Organization (WHO) says more than half of deaths caused by
heart disease and strokes worldwide could be prevented by simple measures,
focusing on reducing blood pressure, cholesterol levels, obesity and smoking. If
no action is taken, the death rates from cardiovascular disease will continue to
rise, in particular in the developing world, where what was once thought of as a
“Western" condition is becoming more common.
BBC News Online 18/10/02
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16.10.02 Back
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MS treatment hope
It appears that a molecule in the immune system plays a critical role in the
most severe form of multiple sclerosis (MS). The molecule – called anti-MOG
– is an antibody to a major element of the protective myelin sheath around
nerve cells. Patients with the progressive form of MS have higher than normal
levels of the molecule, according to scientists at the University of California,
San Francisco.
HealthScout 16/10/02
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15.10.02 Back
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Potential Parkinson's breakthrough
The early results of studies in the US indicate that a readily available food
supplement could hinder the development of Parkinson's
disease. Scientists at
the University of California in San Diego are now testing Coenzyme Q10 with a
larger group of patients to confirm the finding. The drug appears to play a key
role in the action of mitochondriae, the function of which is thought to be
impaired in Parkinson’s patients.
BBC News Online 15/10/02
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15.10.02 Back
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'Gulf
war veterans at risk of Lou Gehrig’s disease'
A new study suggests that veterans who served in the Persian Gulf region
during the Gulf war are at greater risk for amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis, or
Lou Gehrig’s disease, than veterans not deployed to this region. The study was
funded by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. However, some experts say it is
still unclear whether or not there is a connection. Commenting on the study Dr
Daniel Drachman, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore,
Maryland, the US, said, 'the data are not sufficiently clear to convince me that
there is a true effect.'
Reuters Health 15/10/02
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14.10.02 Back
to top
ME Association's Medical Advisor on
Seroxat
If you are taking Seroxat, a drug recently highlighted in
a BBC programme, you might want to read this advice
from the ME Association's website. |
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14.10.02
Back
to top
Epilepsy Scotland is
Our Name
"Scotland's leading epilepsy charity, Epilepsy
Scotland, is rebranding itself as Epilepsy Scotland from 14 October in a bid to
end confusion for its members and the general public about two epilepsy
charities operating in Scotland with similar names.
It is the only way we can resolve the confusion
that's been caused since the British Epilepsy Association took the name Epilepsy
Action in May 2002. As Epilepsy Scotland, we are confirming our identity as
Scotland's voice for epilepsy. The last few months have been very difficult for
us and we need the support of the Scottish public more than ever before. Every
penny we raise is for the benefit of people with epilepsy in Scotland. Epilepsy
Scotland is working to overcome the ignorance and injustice faced by 30,000
people with epilepsy in Scotland where the misdiagnosis rate is as high as 30
per cent and patients can wait up to a year to see a specialist. Raising public
awareness of epilepsy is one of our key priorities as epilepsy has been a
Cinderella condition long enough.
Epilepsy Scotland's goal is to tackle the legacy
of neglect and intolerance towards people with epilepsy. It would not help this
cause to enter a legal battle with a UK charity that has adopted a similar name
to ours.
People with epilepsy must have integrated
health care and easy access to appropriate information and support. It is time
for the Executive and NHS
Scotland to meet these basic needs with actions, not just kind words. We are
campaigning for improved services to ensure better diagnosis and treatment.
Epilepsy Scotland speaks on behalf of everyone in Scotland who is affected by
epilepsy, including families and carers.
We are the voice of
epilepsy in Scotland!"
Allana M. Parker
PR and Government Relations Manager, Epilepsy
Scotland
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14.10.02 Back
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Gene type may forecast diabetic
nerve damage
Diabetics with certain forms of a particular gene may be more likely than
others with the disease to develop a severe type of nerve
damage, US researchers
report. Preventing nerve damage before it occurs is possible, but expensive, say
scientists from Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina, the US.
Consequently, identifying the people who are most at risk for severe nerve
damage later in their disease will help doctors allocate intensive treatment to
those who need it most.
Reuters Health 14/10/02
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10.10.02 Back
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Gene therapy for Parkinson's
shows promise in rats
A new
gene therapy tactic appears to protect the brain cells damaged in Parkinson's
disease when given to rats with a Parkinson-like condition, according to
researchers from University of Auckland in New Zealand and Jefferson Medical
College in Philadelphia, in the US. They found that delivering the gene to a
movement-control centre in the rats’ brains helped protect essential dopamine
cells from damage and improved some movement impairment in the animals.
Reuters Health 10/10/02
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10.10.02 Back
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Botox for Stroke Patients?
US company Allergan is seeking approval from the
Food and Drug Administration for the use of Botox to reduce involuntary muscle
contractions and spasms – spasticity – in stroke patients. Neurologists have
been using the drug for this purpose for some time and say it is very useful
because it can be applied to specific muscles in very precise doses, and in many
cases US medical insurers already pay for Botox treatment for spasticity.
HealthScout 10/10/02
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10.10.02 Back
to top
Neurological Research News
Get the latest news on studies on neurological conditions
with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
(US site).
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30.9.02 Back
to top
MS Cannabis Trial Results
Read about the latest trials
of cannabis as a treatment for the symptoms of MS being carried out in the US. |
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27.9.02 Back
to top
Possibility
of Parkinson's disease developing from Ecstasy usage
Scientists in the US have done research on squirrel
monkeys which suggests that even just a couple of ecstasy tablets can cause
extensive damage to the brain which may in later life increase the risk of
Parkinson's disease.
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4 July 2002 Back
to top
Huntington's Disease Research
latest
Promising Huntington's Disease Research results
may lead to treatment to help slowdown the rate of progression of the condition.
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21.5.02 Back
to top
"Inadequate
Care" by NHS for people with epilepsy
A report in the Independent about inadequate
standards of care for people with epilepsy leading to serious consequences
unnecessarily, according to a national audit published by National Institute for
Clinical Excellences (NICE). Professor David Fish, consultant neurologist
at the National Hospital in London, said: "The report found failures in the
provision of care all through the system. This included problems of timely
access to expert specialists and a lack of structured and effective review at
primary and secondary care."
Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief
medical officer for England, has promised that the Department of Health will
produce an action plan to tackle the deficiencies in care within the next three
months.
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"Around
3 million people in the UK suffer from neurological conditions"
Back
to top
From
a BBC News
site. Talking about long waiting lists for people to see a
neurologist. 6.3.01
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14.5.02
Back
to top
Action on ME
A Scottish Campaign Group has been
putting the case to the Scottish Executive to fund a centre of excellence into
the causes of ME, a condition still not taken seriously, say the campaign, by
many healthcare professionals. The campaign was led by, among others,
Helen McDade, formerly Helen Dyer, who was brought up in Thurso. The
campaign was featured on BBC Scotland News at 6.30pm on Tuesday 14 May
2002.
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