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 NINDS Announces New Spanish-Language Website
Friday, Dec 7, 2007
Free, accurate information on many neurological disorders is now available on a new Spanish-language website from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The website is available at espanol.ninds.nih.gov.

El NINDS Anuncia una Nueva Página Web en Español
Friday, Dec 7, 2007
Información precisa y gratuita sobre muchos desordenes neurológicos esta ahora disponible en una nueva página web en español del National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) el cual es parte de los National Institutes of Health (NIH). La página web se encuentra disponible en espanol.ninds.nih.gov.

Scientists Zero in on the Cellular Machinery that Enables Neurons to Fire
Wednesday, Nov 14, 2007
If you ever had a set of Micronauts – toy robots with removable body parts – you probably had fun swapping their heads, imagining how it would affect their behavior. Scientists supported by the National Institutes of Health have been performing similar experiments on ion channels – pores in our nerve cells – to sort out the channels' key functional parts.

Imaging Neural Progenitor Cells in the Living Human Brain
Thursday, Nov 8, 2007
For the first time, investigators have identified a way to detect neural progenitor cells (NPCs), which can develop into neurons and other nervous system cells, in the living human brain using a type of imaging called magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The finding, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), may lead to improved diagnosis and treatment for depression, Parkinson's disease, brain tumors, and a host of other disorders.

NIH National Neurology Advisory Council Gains Five New Members
Friday, Oct 12, 2007
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) welcomes five new members to its National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke Council. The Council serves as the principal advisory body to the NINDS, a component of the National Institutes of Health and the nation's primary supporter of basic, translational, and clinical research on the brain and nervous system.

Treatment Blocks Pain Without Disrupting Other Functions
Wednesday, Oct 3, 2007
A combination of two drugs can selectively block pain-sensing neurons in rats without impairing movement or other sensations such as touch, according to a new study by National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported investigators. The finding suggests an improved way to treat pain from childbirth and surgical procedures. It may also lead to new treatments to help the millions of Americans who suffer from chronic pain.

Gene Triggers Obsessive Compulsive Disorder-Like Syndrome in Mice: Study Suggests New Treatment Targets
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007
Using genetic engineering, researchers have created an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - like set of behaviors in mice and reversed them with antidepressants and genetic targeting of a key brain circuit. The study, by National Institutes of Health (NIH) -funded researchers, suggests new strategies for treating the disorder.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Announces Effort to Promote Stroke Awareness in the Hispanic Community
Wednesday, Aug 8, 2007
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced the launch of a new community education program, which broadens the Institute’s national stroke education campaign "Know Stroke. Know the Signs. Act in Time." to promote stroke awareness among Hispanics in the United States.

After a Decades-Long Search, Scientists Identify New Genetic Risk Factors for Multiple Sclerosis
Sunday, Jul 29, 2007
A pair of large-scale genetic studies supported by the National Institutes of Health has revealed two genes that influence the risk of getting multiple sclerosis (MS) – data sought since the discovery of the only other known MS susceptibility gene decades ago. The findings could shed new light on what causes MS – a puzzling mix of genes, environment and immunity – and on potential treatments for at least 350,000 Americans who have the disease.

Scientists Identify a Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell More Like Our Own
Thursday, Jun 28, 2007
Scientists have discovered a new type of mouse embryonic stem cell that is the closest counterpart yet to human embryonic stem (ES) cells, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today. The cells are expected to serve as an improved model for human ES cells in studies of regeneration, disease pathology and basic stem cell biology.

NIH Study Tracks Brain Development in Some 500 Children across U.S.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Children appear to approach adult levels of performance on many basic cognitive and motor skills by age 11 or 12, according to a new study coordinated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

NIH Announces Phase III Clinical Trial of Creatine for Parkinson's Disease
Thursday, Mar 22, 2007
The NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is launching a large-scale clinical trial to learn if the nutritional supplement creatine can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). While creatine is not an approved therapy for PD or any other condition, it is widely thought to improve exercise performance. The potential benefit of creatine for PD was identified by Parkinson’s researchers through a new rapid method for screening potential compounds.

A picture of two white mice on a blue surface. The left mouse appears approximately twice the size of the right one and is able to stand upright. The right mouse is much smaller and appears to be leaning slightly.

Treatment Extends Survival in Mouse Model of Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Thursday, Feb 22, 2007
Drug therapy can extend survival and improve movement in a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), new research shows. The study, carried out at the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), suggests that similar drugs might one day be useful for treating human SMA.

NIH Study Finds MRI More Sensitive Than CT in Diagnosing Most Common Form of Acute Stroke
Friday, Jan 26, 2007
Results from the most comprehensive study to compare two imaging techniques for the emergency diagnosis of suspected acute stroke show that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide a more sensitive diagnosis than computed tomography (CT) for acute ischemic stroke. The difference between MRI and CT was attributable to MRI’s superiority for detection of acute ischemic stroke—the most common form of stroke, caused by a blood clot. The study was conducted by physicians at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Findings appear in the January 27, 2007 edition of The Lancet.

NINDS Names Dr. Walter Koroshetz as Deputy Director
Wednesday, Jan 3, 2007
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has named Walter J. Koroshetz, M.D., as its Deputy Director. Effective January 2, 2007, he will work with the NINDS Director in program planning and budgeting, as well as oversee Institute scientific and administrative functions.

In Most Comprehensive Study Yet, Two-Week Regimen Helps Stroke Survivors Regain Arm Control
Tuesday, Oct 31, 2006
In the largest, most comprehensive study of its kind to date, researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) showed clinical improvements out to one year when stroke survivors who had lost function in one arm were given a unique, two-week rehabilitation regimen.

Gene Variation Affects Pain Sensitivity and Risk of Chronic Pain: Finding May Lead to New Treatments
Sunday, Oct 22, 2006
A new NIH-funded study shows that a specific gene variant in humans affects both sensitivity to short-term (acute) pain in healthy volunteers and the risk of developing chronic pain after one kind of back surgery. Blocking increased activity of this gene after nerve injury or inflammation in animals prevented development of chronic pain.

Six New Members Named to National Neurology Advisory Council
Thursday, Oct 5, 2006
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has appointed six new members to its major advisory panel, the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke Council. The NINDS, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the nation’s primary supporter of basic, translational, and clinical research on the brain and nervous system. NINDS Director Story Landis, Ph.D., formally introduced the new members, who will serve through July 2010, at the Council’s September 14, 2006 meeting.

NINDS Names New Scientific Director: Dr. Alan Koretsky to Lead Institute’s Intramural Research Program
Friday, Sep 29, 2006
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announces the appointment of Alan P. Koretsky, Ph.D., as Scientific Director.  Beginning October 1, 2006, he will direct the NINDS Division of Intramural Research, which conducts studies on the biomedical processes involved in the more than 600 disorders and conditions that affect the nervous system.

Researchers Announce Results of Study on Genetic Variation in Parkinson's Disease
Wednesday, Sep 27, 2006
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have completed one of the first large-scale studies of the role of common genetic variation in Parkinson’s disease (PD). While the results fill in some missing pieces of the genetic puzzle, they are primarily of benefit as a starting point for more detailed studies. The information generated by the study is now publicly available in a database that will serve as a valuable research tool for the future.

Dopamine Drug Leads to New Neurons and Recovery of Function in Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease
Tuesday, Jul 4, 2006
In preliminary results, researchers have shown that a drug which mimics the effects of the nerve-signaling chemical dopamine causes new neurons to develop in the part of the brain where cells are lost in Parkinson's disease (PD). The drug also led to long-lasting recovery of function in an animal model of PD. The findings may lead to new ways of treating PD and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Neurons Grown From Embryonic Stem Cells Restore Function In Paralyzed Rats
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2006
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).

Economic Benefit of NINDS-Supported Clinical Trials Estimated at More Than $15 Billion Over Ten Years
Thursday, Apr 20, 2006
A comprehensive review of all phase III clinical trials supported by one Federal agency finds that, estimated conservatively, the economic benefit in the United States from just eight of these trials exceeded $15 billion over the course of 10 years. The study also found that new discoveries from the trials were responsible for an estimated additional 470,000 healthy years of life. The clinical trials were sponsored by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Evaluation of Patients Treated With Natalizumab Finds No New Cases of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
Wednesday, Mar 1, 2006
An independent clinical and laboratory study of more than 3000 people treated with the drug natalizumab (Tysabri®) for multiple sclerosis (MS), Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis has found no evidence of new cases of the often-fatal disorder called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). The laboratory component of the study was coordinated by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), working in conjunction with the NIH Clinical Center.

Study Implicates Potassium Channel Mutations in Neurodegeneration and Mental Retardation
Sunday, Feb 26, 2006
For the first time, researchers have linked mutations in a gene that regulates how potassium enters cells to a neurodegenerative disease and to another disorder that causes mental retardation and coordination problems. The findings may lead to new ways of treating a broad range of disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Preliminary Results Shows Creatine and Minocycline May Warrant Further Study in Parkinson’s Disease
Thursday, Feb 23, 2006
A National Institutes of Health-sponsored clinical trial with 200 Parkinson's disease patients has shown that creatine and minocycline may warrant further consideration for study in a large trial.

Study Links Alzheimer's Disease to Abnormal Cell Division
Tuesday, Jan 17, 2006
A new study in mice suggests that Alzheimer's disease (AD) may be triggered when adult neurons try to divide. The finding helps researchers understand what goes wrong in the disease and may lead to new ways of treating it.

Study Links Progressive Aphasia Syndrome to Prion Gene
Monday, Nov 28, 2005
Most people with a rare type of dementia called primary progressive aphasia (PPA) have a specific combination of prion gene variants, a new study shows. The study is the first to link the prion protein gene to this disorder. The researchers also looked at the prion protein gene in people with Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) and did not find any association with specific gene variants in those disorders.

Genetic Analysis of Glioblastoma Brain Tumors Can Aid in Treatment Decisions, Study Shows
Wednesday, Nov 9, 2005
Screening glioblastoma brain tumors for two gene variations can reliably predict which tumors will respond to a specific class of drugs, a new study shows. The findings may lead to improved treatment for this devastating disease.

New Members Appointed to National Neurology Advisory Council
Wednesday, Sep 14, 2005
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt announces three new appointments and one reappointment to the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke Council, the major advisory panel of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The NINDS, a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the nation’s primary supporter of basic, translational, and clinical research on the brain and nervous system. NINDS Director Story Landis, Ph.D., will introduce the new members, who will serve through July 2009, at the Council’s September 15, 2005 meeting.

NINDS Javits Award Goes to Six Inventive Neuroscientists
Wednesday, Sep 7, 2005
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a part of the National Institutes of Health, has named six scientists to receive its prestigious Senator Jacob Javits Award in the Neurosciences. The award is given to individual investigators who have demonstrated exceptional scientific excellence and productivity in research supported by the NINDS and who are expected to conduct innovative research over the next 7 years.

NINDS Launches Stroke Awareness Video for Hispanics
Tuesday, Aug 30, 2005
Each year, more than 700,000 Americans have a stroke. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of long-term disability in the U.S. The disease also disproportionately affects Hispanics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hispanics 35-64 years old are 1.3 times more likely to have a stroke than whites in the same age group. Today, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) released a Spanish video designed to educate Hispanic communities nationwide about stroke prevention and treatment.

Stroke Information for Seniors Added to the NIHSeniorHealth Web Site
Tuesday, Aug 23, 2005
To help older adults learn more about the signs and symptoms of stroke and the need to act quickly, the National Institutes of Health is adding four new topics on stroke to its NIHSeniorHealth web site: Act Quickly, Warnings Signs and Risk Factors, What Happens during a Stroke, and Treatments and Research. The site features easy-to-read stroke information, developed by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and may be found at www.nihseniorhealth.gov.

Combination Therapy Leads to Partial Recovery from Spinal Cord Injury in Rats
Tuesday, Jul 26, 2005
Combining partially differentiated stem cells with gene therapy can promote the growth of new "insulation" around nerve fibers in the damaged spinal cords of rats, a new study shows. The treatment, which mimics the activity of two nerve growth factors, also improves the animals' motor function and electrical conduction from the brain to the leg muscles. The finding may eventually lead to new ways of treating spinal cord injury in humans.

Aspirin is Safer than Warfarin and Just as Effective for Treating Blocked Arteries in the Brain
Wednesday, Mar 30, 2005
To reduce the risk of stroke, partial blockage of arteries in the brain (intracranial stenosis) has for decades been treated with drugs such as aspirin and warfarin that reduce blood clotting. However, doctors have never had good evidence for choosing one therapy over the other. Now, results of a double-blind, randomized clinical trial show for the first time that aspirin works as well as warfarin with fewer side effects.

Test Could Improve Detection of Prion Disease in Humans
Monday, Feb 14, 2005
A highly sensitive post-mortem test could help scientists more accurately determine if a person died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a human neurological disorder caused by the same class of infectious proteins that trigger mad cow disease, according to a new study supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The finding opens the possibility that such testing might be refined in the future so it can be used to detect prion disease in living people and animals before the onset of symptoms.

Ultrasound-aided Therapy Better Than Stroke Drug Alone, Trial Finds
Wednesday, Nov 17, 2004
Using ultrasound in combination with the drug t-PA can improve response to an ischemic stroke, according to a study involving 126 patients. This first-of-its-kind human trial compared the safety and efficacy of ultrasound and t-PA versus use of t-PA alone. The trial was funded in part by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a component of the National Institutes of Health. The finding appears in the November 18, 2004, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Internationally Acclaimed Pianist Gives Thanks to the National Institutes of Health for Innovative Treatment That Enabled His Comeback
Friday, Nov 12, 2004
Maestro Leon Fleisher, one of the world's most renowned classical pianists and three-time Grammy-nominee, will perform selections from his critically acclaimed new CD "Two Hands" at a pre-Thanksgiving event at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). More than 40 years ago, at the height of his career, Mr. Fleisher lost the use of his right hand to dystonia, the third most common neurological movement disorder after Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. He could no longer play the piano with both hands and the frequently misdiagnosed disorder severely impeded his performance of everyday tasks. About 10 years ago, physicians at the NIH were able to diagnose the problem as a focal dystonia and start him on a therapy which helped to reverse the condition.

NIH Neuroscience Blueprint to Shape Intra-Agency Research Cooperation
Sunday, Oct 24, 2004
National Institutes of Health Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., today announced a new intra-agency partnership to accelerate neuroscience research. Dubbed the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, the agreement reinforces ongoing NIH efforts to increase collaborative research and information-sharing among 14 NIH Institutes and Centers that conduct or support research on the brain and nervous system.

A montage of four images of the development of a single neuron over a two-week period. The neuron was transfected with green flourescent protein and a microscope imaged the neuron 3 hours, 64 hours, 113 hours, and 137 hours later.

Study Using Robotic Microscope Shows How Mutant Huntington's Disease Protein Affects Neurons
Wednesday, Oct 13, 2004
Using a specially designed robotic microscope to study cultured cells, researchers have found evidence that abnormal protein clumps called inclusion bodies in neurons from people with Huntington's disease (HD) prevent cell death. The finding helps to resolve a longstanding debate about the role of these inclusion bodies in HD and other disorders and may help investigators find effective treatments for these diseases.
Fact Sheet

Reorganization of the Brain Allows Blind Individuals to Process Speech More Effectively
Monday, Oct 4, 2004
The portion of the brain devoted to vision may play a prominent role in processing the spoken word in blind people. Research conducted by the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) shows that the "sight" region of the brain is essentially reorganized in blind individuals to help them process spoken words more effectively. The findings yield important information about the brain's ability to compensate for lost function.

Small Trial Shows Daclizumab Add-On Therapy Improves Multiple Sclerosis Outcome
Monday, May 24, 2004
A small clinical trial of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who did not respond to interferon alone found that adding the human antibody daclizumab improved patient outcome. Patients who received the combined therapy had a 78 percent reduction in new brain lesions and a 70 percent reduction in total lesions, along with other significant clinical improvements.
Fact Sheet

Combination Therapy Dramatically Improves Function After Spinal Cord Injury in Rats
Sunday, May 23, 2004
A combination therapy using transplanted cells plus two experimental drugs significantly improves function in paralyzed rats, a new study shows. The results suggest that a similar therapy may be useful in humans with spinal cord injury.
Fact Sheet

Study in Flies Allows Researchers to Visualize Formation of a Memory
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
For the first time, researchers have used a technique called optical imaging to visualize changes in nerve connections when flies learn. These changes may be the beginning of a complex chain of events that leads to formation of lasting memories.

Early Treatment Confirmed as Key to Stroke Recovery
Thursday, Mar 4, 2004
A study in the March 6, 2004, issue of The Lancet confirms the benefits of getting stroke patients to the hospital quickly for rapid thrombolytic treatment. The study provides the results of an extensive analysis of more than 2,700 stroke patients in six controlled clinical trials who were randomized for treatment with thrombolytic t-PA or a placebo.
Fact Sheet

Yeast Model Yields Insight into Parkinson's Disease
Thursday, Dec 4, 2003
Scientists who developed the first yeast model of Parkinson's disease (PD) have been able to describe the mechanisms of an important gene's role in the disease. Tiago Fleming Outeiro, Ph.D., and Susan Lindquist, Ph.D., of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, studied the gene's actions under normal conditions and under abnormal conditions to learn how and when the gene's product, alpha-synuclein, becomes harmful to surrounding cells. The scientists created a yeast model that expresses the alpha-synuclein gene, which has been implicated in PD. Yeast models are often used in the study of genetic diseases because they offer researchers a simple system that allows them to clarify how genes work.
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Major New Finding on Genetics of Parkinson's Disease Zeroes In on Activity of Alpha Synuclein
Thursday, Oct 30, 2003
Scientists investigating a rare familial form of early-onset Parkinson's disease have discovered that too much of a normal form of the alpha-synuclein gene may cause Parkinson's disease. The finding, reported in the October 31, 2003, issue of Science, shows that abnormal multiplication of the alpha-synuclein gene can cause the disease.
Fact Sheet

Study Reveals Patterns of Gene Activity in the Mouse Nervous System
Wednesday, Oct 29, 2003
The first published data from a government-funded project provide remarkable new insights into where specific genes are active in the mouse nervous system during development and adulthood. Information from this project will advance researchers' understanding of how particular genes function in the brain and spinal cord, leading to insights about how the nervous system works. It also may lead to new ways of preventing or treating disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, psychiatric disorders, and drug addiction.

Story C. Landis, Ph.D., Named New Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Wednesday, Aug 6, 2003
Elias Zerhouni, M.D., director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced the appointment of Story C. Landis, Ph.D., as director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Dr. Landis, who is currently the Scientific Director of the NINDS intramural program, will begin her appointment on September 1, 2003.

Molecular Fingerprint Predicts HIV-Associated Dementia
Monday, Jun 23, 2003
A new study using a cutting edge research technique called "proteomics protein fingerprinting" shows that HIV patients with dementia have distinct protein patterns in their blood, setting them apart from patients with no symptoms of dementia. The study suggests a possible way to screen HIV patients for the first signs of cognitive impairment.
Fact Sheet

Aspirin as Effective as Ticlopidine in African American Antiplatelet Stroke Prevention Study
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2003
Results from the African American Antiplatelet Stroke Prevention Study (AAASPS), a large multicenter trial of 1,809 African American stroke patients from over 60 sites in the United States, show that aspirin is as effective as ticlopidine for prevention of a second stroke in this population. Originally scheduled to run until October 2003, the AAASPS was stopped in July 2002, after analyses suggested that there was less than a 1% chance that ticlopidine would be shown to be superior to aspirin if the study were carried to completion.
Fact Sheet

Misbehaving Molecules: 3-Dimensional Pictures of ALS Mutant Proteins Support Two Major Theories About How the Disease is Caused
Sunday, May 18, 2003
A new study reveals for the first time how gene mutations lead to the inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease. The study suggests that the two most prominent theories of how familial ALS (FALS) and other related diseases develop are both right in part.
Fact Sheet

Stroke Recovery Rates Slower for African Americans: New Research Examines Reasons for Racial Disparities
Thursday, May 8, 2003
African Americans are more likely to suffer strokes and recover from them at a slower rate than whites, and these differences are not simply the result of greater stroke severity. According to Ronnie D. Horner, Ph.D., program director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and leader of a recently published study, research has found that African Americans who delay their post-stroke rehabilitation recover at a significantly slower rate than whites who experience the same rehabilitation delay. Recovery rates are even lower among low-income African Americans.
Fact Sheet

Pressure Combined with Heat Reduces Prion Infectivity in Processed Meats
Monday, May 5, 2003
The combination of high temperature and very high pressure in the preparation of processed meats such as hot dogs and salami may effectively reduce the presence of infective prions while retaining the taste, texture, and look of these meats, according to a new study.
Fact Sheet

Cognitive Abilities Increase Significantly With Time in Most Prematurely Born Children
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2003
Many studies have found that children born prematurely with very low birthweight have an increased risk of neurological problems, including cognitive handicaps. New research shows that most of these children improve significantly on tests of cognitive function during early childhood and score within the normal range on tests of verbal comprehension and intelligence by age 8.

Drug-Resistant Seizures Often Take Years to Develop
Monday, Jan 27, 2003
While about 80 percent of people with epilepsy gain significant relief from drug therapy, the remaining 20 percent have seizures that cannot be controlled by medications. Many of these people have a particular type of epilepsy called partial epilepsy. A new study shows that people with partial epilepsy often have seizures controlled by medications for years before their seizures become drug-resistant. The study also found that periods when seizures stopped for a year or more are common in these patients.
Fact Sheet

Bone Marrow Generates New Neurons in Human Brains
Monday, Jan 20, 2003
A new study strongly suggests that some cells from bone marrow can enter the human brain and generate new neurons and other types of brain cells. If researchers can find a way to control these cells and direct them to damaged areas of the brain, this finding may lead to new treatments for stroke, Parkinson's disease, and other neurological disorders.

Study Suggests Coenzyme Q10 Slows Functional Decline in Parkinson's Disease
Monday, Oct 14, 2002
Results of the first placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial of the compound coenzyme Q10 suggest that it can slow disease progression in patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD). While the results must be confirmed in a larger study, they provide hope that this compound may ultimately provide a new way of treating PD.
Fact Sheet

Researchers Successfully Deliver Drugs to the Primate Brainstem
Thursday, Oct 3, 2002
Current drug treatments of brainstem tumors are largely unsuccessful, because the drugs often fail to bypass the blood vessel lining protecting the brainstem. Now, an NIH study shows that researchers can effectively deliver drugs to the primate brainstem and monitor how the drugs spread inside the brain. The study provides hope for improving treatment of brainstem tumors and other brain diseases.
Fact Sheet

Vaccine Prevents Stroke in Rats
Thursday, Sep 5, 2002
A vaccine that interferes with inflammation inside blood vessels greatly reduces the frequency and severity of strokes in spontaneously hypertensive, genetically stroke-prone rats, according to a new study from the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). If the vaccine works in humans, it could prevent many of the strokes that occur each year.
Fact Sheet

New Device Detects Fetal Brain Response to Light: May Help Prevent Brain Damage
Thursday, Sep 5, 2002
For years, doctors who work in maternal and fetal medicine have had no way to detect brain activity in unborn children. Now, for the first time, researchers using a unique scanning device have shown that they can detect fetal brain activity in response to flashes of light transmitted through the mother's abdomen. With refinement, this technique may help physicians detect and prevent fetal brain damage resulting from maternal hypertension, diabetes, and other conditions.

Scientists Identify a New Kind of Genetic Problem in Muscular Dystrophy
Thursday, Aug 8, 2002
A newly identified genetic problem underlies a common neuromuscular disorder called facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), scientists say. In a new study, they show that deletion of repetitive DNA sequences in people with this disorder allows nearby genes to go into overdrive. The finding solves a decade-old riddle about the cause of this disorder and may ultimately lead to the first effective treatments.
Fact Sheet

Study Finds a Mouse Model for Episodic Neurological Disorders
Monday, Aug 5, 2002
For years, physicians have noticed surprising similarities in the factors that seem to trigger attacks in such episodic neurological disorders as migraine and dyskinesia. Common triggers include psychological stress, caffeine or alcohol ingestion, fatigue, hormonal fluctuations and exercise. A new study shows that a mouse model can be used to investigate how these substances and environmental factors trigger symptomatic attacks. The researchers also identified two drugs that can prevent attacks of such disorders in mice.

Embryonic Mouse Stem Cells Reduce Symptoms in Model for Parkinson's Disease
Thursday, Jun 20, 2002
Embryonic mouse stem cells transformed into neurons in a lab dish and then transplanted into a rat model for Parkinson's disease (PD) form functional connections and reduce disease symptoms, a new study shows. The finding suggests that embryonic stem (ES) cells may ultimately be useful for treating PD and other brain diseases.
Fact Sheet

Study Finds Autoimmune Link In Juvenile Batten Disease
Wednesday, May 22, 2002
For years, researchers have tried to determine how the defective gene in juvenile Batten disease leads to the seizures, mental impairment, and other symptoms of this devastating childhood disorder. A new study shows that mice lacking the gene that is altered, or mutated, in this disorder have an immune reaction that disables an important enzyme in the brain. The study also found signs of this reaction in children with Batten disease. The finding provides a new clue about how Batten disease may damage the nervous system and could lead to treatments for the disorder.
Fact Sheet

Study Finds Widespread Sympathetic Nerve Damage in Parkinson's Disease
Monday, Apr 22, 2002
Parkinson's disease is known to cause damage to a specific region of the brain. A new study led by NINDS scientist David S. Goldstein, M.D., Ph.D., shows that the disease also causes widespread damage to the sympathetic nervous system, which controls blood pressure, pulse rate, and many other automatic responses to stress. The study also shows that this damage is unrelated to treatment with the most commonly used Parkinson's drug, levodopa, and may lead to new approaches to identifying the cause of the disease. The study appears in the April 23, 2002, issue of Neurology.
Fact Sheet

Researchers Identify Potential Treatment for Learning Disability in Neurofibromatosis
Wednesday, Jan 16, 2002
Researchers studying learning disabilities associated with neurofibromatosis type 1, or NF1, have traced the problem to excessive activity of a crucial signaling molecule and have successfully reversed the disabilities in mice by giving them an experimental drug. The findings provide hope that these learning problems may one day be treatable in humans.
Fact Sheet

Immunotherapy Treatment Shows Dramatic Results for Rare Neurological Disorder
Wednesday, Dec 26, 2001
An immunologic therapy, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg), administered to patients suffering from stiff person syndrome (SPS), provides dramatic relief from disabling symptoms, according to a study appearing in the December 27, 2001, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.* The study's principal author, Marinos C. Dalakas, M.D., chief of the Neuromuscular Diseases Section of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, says that the success of the treatment supports the theory that SPS is the result of an autoimmune response gone awry in the brain and spinal cord.

Delayed Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury May Improve Recovery
Saturday, Dec 1, 2001
Rats given an experimental therapy several weeks after their spinal cords were severed showed dramatically greater regrowth of nerve fibers and recovery of function than rats treated immediately after injury, a new study shows. The report suggests that the window of opportunity for treating spinal cord injury may be wider than previously anticipated.
Fact Sheet

Study Shows That Aspirin and Warfarin Are Equally Effective for Stroke Prevention
Wednesday, Nov 14, 2001
A study appearing in the November 15, 2001, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine shows that aspirin works as well as warfarin in helping to prevent recurrent strokes in most patients. The Warfarin versus Aspirin Recurrent Stroke Study (WARSS) was a 7-year double-blind, randomized clinical trial involving 2,206 patients at 48 participating centers—the largest trial to date comparing aspirin to warfarin for recurrent stroke prevention. The study was sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
Fact Sheet

Estrogen Doesn't Prevent Second Strokes: Protective Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy Challenged
Thursday, Oct 25, 2001
Estrogen hormone replacement therapy does not reduce the risk of stroke or death in postmenopausal women who have already had a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), according to a report from the first randomized, controlled clinical trial of estrogen therapy for secondary prevention of cerebrovascular disease.
Fact Sheet

Safe Effective Treatment to Stop Seizures Can Be Delivered Outside of the Hospital
Wednesday, Aug 29, 2001
A new study shows that paramedics can safely and effectively treat patients who are suffering from acute and prolonged seizures with injections of benzodiazepines, a mild form of tranquilizers. In 59 percent of patients who received lorazepam, and in 43 percent of patients treated with diazepam, the seizures stopped before they arrived at the emergency department. Conversely, only 21 percent of patients in the placebo group arrived at the hospital seizure free.
Fact Sheet

Trial Drugs for Huntington's Disease Inconclusive in Slowing Disease
Monday, Aug 13, 2001
A large-scale clinical trial that tested the ability of the investigational drugs remacemide and Coenzyme Q10 to slow the progression of Huntington's disease showed that neither drug resulted in any significant improvement for the patients. Although after one year of treatment, the disease seemed to progress more slowly in patients treated with Coenzyme Q10, the investigators say that overall the results are inconclusive as to whether there is real benefit from this drug.
Fact Sheet

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Manipulating A Single Gene Dramatically Improves Regeneration in Adult Neurons: Finding May Lead to New Approaches for Treating Brain and Spinal Cord Damage
Sunday, Jul 1, 2001
Increasing the expression of a single gene that is important during development dramatically improves the ability of adult neurons to regenerate, a new study shows. The finding suggests that intrinsic properties of neurons play an important role in controlling neuronal regeneration and may lead to new approaches for treating damage from stroke, spinal cord injury, and other neurological conditions.

New Tool Allows Early Prediction of Patient's Stroke Outcome
Thursday, Jun 28, 2001
Scientists have developed a new tool that may help physicians predict, during the first several hours a stroke patient is in the hospital, the degree of recovery the patient will eventually experience. The tool uses three factors for the accurate prediction of stroke outcome: measurement of brain injury using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); the patient's score on the NIH stroke scale; and the time in hours from the onset of symptoms until the MRI brain scan is performed.
Fact Sheet

Enzyme Therapy Shown Effective and Safe for Fabry Disease
Tuesday, Jun 5, 2001
Enzyme replacement therapy effectively and safely reduces neuropathic pain in patients with Fabry disease, results of a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial show. The therapy also corrects the underlying metabolic defect in patients' cells and improves their heart and kidney functions. This is the first published report to show significant clinical benefits from a controlled study of enzyme replacement therapy for Fabry disease.
Fact Sheet

Increased Awareness of Stroke Symptoms Could Dramatically Reduce Stroke Disability - New NIH Public Education Campaign Says Bystanders Can Play Key Role
Tuesday, May 8, 2001
Only a fraction of stroke patients each year are getting to the hospital in time to receive a treatment that makes the difference between disability and full recovery. Thousands more people could benefit from the treatment—a drug called tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA)—but do not, often because they do not know the symptoms of stroke or do not get to the hospital within the drug's 3-hour window of effectiveness. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is launching a national public education campaign, 'Know Stroke: Know the Signs. Act in Time,' to help people overcome these barriers and to get medical help in time.
Fact Sheet

Drugs and Stress Management Together Best Manage Chronic Tension Headache: Clinical Trial Proves Benefit of Combined Therapies
Tuesday, May 1, 2001
Stress management techniques such as relaxation and biofeedback can help treat chronic tension headaches, especially in combination with medicine, according to research funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Results of the first placebo-controlled trial comparing medicines alone vs. medicine plus stress management appear in the May 2, 2001, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Fact Sheet

Blood Markers Associated with Autism and Mental Retardation
Wednesday, Apr 25, 2001
A new study shows that elevated concentrations of proteins present at birth in the blood may be associated with the development of autism and mental retardation later in childhood. The identification of a biological marker early in life and before the onset of symptoms could lead to earlier and more definitive diagnoses, better clinical definitions, and the discovery of interventional therapies for the disorders.
Fact Sheet

Popular Pain Analgesics Found to Affect Central Nervous System: Study Identifies Both Peripheral and CNS Mechanisms of Action of NSAID Use
Wednesday, Mar 21, 2001
Widely prescribed pain killers that provide relief with minimal side effects may have more pain-relieving properties than previously identified. A new study funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) shows that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, not only relieve pain at the local (peripheral) site of inflammation but in fact affect the entire central nervous system.

Federal Health Agencies Team Up with the American Heart Association to Advance War on Heart Disease and Stroke
Thursday, Feb 1, 2001
The Federal government and the American Heart Association—including its division the American Stroke Association—are joining forces in the fight against heart disease and stroke, America's number one and number three killers, respectively.

Breaking Down Barriers: NIH Celebrates New National Neuroscience Research Center
Tuesday, Jan 23, 2001
At a special event held at the National Institutes of Health on January 4, more than 150 principal investigators from nine institutes--the first gathering of its type--heard NINDS Director Gerald D. Fischbach, M.D., and Steven Hyman, M.D., director of NIMH, describe their vision of a new intellectual framework for joint efforts in neuroscience research. The new National Neuroscience Research Center, which will be built on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, will support that vision through shared, flexible space, easy traffic flow, and ample areas for interaction among scientists and with the public.

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Turning Blood into Brain: New Studies Suggest Bone Marrow Stem Cells Can Develop into Neurons in Living Animals
Thursday, Nov 30, 2000
For years, researchers studying stem cells have been intrigued by the possibility that these cells might be used to treat brain diseases. Recent studies have suggested that neural stem cells transplanted into the brain can migrate throughout the brain and develop into other types of cells. Now, two new studies show that bone marrow cells transplanted into mice can migrate into the brain and develop into cells that appear to be neurons. The studies suggest that bone marrow may be a readily available source of neural cells with potential for treating such neurological disorders as Parkinson's disease and traumatic brain injury.

NINDS Sponsors Stroke Sunday to Call Attention to Stroke Rate in African Americans
Tuesday, Oct 31, 2000
NINDS Deputy Director Audrey Penn and researchers from NINDS' Stroke Branch recently joined U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher at a Rockville, Maryland, Baptist church for Stroke Sunday, a health education and stroke event co-sponsored by the American Stroke Association (ASA) and the Black Commissioned Officers' Advisory Group of the U.S. Public Health Service (BCOAG). The event brought attention to the major impact of stroke in the African American community and helped to inform church congregants about reducing their stroke risks.
Fact Sheet

NINDS Funds Three New Specialized Neuroscience Research Programs at Minority Academic Institutions
Tuesday, Oct 31, 2000
As part of its initiative to promote and enhance neuroscience research at minority institutions, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), in collaboration with the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), has funded three new Specialized Neuroscience Research Programs (SNRPs). The programs at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Meharry Medical College and Hunter College seek to encourage neuroscience graduate education among minority students and to stimulate new research on brain and nervous system disorders affecting minorities.

NIH Grantees Awarded Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for Brain Research
Monday, Oct 9, 2000
Long-time National Institutes of Health grantees Dr. Eric R. Kandel and Dr. Paul Greengard were awarded the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries in signal transduction in the nervous system. Together their work has improved treatments for Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and depression and holds promise for the improvement of memory in various types of dementia.

MS Clinical Trials Confirm Approach, Demonstrate Need to Refine Targeted Peptide Therapy
Sunday, Oct 1, 2000
Two clinical trials of a targeted peptide therapy in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) have been halted due to adverse effects in some study participants. Despite these adverse effects, the findings confirm that the targeted peptide plays a role in the disease and provide valuable information that may help refine this type of therapy for MS as well as other autoimmune diseases.
Fact Sheet

Cellular Membrane Changes Associated With Acclimation to Cold
Wednesday, Sep 20, 2000
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have discovered a cellular mechanism in hibernating ground squirrels that may protect the nervous system from being damaged during extreme cold and lowered body temperatures, called hypothermia. This discovery could lead to a better understanding of the cellular mechanisms of hibernation and the cellular effects of hypothermia in non-hibernating animals.

Parkinson's Disease Is More Than a Brain Disorder
Monday, Sep 4, 2000
For many years, researchers have known that the movement problems associated with Parkinson's disease result from a loss of neurons that produce a nerve-signaling chemical called dopamine in one part of the brain. A new study suggests that Parkinson's disease (PD) also affects nerve endings that produce a related chemical, norepinephrine, in the heart. The finding improves understanding about how Parkinson's disease develops and may lead to a way of predicting the disorder and possibly even preventing it.
Fact Sheet

Scientists Pinpoint Possible Cause for Debilitating Sleep Disorder Narcolepsy
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2000
Scientists believe they may have identified the cause of the debilitating sleep disorder narcolepsy in humans. A new study shows a dramatic reduction — up to 95 percent — in the number of neurons containing a substance called hypocretins in the brains of people with narcolepsy compared to control brains. Hypocretin peptides are neurotransmitters that play an important role in regulating sleep and appetite. The researchers hypothesize that the pronounced loss of these neurons could be caused either by a neurodegenerative process or an autoimmune response.
Fact Sheet

NINDS Hosts First Parkinson's Disease Implementation Committee Meeting to Establish Priorities for Parkinson's Research
Monday, Jul 31, 2000
The first meeting of the NINDS Parkinson's Disease Implementation Committee (PDIC) was held July 31, 2000 at the National Institutes of Health, Neuroscience Center in Rockville, Maryland. The Committee identified several areas of Parkinson's disease research that will receive the highest priority in the coming weeks, including clinical trials and gene research.

Establishing Stroke Centers in Hospitals Would Reduce Deaths and Disabilities, Say Stroke Experts. First-Ever Recommendations Published in June 21 Issue of JAMA
Tuesday, Jun 20, 2000
BETHESDA, MD - A national stroke coalition today announced it is advocating for all hospitals to establish stroke centers or other programs to reduce deaths and disabilities from stroke. The June 21, 2000, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) features the first-ever recommendations for hospital stroke centers, authored by members of the Brain Attack Coalition, a group of professional, volunteer and government organizations dedicated to improving stroke treatment and prevention.
Fact Sheet

Clinical Expert Dr. Guy McKhann Joins NINDS Research Planning Effort: Will Coordinate InstitutE'Ss Clinical Research Programs
Thursday, May 25, 2000
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) director Gerald D. Fischbach, M.D., today announced that Guy McKhann, M.D., will serve as Associate Director for Clinical Research for the Institute. Dr. McKhann is former chairman of The Johns Hopkins University Department of Neurology and founding director of the university's Mind/Brain Institute.

NIH Experts Say Few Eligible Stroke Patients Receive Treatments That Save Lives And Reduce Disability
Monday, May 15, 2000
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a component of the National Institutes of Health, said today that few eligible stroke patients receive treatments that can significantly reduce disability and save lives.

NINDS Funds Five Specialized Neuroscience Programs at Minority Institutions
Tuesday, Jan 18, 2000
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), in collaboration with the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) and the Office for Research on Minority Health (ORMH), recently awarded grants to five minority institutions under a new funding mechanism called Specialized Neuroscience Research Programs at Minority Institutions (SNRP).

New Target Identified for Chronic Pain Therapy
Thursday, Nov 18, 1999
Scientists funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) may soon be able to reduce sensitivity to stimuli that are associated with chronic neuropathic and inflammatory pain by disabling certain nerve cells that send pain signals to the brain.

NINDS to Support Eight New Parkinson's Disease Research Centers of Excellence
Tuesday, Sep 28, 1999
As part of its efforts to defeat Parkinson's disease, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) today announced plans to award new grants to eight top universities. The new awards will raise to eleven the number of Parkinson's Disease Research Centers of Excellence the Institute funds and represent a total commitment of $49 million to be spent over the next 5 years. Added to the $24 million committed to three such centers in September of 1998, this brings total Institute funding for the Parkinson's Disease Research Centers of Excellence program to $73 million.

Stanford Researchers Nab Gene For Sleep Disorder
Thursday, Aug 5, 1999
After a decade-long search, a Stanford-led team has identified a gene that causes the sleep disorder narcolepsy -- a breakthrough that brings a cure for this disabling condition within reach, the scientists say.

Low Doses of Aspirin and Surgery Better for Stroke Prevention
Thursday, Jun 24, 1999
A new study shows that lower doses of aspirin given at the time of surgery work better than higher doses to prevent strokes. The Aspirin and Carotid Endarterectomy (ACE) trial, sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), found that patients given 81 or 325 mg of aspirin a day for three days before and 3 months after carotid endarterectomy (CE) surgery had less risk of stroke, heart attack, or death 30 days and 3 months following the surgery than did patients given 650 or 1300 mg a day.

Researchers Develop Better Means to Diagnose Adrenal Gland Tumors
Wednesday, Jun 16, 1999
A newly developed blood test to detect potentially deadly tumors that form in the adrenal glands has been shown to be significantly more sensitive than traditional diagnostic tests. The new test provides earlier and more accurate diagnoses of these tumors in patients with an inherited predisposition to develop them, possibly preventing complications or death. The study, led by researchers at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), will appear in the June 17, 1999, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

Transplanted Neural Stem Cells Migrate Throughout the Abnormal Brain, Reduce Disease Symptoms
Monday, Jun 7, 1999
For years, researchers have probed the mysteries of neural stem cells -- immature cells that can differentiate into all the cell types that make up the brain -- with the idea that they might be useful for treating brain disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Important new animal research now suggests that these cells may be effective in treating a much broader array of brain diseases than previously anticipated, including Alzheimer's disease and many childhood brain disorders.

Multitasking Behaviors Mapped to the Prefrontal Cortex
Wednesday, May 12, 1999
Investigators have mapped a region of the brain responsible for a certain kind of multitasking behavior, the uniquely human ability to perform several separate tasks consecutively while keeping the goals of each task in mind.

Fetal Cell Therapy Benefits Some Parkinson's Patients: First Controlled Clinical Trial Shows Mixed Results
Wednesday, Apr 21, 1999
Results from the first randomized, controlled clinical trial of fetal dopamine cell implants for Parkinson's disease show that the surgery helped a small number of Parkinson's patients, but not all who underwent the experimental therapy. These results raise important questions in the search for improved treatments for Parkinson's disease.

New NINDS Office of Special Programs in Neuroscience
Monday, Apr 5, 1999
In an effort to further recruit and train the next generation of minority neuroscience research professionals, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) has created the Office of Special Programs in Neuroscience. The new office is headed by Alfred W. Gordon, Ph.D., an 11-year veteran of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), who has extensive experience in developing innovative neuroscience research programs at minority institutions.

Genetics Not Significant to Developing Typical Parkinson's Disease
Tuesday, Jan 26, 1999
Genetic factors do not play a significant role in causing the most common form of Parkinson's disease (PD), according to a study to be published in the January 27, 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. This epidemiological study, the largest of its kind to investigate the role of genetic or environmental causes of PD, examined 19,842 white male twins enrolled in a large registry of World War II veteran twins.

Study Provides Guidance for Treating Patients with Brain Aneurysms
Wednesday, Dec 9, 1998
A new study will help physicians decide how to treat individuals with unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs). The study, reported in the December 10, 1998, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine, found that the size and location of the aneurysm in the brain, as well as the patient's medical history, are the best predictors of future rupture.

NINDS Awards Almost $24 Million to Support Parkinson's Disease Research Centers of Excellence
Friday, Dec 4, 1998
Three top university hospitals will receive a total of almost $24 million from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to advance understanding of Parkinson's disease and related movement disorders. Investigators at Emory University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine will spend the next five years unraveling the cause or causes of Parkinson's disease and seeking new ways to diagnose and treat it. They will also provide state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary training for young scientists preparing for research careers investigating Parkinson's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders.

Study Ties Cerebral Palsy to Inflammation and Blood-Clotting Abnormalities
Thursday, Oct 1, 1998
Groundbreaking new research provides strong evidence that inflammation and clotting abnormalities may be important causes of cerebral palsy (CP) in full-term babies, who account for about half of all children with this disorder. The study may lead to ways of identifying babies at risk for CP and ultimately to new therapies that might prevent brain damage in some children.

Scientists Find New Clues About Fatal Childhood Disease, Ataxia Telangiectasia: Finding May Explain Tumor Development
Thursday, Sep 10, 1998
For the first time, scientists have shown conclusively how the protein that is missing or altered in the fatal childhood disease ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) acts as a key regulator of cell division after DNA damage. The finding helps researchers understand how cells in A-T patients form tumors and may lead to new understanding of other neurological and immune disorders.

Cultured Neural Stem Cells Reduce Symptoms in Model of Parkinson's Disease
Monday, Jul 20, 1998
For decades, researchers have imagined treating human diseases by replacing damaged cells with stem cells - embryonic cells from which all other kinds of cells develop. While the potential benefits are enormous, such strategies have been limited by an uncertain supply of stem cells. Now, scientists have shown that neural stem cells can be multiplied and raised to maturity in the laboratory and that these cells can greatly reduce symptoms in an animal model of Parkinson's disease.

Safe and Effective Treatment for Acute Repetitive Seizures Available for At-Home Use
Wednesday, Jun 24, 1998
A unique gel formulation of diazepam safely reduces the severity of acute repetitive seizure episodes in both children and adults, according to a study published in the June 25, 1998, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine and funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Dr. Gerald D. Fischbach Appointed New NINDS Director
Wednesday, Jun 3, 1998
Harold Varmus, M.D., Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced the appointment of Gerald D. Fischbach, M.D., as Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the leading federal agency supporting research on the brain and nervous system.

New Stroke Treatment Likely to Decrease Health Care Costs and Increase Quality of Life
Wednesday, Apr 22, 1998
BETHESDA, MD - Results from a new study show a greater than 90 percent probability that treating acute ischemic stroke patients with the clot-busting drug t-PA could result in a substantial net cost savings to the health care system.

Widely Used Therapy May Not Be Effective in Treatment of Acute Stroke
Tuesday, Apr 21, 1998
General use of anticlotting drugs, like low-molecular-weight (LMW) heparinoids, immediately after a stroke has little effect in producing a good outcome or in preventing a second stroke in most patients, according to the results of a large clinical trial published in the April 22, 1998, issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Most People Can't Identify Stroke Symptoms
Tuesday, Apr 21, 1998
A new study shows that most people can't identify even one symptom of stroke -- the number one cause of disability and the third leading cause of death in this country. And the people most likely to suffer a stroke -- those over 75 years old -- are the least likely to know the symptoms of stroke and whether they're at risk for having a stroke.

Preventing Stroke: The Choice Between Aspirin and Warfarin
Tuesday, Apr 21, 1998
A new study outlines the criteria for identifying hundreds of thousands of Americans who have the most or least to gain from the use of anticoagulants such as warfarin to prevent stroke. The study identifies certain patients with a common type of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, and a low-risk for stroke who fare well by taking aspirin instead of warfarin to prevent stroke.

Peptides Implicated in Body's Response to Pain
Wednesday, Mar 25, 1998
Pain is an extremely disabling condition leading to an annual cost of $65 billion lost in work productivity and 4 billion work days. It also accounts for 40 million visits per year to physicians for "new" pain and $3 billion in sales each year of over-the-counter analgesics. Scientists studying animal models with support from the National Institutes of Health have found that a chemical, called neurokinin A, may be responsible for the body's response to moderate-to-intense pain. This finding, reported in the March 26, 1998, issue of Nature, may eventually lead to new treatments for pain.

More Strokes May Be Prevented With Surgery, Study Shows
Thursday, Feb 5, 1998
Investigators at more than 100 sites throughout the world have confirmed that surgery to remove fatty deposits from the arteries that carry blood to the brain can significantly cut the risk of stroke in patients with moderate as well as severe blockage.
Fact Sheet

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Enhances Short-Term Brain Plasticity: Finding Suggests Ways to Improve Recovery from Neurological Disorders
Thursday, Jan 29, 1998
For the first time, scientists studying how the brain reorganizes itself have shown that they can modify this process using a technique called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The finding suggests new ways to help people recover normal function after stroke, amputation, and other injuries.

Targeted Protein Toxin Effective Against Persistent Brain Tumors
Monday, Nov 24, 1997
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have developed a new drug that can reduce the size of some persistent brain tumors without causing severe side effects. A report of the first clinical trial of this drug, called transferrin-CRM107, will appear in the December 1997 issue of Nature Medicine.

Herpes Virus Strain Identified as a Trigger in Multiple Sclerosis
Monday, Nov 24, 1997
A strain of reactivated herpes virus may be associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own tissues. This is the first published large-scale study suggesting an association of a human herpes virus in the disease process of MS.

Gene Locus Found for Essential Tremor Disorder
Friday, Nov 7, 1997
Researchers from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke have located a gene locus responsible for the most common human movement disorder, essential tremor (ET). In an article in the November 1997 issue of Movement Disorders, Joseph J. Higgins, M.D., Lana T. Pho, and Linda E. Nee, M.S.W., report how they traced the gene to the short arm of chromosome 2.

Novel Treatment "Knocks Out" Persistent Pain
Thursday, Oct 9, 1997
Investigators have isolated a tiny population of neurons, located in the spinal cord, that together form a major portion of the pathway responsible for carrying persistent pain signals to the brain. When given injections of a lethal chemical cocktail, the cells, whose sole function is communication of this type of pain, are killed off.

Long-Time NIH Grantee Stanley B. Prusiner Wins Nobel Prize
Monday, Oct 6, 1997
Stanley B. Prusiner, M.D., a long-time grantee of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for his discovery of an unusual class of infectious particles called prions. Prions are believed to be responsible for a group of diseases that include "mad cow" disease. Prusiner, who is professor of neurology, virology, and biochemistry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), has received more than 56 million dollars in research grant support from NIH during the last three decades.

Gene for Last Major Form of Batten Disease Discovered
Friday, Sep 19, 1997
Just two years ago, the origins of the fatal childhood neurological disorders called Batten disease were shrouded in mystery, and there were few prospects for effective treatment. Now, for the first time, researchers can describe the genetic underpinnings of all major childhood forms of the disease.

Gene Sequenced for Disabling Childhood Movement Disorder: Early-Onset Torsion Dystonia Protein Found
Wednesday, Sep 3, 1997
Scientists have sequenced the gene responsible for early-onset torsion dystonia and have found a new class of proteins that may provide insight into all of the dystonia disorders. The discovery of the gene will make diagnosis of early-onset torsion dystonia easier and allow scientists to investigate other factors that might contribute to the disease.

Second Gene Responsible for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Identified; TSC1 Finding on Chromosome 9 Follows 1993 Discovery of TSC2 Gene
Thursday, Aug 7, 1997
Scientists have identified the second of two genes that cause tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a relatively common developmental disorder characterized by a number of abnormalities, including seizures, benign tumors in several organs, and variable emotional and cognitive disabilities. The discovery, to be reported in the August 8, 1997, issue of Science by David Kwiatkowski, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), both components of the National Institutes of Health.

NIH Scientists Identify Gene for Fatal Childhood Disorder, Niemann-Pick Type C: Finding Points to Critical New Steps in Cholesterol Processing
Thursday, Jul 10, 1997
Bethesda, MD -- After decades of work, scientists at the National Institutes of Health have identified a gene alteration associated with the fatal childhood cholesterol disorder Niemann-Pick type C (NPC). Learning how the gene functions may lead to the first effective treatment for the disease and to a fundamental new understanding of how cholesterol is processed in the body.

Study May Reveal Clues To Friedreich's Ataxia
Friday, Jun 13, 1997
For years neurologists witnessed the slow decline of their Friedreich's ataxia patients, helpless to prevent damage to the spinal cord, heart and pancreas. The cause of the damage always eluded researchers until now. A new study in the June 13, 1997, issue of Science may offer an explanation for this neurodegenerative disease and eventually lead to the development of treatments.

Prolonged Treatment with Methylprednisolone Improves Recovery in Spinal Cord Injured Patients
Tuesday, May 27, 1997
Since 1990, thousands of spinal cord injured patients have received the first effective treatment for acute injury. Now, a new study shows that giving the drug for a longer period of time can significantly improve recovery over the standard treatment.

Scientists Gain New Understanding of CNS Stem Cells: Findings May Lead to Improved Treatments for Parkinson's Disease, Other Disorders
Thursday, Apr 3, 1997
For decades, scientists believed that the adult central nervous system could not repair itself, in part because it lacked fundamental 'stem cells', mother cells that can divide to form other kinds of cells. A series of findings has now shown that stem cells are present in the adult brain and spinal cord, and that they can be grown in culture and directed to act in much the same way as fetal stem cells. These findings provide new hope for people with Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, and a host of other disorders.

Topiramate Available For Treatment Of Epilepsy
Monday, Dec 30, 1996
A new drug for epilepsy, topiramate, with particular effectiveness for partial seizures, developed in part by scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), is now available to the public. The drug received approval by the Food and Drug Administration on December 24.

NINDS Symposium Produces National Plan for Rapid Stroke Treatment
Friday, Dec 13, 1996
For many of the 500,000 people who suffer a stroke each year, today will mark the beginning of a significant change in the way they receive medical care.

Scientists Locate Parkinson's Gene
Thursday, Nov 14, 1996
For the first time, scientists have pinpointed the location of a gene they believe is responsible for some cases of Parkinson's disease. Their discovery provides strong evidence that a genetic alteration is capable of causing the disease. The study, published in the November 15 issue of Science,1 sheds light on the mysterious origins of this devastating neurological disease that affects about 500,000 Americans.

Scientists Identify Gene for Spinocerebellar Ataxia 2
Thursday, Oct 31, 1996
Scientists have identified the gene altered in one of the most common hereditary ataxias, spinocerebellar ataxia 2 (SCA2). The discovery allows improved genetic testing and provides new clues about how genetic mutations cause several neurological disorders, including Huntington's disease. The findings are reported by three different groups in the November issue of Nature Genetics.

Protein Marker Found in Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies: Finding May Lead to Diagnostic Test for Human, Cattle Disorders
Wednesday, Sep 25, 1996
A protein widely distributed in tissues throughout the body, with the highest concentration in the brain, has been shown to be a specific marker in the spinal fluid of humans and animals infected with transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, scientists say. This discovery paves the way for the development of an improved test for the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans and encephalopathies in animals. The test could enable precise identification of disease in British cattle presently targeted for slaughter because of suspected infection with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known as Mad Cow disease.

Trial Stopped: Warfarin Therapy Reaffirmed for Stroke Prevention
Thursday, Sep 5, 1996
BETHESDA, MD. Warfarin, a standard blood-thinning drug used to prevent stroke, worked so well in certain high-risk patients in a recent clinical trial that the study was halted early. Results of the Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation III (SPAF III) trial, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), are published in the September 7 issue of The Lancet. The study demonstrated a 75 percent reduction in the risk of stroke for people with a common type of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.

Acute Stroke Therapy Moves Ahead
Tuesday, Jun 18, 1996
Zach W. Hall, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), applauded today's rapid decision by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve t-PA for the emergency treatment of stroke. "The FDA action means that we now have an approved emergency treatment for stroke, the leading cause of adult disability", Dr. Hall said. "This is an exemplary demonstration of careful scientific investigation and of the power of partnership between industry, academia and the Federal government."

Gene "Knockouts" Reveal Critical Links in Synapse Formation
Thursday, May 16, 1996
New studies reveal exciting clues to the mystery of how synapses form between nerve and muscle cells. The findings shed new light on human development and may help reveal how molecular interactions are altered in muscular dystrophy.

Study Implicates Zinc in Neuron Loss After Heart Attack
Thursday, May 16, 1996
Much of the damage to neurons that results from blood loss to the brain during a heart attack stems from movement of zinc into oxygen-deprived neurons, a new study shows. This damage can largely be prevented by injecting a substance that mops up the zinc between cells. The findings may lead to new strategies for preventing brain damage caused by heart attack and some kinds of surgery.

Study Links Neonatal Thyroid Function to Cerebral Palsy
Wednesday, Mar 27, 1996
Scientists have linked low levels of a thyroid hormone in premature infants to the development of disabling cerebral palsy. They examined more than 400 premature infants screened for blood levels of the hormone thyroxine during the first week of life. They found that infants with low levels of thyroxine at birth had a 3- to 4-fold increase in the incidence of disabling cerebral palsy at age 2.

New Type of Trinucleotide Mutation Found in Friedreich's Ataxia
Thursday, Mar 7, 1996
Scientists have identified a new type of trinucleotide repeat mutation that leads to Friedreich's ataxia (FA), a rare childhood neurodegenerative disease. The discovery allows accurate screening for carriers of the disease and may lead to the first effective treatments.

Audrey S. Penn, M.D., Named NINDS Deputy Director
Friday, Mar 1, 1996
BETHESDA, MD - Audrey S. Penn, M.D., one of the nation's leading neurologists and a well-known scientist specializing in neuromuscular disease research, has been named Deputy Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Study Links Critical Enzyme to Huntington's, Other Diseases
Thursday, Feb 29, 1996
For the first time, scientists have linked a critical cellular enzyme to the gene defect found in Huntington's and several other hereditary neurological diseases. The finding provides important clues about how these diseases may develop and suggests that a single therapy eventually may be developed to treat them.

NIH Announces Emergency Treatment for Stroke
Wednesday, Dec 13, 1995
A 5-year clinical trial has shown that treatment with the clot-dissolving drug t-PA is an effective emergency treatment for acute ischemic stroke despite some risk from bleeding. The trial found that carefully selected stroke patients who received t-PA treatment within 3 hours of their initial stroke symptoms were at least 30 percent more likely than untreated patients to recover from their stroke with little or no disability after 3 months.

Gene Found for Fatal Childhood Disease, Ataxia-Telangiectasia: May Also be Marker for Cancer Predisposition
Thursday, Jun 22, 1995
Scientists have isolated the gene and identified mutations that cause the childhood disease ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), a rare hereditary neurological disorder. Discovery of the gene paves the way for more accurate diagnosis in the short term and the potential for effective treatments in the long term. With this discovery, the investigators believe they also have identified a common genetic marker that indicates predisposition to certain cancers, and may help identify individuals who are sensitive to radiation.

Common Drug Linked to Lower Incidence of Cerebral Palsy
Wednesday, Feb 8, 1995
A new study shows that very low birthweight babies have a lower incidence of cerebral palsy (CP) when their mothers are treated with magnesium sulfate soon before giving birth. The findings come from a study sponsored by the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program (CBDMP) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and reported in the February 1995 issue of Pediatrics.

Major Trial Confirms Benefit of Stroke Prevention Surgery
Friday, Sep 30, 1994
Officials at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) announced that surgery can prevent stroke in carefully selected individuals who have no outward sign of disease but are at risk for stroke from a severe narrowing of a major artery in the neck. The NINDS brought to an early conclusion a 7-year clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of a surgical procedure, called carotid endarterectomy, in reducing stroke in these individuals.

Zach W. Hall Appointed Director of NINDS
Tuesday, Jul 19, 1994
Harold Varmus, M.D., Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), today announced his appointment of Zach W. Hall, Ph.D., as the new director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the leading Federal agency for research on disorders of the brain and nervous system.

Chess Playing Helps Reveal How Brain Works
Wednesday, May 18, 1994
Tournament-level chess players are helping scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) identify parts of the brain used in complex problem solving. These studies have revealed a processing network that is distributed throughout the brain, according to Dr. Jordan Grafman and his coworkers. Grafman, who heads the Institute's Cognitive Neuroscience Section, said that chess playing is an ideal model to help scientists better understand the coordinated work of the brain.

NINDS Researchers Conduct TSP Prevalence Study in Jamaica
Monday, May 16, 1994
Aurora K. Pajeau, M.D.,M.P.H., a clinical associate in the Neuroepidemiology Branch of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) will present preliminary findings from the first door-to-door prevalence study of tropical spastic paraparesis (TSP) associated with HTLV-I in Jamaica at the 6th International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV.

Treatment reduces brain hemorrhages in very low birthweight babies
Monday, Apr 11, 1994
Very low-birthweight babies who are treated with indomethacin within 6-12 hours after birth have a lower incidence and reduced severity of brain hemorrhage, a frequent and often debilitating complication of such births. This conclusion is being published in the April 1994 issue of Pediatrics,* based on the results of a large multicenter clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Clues found for early memory loss in Alzheimer's disease
Thursday, Apr 7, 1994
Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have discovered that adding a substance called beta amyloid to normal skin cells causes the cells to exhibit the same type of molecular dysfunction previously demonstrated in skin cells of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This step may lead to a new explanation of memory loss, one of the earliest and most common symptoms of the disease.

Aspirin Shown Equal to Warfarin for Stroke Prevention in Some Patients
Thursday, Mar 17, 1994
Results from a new study, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), will help physicians select optimum treatment to prevent stroke in people with atrial fibrillation, a common type of irregular heartbeat. Published in the March 19, 1994 issue of The Lancet*, the study shows that a daily adult aspirin can provide adequate stroke prevention for many of the hundreds of thousands of people with atrial fibrillation. People with this condition have five times the risk of stroke, and many are currently treated with warfarin, a drug that requires monthly blood tests and increases the risk of serious bleeding.

Study Shows IVIG Safe, Effective Treatment for Muscle Disease
Wednesday, Dec 29, 1993
Patients with a painful and debilitating muscle disease called dermatomyositis showed dramatic improvement on a treatment regimen of intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) during a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The study, which was conducted at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), will be published in the December 30 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Fact Sheet

Study Links Twin Births to Cerebral Palsy
Wednesday, Dec 8, 1993
The current rise in multiple births may contribute to an increase in children born with cerebral palsy (CP), according to a report published in the December issue of Pediatrics. In a study involving more than 155,000 children, researchers from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program (CBDMP) found that twin pregnancies produced a child with CP more than 10 times as often as pregnancies producing a single child.

NINDS Research Offers Hope for Transplantation and Regeneration
Wednesday, Nov 10, 1993
Age-old dogma held that the central nervous system could not regrow or recover, dampening hopes for recovery from spinal cord injury and other neurological disorders. But recent results from scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) offer a glimpse of how basic research promises approaches for restoring and repairing damaged nerves.

AIDS Virus Can Infect Neurons
Tuesday, Sep 28, 1993
Using modern genetic techniques that can detect single copies of genes inside intact cells, scientists have uncovered the first conclusive evidence that the AIDS virus (HIV) can infect neurons. And using fetal brain tissue cultures, scientists have identified key substances that turn on the AIDS virus in the brain.

Discovery may lead to skin tests for Alzheimer's disease; Finding could also point to underlying cause of the disorder
Tuesday, Aug 31, 1993
Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in Bethesda, MD, and the Burke Medical Research Institute at Cornell Medical College in White Plains, NY, have discovered physiological differences in the skin cells of those with Alzheimer's disease (AD), a finding that could lead to a standard battery of skin tests for diagnosing the disease.

Oral Diazepam Reduces the Risk of Chilhood Febrile Seizure Recurrence
Wednesday, Jul 7, 1993
Oral diazepam (Valium), given at times of fever, safely reduces the risk of febrile seizure recurrence in infants and children, according to a study published in the July 8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine* and funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Febrile seizures are fever-triggered convulsions that occur in approximately 3-4 percent of all children in the United States. Although they are generally harmless, their occurrence can cause alarm in the family.

A Hereditary Ataxia Caused by Huntington's-Type "Genetic Stutter"
Wednesday, Jun 30, 1993
Scientists have discovered that another nervous system degenerative disorder, spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), has the same type of gene mutation occurring in Huntington's and Kennedy's diseases. In the disease, a normal three-base sequence in the genetic code — cytosine, adenine and guanine, or CAG — is abnormally repeated, according to Drs. Huda Y. Zoghbi, who led one team at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and Harry T. Orr, who headed the other team at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. The same CAG repeat was reported earlier this year in Huntington's disease and in 1991 in the very rare Kennedy's disease, also called X-linked spinobulbar muscular atrophy.

New Drug Prolongs Symptom Relief in Parkinson's Disease
Thursday, Apr 29, 1993
A new drug, when added to standard treatment for Parkinson's disease, prolongs relief of symptoms by more than 60 percent, report scientists from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). In announcing their findings today at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in New York,* scientists said that the drug, called R0 40-7592, could help overcome drawbacks of current drug treatment.

Scientists Isolate "Crown Jewel" — Huntington's Disease Gene
Tuesday, Mar 23, 1993
Scientists have identified the genetic mutation that causes Huntington's disease (HD), a fatal, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive physical and mental deterioration. The discovery, to be reported in the March 26 issue of Cell,* is the culmination of a 10-year-long collaboration between investigators in six laboratory groups around the world with major support from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

NINDS Grantees Identify NF2 Gene; Gene Protects Against Nervous System Tumors
Thursday, Mar 11, 1993
Scientists have identified a gene that normally prevents development of tumors and, when damaged, causes an inherited disorder with multiple brain and spinal cord tumors called neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). Their results appear in the March 12 issue of Cell.

NINDS Hails Discovery of Gene for Familial ALS
Wednesday, Mar 3, 1993
Officials at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) hailed the identification of a gene associated with the familial form of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). "This discovery is extremely important because it marks the first identification of a specific gene for a neurodegenerative disease of adult life," said Carl M. Leventhal, M.D., director of the NINDS program that contributed to support for the research reported in the March 3 issue of Nature*. "It also suggests a likely mechanism for the damage to nerve cells in familial ALS and, possibly, other brain disorders."

Scientists Link Fatal, Cholesterol-Storage Disorder to Chromosome 18
Monday, Mar 1, 1993
Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have linked a deadly brain disorder, called Niemann-Pick Type C disease, to a small region of human chromosome 18. These findings, reported in the current issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,* may eventually lead to improved diagnosis and treatment for this inherited disorder and yield new insight into the metabolism of cholesterol inside the body's cells.

DATATOP Study Confirms Deprenyl's Efficacy in Fighting the Progression of Parkinson's Disease
Wednesday, Jan 20, 1993
Scientists announced today in the January 21 New England Journal of Medicine the results of a broad, long-term study on the effects of deprenyl and tocopherol (a form of vitamin E) on the progression of early Parkinson's disease. The investigators, who comprise a group known as the Parkinson's Study Group, confirmed that deprenyl is effective in slowing the early progression of Parkinson's disease and delaying the need for initiation of therapy with the drug levodopa. The latest results of the study showed, however, that the beneficial effects of deprenyl were not as lasting in fighting Parkinson's disease as the investigators had anticipated when evaluating the preliminary results in 1989. The clinical trials also showed no evidence that tocopherol was useful in Parkinson's disease.

Brain Damage Disrupts Emotions and Mood
Tuesday, May 5, 1992
Feeling tense and anxious? Unfettered and carefree? It may be all in your head or — rather — your cerebral hemispheres. According to scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), new research suggests that the brain's hemispheres generate our emotional outlook. Scientists also say their findings, announced today at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in San Diego, show that brain damage can change judgment of emotion and distort normal mood.

Study Detects Brain Virus in HIV-Positive Patients
Tuesday, May 5, 1992
Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have identified a potentially fatal virus in the bloodstream in half of a small group of HIV-positive patients without neurological symptoms, they announced today at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in San Diego.

NINDS Increases Neurological Research Opportunities for Minorities
Monday, Mar 16, 1992
In an effort to increase minority participation in neurological sciences research, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently made 23 awards to grantee institutions for recruitment of minorities into biomedical and behavioral research programs. These awards provide valuable opportunities for minorities from the undergraduate level to the faculty level to gain research experience at leading grantee institutions supported by NINDS.

NINDS Scientists Isolate Segments Of DNA Sequence That Identify More Than 2,300 Brain Genes
Wednesday, Feb 12, 1992
Using a novel strategy, scientists from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke have isolated segments of DNA sequence that uniquely identify more than 2,300 brain genes. The recent data, combined with data from 347 segments sequenced earlier by NINDS scientists, doubles the total number of human genes identified by sequencing, scientists report in the February 13 issue of Nature.

NINDS Scientists Develop Strategy To Speed Gene and Brain Research
Thursday, Jun 20, 1991
Using a novel strategy, scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have isolated key identifying regions of more than 400 genes that work inside the human brain. The scientists say their work should help identify genetic defects that cause brain disease and speed progress of genetics research.

Newly developed electrode records neurotransmitter release from a single cell
Monday, Jun 17, 1991
Scientists supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have invented a tiny, ultra-sensitive electrode that can record, for the first time, the millionths-of-a-second-long burst of catecholamine molecules as they erupt from the surface of a single cell. Catecholamines are used by some cells as neurotransmitters, or molecules that allow nerve cells to communicate between themselves and with other kinds of cells.

Treatment with Enzyme Replacement Therapy Reverses Symptoms in Patients with Type 1 Gaucher's Disease
Wednesday, May 22, 1991
Treatment with enzyme replacement therapy reverses symptoms in patients with Type I Gaucher's disease, according to a study published in the May 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine* and conducted by scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). A rare metabolic disorder, Type I Gaucher's disease affects an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 Americans.
Fact Sheet

NINDS Hails Advance in ALS Research
Wednesday, May 15, 1991
Officials at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) hailed as a major research advance the mapping of a gene that causes familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to chromosome 21. "This is an important first step in our attempt to better understand the basic, molecular mechanisms of this widely studied but poorly understood neurological disorder," said Dr. Roger J. Porter, deputy director of the NINDS.
Fact Sheet

Post-Polio Patients Have Swallowing Abnormalities that Increase the Risk of Choking
Sunday, Apr 21, 1991
Many post-polio patients have swallowing abnormalities that increase the risk of choking but are unaware of their condition, according to a study directed by a scientist at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and published in the April 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.*
Fact Sheet

Benefits of Surgery for Some Patients at High Risk for Stroke
Tuesday, Feb 26, 1991
Overwhelming evidence from an ongoing clinical trial shows that the surgical removal of fatty deposits from the the main artery in the neck supplying blood to the brain is highly effective in reducing strokes for patients who have a severely narrowed carotid artery and have previously had a stroke or symptoms of a stroke.

Mounting knowledge of Parkinson's disease leads to new treatment theories
Thursday, Dec 6, 1990
Animal studies have revealed new knowledge of brain chemistry in Parkinson's disease and suggest new treatment approaches, according to results published in the December 7, 1990 issue of Science.*

NINDS and NIAID Link Abnormal Immune Finding to Chronic, Disabling Disease
Wednesday, Nov 14, 1990
Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have linked high levels of certain immune system cells to a disabling, neurological disease that is thought to be infectious. The finding appears in the November 15 issue of Nature.*

Natural Course of Multiple Sclerosis Redefined
Tuesday, Oct 16, 1990
Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) today presented evidence that multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive disease even in its earliest stages.
Fact Sheet

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Gene Mutation Found
Thursday, Aug 30, 1990
Scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have linked three outbreaks of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in Europe and Israel to a genetic mutation found in the outbreaks' victims.



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