News

The largest clinical trial in Huntington’s disease, which has prompted global interest and excitement since its launch three years ago, has been discontinued. 

The shock announcement was made by pharmaceutical company Roche, which announced the end of its Phase III GENERATION HD1 study of tominersen in manifest Huntington’s disease (HD). “This is very unfortunate news to deliver on the tominersen Phase III study and we know it will be especially difficult for people with Huntington’s disease to hear,” says Dr Levi Garraway, Roche’s chief medical officer and head of global product development. 

Brittney was 11 years old when she was hit by a car while walking to school, leaving her with a serious brain injury. Here, her mum Pat shares how the family continue to rebuild their lives

“The accident happened on the morning of April 1, 2019. I got a phone call from a woman, who told me that my daughter’s friend had been knocked over, but I then heard my older daughter in the background saying, “It’s not my friend, it’s my sister.” I got dressed quickly but couldn’t find any shoes. I remembered I had left some outside in the car so I went to look for them. Once I had some shoes on, I don’t know if it was mother’s instinct, but something told me to run. When I got to the top of the road I could see Brittney lying in the middle of the road. Instantly I could see that she wasn’t OK.

A new entrant to the UK’s neurological care field is planning continuing expansion after acquiring its first four sites.

Renovo Care was formed late last year through the purchases of two specialist neuro care centres - Glenside Hospital, near Salisbury, and Hollanden Park Hospital in Hildenborough, Kent - alongside two residential services, Victoria House in Farnborough and Swanborough House in Brighton. Now, with the appointment of chief executive Peter Kinsey, the group is looking at further additions to its specialist portfolio, as well as investing in its current sites and offering.

Aggressive and angry parenting practices can have long-term repercussions for a child’s brain development, new research has found.

Repeatedly getting angry, hitting, shaking or yelling at children is linked with smaller brain structures in adolescence, which can have emotional and social impact later in life.

Eating processed meat has been linked with an increased risk of developing dementia - although unprocessed red meat could be protective against the disease.

In a new study of 500,000 people, it was found that consuming a 25g serving of processed meat a day, the equivalent to one rasher of bacon, is associated with a 44 per cent increased risk of dementia. But the findings also showed that eating some unprocessed red meat, such as beef, pork or veal, could be protective, as people who consumed 50g a day were 19 per cent less likely to develop dementia.

A study has laid bare the pressures facing paediatric neuro-rehab professionals at the height of the pandemic, and how they were able to quickly adapt to new working practices.

It also highlights the need for greater support for families affected by neurological conditions in accessing technology; and for more research into the efficacy of remote interventions. The Paediatric Neuro-rehabilitation Special Interest Group (PNR-SIG) charted the experiences of professionals from the start of the first lockdown and throughout subsequent months. Respondents were largely clinical or educational psychologists involved in paediatric neuro-rehab.

Explained by Sean O’Sullivan, Neuro Rehabilitation Trainer at www.neurokinex.org

What is it? Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is frequently used post spinal cord injury (SCI) as it has been shown to increase muscular strength and mass, enhance bone density and assist in improving cardiovascular function. However, this form of stimulation only results in contractions of superficial muscle fibres.

A neurophysio provider which aims to improve life quality and outlook for people with paralysis has won an award in recognition of its work.

Neurokinex brings together specialist rehab programmes, the latest technology and neuroscience-led thinking; and has built up a reputation for its work with spinal cord injury patients. The charitable trust and social enterprise builds programmes involving the whole body in exercise - optimising the strength and endurance of functioning muscles, while stimulating the muscles that have been most affected by injury or neurological condition. It has also built a reputation on an international scale, with affiliation with the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Neurorecovery Network.

A world-first trial is being launched in the UK into whether drugs already on the market can prevent multiple sclerosis (MS) from worsening and even reverse the disabilities it causes.

The Octopus trial will investigate the potential benefits of using a number of different medications at once, in the hope of finding effective new treatments up to three times faster than if the medicines were trialled separately.

A hit song from the 1960s has been re-released in support of broadcasting legend David ‘Kid’ Jensen, who is living with Parkinson’s disease.

‘Big Day’, released by Luke and Blake in 1967, has been released again to raise money for Parkinson’s UK. The duo, David Capri and Stephen Stern, chose the charity in tribute to their close friendship with David ‘Kid’ Jensen, who was diagnosed with the condition in 2013.