The types of nerve cells which are lost through developing Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have been identified for the first time, in a breakthrough which could yield the development of new nerve-protecting treatments.
In a new study, researchers found that the inhibitory interneurons are lost in people who have MS.
Previously, it was only known that myelin, the protective coating around nerves, is damaged in MS - but pinpointing the selective loss of specific nerve cells has now been established.
The research, from the MS Society Edinburgh Centre for MS Research, could now lead to steps forward in the development of treatments to help protect the nerves most at risk.
Brain cells vulnerable to Alzheimer’s Disease have been identified for the first time, in a breakthrough scientists hope could lead to targeted treatments to boost the brain’s resilience.
It has so far remained unknown in Alzheimer’s research why some brain cells succumb to the disease years before symptoms first appear, while others seem unaffected by the degeneration surrounding them until the disease’s final stages.
Now, in a groundbreaking study, the neurons that are among the first victims of the disease - accumulating toxic ‘tangles’ and dying off earlier than neighbouring cells - have been identified for the first time.
Two new Recovery Facilitation Programmes (RFP) designed to empower people to take greater control of their recovery and enable them to better manage their conditions have been launched.
Energise Health’s six-week programmes, Energise Recovery and Energise Recovery 4Life, equip both recently-diagnosed people and those living with long-term conditions with the knowledge and skills they need to make beneficial and lasting changes.
Energise Recovery - for those at an early stage of recovery - and Energise Recovery 4Life - for those at least six months into their recovery journey - are online programmes that offer live teaching sessions on a range of topics, alongside practical activities and guided coursework.
Years of campaigning for concussion substitutions to be introduced into football look set to deliver some success, with Premier League clubs preparing to adopt the policy to help address the need to protect players from the effects of head injury.
In a trial move, expected to take effect from fixtures next week, teams can use up to two substitutes in the event of head injuries, which will be in addition to the usual three substitutions that can be made in a normal match.
The substitutions - which will be permanent and not for 10-minute durations as in rugby, to allow for players to leave the pitch for medical assessment and return if deemed able - are expected to be approved at a meeting of the Premier League tomorrow.
Two significant events in neuro practitioners’ calendars have been delayed until later in the year, as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to be felt.
The National Paediatric Brain Injury Conference, which was already revised from an in-person to online event, will now not go ahead as planned in February due to the continuing demands on frontline healthcare professionals as COVID-19 cases continue to rise and the country is plunged back into lockdown.
Treatment could be developed for arm and hand dysfunction in people living with spinal cord injury through a pioneering new research project.
A pilot study of new therapy for improving upper extremity function is now underway, following funding from BrainQ Technologies - an Israel-based startup which is working widely in precision medicine to reduce disability following neurodisorders - to the Kessler Foundation.
The study is titled ‘The safety and effectiveness of the use of a brain-computer interface-based electromagnetic field treatment in the management of patients with chronic spinal cord injury: A pilot study’ and is seen as a potentially significant breakthrough in researching possible treatment.
After years spent in pain and struggling for a diagnosis, Karl Johnston felt relief when he was confirmed as having a little-known condition where the brain effectively slips into the spine. Here, he shares his story.
"Some dads get to put their children on their shoulders, but I've never got to do that.”
That is just one of the day-to-day realities facing Karl Johnston, whose condition, Chiari Malformation Type 1, means his brain is effectively slipping into his spine.
For eight years, Karl had experienced a catalogue of symptoms, including intense and debilitating neck pain, light-headedness, fatigue and numbness in his arms, but without securing a diagnosis of his condition.
But now, the 35-year-old admits he feels some relief at the knowledge he has Chiari Malformation Type 1, as devastating as the diagnosis was to receive.
Physical rehabilitation is vital for patients to restore quality of life after stroke and other neurological, orthopaedic and paediatric conditions. No-one knows this better or just how hard it is, than someone who has gone through it.
Kate Allatt suffered a rare, massive brain stem stroke at the age of 39, and then went on to develop locked-in syndrome. Doctors said she’d never walk, talk or be able to use her arms again. But she defied all predictions, and through grit, determination and hard work, walked out of hospital.
Brain imaging can help predict post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after brain injury, new research has revealed.
Through using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers have found potential brain biomarkers of PTSD in people with traumatic brain injury.
The study could help shed new light on how the symptoms of PTSD - including anxiety, depression and cognitive disturbances - arise, and researchers conclude that treatments and outcomes could potentially be improved if doctors could better predict who would develop the psychiatric disorder.
People living with brain injuries across the UK and Ireland are being brought together by a music therapy programme, which has delivered proven results in rehabilitation.
From its base in London, Connect Music Therapy has traditionally held its sessions in-person in people’s homes, but more recently launched an online offering which is enabling its reach to be significantly extended.
Founder Janina Brady, who also travels to her native Ireland to hold sessions, had adapted her business to enable her to reach greater numbers simultaneously, as well as allowing her to hold one-to-one sessions beyond Connect’s usual geographical reach in the UK.
Janina, who began teaching music in 2010, set up Connect in 2018 and supports people with a range of disabilities and additional needs.
