News and Features Related to Brain & Nervous System

1. FAQ: Vaccine Court Hears Autism Cases
   

   May 14, 2008 -- Contrary to media reports, a U.S. court has not yet issued any decisions on whether vaccines cause autism. It's an important issue: About 5,000 cases remain in limbo -- at the parents' request -- as the so-called Omnibus Autism Proceeding grinds on. This week, public hearings in the

   Read Full Article
2. FDA OKs Generic Requip
   

   May 14, 2008 -- The FDA has approved generic versions of the drug Requip made by four companies. Generic ropinirole hydrochloride will be made by Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Roxane Laboratories, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, and Par Pharmaceutical. Requip, made by GlaxoSmithKline, is used to treat restless l

   Read Full Article
3. Pediatric MS Affects Thinking, Memory
   

   May 12, 2008 -- Multiple sclerosis (MS) that strikes during childhood may disrupt a key phase of brain development and appears to have a profound negative impact on a child's ability to think and pay attention. Scientists reporting in the May 12 issue of Neurology say that the earlier MS develops, t

   Read Full Article
4. NSAIDs for Alzheimer's? Never Mind
   

   May 12, 2008 -- Remember all those studies suggesting NSAID painkillers cut Alzheimer's risk? Forget about it. Despite accumulating circumstantial evidence that people who take NSAID drugs have a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease, a clinical trial shows neither naproxen nor Celebrex preserves mental

   Read Full Article
5. Few Aware of Stroke Warning Symptoms
   

   May 8, 2008 -- Do you think sudden chest pain is a symptom of a stroke? If you answered yes, you're not only wrong, you're not alone. A telephone survey of more than 71,000 adults in 13 states and Washington, D.C., has revealed that shockingly few people know the warning signs of a stroke. The CDC a

   Read Full Article
6. To Avoid Dementia, Watch Your Weight
   

   May 8, 2008 -- Older adults who maintain a healthy weight may be preserving their mind and memory at the same time. A study published in the May 2008 issue of Obesity Reviews shows that weight matters when it comes to warding off dementia. Researchers with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public He

   Read Full Article
7. Perk of Good Job: Aging Mind Is Sharp
   

   May 7, 2008 -- Mentally demanding jobs come with a hidden benefit: less mental decline with age. Work that requires decision making, negotiating with others, analysis, and making judgments may not necessarily pad your bank account. But it does build up your "cognitive reserve" -- a level of mental f

   Read Full Article
8. Hypergraphia: A River of Words
   

   By OrliVan Mourik Alice Flaherty was always a prolific writer. The notes she took during her hospital residency were so exhaustive they morphed into a neurology textbook. But her habit went into overdrive in 1998 after the deaths of her prematurely delivered twin sons. Flaherty's family and friends

   Read Full Article
9. Short Arms, Legs: A Risk for Dementia?
   

   May 6, 2008 -- The length of your arms and legs could help determine your risk for developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Researchers reporting in the May 6 issue of Neurology say that people with shorter arms and legs have a higher risk for such disease than those with longer l

   Read Full Article
10. Ibuprofen May Cut Alzheimer's Risk
    

    May 5, 2008 -- The long-term use of ibuprofen and possibly other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers may help protect against Alzheimer's disease, but it is still not clear if the risks outweigh the potential benefits. Use of ibuprofen pain relievers like Advil and Motrin for more than fiv

    Read Full Article