NeuroEd: Recent Studies
This page provides recent information relevant to the module topics. Press releases from the Dana Foundation and the National Institutes of Health on recent experimental studies or exciting new neuroscience findings are provided here. These releases typically include references to additional sources of information available through the Internet.
Combination Therapy Dramatically Improves Function After Spinal Cord Injury in Rats
in NINDS Press Release
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.
Combination Treatment Most Effective in Adolescents with Depression
in NIMH Press Release
August 17, 2004: A clinical trial of 439 adolescents with major depression has found a combination of medication and psychotherapy to be the most effective treatment. Funded by the NIH's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the study compared cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with fluoxetine, currently the only antidepressant approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in children and adolescents. John March, M.D., Duke University, and colleagues, report on findings of the multi-site trial in the August 18, 2004, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
NHGRI Launches Centers for Excellence in Ethical, Legal and Social Implications Research
in NHGRI Press Release
August 31, 2004: The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced today the funding of four interdisciplinary centers as part of a new initiative to address some of the most pressing ethical, legal and social questions raised by recent advances in genetic and genomic research.
No Association Found Between Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Brain Tumors
By 36881 in NCI Press Release
Researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) found that people who used cellular phones did not have an increased risk of brain tumors compared to non-users. The study, due to be published in the Jan. 11, 2001, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)*, was released on Dec. 19.
Psychotherapy, Medications Best for Youth with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
in NIMH Press Release
October 28, 2004: Children and adolescents with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) respond best to a combination of both psychotherapy and an antidepressant, a major clinical trial has found. Supported by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Mental Health, the study recommends that treatment begin with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), either alone or with a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant. The research spotlights the need for improved access to CBT, since most young people with OCD currently receive only the antidepressant, often combined with an antipsychotic medication.
Researchers Discover Gene Mutations for Parkinson's Disease
in NIA Press Release
October 22, 2004: An international research team, led by scientists at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), has discovered a gene, which when mutated, causes Parkinson’s disease in some families. Although Parkinson’s disease is usually not inherited, the discovery of this gene and further study of how it works could open up new avenues of research for preventing or delaying the onset of the disease. In research, the study of rare familial forms of a disease has often led to major insights into the pathogenesis of more common forms.
Vaccine Reduces Parkinson's Disease Neurodegeneration in Mice
in NINDS Press Release
July 28, 2004: For the first time, researchers have shown that an experimental vaccine can reduce the amount of neurodegeneration in a mouse model for Parkinson's disease. The finding suggests that a similar therapy might eventually be able to slow the devastating course of Parkinson's disease in humans
Youth Drinking Trends Stabilize, Consumption Remains High
in NIAAA Press Release
September 14, 2004: Although the prevalence of underage drinking has decreased since its peak in the late 1970s, drinking by youth has stabilized over the past decade at disturbingly high levels. The findings, part of a new analysis of youth drinking trends by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), appear in the September, 2004 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.