Restorative neurology and neuroscience
-
Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2011
Assessment and treatment of pain with non-invasive cortical stimulation.
There remains an unmet clinical need for the development of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of pain. Recent findings have confirmed significant changes in the pain-related neural networks among patients with chronic pain, opening novel possibilities for investigation. Two non-invasive techniques (transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)) have emerged as interesting, effective, and promising modalities for pain relief. ⋯ Besides its use as a therapeutic tool, non-invasive brain stimulation can also be used to measure cortical reactivity and plasticity in chronic pain. Such measurements could potentially be used as biomarkers for the dysfunctional chronic pain-related neural network and might be helpful in measuring the efficacy of interventions designed for chronic pain.
-
Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2011
Comparative StudyNeuroprotective effects of progesterone and allopregnanolone on long-term cognitive outcome after global cerebral ischemia.
To assess the longterm neuroprotective effects of progesterone (P₄) and allopregnanolone (ALLO) on functional and morphological parameters of the integrity of the hippocampus, after global cerebral ischemia. ⋯ Performance of P₄ or ALLO treated rats in learning and memory tests suggests that these steroids promoted neural conditions accounting for adequate functioning long after ischemia, in spite of the loss of hippocampal pyramidal neurons.
-
Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2011
Comparative StudyImproved behavioral outcomes after progesterone administration in aged male rats with traumatic brain injury.
Twenty-month-old male Fischer 344 rats with bilateral contusions of the frontal cortex (n=8/group) or sham operations received 16 mg/kg of progesterone or vehicle at 1 and 6 h post-injury, then once every 24 h for the next seven days, with tapering of the dose over the final two treatments. The rats' behavioral recovery was then evaluated on tests of locomotor activity and Morris water maze learning. ⋯ The progesterone-treated rats had better functional outcomes than vehicle-treated rats with similar cortical injuries. The neurosteroid treatment did not affect the size of the necrotic cavity.
-
Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2011
Treatment with nerve grafts and aFGF attenuates allodynia caused by cervical root transection injuries.
Nerve root traction injuries induce spinal cord inflammation and lead to neuronal death within days. In the present study, we examined the inflammatory response one week after multiple cervical root transections. ⋯ This study demonstrated a correlation between an increased number of IL-1β-positive astrocytes and the development of allodynia. Our treatment significantly decreased IL-1β-positive astrocytes, thus preventing the occurrence of neuropathic pain following multiple cervical root injuries.
-
Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2010
EditorialInstitutional profile: integrated center for research and treatment of vertigo, balance and ocular motor disorders.
In 2009 the German BMBF (German Ministry of Education and Research) established an Integrated Center for Research and Treatment (IFB(LMU)) of Vertigo, Balance and Ocular Motor Disorders in Munich. After the 10-year period of funding by the BMBF, it is envisioned that the (IFB(LMU)) will continue over the long term with the joint support of the University Hospital, the Medical Faculty, and the Bavarian State. Vertigo is one of the most common complaints in medicine. ⋯ This should promote the principles of efficiency and self-reliance; to supplement the existing excellence with up to eight groups of young scientists and up to eight professorships (tenure track). This should also be seen as an incentive that will attract the best young scientists; to incorporate (IFB(LMU)) competence into the existing medical and biological graduate schools. The (IFB(LMU)) is a unique center - worldwide.