Neurology

Light or Moderate Drinking Linked to Lower Stroke Risk in Women

THURSDAY, March 8 -- Light-to-moderate alcohol consumption might reduce stroke risk in women, new research suggests.For the study, U.S. researchers examined data from nearly 84,000 women who were part of the Nurses' Health Study. The...

Gene Mutations Linked to Crohn's Disease in Ashkenazi Jews

THURSDAY, March 8 -- Researchers have identified five new genetic mutations associated with Crohn's disease in Jews of Eastern European descent (Ashkenazi Jews) and say their findings may help explain why Crohn's is nearly four times...

Experimental Drug Offers Hope for Rare Bone Disease: Study

WEDNESDAY, March 7 -- A new therapy may be the first to offer hope for children born with a rare disease that affects bone development, sometimes so severely that babies die because they're missing a rib cage to protect their lungs. ...

Longer Use of Alzheimer's Drug May Help Patients

Continued Treatment With Aricept Shows Some Merit By Denise MannWebMD Health News Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD March 7, 2012 -- The Alzheimer's drug Aricept helps people with early to moderate signs of the disease maintain a higher level of fu...

Past Pregnancies May Protect Against MS

Study: Multiple Sclerosis Risk May Drop by 50% After First Pregnancy By Brenda Goodman, MAWebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD March 7, 2012 -- Pregnancy appears to play a strong role in whether or not a woman may develop the autoimmune ...

Surgery Often an Overlooked Option for Epilepsy

Some Patients May Be Surgical Candidates Soon After Failing Drugs By Salynn BoylesWebMD Health News Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD March 6, 2012 -- Brain surgery is generally considered a last resort for some epilepsy patients whose seizures are not...

Twitter Adding to Stigma of Epilepsy, Study Says

FRIDAY, March 2 -- The social networking service known as Twitter seems to have become a platform for derogatory comments about epilepsy and seizures, researchers say.In a study published in the February issue of Epilepsy and Behavio...

Toxins Afloat in Shark Fin Soup?

THURSDAY, March 1 -- Shark fins contain high levels of a neurotoxin called BMAA, which is linked to neurodegenerative diseases in humans such as Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's disease ( amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), according to a ne...

Combining Heart Valve Repair With Bypass May Be Worthwhile

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 29 -- It might be a good idea to use heart bypass operations as an opportunity to fix mild to moderate cases of leaky mitral valves, a new study shows.Surgeons typically have repaired only severely leaking mitral valv...

Alzheimer's-Like Memory Loss Reversed in Mice

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 29 -- New research in mice suggests that Alzheimer's disease triggers a protein that contributes to the breakdown of the brain's memory.If the findings are confirmed in humans, they could solve part of the puzzle of h...

Drug Seems to Speed Recovery After Traumatic Brain Injury

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 29 -- A drug that's typically used to treat the flu and Parkinson's disease appears to speed recovery in traumatic brain injury patients, a new study indicates.Traumatic brain injury (TBI) victims who weren't fully co...

Trans Fats May Raise Stroke Risk in Older Women

THURSDAY, March 1 - Here's one more reason to avoid trans fats in your diet, especially if you are an older woman: A new study found a 39 percent increased risk of stroke among postmenopausal women who ate the highest amount of this ...

levodopa-carbidopa, Sinemet, Sinemet CR, Parcopa

GENERIC NAME: carbidopa-levodopa BRAND NAME: Sinemet, Sinemet CR, Parcopa DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Carbidopa-levodopa is a combination of two drugs, levodopa and carbidopa. Carbidopa-levodopa is used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. ...

Post-Stroke Speech Problems Inflate Cost of Treatment

THURSDAY, Feb. 16 -- Average medical costs for a stroke patient with language impairment ( aphasia) are more than $1,700 higher in the first year after stroke than for a patient without aphasia, a new study finds.Researchers analyzed...

Brain Scans Might Spot Autism as Early as 6 Months of Age

FRIDAY, Feb. 17 -- In children as young as 6 months old, changes in the brain that can lead to autism spectrum disorder may have already begun, preliminary research suggests.Although early signs of autism, such as problems communicat...

Weight Training Improves Parkinson's Symptoms

Twice-Weekly Resistance Training Sessions Can Improve Tremors, Slowness, and Rigidity By Denise MannWebMD Health News Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD Feb 16, 2012 -- Weight training twice a week may reduce the stiffness, slowness, and tremors o...

Teens With Autism Preoccupied With TV, Video Games: Study

TUESDAY, Feb. 14 -- When given the opportunity to have screen time, children with autism spectrum disorders typically choose television and video games over social interactive media, such as email, a new study finds .The preoccupat...

Study Weighs Pros, Cons of Home or Hospital Birth

FRIDAY, Feb. 10 -- Babies whose mothers choose to deliver at home are at higher risk of complications after birth, including low Apgar scores and seizures, a new study finds.However, if the home birth was attended by a certified nurs...

Gloves, Padded Headgear Helps Protect Boxers

FRIDAY, Feb. 10 -- Using padded headgear and boxing gloves helps boxers reduce the impact of hits to the head, a new study finds.The Cleveland Clinic researchers also said that head and neck impacts accumulate fastest in boxers who d...

15 Immune Boosting Foods! - Chinese Herb Targets Immune System

Elderberry An old folk remedy, extract from these dark berries appears to block flu viruses in test tube studies. But scientists caution that further study is needed. The fruit itself is rich in antioxidants and may also have the ability to fight ...

Chinese Herb Targets Immune System

Secret Behind Chang Shan May Lead to New Treatments for Autoimmune Disorders By Jennifer WarnerWebMD Health News Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD Feb. 12, 2012 -- A new discovery about a 2,000-year-old Chinese herbal remedy derived from the roots o...

Gene Research Offers Clues to Parkinson's Disease

TUESDAY, Feb. 7 -- In certain people with Parkinson's disease, mutations in the parkin gene disrupt the proper function of dopamine, the brain chemical that controls body movement.The finding could lead to new treatments and screenin...

Quitting Smoking May Halve Risk of Oral Health Problems

TUESDAY, Feb. 7 -- Adult smokers are twice as likely to develop oral health problems as those who have kicked the habit, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found.Compared to people who never sm...

New Meningitis Vaccine Works in Infants: Study

TUESDAY, Feb. 7 -- Routinely giving infants a new vaccine that guards against meningitis appears to be effective, a new study indicates.The multi-center clinical trial of almost 1,900 infants found that administration of routine infa...

Health Tip: Before You Start an Exercise Program

-- Although exercise should help improve your health, a medical checkup before you start an exercise program can help ensure a safe beginning.The womenshealth.gov website offers this list of potential risk factors that should be eval...

Bread and Other Common Foods Top List of Sodium Culprits

CDC Study: About 90% of Us Get Too Much Sodium By Denise MannWebMD Health News Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD Feb. 7, 2012 -- About 90% of us get too much sodium every day, and most of it comes from common restaurant or grocery store items, the C...

New Scoring Method May Help Predict Stroke Outcome

MONDAY, Feb. 6 -- A new scoring system can help quickly identify stroke patients who will respond well to the clot-busting drug alteplase (Activase), Finnish researchers say.Their study, published in the Feb. 7 issue of the journal N...

Surgery Effective for Tough-to-Treat Epilepsy

TUESDAY, Feb. 7 -- Surgery can significantly improve seizure control and quality of life among people with epilepsy, according to a study stretching over 26 years. "This study may be the longest follow-up of epilepsy surgery patients...

Little Blows to Head Add Up to Big Risk

Study Shows Brain Changes In High School Football Players By Matt McMillenWebMD Health News Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD Feb. 3, 2012 -- Small hits to the head may add up to injuries for high school football players, according to a new study by...

Brain Activity May Help Predict Autism Before Age 1: Study

THURSDAY, Jan. 26 -- Infants younger than a year old who are at risk of developing autism may already have telltale brain responses when another person looks at or away from them, the results of a new study indicate.The researchers s...