ScienceDaily: Neuropathy News

Reversing paralysis with a restorative gel

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:33:33 EDT

Scientists have invented a method for repairing damaged peripheral nerves using a biodegradable implant along with a newly-developed gel that increases nerve growth and healing, ultimately restoring function to a torn or damaged nerve. The therapy is only a few years away from clinical use, say the researchers.

Chronic pain sufferers likely to have anxiety

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:31:31 EDT

Patients coping with chronic pain should also be evaluated for anxiety disorders, according to new research.

New Canadian guidelines for treating fibromyalgia

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:24:24 EDT

Physicians have published a review article to help family doctors diagnose and treat fibromyalgia. The article represents the first time researchers have published Canadian guidelines to help manage the condition.

Discovery may help prevent chemotherapy-induced anemia

Sun, 05 May 2013 14:58:58 EDT

Researchers have discovered that chemo induces a type of nerve damage inside bone marrow that can cause delays in recovery after bone marrow transplantation. The findings suggest that combining chemotherapy with nerve-protecting agents may prevent long-term bone marrow injury.

Human brain cells developed in lab, grow in mice

Fri, 03 May 2013 23:03:03 EDT

A key type of human brain cell developed in the laboratory grows seamlessly when transplanted into the brains of mice, researchers have discovered, raising hope that these cells might one day be used to treat people with Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease, as well as and complications of spinal cord injury such as chronic pain and spasticity.

Regular, moderate exercise does not worsen pain in people with fibromyalgia

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:55:55 EDT

For many people who have fibromyalgia, even the thought of exercising is painful. Yet a new study shows that exercise does not worsen the pain associated with the disorder and may even lessen it over time.

Nerve transfer can help repair brachial plexus injuries, help restore elbow functions

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:20:20 EDT

Results highlight the effective use of nerve transfer in patients suffering from brachial plexus injuries for reconstruction of elbow flexion to help improve their quality of life.

Rare, lethal childhood disease tracked to protein

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:49:49 EDT

Scientists have identified how a defective protein plays a central role in a rare, lethal childhood disease known as giant axonal neuropathy, or GAN. GAN is an extremely rare and untreatable genetic disorder that strikes the central and peripheral nervous systems of young children.

Doctors freeze nerves to knock chronic pain out cold

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:20:20 EDT

For the millions of Americans who rely on pain medications for neuralgia, a condition where nerves damaged by surgery, traumatic injury, or diseases such as diabetes cause chronic pain, an emerging non-pharmacological treatment may offer relief. By placing a tiny ball of ice on damaged nerves by way of a minimally invasive interventional radiology treatment called cryoneurolysis, doctors were able to safely short circuit chronic pain caused by nerve damage.

Freezing nerves knocks pain out cold

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 12:11:11 EDT

Using a tiny ball of ice, a minimally invasive interventional radiology treatment called cryoneurolysis safely short circuits chronic pain caused by nerve damage, according to new data.

Pain improves during first year but mental-health problems linger in returning veterans with major limb injuries

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:40:40 EDT

Few studies document short- and long-term pain and behavioral health in combat-injured service members with major limb trauma. In a 2-year longitudinal study, multiple post-injury pain and related outcomes are reported.

Benefits of cognitive pain relief methods

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:13:13 EDT

Those who accept their pain condition are best able to tolerate pain, while distraction can be the way to lower pain intensity, according to new research.

Gene variations predict chemotherapy side effects

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 11:00:00 EDT

Seemingly benign differences in genetic code from one person to the next could influence who develops side effects to chemotherapy, a new study has found. The study identified gene variations that can predispose people to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, a condition that is hard to predict and often debilitating enough to cause cancer patients to stop their treatment early.

Hot and cold senses interact: Cold perception is enhanced when nerve circuitry for heat is inactivated

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:22:22 EDT

A new study offers new insights into how the nervous system processes hot and cold temperatures. The research found an interaction between the neural circuits that detect hot and cold stimuli: cold perception is enhanced when nerve circuitry for heat is inactivated.

Targeting mental defeat among pain patients could prevent anxiety and depression

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:19:19 EDT

A new study of Hong Kong chronic pain patients suggests that targeting feelings of mental defeat could prevent severe depression, anxiety and interference with daily activities.

Medication duloxetine helps reduce pain from chemotherapy

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:24:24 EDT

Among patients with painful chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, use of the anti-depressant drug duloxetine for 5 weeks resulted in a greater reduction in pain compared with placebo.

Pinning down the pain: Schwann cell protein plays major role in neuropathic pain

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:33:33 EDT

Scientists say a key protein in Schwann cells performs a critical, perhaps overarching, role in regulating the recovery of peripheral nerves after injury. The discovery has implications for improving the treatment of neuropathic pain, a complex and largely mysterious form of chronic pain that afflicts over 100 million Americans.

Protecting ears from hearing loss: Primary role of olivocochlear efferent system discovered

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:35:35 EDT

New research may have discovered a key piece in the puzzle of how hearing works by identifying the role of the olivocochlear efferent system in protecting ears from hearing loss.

Relieving chronic pain with new device

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:15:15 EDT

A new, implantable device for treating chronic pain has passed an important safety test.

Gulf War illness linked to physical changes in brain fibers that process pain

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:28:28 EDT

Researchers have found what they say is evidence that veterans who suffer from "Gulf War Illness" have physical changes in their brains not seen in unaffected individuals. Brain scans of 31 veterans with the illness, compared to 20 control subjects, revealed anomalies in the bundles of nerve fibers that connect brain areas involved in the processing and perception of pain and fatigue.

Novel discovery reveals signals from brain aid the spread, persistence of pain

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:19:19 EDT

Treatments for pain at the site of an injury may not always be good enough, according to a novel study. The study results could change conventional thinking about pain management, they say.

Alcohol, fibromyalgia, and quality of life

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 07:46:46 EDT

Low and moderate drinkers of alcohol reported lower severity of symptoms of fibromyalgia than teetotallers, finds a study. Too much alcohol reversed this effect. The chronic pain of fibromyalgia is thought to affect one in 20 people worldwide but there is no known cause or cure. It often goes hand in hand with fatigue and sleep problems, headaches, depression and irritable bowel and bladder problems. Treatment is based around pain management and lifestyle changes.

Nerve damage may underlie widespread, unexplained chronic pain in children

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:17:17 EDT

Investigators have described what may be a newly identified disease that appears to explain some cases of widespread chronic pain and other symptoms in children and young adults.

New clues to causes of peripheral nerve damage

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:08:08 EST

Although peripheral neuropathies afflict some 20 million Americans, their underlying causes are not completely understood. Now, scientists have shown that damage to energy factories in Schwann cells, which grow alongside neurons and enable nerve signals to travel from the spinal cord to the tips of the fingers and toes, may play a central role.

Better understanding of peripheral neuropathy

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:14:14 EST

Researchers have unlocked the key to a mechanism for peripheral neuropathy in people with multiple brain tumors.

Man walks again after surgery to reverse muscle paralysis

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:43:43 EST

After four years of confinement to a wheelchair, Rick Constantine, 58, is now walking again after undergoing an unconventional surgery to restore the use of his leg.

Exercise may slow development of diabetic nerve pain

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:25:25 EST

Regular exercise reduces the development of painful diabetic neuropathy in animals—apparently related to increased expression of a protective substance called "heat shock protein" 72 (Hsp72), reports an experimental study.

Androgenic hormones could help treat multiple sclerosis, study suggests

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:27:27 EST

Testosterone and its derivatives could constitute an efficient treatment against myelin diseases such as multiple sclerosis, a new study suggests.

Glial cells assist in the repair of injured nerves

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:38:38 EST

Unlike the brain and spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system has an astonishing capacity for regeneration following injury. Researchers have discovered that, following nerve damage, peripheral glial cells produce the growth factor neuregulin1, which makes an important contribution to the regeneration of damaged nerves.

Study assesses mood disorders with TMJ pain

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:20:20 EST

There is an ongoing debate about the role of psychological disorder symptoms as risk factors for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. Previous studies have associated depression and TMJ pain but large scale studies have not been performed. German researchers evaluated more than 3,000 community subjects and found that those with depression and anxiety had increased risk for temporomandibular pain upon palpation.

The pain puzzle: Uncovering how morphine increases pain in some people

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 14:57:57 EST

For individuals with agonizing pain, it is a cruel blow when the gold-standard medication actually causes more pain. Adults and children whose pain gets worse when treated with morphine may be closer to a solution, based on new research.

Electric stimulation of brain releases powerful, opiate-like painkiller

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 10:45:45 EST

Researchers used electricity on certain regions in the brain of a patient with chronic, severe facial pain to release an opiate-like substance that's considered one of the body's most powerful painkillers.

Itchiness explained: Specific set of nerve cells signal itch but not pain, researchers find

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 10:45:45 EST

Researchers have uncovered strong evidence that mice have a specific set of nerve cells that signal itch but not pain, a finding that may settle a decades-long debate about these sensations, and, if confirmed in humans, help in developing treatments for chronic itch, including itch caused by life-saving medications.

Discovery could eventually help diagnose and treat chronic pain

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 19:57:57 EST

More than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. But treating and studying chronic pain is complex and presents many challenges. Scientists have long searched for a method to objectively measure pain and a new study advances that effort.

Men with fibromyalgia often go undiagnosed

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:27:27 EST

Fibromyalgia is a complex illness to diagnose and to treat. There is not yet a diagnostic test to establish that someone has it, there is no cure and many fibromyalgia symptoms -- pain, fatigue, problems sleeping and memory and mood issues -- can overlap with or get mistaken for other conditions. A new study suggests that many people who have fibromyalgia, especially men, are going undiagnosed.

Is childbirth linked to development of chronic pain?

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 08:20:20 EST

Chronic pain from childbirth is remarkably rare, according to a new study. Additionally, in a second study, researchers found the biologic changes after delivery may prevent the development of pain.

Hybrid tunnel may help guide severed nerves back to health

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:07:07 EST

Building a tunnel made up of both hard and soft materials to guide the reconnection of severed nerve endings may be the first step toward helping patients who have suffered extensive nerve trauma regain feeling and movement, according to a biomedical engineers.

Rare, lethal childhood disease tracked to failure to degrade nerve cells' filaments

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 14:05:05 EST

A defective protein explains why a failure in protein degradation would lead to the massive aggregations of a class of filaments that disrupt the functioning of neurons of children with the rare, untreatable genetic disease giant axonal neuropathy. Discovery may have implications for more common types of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Muscle weakness in Down syndrome: New study offers insights

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:14:14 EST

Study led by researchers at Syracuse University offers insights into role of muscle weakness in Down syndrome.

Genetic cause discovered for rare disorder of motor neurons

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 09:04:04 EST

Scientists have identified an underlying genetic cause for a rare disorder of motor neurons, and believe this may help find causes of other related diseases.

Fingers on the pulse: Neuroscientists show ultrasound can be tweaked to stimulate different sensations

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 13:15:15 EST

Scientists have shown with fMRI and EEG that ultrasound applied to the periphery, such as fingertips, can stimulate sensory pathways to the brain. The discovery has bearing on diagnosing and treating neuropathy, which affects millions.

'Very low' complication rates with regional anesthesia in children

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:26:26 EST

A review of more than 15,000 nerve block procedures performed in children at U.S. hospitals finds little or no risk of permanent complications or death, reports a new study

Promising new approach in therapy of pain

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 08:20:20 EST

The treatment of inflammatory pain can be improved by endogenous opioid peptides acting directly in injured tissue. Scientists have shown that pain can be successfully treated by targeting immune and nerve cells outside the brain or spinal cord.

Yoga shown effective for treating chronic neck pain

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 09:38:38 EST

A German study shows that yoga appears to be an effective treatment for neck pain and provides added benefits of improved psychological well being and quality of life.

Step forward in regenerating and repairing damaged nerve cells

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 14:56:56 EST

Researchers recently uncovered a nerve cell's internal clock, used during embryonic development. This breakthrough could lead to the development of new tools to repair and regenerate nerve cells following injuries to the central nervous system.

Chronic pain in parents appears associated with chronic pain in adolescents and young adults

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:33:33 EST

Chronic pain in parents appears to be associated with chronic nonspecific pain and chronic multisite pain in adolescents and young adults.

Protein test is first to predict rate of progression in Lou Gehrig's disease

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:22:22 EST

A novel test that measures proteins from nerve damage that are deposited in blood and spinal fluid reveals the rate of progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in patients.

Pain medication addiction reaching epidemic level

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 09:36:36 EST

Addiction to pain medication is creating new challenges for physicians. Would you believe -- hydrocodone was the most prescribed drug in America in 2011?

'Man on Fire Syndrome': In a world of chronic pain, individual treatment possible, research shows

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:20:20 EST

An investigation into the molecular causes of a debilitating condition known as "Man on Fire Syndrome" has led researchers to develop a strategy that may lead to personalized pain therapy and predict which chronic pain patients will respond to treatment.

Fibromyalgia and the brain: New clues reveal how pain and therapies are processed

Sun, 11 Nov 2012 15:34:34 EST

According to new research, pain experienced by people with fibromyalgia may be caused by a problem with the way pain stimuli are processed in the brain. Abnormal pain signal processing may also be related to a lack of responsiveness to opioids, a common class of pain relievers.

Researchers coax cells to grow and myelinate along thin fibers; Potential use in testing treatments for neurological diseases

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:59:59 EST

Using polymer nanofibers thinner than human hairs as scaffolds, researchers have coaxed a particular type of brain cell to wrap around nanofibers that mimic the shape and size of nerves found in the body.

Discovery may help nerve regeneration in spinal injury

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:19:19 EST

Scientists have uncovered a possible new method of enhancing nerve repair in the treatment of spinal cord injuries.

Gene required for nerve regeneration identified

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:15:15 EDT

A gene that is associated with regeneration of injured nerve cells has been identified. Scientists found that a mutation in a single gene can entirely shut down the process by which the nerve cell's axons regrow after being cut or damaged. The researchers hope that this discovery will open the door to new research related to spinal-cord and other neurological disorders in humans.

Drug offers new pain management therapy for diabetics

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:14:14 EDT

A new study shows there is evidence to support a new drug therapy called nabilone to treat diabetic neuropathy, or nerve pain. Researchers enrolled 60 patients with diabetic neuropathy in a 12-week placebo controlled clinical study. At the end of the study, patients reported less pain and an improvement in sleep and anxiety when taking nabilone as compared to the placebo. Nabilone is a synthetic cannabinoid, which mimics some of the chemical compounds of cannabis, or marijuana.

Is immediate and long-term pain after a motor vehicle collision hereditary?

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:15:15 EDT

Two studies have found that hereditary genes were responsible for the amount and type of pain experienced after a motor vehicle collision (MVC). Many drivers experience symptoms after an MVC, including musculoskeletal pain in the back, neck and other areas. It has been unknown why some drivers feel pain immediately after a collision or develop persistent pain after a collision, while others do not.

New findings could help speed recovery, alleviate pain associated with spinal cord injury

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 17:10:10 EDT

New research demonstrates how new scientific knowledge is driving innovative treatments for spinal cord injuries. Spinal cord damage is debilitating and life-altering, limiting or preventing movement and feeling for millions worldwide, and leading to chronic health conditions and pain.

Social contact can ease pain related to nerve damage, animal study suggests

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:15:15 EDT

Companionship has the potential to reduce pain linked to nerve damage, according to a new study. This animal research suggests that the social contact had both behavioral and physiological influences.

Study sheds light on role of exercise and androgens such as testosterone on nerve damage repair

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:22:22 EDT

A new study has found that the beneficial effects daily exercise can have on the regeneration of nerves also require androgens such as testosterone in both males and females. It is the first report of both androgen-dependence of exercise on nerve regeneration and of an androgenic effect of exercise in females.

Botox injections reduce chronic neck and cervical muscle pain

Sat, 13 Oct 2012 17:41:41 EDT

A study revealed Botulinum toxin type A (BOTOX) injections significantly improve pain and quality of life in people with chronic bilateral posterior neck and shoulder myofascial pain syndrome.

How nerve signals are sent around the body at varying speeds as electrical impulses

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:44:44 EDT

Scientists have proved a 60-year-old theory about how nerve signals are sent around the body at varying speeds as electrical impulses. Researchers tested how these signals are transmitted through nerve fibers, which enables us to move and recognize sensations such as touch and smell.