Brain-Computer Interface Restores Control of Home Devices for Johns Hopkins Patient with ALS

Tim Evans is participating in a clinical trial at Johns Hopkins Medicine, in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, that is looking at a series of studies using the device in patients with severe speech and movement difficulties to regain some of the abilities lost due to neurological diseases.

Ohio State researchers publish national guidelines for ALS genetic testing, counseling

Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and led the creation of evidence-based consensus guidelines for genetic testing and counseling for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease that affects the cells in the brain and spine.

Brooke Eby Receives AANEM’s 2023 Public Recognition Award for ALS Advocacy Efforts

The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) proudly announces Brooke Eby as the 2023 Public Recognition Award recipient for her remarkable commitment to raising awareness about muscle and nerve disorders, specifically amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Wexner Medical Center among first in nation to administer new gene therapy for ALS

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is one of the first nationwide to administer a targeted gene therapy for patients with a specific form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease that affects the cells in the brain and spine.

RNA modification ‘pivotal’ for protein linked to neurodegeneration in ALS

Scientists know that TDP-43, which helps regulate processing of RNA, may be responsible for the death of nerve cells in ALS and frontotemporal dementia. And a study suggests that a common modification to RNA, a methylation event known as m6A, plays a pivotal role in TDP-43-related neurodegeneration in ALS. Through sequencing analysis, investigators showed that methylation strongly influences the binding of TDP-43 to its RNA targets. They also observed highly abundant RNA methylation in the end-stage tissues of patients with ALS.

WashU chemist Jackrel awarded grant to study proteins linked to ALS

The relentless neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) eventually shuts down the entire body, but the devastation starts at a molecular level. The possibility of stopping the disease by repairing and preserving proteins in the brain has inspired experiments in the lab of Meredith Jackrel, an assistant professor of chemistry in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

Today: ANA2022 Media Roundtable to Spotlight Latest in Neuro Research

As the American Neurological Association’s 147th Annual Meeting wraps up today, October 25, the ANA is holding a Media Roundtable at 11 a.m. U.S. Central for reporters to access the latest developments in neurology and neuroscience.

An Environmental Wake-Up Call for Neurology

The Presidential Symposium at the American Neurological Association’s 2022 Annual Meeting (ANA2022) in Chicago will shine a spotlight on the role of environmental exposures — air pollution, pesticides, microplastics, and more — in diseases like dementias and developmental disorders.

$10 million gift to support ALS research, educational outreach at local high schools

The University of Chicago has received a $10 million gift from the Lohengrin Foundation to help establish a center of excellence in research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. ALS and its related conditions are devastating neurological diseases. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS progressively destroys nerve cells that control body movements, and affects as many as 30,000 Americans each year.

ALS risk higher among production workers, those exposed to metals, volatile compounds on job

A new study finds people working in “production” – fields such as manufacturing, welding and chemical operation – who are exposed to hazardous chemicals on the job, may have increased risk of developing ALS. People with ALS report higher occupational exposure to metals, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and combustion pollutants prior to diagnosis.

2022 AANEM Public Recognition Award Winner Announced

American Association of Neuromuscular &
Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM), is excited to announce Richard S. Bedlack Jr., MD, PhD,
MS, as the recipient of the 2022 Public Recognition Award. This award honors public figures,
celebrities, or entities that have made extraordinary contributions toward increasing public
awareness of muscle and nerve disorders.

Q&A With ALS Researcher Deepti Lall, PhD

There’s a huge urgency worldwide to find new therapies that help patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurological disorder that causes people to eventually lose the ability to walk, talk, eat and breathe. In recognition of ALS Awareness Month, Dr. Deepti Lall shares why she’s optimistic about scientific advances for this fatal disease

Does A Lifetime of Vigorous Exercise Increase the Risk of Developing ALS?

There is debate over whether vigorous physical activity is a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A new study suggests it depends on whether that vigorous activity you get over your lifetime happens on the job or during leisure time. The research is published in the October 20, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

UIC researchers find evidence of possible link between herpes simplex and neurogenerative diseases

A new study by researchers at University of Illinois Chicago suggests that when the protein optineurin, or OPTN, is present in cells it restricts the spread of HSV-1, the herpes simplex virus type 1.In a “first of its kind” study, researchers also found a potential direct connection between neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), glaucoma, and the herpesvirus.

Mount Sinai Receives $2.9 Million to Study First-of-its-kind Brain Implant for Restoring Function in Paralyzed Patients

Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance will lead Mount Sinai in national clinical trial

Hopkins Med News Update

NEWS STORIES IN THIS ISSUE:

-Study: Race and Ethnicity May Impact Prevalence and Treatment of Heart Valve Dysfunction
-Johns Hopkins Medicine Suggests Eliminating Nerve Cell Protein May Stop ALS, Dementia
-Researchers Tell Doctors to Avoid Routine Urinary Tests for Older Patients with Delirium
-Johns Hopkins Medicine Researchers Show How Air Pollution May Cause Chronic Sinusitis
-Researchers ID Location on Brain Protein Linked to Parkinson’s Disease Development
-COVID-19 News: The Return of Onsite Schooling — and How to Keep Your Kids Safe from COVID

Researchers Identify New Gene that May Increase Risk of ALS

Researchers have identified a new gene that may increase a person’s risk of developing ALS, according to a new study published in the June 16, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The gene, called TP73, produces a protein to help regulate the life cycle of a cell. Researchers found that some people with ALS have mutations in this gene and that the mutations may interfere with nerve cell health.

Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center Establishes Comprehensive ALS Center

Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center has established an interprofessional Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Center which brings together all of the specialists a patient and family may need in one clinic, during one visit. The new ALS Center is the second such program in the Hackensack Meridian Health network, the other being at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

A COSMIC Approach to Nanoscale Science

COSMIC, a multipurpose X-ray instrument at Berkeley Lab’s Advanced Light Source, has made headway in the scientific community since its launch less than 2 years ago, with groundbreaking contributions in fields ranging from batteries to biominerals.

World’s first: Drug guides stem cells to desired location, improving their ability to heal

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have created a drug that can lure stem cells to damaged tissue and improve treatment efficacy—a scientific first and major advance for the field of regenerative medicine. The discovery, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), could improve current stem cell therapies designed to treat such neurological disorders as spinal cord injury, stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative disorders; and expand their use to new conditions, such as heart disease or arthritis.

Cellular pathway of genetic heart disease similar to neurodegenerative disease

Research on a genetic heart disease has uncovered a new and unexpected mechanism for heart failure. This landmark discovery found a correlation between the clumping of RNA-binding proteins ― long linked to neurodegenerative disease ― and the aggregates of protein found in the heart tissue of patients with RBM20 dilated cardiomyopathy.

ALS Patients Find Hope in New Study Authored by AANEM Members

There is some hope on the horizon for patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. More than a dozen members of the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) were authors on a study announcing the results showing promise in the fight against ALS that appeared in AANEM’s journal Muscle & Nerve.

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis NEWS RELEASE Embargoed until 5 p.m. ET Wednesday, July 8, 2020 Experimental drug shows early promise against inherited form of ALS, trial indicates

A clinical trial conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and other sites has found evidence that the experimental drug tofersen lowers levels of a disease-causing protein in people with an inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, caused by mutations in the gene SOD1.

URI engineering professor helping ALS patients use their brains to communicate

KINGSTON, R.I. – June 25, 2020 – Doug Sawyer was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, 11 years ago. His only muscles that still function are those that control eye movement.Despite his disability, Sawyer still works as an engineer from his home, designing electronics for Hayward Industries.

Rat Spinal Cords Control Neural Function in Biobots

Biological robots draw inspiration from natural systems to mimic the motions of organisms, such as swimming or jumping. Improvements to biobots to better replicate complex motor behaviors can lead to exciting biorobotic engineering applications to help solve real world challenges. However, this requires the creation of biohybrid, which is a challenge. Researchers combined an intact rat spinal cord with a tissue-engineered, 3D muscle system. They describe the novel biohybrid system in the journal APL Bioengineering.

Milestone in Advanced Light Source Upgrade Project Will Bring in a New Ring

An upgrade of the Advanced Light Source, a synchrotron at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), has passed an important milestone that will help to maintain the ALS’ world-leading capabilities. On Dec. 23 the DOE granted approval for a key funding step that will allow the project to start construction on a new inner electron storage ring known as an accumulator ring.