Mouse Study Sheds Light On Hearing Loss In Older Adults Nov 13, 2009
The study has identified a gene that is essential to age-related hearing loss, a condition marked by deaths of sensory hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons in the inner ear ... Before the study, it was already clear that "aging was associated with a major loss of hair cells and ganglion cells, so it was plausible that programmed cell death was playing a role in hearing loss," says Prolla ... In mice, Prolla and the study's first author, Shinichi Someya, a postdoctoral researcher at UW-Madison,... (Science Daily)
Headaches and heartaches: Wife's persistence leads to relief Nov 2, 2009
Allan Jung/Daily News staff Jason Cameron of Marlborough, is able to adjust the pulse rate and power of a rechargeable supraorbital neurostimulator that is implanted in his chest to control the pain caused by his cluster headaches. By Michael Morton/Daily News staff MetroWest Daily News Posted Nov 01, 2009 @ 12:49 AM Last update Nov 01, 2009 @ 11:26 PM. (Allston Brighton TAB, MA)
Scientists Create Robot Surrogate For Blind Persons In Testing Visual Prostheses Oct 21, 2009
The chip directly stimulates the eye's functional retinal ganglion cells, which carry the image information to the vision centers in the brain. CYCLOPS fills a void in the process of testing visual prostheses, explains Fink. (Science Daily)
Gene Variant Linked To Glaucoma Identified Sep 24, 2009
Known as "the silent thief of sight," glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease that causes the death of ganglion cells of the retina, resulting in gradual and irreversible loss of peripheral vision. Reducing intra-ocular pressure can slow the progression to blindness, but there is no cure or reversal for glaucoma. (Science Daily)
Eye drops 'may reverse glaucoma' Aug 6, 2009
But once pressure has started to damage optic nerve cells, called retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), it has proved impossible to recover that lost function. And often people with glaucoma do not seek expert help until the condition is already relatively advanced. (BBC News -- Health)
Therapeutic Delivery Of A Gene To Dysfunctional Nerves Jun 27, 2009
In many sensory neuronopathies, the nerves that are dysfunctional are those in a region of the body known as the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), and these conditions are particularly difficult to treat. However, Lawrence Chan and colleagues, at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, have developed an approach to target therapeutic genes to nerves in the DRG, and used it to reduce sensory nerve dysfunction in a mouse model of Sandhoff disease, an inherited condition in which many nerves, including... (Science Daily)
Cell's Split Personality Is A Major Discovery Into Neurological Diseases May 8, 2009
4, 2009) Although scientists know progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons is the primary cause of glaucoma, researchers have yet to identify a way to stop or prevent the. (May 13, 2008) High blood pressure and high cholesterol levels appear to be risk factors for retinal vein occlusion, a condition that causes vision loss, according to a new article. (Science Daily)
Natural treatments for ganglion cyst? Apr 28, 2009
Natural treatments for ganglion cyst ... Natural treatments for ganglion cyst ... Q: Do you have any information on natural treatments for a sore ganglion cyst on the wrist. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Growth factor TGF-B helps maintain health of retinal blood vessels Apr 8, 2009
These defects led to the death of ganglion cells (nerve cells in the innermost part of the retina) and a loss of visual function. According to D'Amore and Walshe, the demonstration of the role played by TGF- is one more piece of a very complex set of controls that keeps blood vessels and the retina healthy. (EurekAlert!)
Genetic Sleuth Solves Glaucoma Mystery Mar 27, 2009
4, 2009) Although scientists know progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons is the primary cause of glaucoma, researchers have yet to identify a way to stop or prevent the. . (Science Daily)
Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Mar 12, 2009
Its cause is the loss of retinal ganglion cell axons, along with supporting glia and vasculature ... Damage to Retinal Ganglion-Cell Axons ... Loss of Retinal Ganglion Cells. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Experts examine causes, treatment and prevention of glaucoma Mar 5, 2009
Although scientists know progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons is the primary cause of glaucoma, researchers have yet to identify a way to stop or prevent the degeneration. The challenge to find a solution brought together a panel of 39 scientists to discuss the factors that may contribute to the disease. (EurekAlert!)
Protein Might One Day Prevent Blindness Feb 7, 2009
"And this protein they worked with appears to be what we call neuro-protective, in that it has protective benefits on both the photoreceptor layer that gets damaged in macular degeneration as well as on the ganglion cell layer which is damaged by glaucoma. So this finding could actually turn out to be a major accomplishment, affecting a lot of patients down the road.". However, Rando Allikmets, an associate professor of ophthalmology, pathology and cell biology at Columbia University in New York... (MEDLINEplus)