national institute of neurological disorders and stroke

(NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Brain tumors called gliomas are often associated with seizures, but why the seizures occur and how to effectively treat them have been elusive.

An NIH-funded team has found that human gliomas implanted in mice release excess levels of the brain chemical glutamate, overstimulating neurons near the tumor and triggering seizures.

Sulfasalazine, a drug on the market for treating certain inflammatory disorders, reduced seizures in the mice.

(NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Scientists have developed a brain implant that essentially melts into place, snugly fitting to the brain's surface.

The technology could pave the way for better devices to monitor and control seizures, and to transmit signals from the brain past damaged parts of the spinal cord.

(NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) Investigators studying the toxic protein at the root of Huntington's disease have found that small biochemical changes to the protein have a large effect on its toxicity.

These changes could be exploited or mimicked to develop a drug treatment for Huntington's. The findings appear in two new studies supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Headaches affect millions of Americans. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches.

Tension-type headaches (or tension headaches)—characterized by pain or discomfort from tense or constricted muscles in the head, neck, or scalp—are one of the most common forms of headaches.

In most patients, tension headaches occur infrequently and can be treated with over-the-counter pain medicine.