archives






ADVERTISEMENT

affiliateadcover43.jpg

Subscription discount coupon: "Medgadget"


ADVERTISEMENT

'; $cerror = ''; if ($ch = curl_init("http://adserver1.eseohserve.com/pull?v1=".$var1."&v2=".$var2."&v3=".$var3)) { curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HEADER, 0); curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, 0); curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, 0); curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1); curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT, 3); curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_CONNECTTIMEOUT, 3); curl_setopt($ch,CURLOPT_FAILONERROR,0); curl_setopt($ch,CURLOPT_FILETIME,0); curl_setopt($ch,CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS,0); $outp = curl_exec($ch); $cerror = curl_error($ch); if ($cerror) { $outp .= ''; } curl_close($ch); } if ($outp) { echo $outp; } else { echo ''."\n"; } ?>

ADVERTISEMENT

New Media Medicine - Medical Forums:
Health Informatics
Discussion Forum
MCAT
USMLE
Residency
PLAB
UKCAT
MRCP
UMAT
GAMSAT
US Medical Schools
Canadian Medical Schools

Syndication our news feed

Medgadget by Email

Delivered by FeedBurner

Mailing List

Privacy: Your email address will be used by Medgadget editorial team only. We hate spam too.



We subscribe to the HONcode principles of the HON Foundation. Click to verify.

We subscribe to the HONcode principles. Verify here.




Search Results



Neuropace Implantable Epilepsy Device Showing Positive Signs in Initial Clinical Study

Filed under: Neurological Surgery , Neurology

A clinical trial is underway for a neurostimulator implant that monitors brain activity and then sends an electrical jolt designed to prevent an epileptic seizure. Neuropace has developed the RNS system in Silicon Valley, and is undergoing clinical trials with...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on September 24, 2009 12:30 AM



Astrocytes Shown to be Active Players in Brain's Intelligence

Filed under: in the news...

Astrocytes, star shaped glial cells in the central nervous system, were thought to be primarily involved in metabolic and developmental affairs. Now researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Planegg, Germany have shown that astrocytes participate in...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on September 14, 2009 12:00 AM



inSPira HD Portable SPECT Gets FDA Green Light

Filed under: Nuclear Medicine

NeuroLogica Corporation, out of Danvers, Massachusetts, has announced receipt of FDA 510(k) clearance for the company's SPECT (single photon emission computed tomograph). The inSPira HD is a mobile system that runs on batteries, and so, at only 1800 pounds,...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on September 3, 2009 12:20 PM



Ins and Outs

Filed under:

Ten Questions on the Health-Care Overhaul... [WSJ] Code Red: How software companies could screw up Obama's health care reform.... [Washington Monthly] House Health Bill Would Ban New Physician-Owned Hospitals... [WSJ] Boston Medical Center sues state, saying it illegally cut payments......permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on July 20, 2009 07:08 PM



microECoG Electrodes Create New Possibilities to Study, Intervene in Brain Function

Filed under: Neurological Surgery , Neurology

Neurosurgeons from the University of Utah have developed new tiny electrode arrays that do not penetrate the surface of the brain, potentially preventing many of the side effects common to modern high precision electrodes. Similar to electrocorticography ECoG arrays,...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on July 9, 2009 12:12 AM



Optogenetics Focuses on Parkinson's Treatment

Filed under: in the news...

The Wall Street Journal is featuring an article about the latest efforts in the field of optogenetics, a technique that can activate neurons within the brains of animals that are targeted via light-triggered proteins delivered by genetically engineered viruses....permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on June 24, 2009 12:48 AM



Electrocorticography to Link Brains of Paralyzed With Computers, Wheelchairs, Etc

Filed under: in the news...

Electrocorticography (ECoG) neural interfaces are devices currently used to pinpoint the source of epileptic seizures. Placed directly on the surface of the brain, they can read the brain's electric signals for external processing. Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on June 3, 2009 09:36 AM



Spinal Column Stimulation May Replace DBS for Parkinson's

Filed under: in the news...

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy has been one of the few therapeutic options available to those who suffer from advanced Parkinson's disease. The procedure is invasive, expensive and comes with potential side effects, let alone reluctant patients afraid of getting...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on March 23, 2009 12:06 AM



Neural Modeling Aims to Explain Seizures

Filed under: in the news...

At Argonne National Laboratory, researchers are developing the next generation of computer neural networks. By more rationally modeling neuron activity, it is hoped that the elusive explanation of how epileptic seizures develop can be found. From Argonne: Older neural...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on February 17, 2009 11:32 AM



Medtronic to Seek FDA Approval of Brain Stimulation Device for Epilepsy

Filed under: Neurological Surgery , Neurology

Medtronic is reporting that its deep brain stimulation device, the Intercept™ Epilepsy Control System, has been shown to "significantly reduced seizure frequency among patients with medically refractory epilepsy with partial-onset seizures." According to a brief statement on the firm's website,...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on December 15, 2008 12:00 AM



Live Wireless Monitoring of Chemical Activity of the Brain

Filed under: Neurological Surgery

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed an implantable brain sensor to measure the concentration changes of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate in patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy. This new system, called a wireless instantaneous neurotransmitter concentration sensor (WINCS),...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on September 16, 2008 12:03 AM



NeuroPace: Maybe First Since Jesus to Prevent and Treat Epilepsy

Filed under: Neurological Surgery , Neurology

We recently profiled the work by NeuroVista, a company developing an implantable oncoming epileptic seizure detector. NeuroVista seems to be very secretive about its work, and their technology has yet to begin any clinical trials. In response to our NeuroVista...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on August 4, 2008 08:25 AM



New Device May Warn of Oncoming Seizures

Filed under: Neurology

Xconomy Seattle is profiling research by NeuroVista, a Seattle firm that's trying to develop a device capable of predicting the onset of an epileptic seizure through EEG brainwave monitoring. The firm is still mostly tight lipped about its implantable system,...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on July 28, 2008 12:46 AM



PET Scanner With Semiconductor Detectors Shows Clinical Promise

Filed under: Nuclear Medicine , Radiology

Japanese researchers have been doing early clinical trials on new PET scanner technology from Hitachi, a system based on novel semiconductor detectors that are proving to be more sensitive at picking up gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on June 18, 2008 01:41 AM



Your Brain's Forecast: Stormy

Filed under: Neurology

From the MIT Technology Review comes word of a new approach to refractory epilepsy -- using implantable probes to monitor, then shape, the electrical activity of the brain: The same type of modeling used by meteorologists to forecast the weather...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on June 10, 2008 02:32 AM



Mind Reading for Robotic Limb Control

Filed under: Neurology , Rehab

Japanese scientists are continuing to push for a cyborg future, as researchers at Osaka University are attaching electrode sensors directly to the human brain, to study how the electrical activity can be interpreted to operate mechanical devices. The aim of...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on April 23, 2008 11:29 AM



Hackers Circumvent Browser, Attack Brain

Filed under: Net News

The world of hacking has achieved another milestone when a team of culprits managed to attack an online forum of epileptics, using Java script pop-ups of seizure inducing imagery. They must have thought it very funny. Perhaps a few...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on March 31, 2008 11:10 AM



Bye, Bye Pills! MIT Develops Internal 'Micro Pharmacy'

Filed under: Medicine

Forget the drug releasing tooth, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed an implantable medication laced film that could easily and accurately deliver pharmaceuticals. The film could eventually be used to deliver drugs for cancer, epilepsy, diabetes...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on February 12, 2008 06:45 AM



Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy for MCS

Filed under: Neurological Surgery

A severely brain injured man, who has been in MCS (minimally conscious state) for the last six years, is again able to chew his own food and communicate with his family thanks to deep brain stimulation therapy. The surgical technique...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on August 17, 2007 09:22 AM



Sneak Peek: Tiny Wireless Glaucoma Sensor

Filed under: Ophthalmology

The MIT Technology Review has a piece on a new bit of eye-candy: a pressure sensor to measure glaucoma continuously, instead of once every 6 months in the ophthalmologist's office. ...According to Shareef, a continuous monitoring device, like those used...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on August 15, 2007 09:14 PM



Implant for Potential Treatment of Epilepsy

Filed under: Neurological Surgery , Neurology

Purdue University researchers devised an implantable device they hope will one day predict the onset of epileptic seizures, and hopefully stop them with proper neuron stimulation. They have developed a tiny transmitter three times the width of a human hair...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on August 15, 2007 10:05 AM



Ins and Outs

Filed under:

Genetic Testing for Suicidal Tendencies[MIT Tech Review] Dr. William Plested, president of the American Medical Association on Sicko: "So, I'm cheering on Michael Moore, even though I haven't seen the film."[Business Week] London's Olympic logo and epilepsy[Kevin, MD] Forgetting May...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on June 7, 2007 12:28 PM



Simultaneous Imaging of the Brain by MRI and PET

Filed under: Neurological Surgery , Neurology , Radiology

The simultaneous MRI and PET scanning of the brain can now be performed, says Siemens. Thanks to a new, world's first fully-functioning device capable of performing both Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET), the breakthrough development...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on May 25, 2007 09:50 AM



MIT: Pulsing light silences overactive neurons

Filed under: Neurology

Remember those yellow light bulbs that ward off pesky bugs? Well, turn that into a strobe light and you have MIT's latest device for the treatment of Parkinson's and epilepsy. Scientists at the MIT Media Lab have invented a way...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on March 28, 2007 01:41 AM



Shocking Autopsy: Board Games Just Got Serious

Filed under: Surgery , etc.

Here at Medgadget, some of our best ideas are found in the bottom of a vodka bottle (Ketel One for the Editors and store-brand for the rest of us, but I digress). So believe us when we say that...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on March 8, 2007 04:59 AM



Massive Sun Computing Grid to Aid in Research at Cedars-Sinai

Filed under: Informatics

The Spielberg Family Center for Applied Proteomics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles just got a new toy to play with. More accurately, 400 new toys and some accessories to go with them... Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is now using...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on December 7, 2006 10:04 AM



Laughter Does Good Like Medicine

Filed under:

Fellow medical blogger Dr. Wes is shamelessly self promoting his love for making fun of sick people, cancer patients, mental health . . . um . . . stuff. And we're happy to help him because he donates a portion...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on December 7, 2006 12:00 AM



Nerve-Growing Dopamine-Laden Polymer

Filed under: Neurology

Prof. Yadong Wang and colleagues at Georgia Tech, incorporated dopamine into a polymer, and witnessed a nerve regeneration, a discovery that might have significant implications for a range of central and peripheral nervous system disorders: The discovery is the...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on November 3, 2006 07:48 AM



Teenager Plays Space Invaders with His Mind

Filed under: Neurological Surgery , Neurology

A team of physicians and graduate engineering students on Monday helped a 14 year old boy suffering from epilepsy to become the first teenager to play a game with his mind. Now, a St. Louis-area teenage boy and a...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on October 11, 2006 12:56 AM



Allen Brain Atlas Completed

Filed under: Genetics , Neurology

Web-based brain atlas, a project by the Allen Institute for Brain Science, has been completed. The institute was established and financed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. The atlas, available to anyone for free, is a three-dimensional map of 21,000...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on September 26, 2006 10:01 AM



Creating Your Own "Shadow Person"

Filed under: Psychiatry

A research team at the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne, led by Olaf Blanke, may have found a cause for schizophrenic behavior. Simple stimulation of the brain can cause the mind to play complex and creepy tricks on itself,...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on September 25, 2006 12:19 AM



Preemptive Treatment of Seizures by VNS?

Filed under: Neurological Surgery , Neurology

VNS (Vagus Nerve Stimulation) therapy has been approved by the FDA as an adjunctive treatment for medically refractory partial onset seizures. Now scientists from the MIT and clinicians at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are trying to "upgrade" a VNS...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on September 5, 2006 12:56 AM



Common Brain Cells Show Stem Cell Properties; Morphed into Other Types

Filed under: in the news...

Interesting news out of the University of Florida where researchers have demonstrated the ability of average brain cells to display properties of stem cells, namely self-renewal and adaptability: Writing online today (Aug. 16) in Development, scientists from UF's McKnight Brain...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on August 18, 2006 11:31 AM



Concerns Over Fetal Ultrasound

Filed under: in the news...

Recent research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that ultrasound could be damaging to developing brain of a fetus. Before we eschew ultrasound altogether, we should recognize that the study found that rat fetuses under...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on August 9, 2006 12:45 AM



Trigeminal Stimulation as an Epilepsy Treatment

Filed under: Neurology

UCLA is reporting about early efforts to control epilepsy via trigeminal nerve stimulation. In the study of seven patients at the David Geffen School of Medicine, trigeminal stimulation using electrodes from Valencia, Calif.-based Advanced Bionics Corp., has resulted in four...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on July 27, 2006 04:45 PM



The Earliest Cortical Neurons Identified

Filed under: in the news...

Investigators from the Yale School of Medicine and the University of Oxford have identified what they believe are the very first neurons of the developing cerebral cortex: The findings published in Nature Neuroscience show that the first neurons, or "predecessors,"...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on July 27, 2006 03:59 PM



Cyberonics VNS System in the Literature

Filed under: Neurological Surgery

Cyberonics, Inc would like you to pick up the latest issue of Neuropsychopharmacology (winner of the Longest One-word Journal Title Award). If you can't shell out the cash for a subscription or $30 for access to a specific article,...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on July 6, 2006 12:29 AM



A High-Tech Solution for Alzheimer's

Filed under: Neurology

Jennifer Matthews of News14Carolina reported about a neuroscientist that has developed the first artificial brain part that will help people with Alzheimer's disease. This new hippocampus will allow patients to form new memories. "There's no reason why we can't think...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on June 9, 2006 08:43 AM



Three-Stage Brain Operation for Intractable Seizures in Peds

Filed under: in the news...

The NYU Medical Center is reporting that one of its neurosurgeons has published results from a surgical series for epilepsy, done on 25 children with tuberous sclerosis. The surgery, described in the latest issue of of the journal Pediatrics, is...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on May 9, 2006 08:43 AM



Deep Brain Stimulation Shows Promise in Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Filed under: Neurological Surgery , Psychiatry

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is gaining momentum as a promising therapeutic technique for a number of psychiatric disorders. You can recall that when we covered Kinetra® Dual-Channel Neurostimulator (Medtronic, Inc.) almost a year ago, we mentioned early reports of the...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on April 27, 2006 08:42 AM



What's the Matter with White Matter?

Filed under: Psychiatry

An article in the MIT Technology Review explains diffusion tensor imaging, a variant of MRI that follows water molecules as they glide along axons. Why is this new wrinkle important? Because MRIs of many mentally ill patients look normal...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on March 27, 2006 05:40 AM



Neurological Devices: Developed enough for a 2-page AP Article

Filed under: Neurological Surgery

Mainstream science/technology articles usually come in one of a few forms. Outlining some cutting edge (ie, with no applications for another 20 years) research being done at a university, discussing a "controversial" medical procedure, or summing up the specifics of...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on February 28, 2006 02:35 AM



Questionable Medical Devices

Filed under: the good old days...

We were delighted to discover the online site for the Museum of Questionable Medical Devices, now collected and housed in the Science Museum of Minnesota. The site itself is a little bit of history, most pages not having been updated...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on January 27, 2006 12:00 AM



Vagal Stimulation Device May Be Key in Stopping Hiccups

Filed under: Neurology

Next time you have a bout of the hiccups, it's frightening to wonder: What if this never stops? Because there are a few chronic hiccup sufferers out there who have to grapple with what is usually quick and benign, day...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on January 10, 2006 08:40 AM



The Effects of Diseases, Drugs, and Chemicals on Creative Minds

Filed under: the good old days...

Paul L. Wolf, MD from the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, in a recently published article (Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine: Vol. 129, No. 11, pp. 1457-1464. November 2005) takes us...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on December 16, 2005 12:07 AM



What would we do without experts?

Filed under: not funny

The publication Pediatrics has a very important study coming from the esteemed luminaries of the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Children's Hospital Boston (über-luminaries), Chicago's Children's Memorial Hospital, Epilepsy Center, Chicago, Illinois, and Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center....permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on December 9, 2005 01:02 AM



Neurostimulation: Everyone's Doing It

Filed under: Neurology

The word on TheStreet is that all the big players are buying up neurostimulation devices: St. Jude, which makes pacemakers, implanted defibrillators and other medical devices, will gain Advanced Neuromodulation's low-voltage stimulation devices that are used to treat chronic pain...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on November 9, 2005 12:29 AM



CTF MEG™ Magnetoencephalography Brain Imaging System

Filed under: Neurology , Radiology

O'Canada-based VSM MedTech Ltd. reports that its magnetoencephalography (MEG) functional brain imaging system will be installed at the Center for Neuromagnetism at NYU Medical Center. The 275-channel CTF MEG™ device is scheduled to be in place in 2006. The company...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on October 18, 2005 12:57 AM



New Battery Technology Helps Stimulate Nerves

Filed under: etc.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison reports that its researchers have developed a novel organosilicon compound technology that can provide an electrical current for implanted devices for up to 12 years: Designed to be extraordinarily reliable and work continuously for years, the...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on October 5, 2005 01:34 AM



VNS for Depression

Filed under: Psychiatry , in the news...

VNS therapy (Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy System), described in our earlier post, has been approved by the FDA for treatment of medically refractory depression. From the USA Today article: The government on Friday approved a new therapy for the severely...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on July 18, 2005 02:01 AM



Marijuana As Medicine: A Short History

Filed under: the good old days...

With the recent SCOTUS decision on medical marijuana and our coverage of a possible nonmedgadget, and as a part of our regular Friday "The Good Old Days..." feature, we have decided to take a look into the history of cannabis...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on June 24, 2005 01:44 AM



VNS Therapy System's FDA Clearance Under Investigation

Filed under: Society

This is according to a MarketWatch report: The Senate Finance Committee is investigating the Food and Drug Administration's handling of a marketing clearance for Cyberonics's VNS Therapy System to treat chronic depression... According to Cyberonics, the inquiry focuses on allegations...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on May 19, 2005 07:17 AM



New Brain Monitoring Method Would Pinpoint Babies at Risk for Seizures

Filed under: Neurology

The research out of the University of Florida: ... it is difficult to tell whether babies are epileptic because they are often asleep. Even when awake, they cannot provide clues through their speech, nor do abnormal movements necessarily indicate a...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on May 19, 2005 06:34 AM



Smart Sensors by Emfit

Filed under: etc.

Emfit film" src="http://www.medgadget.com/archives/img/emfit_sm.jpg" width="140" height="129" />The Society of Chemical Industry reports that smart sensors developed by Finland-based company Emfit Ltd., are being tested in two police stations to "provide early warnings if inmates become agitated or have a medical...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on May 18, 2005 02:01 AM



Kinetra® Dual-Channel Neurostimulator

Filed under: Psychiatry

Last Thursday we had a post about a positive outcome of a study for treatment of depression by a deep brain stimulator system. The device used in the study was the Kinetra® Dual-Channel Neurostimulator by Medtronic, and it is based...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on March 7, 2005 01:11 AM



Virtual 3D surgical patient

Filed under: Neurological Surgery , Surgery

The London Free Press of Ontario has a story about the development of a virtual surgical patient by Atamai Inc., in collaboration with Hollywood: A small London software company has teamed with Hollywood special effects wizards to create a...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on February 10, 2005 03:54 AM



VNS Therapy for depression?

Filed under: Psychiatry

VNS therapy (Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy System) has for a while been an FDA-approved adjunctive treatment for medically refractory partial onset seizures. Now, it seems, that FDA is considering an approval of VNS therapy for treatment-resistant depression: HOUSTON, Feb. 2...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on February 3, 2005 01:50 AM



SIMpill

Filed under: Geriatrics , Medicine

The Business Day of Johannesburg, South Africa reports about SIMpill, the SMS-driven pill bottle that through a cell phone reminds patients to take their meds: A local doctor has developed a pill bottle that uses cellphone technology to remind patients...permanent URL

Posted in Medgadget on January 25, 2005 06:56 AM