NINDS News Articles

In a new study funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), investigators identified a set of genes that are regulated during development, and that in turn regulate the capacity of nerve cells to grow.

Commonly used anti-seizure medications do not work as effectively in newborns as they do in adults and children.  A new study funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) helps explain why, and suggests that effective treatment for newborn seizures could be a matter of repurposing an available drug and using it to supplement conventional anti-seizure therapies.

When a child is rushed to the emergency room with an acute headache, the goal for both parents and doctors is to determine if a serious neurological condition might be causing the pain. One option is to perform a computed tomography (CT) scan to aid diagnosis. But a new study offers evidence that CT scans are of little benefit for diagnosing headache in young children who have normal neurological exams and no history of serious problems.

A growth factor that has generated tides of hope and disappointment for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may turn out to be an effective therapy for a less common disease, Kennedy’s disease.

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease who have higher levels of a metabolite called urate in their blood and in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have a slower rate of disease progression, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. A clinical trial is under way to examine the safety and potential benefits of supplemental urate elevation for recently diagnosed Parkinson’s patients who have low urate levels.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health, has named Petra Kaufmann, M.D., M.Sc., as director of its Office of Clinical Research.