Drug Limits Damage of Brain Injury

FRIDAY, Oct. 18, 2019 -- Many brain injury deaths could be prevented by using an inexpensive drug in the critical hours following a head trauma, a new international study finds.

"Traumatic brain injury can happen to anyone at any time, whether it's through an incident like a car crash or simply falling down the stairs," said study co-leader Ian Roberts, a professor of clinical trials at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

New Hope Against a 'Dizzying' Form of Migraine

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 25, 2019 -- People who suffer bouts of vertigo and dizziness may be suffering from a type of migraine for which treatments rarely work.

But a new, preliminary study of 18 such patients found that stimulating the vagus nerve in the neck can help relieve vertigo.

Clues to Why Epileptic Seizures Can Halt Breathing

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 4, 2019 -- Higher levels of the brain chemical serotonin are linked to a lower risk of potentially deadly seizure-related breathing pauses in people with epilepsy, researchers say.

The findings suggest serotonin may help protect people with epilepsy from this threat, according to the authors of the study published in the Sept. 4 online issue of the journal Neurology.

Restless Legs Syndrome Might Raise Risk of Suicide, Self-Harm

FRIDAY, Aug. 23, 2019 -- People with restless legs syndrome (RLS) have nearly three times the risk of suicide and self-harm, which indicates that there may be a link between the physical condition and mental health.

In a new study, Penn State researchers analyzed data on more than 24,000 people with RLS and about 145,000 people without the neurological condition. None had a history of suicide attempts or self-harm.