It's shortly after 5 a.m. when the phone rings, and on the line is a clearly anxious and worried parent.
The reclusive singer opens up for the first time about his childhood seizures
Besides charting the nature of space and time and penning the bestseller "A Brief History of Time," Stephen Hawking has another distinction: He beat the life-expectancy odds for people with ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Connie and Donald McCracken were watching CNN one evening last week when they learned of the tragic death of actress Natasha Richardson from a head injury. Immediately, their minds turned to their 7-year-old daughter, Morgan, who was upstairs getting ready for bed.
A blow to the head that at first seems minor and does not result in immediate pain or other symptoms can in fact turn out to be a life-threatening brain injury, experts tell CNN.
Researchers announced this week that they've found a new gene, ALS6, which is responsible for about 5 percent of hereditary Lou Gehrig's cases.
Federal regulators have cleared the way for the first human trials of human embryonic stem-cell research, authorizing researchers to test whether the cells are safe to use in spinal injury patients, the company behind the trials announced Friday.
People with Parkinson's disease who have a pacemaker-like device implanted in the brain spend an extra four-plus hours a day free of tremors and involuntary movements than they do on medication, according to the largest study of the treatment, which is known as deep brain stimulation.
Chronic seizures can present a risk for adolescents, whose bodies and metabolism are changing.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins are often hailed as "wonder drugs." But a study published in the January 2008 issue of the journal Neurology says they don't protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease.
It's shortly after 5 a.m. when the phone rings, and on the line is a clearly anxious and worried parent.
The reclusive singer opens up for the first time about his childhood seizures
Besides charting the nature of space and time and penning the bestseller "A Brief History of Time," Stephen Hawking has another distinction: He beat the life-expectancy odds for people with ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Connie and Donald McCracken were watching CNN one evening last week when they learned of the tragic death of actress Natasha Richardson from a head injury. Immediately, their minds turned to their 7-year-old daughter, Morgan, who was upstairs getting ready for bed.
A blow to the head that at first seems minor and does not result in immediate pain or other symptoms can in fact turn out to be a life-threatening brain injury, experts tell CNN.
Researchers announced this week that they've found a new gene, ALS6, which is responsible for about 5 percent of hereditary Lou Gehrig's cases.
Federal regulators have cleared the way for the first human trials of human embryonic stem-cell research, authorizing researchers to test whether the cells are safe to use in spinal injury patients, the company behind the trials announced Friday.
People with Parkinson's disease who have a pacemaker-like device implanted in the brain spend an extra four-plus hours a day free of tremors and involuntary movements than they do on medication, according to the largest study of the treatment, which is known as deep brain stimulation.
Chronic seizures can present a risk for adolescents, whose bodies and metabolism are changing.
Cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins are often hailed as "wonder drugs." But a study published in the January 2008 issue of the journal Neurology says they don't protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease.
My 9-year-old daughter with a diagnosis of childhood absence epilepsy (currently treated with Depakote) has had two separate episodes, six months apart, where she heard voices telling her to hurt herself and run away. Each episode lasted two weeks. Would the only possible causes for hallucinations be depression/bipolar, or can you list some other possibilities?
Thomas Cuddy enlisted in the U.S. Army 28 years ago, but he's facing his greatest battle now that he's out.
A 2007 study indicates that women who have migraines with auras are at increased risk for stroke. The study, led by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, looked at 1,000 African-American and white women from ages 15 to 49 and was published in the journal Stroke in August 2007.
Ben, who's 15 months old, can already do a lot of things. He can turn on a light or open a door. He can pick up a remote control off the floor. He can pull a heavy object with his teeth.
cientists for the first time have peered into people's brains to directly measure the ebb and flow of a substance notorious for its role in Alzheimer's disease
An estimated one percent of adults have active epilepsy, and many of them are getting insufficient treatment, according to a 19-state survey released Thursday.
British researchers say a new drug could effectively halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease, offering hope to millions.
In a field of inquiry that has yielded much disappointment, scientists studying Alzheimer's disease announce some hopeful news
Patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease who performed better on a treadmill test had less atrophy in the areas of the brain that control memory
Some doctors have long suspected that if the plaque that builds up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease could be removed, they could be saved. But a new vaccine that did just that suggests the theory is wrong
The brains of people with the memory-robbing form of dementia are cluttered with a plaque made up of beta-amyloid, a sticky protein
Don Hayen has a handy way of deflecting the instant pity that comes when he reveals his Alzheimer's disease: "But I haven't lost my keys all day," he quickly jokes.
Doctors may want to give stroke victims antidepressants right away instead of waiting until they develop depression, a common complication, new research suggests.
Reports that he had a seizure do not preclude that it was a stroke as well, especially given his medical history
Results from a large government experiment are dimming hopes that two common painkillers can prevent Alzheimer's disease
Imagine what a pacemaker does to your heart: Its electrical impulses regulate a heartbeat that's out of whack.
In April 1993, Britt Harwe, of Wethersfield, Connecticut, was in a good place in her life. She was 26 years old and married to a wonderful guy, and they had a daughter, Caitlin, who was just about to turn 2. She had a job she loved, too. As a customer-service representative at an insurance agency, she'd spend long hours with a phone cradled between her neck and shoulder. So when she woke up one morning with an extremely painful stiff neck, she wasn't surprised -- just a little concerned. "I wanted to get it taken care of right away because I didn't know if I'd be able to work or take care of my daughter," she says.
A new study suggests that excessive daytime drowsiness may foretell a risk for stroke and other vascular disorders
Every step is precious now. Every movement is a gift. Every morning brings another sunrise, full of sweet promise. When Kevin Everett was a little boy growing up in Port Arthur, Texas, he would sit with his grandpa James Nico, and the older man would explain to him life's lessons. One of them was this: Don't ever be bitter. Just keep doing your best, even when things aren't looking so good.
A doctor helping Ethiopians, a man with Tourette's syndrome who started a camp for fellow sufferers and a former software manager who feeds the hungry in Kenya have been named CNN Heroes finalists for their work "Championing Children."
When teacher Karen Myhre fell to the floor after taking attendance one morning, her third-graders knew exactly what to do: Ring the bell to alert the school office, and run to get the school nurse.
Latin pop diva Gloria Estefan and former Citadel linebacker Marc Buoniconti have each suffered paralyzing injuries.
Since cozying up at an Emmys party in September, Milo Ventimiglia and Hayden Panettiere have dodged rumors that they are dating.
When actor Forest Whitaker's grandmother was diagnosed with brain cancer in the late 1990s, she was told her tumor was inoperable and that she had only months to live.
New research shows that insulin plays a key role in the brain -- and in the onset of Alzheimer's disease, prompting some researchers to call it "type 3" diabetes
Anyone who has suffered and survived a stroke will know of its devastating consequences and will be painfully aware that the road back to a normal life is a long and frustrating journey.
The Chief Justice's second seizure means he classified in medical terms as an epileptic. But that doesn't mean the episodes will impair him, or even require any treatment
U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts left a Maine hospital Tuesday after an overnight stay following a seizure at his vacation home.
Jesse Billauer rolls into the Beverly Hills Hotel with a blonde bombshell by his side and immediately attracts everyone's attention as soon as he opens his mouth. The tanned surfer is telling his friends to hold on to their girlfriends tight or he just might nab them up before the night is done. His friends laugh but quickly tighten their grip on their significant others. They know Billauer too well.
More than 26 million people worldwide have Alzheimer's disease, and a new forecast says the number will quadruple by 2050
Some obese people who have weight-loss surgery, particularly younger women, develop a neurological condition most often seen in severe alcoholics and linked to a vitamin deficiency, researchers said Monday.
It's estimated 60,000 new cases of Parkinson's disease are diagnosed each year in the United States. Dr. John Growden of Massachusetts General Hospital has been studying the condition for 25 years. He spoke with CNN about the incurable brain disorder.
Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease that can produce mild to severe symptoms. Dr. David Dawson, a neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, spoke with CNN about the condition.
Millions of Americans have gotten used to popping pills for depression, but the antidepressant of the future might be a machine that pulses magnetic waves through the brain.
Although she loved the memories they made on vacations together, Sandra Thai regularly threw out a good number of the snapshots of her husband, Dinh.
The latest news on companies previously profiled by FSB.By Emily Maltby and Brandi Stewart
IN THE 2004 "NEXT LITTLE Thing" issue, FSB featured Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems, a medical-device firm in Foxborough, Mass., that helps the severely disabled. The company's BrainGate devi...
Military service may slightly increase the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, but more research is needed, according to a new report from the National Academy of Sciences.
November is National Alzheimer's Disease month. CNN medical correspondent Judy Fortin talked about the illness with Dr. John Morris, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Pfizer faces a lawsuit claiming it marketed the cholesterol-reducing drug Lipitor for non-approved purposes -- a claim it may hear a lot as states battle costs due to expanded Medicare drug coverage.
Dr. Ali Rezai is a doctor of last resort.
Matthew Nagel awoke from a two-week coma in the summer of 2001 to learn he was paralyzed from the neck down.
When Larry Goldstein was in high school, his biology class project was to study the brains of goldfish -- their memory and how they learn.
Drugs that lower cholesterol also have life-saving potential for stroke patients, according to a study released Thursday. Investing analysts doubt that this new benefit will add momentum to drug sales.
Chanda Gunn's goal was to be in the goal crease for the U.S. Olympic women's hockey team, and she was not about to let epilepsy shut her out.
Reports that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's eyelids flickered as he recovers from a major stroke isn't a sign that he is waking from his medically induced coma, medical experts said.
Medical experts predict a grim future for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon even if he defies the odds and survives the terrible trauma to his brain.
Baby Noor, a 3-month-old Iraqi girl in need of urgent surgery to treat a dangerous birth defect, is in good condition and will undergo her operation within the next 10 days, according to a Saturday statement from the hospital where she's being treated.
A mercy airlift from Iraq to the United States got under way Friday, as the U.S. military helped an Iraqi infant named Noor receive treatment for a potentially fatal birth defect.
Baby Noor, a 3-month-old Iraqi girl in urgent need of medical attention to treat a potentially fatal birth defect, was resting early Friday at a U.S. base in western Baghdad before being flown to the United States for treatment.
When troops from the Georgia National Guard raided a Baghdad home in early December, they had no idea that their mission in Iraq would take a different turn.
British surgeons hope a new procedure using stem cells from the lining of the nose will help mend severed nerves of paralyzed patients and may one day allow them to walk again.
Rayilyn Brown, 69, has lived with the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease for nearly a decade. Two years ago, she underwent a treatment call deep brain stimulation, which, along with "brain pacemakers" have improved her quality of life. Here is her story:
Japanese scientists have created a device that could enable severely paralyzed people to communicate simply by measuring changes in their cerebral blood flow.
Scientists in the U.S. have successfully used neural stem cells to regenerate damaged spinal cord tissue in mice, raising hopes that the technique could be used to treat disabilities caused by spinal cord injuries and human neurological disorders.
MIT scientists are hoping to create a "workout area" for stroke sufferers that incorporates smart therapeutic robots to help patients regain movement of their bodies.
The next contentious end-of-life issue: assisted suicide. How Oregon offers a way out.
A New York jury Monday awarded punitive damages of $17.1 million against Philip Morris USA in a case in which a 72-year-old woman said her lung cancer and neurological disorder were caused by smoking.
Jenifer Estess was just 35 years old--the same age as Lou Gehrig--when she was diagnosed with the degenerative disease named for the baseball great, which affects 30,000 people in the U.S. The succ...
If you're among those of us who did inhale, you'll recall one of the weed's enjoyable side effects: intense attacks of the munchies that sent you scurrying for baked beans and Moon Pies faster than...
The next time someone tells you that doctors are the worst investors, just mention William Bernstein, M.D. In 1990, Bernstein, a neurologist on the coast of Oregon, decided to cut his workload in h...
Even as scientists race to develop drugs that combat the devastating memory loss of Alzheimer's disease, they are closing in on fixes for garden-variety "senior moments." Pharmaceutical maker Merck...
A common concern I hear from patients is that they're having trouble remembering names and dates. What they're really worried about is Alzheimer's disease. Anyone who's seen someone struggling with...
Humans have a remarkable ability to detect patterns. That's helped our species survive, enabling us to plant crops at the right time of year and evade wild animals. But when it comes to investing, ...
First, a confession: Weeks ago I grew weary of the relentless roll of journalistic drums about the imminent decoding of the human genome. Sure, it's biology's moon shot. True, it will pave the way ...
Way back in 1949, Earl Bakken, the co-founder of Medtronic, outlined his 100-year plan. His company then was nothing more than a hospital-equipment repair shop, and the notion of implanting electri...
When Miriam Silvermintz of Fair Lawn, N.J. took her seven-month-old son Nathan to the pediatrician for his third series of vaccinations on Feb. 18, 1991, she was thrilled to hear the doctor say her...
THE WINSOME schoolgirl at right below, Jennifer Darling, 17, of Mansfield, Massachusetts, suffers from one of the most terrifying and mysterious conditions challenging modern medicine. It goes by t...
WHEN HIS PARENTS brought 3-month-old Jacob Stark to UCLA's medical school last winter, he was stricken with infantile spasms, a pernicious form of epilepsy that starts at birth. Dozens of times a d...
Cometh now another investigative reporter trumpeting the evils of how corporations, unions, and trade associations give money to Senators and Congressmen. His book is called Honest Graft; his name ...
THE BRAIN HAS a built-in guardian that keeps hostile substances from reaching it through the bloodstream. That biological obstacle is a mixed blessing, because it also bars the path to drugs that c...
IN THE AGE of large-scale science, when research goals become national priorities and individual laboratory budgets can surpass the billion-dollar mark, the lone scientist still plays a central rol...
WE'D ALL LIKE a better memory, but for most of us the occasional lapse is only a fleeting embarrassment. Not so for the more than 25 million Americans over 65, whose ranks are growing three times f...
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