Two new strategies using deep brain stimulation can improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, Duke University researchers have found. Doctors can efficiently improve symptoms of Parkinson’s by simultaneously targeting to key brain structures using a newly developed self-adjusting device, researchers recently reported in the journal Brain. For the past two decades, doctors have used deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat symptoms of advanced Parkinson’s, which can include tremors, stiffness, and involuntary writhing movements. The technique involves electrodes inserted into a targeted area of the brain. The electrodes act similarly to a heart pacemaker, delivering electrical pulses that help quell symptoms. The two key brain regions targeted by deep brain stimulation are the subthalamic nucleus and the globus pallidus, “which are two structures in the brain closely associated with movement,” said senior author Dr. Dennis Turner, professor of neurosurgery, neurobiology, and biomedical engineering at the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C. “There are benefits to both locations on their own depending on the patient’s symptoms,” Turner said in a Duke news release, “but we believed placing the electrodes at both locations could be complementary and help reduce medication doses and side effects, as well as implement a completely new approach to adaptive DBS.” Beside targeting both regions at once, researchers also decided to include a technique called “adaptive DBS.” Traditional DBS involves a doctor setting…  read on >  read on >

Black people are five times as likely as others to develop glaucoma and up to 15 times more likely to be blinded by the degenerative eye disease. Now, a new study reports that genetics appears to be at least one factor contributing to this increased risk. Researchers have identified three gene variants that could be fueling Black people’s higher glaucoma risk, according to findings published Jan. 18 in the journal Cell. “Our work is an important step toward defining subgroups of glaucoma, providing the capability for early screening and discovering targetable pathways for personalized therapeutic interventions,” said study co-author Rebecca Salowe, a research project manager with the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Genetics of Complex Disease in Philadelphia. Glaucoma occurs when fluid pressure starts to increase inside a person’s eye, gradually damaging the optic nerve. For the study, researchers analyzed the genetics of more than 11,200 people of African ancestry. They discovered two gene variants linked to primary open-angle glaucoma, which is the most common form of the disease. Open-angle glaucoma affects as many as nine out of 10 Americans who have glaucoma, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It occurs when resistance builds up in the canals that typically drain excess fluid from the eye. They also found a third variant associated with cup-to-disc ratio, which is a measure of glaucoma severity based on the…  read on >  read on >

Back pain is a double-edged sword. In most cases, it disappears within about six weeks. But when it doesn’t, low back pain is likely to bother you for the long haul, researchers warn. “The good news is that most episodes of back pain recover, and this is the case even if you have already had back pain for a couple of months,” said researcher Lorimer Moseley, a professor of physiotherapy and pain management at the University of South Australia in Adelaide. “The bad news is that once you have had back pain for more than a few months, the chance of recovery is much lower.” More than 570 million people worldwide are affected by low back pain. In the U.S. alone, the bill for treating it added up to $134.5 billion between 1996 and 2016. And costs are increasing. In a review of 95 studies, an international team compared acute low back pain (less than 6 weeks), subacute back pain (6-12 weeks) and persistent low back pain (more than 12 weeks).  They report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that for folks with new back pain, pain and mobility issues eased significantly in the first six weeks, then slowed. This study closed a gap in a 2012 study from the same team, with new findings showing that many people whose pain lasts more than 12…  read on >  read on >

Winter isn’t kind to your skin. Dry, cold weather causes dryness, and you might even develop “winter rash” — dry, irritated skin that’s red, bumpy, flaky and burns. That’s why it’s prime time to step up your skin care routine. Dr. Oyetewa Oyerinde, assistant professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, shared some tips to keep your skin glowing. “During the winter, our skin typically dries out because the air tends to be less humid, and we also use the heater indoors, which leads to even more dryness,” she said in a Baylor news release. “Dry skin is more likely to develop many types of rashes.” That’s why she recommends changing up your usual routine of daily cleansing, moisturing and sun protection. If you usually use lotion, consider using a thicker cream-like moisturizer. If you usually use cream-like moisturizers, consider switching to an ointment-type moisturizer, Oyerinde suggested.  If you enjoy outdoor activities or snow sports, don’t forget your sunscreen.  Following a good skin care regimen will help prevent a winter rash, she said. Your lips and skin around the eyes is especially vulnerable not only to the cold but also to rubbing caused by allergies, colds or flu, she pointed out. Soothing irritated skin is easy. Just grab a jar of petroleum jelly and slather it on affected areas. Petroleum jelly creates…  read on >  read on >