Archive for neurology
New strategies for restoring myelin on damaged nerve cells
Key takeaways Myelin is an essential fatty substance coating surrounding nerve axons. After injury, regenerated nerve axons usually fail to remyelinate, inhibiting nerve cell communication. A combination treatment led to remyelination in about 60 percent of regenerated axons. This research may have implications in other diseases associated with myelin loss, like multiple sclerosis. Loss of ... Read More about New strategies for restoring myelin on damaged nerve cells
Scar-free healing after spinal cord injury relies on specialized cells
Key takeaways Scar tissue prevents nerves from communicating with each other. Microglia cells in the central nervous system help prevent scar tissue formation after spinal cord injuries in newborn mice. Transplanted newborn microglia cells drastically reduced scar formation in adult mice with spinal cord injury, opening the door to new treatment possibilities. One of the ... Read More about Scar-free healing after spinal cord injury relies on specialized cells
One in 5 million: Nathan’s rare diagnosis and happy recovery
Nathan Asselin was a happy baby with no apparent health problems when he became ill just before his birthday in April of this year. “He didn’t seem himself the night before, then he woke up with a fever on the day of his birthday,” says his mother, Danielle. “He sat on the floor eating his ... Read More about One in 5 million: Nathan’s rare diagnosis and happy recovery
Provider Spotlight: Meet Rebecca Stevens
Rebecca Stevens is a pediatric nurse practitioner in the Brain Injury Center at Boston Children’s Hospital. She’s worked at Boston Children’s for almost seven years. What’s your job at Boston Children’s? As a nurse practitioner in the neurology clinic, I mostly see patients who have sustained a concussion or brain injury. I help with ... Read More about Provider Spotlight: Meet Rebecca Stevens
Relationship talks: Staying together through a child’s illness
Among the many stresses of having an ill or injured child, parents often feel a strain on their marriage. Whenever she can, clinical social worker Katherine Preston, LICSW, reassures families that a child’s illness does not automatically spell the end of the parents’ relationship. Based on studies of families facing childhood cancer and diabetes, Preston ... Read More about Relationship talks: Staying together through a child’s illness
Jason: My remarkable journey
Most people associate the city of Boston with the Red Sox or the Patriots. I, however, cannot help but associate it with brain surgery. I had my first seizure in the summer of 2006, when I was 14 years old and at camp in Connecticut. Gradually, the seizures increased in intensity and frequency. My parents took me ... Read More about Jason: My remarkable journey
When surgery shapes your life: Moyamoya patient turned doctor
Elizabeth Kwak is living proof of how far the treatment of moyamoya has come. Twenty-four years ago, Elizabeth had pial synangiosis, a surgical treatment for moyamoya that was pioneered by Boston Children’s Hospital neurosurgeon Dr. R. Michael Scott in 1985. Today, Elizabeth is a fourth-year medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine. She talks ... Read More about When surgery shapes your life: Moyamoya patient turned doctor
Advice for moyamoya families from a mom who’s been there
About a year ago, our 4-year-old daughter, Kalea, started having headaches. After four months, we called our pediatrician because the headaches were far from normal for Kalea and had progressed enough to become worrisome. The pediatrician advised us to track her headaches, and we learned that they fluctuated in frequency but were increasing in intensity. ... Read More about Advice for moyamoya families from a mom who’s been there
Mary’s journey with genetic epilepsy
Lots of people don’t like the heat. It makes them feel uncomfortable and sluggish. But for Mary, being outside on a hot day means risking a seizure. So can running in gym class or having a fever. That’s because Mary has genetic epilepsy, a form of Dravet syndrome — a rare epilepsy syndrome caused by ... Read More about Mary’s journey with genetic epilepsy
Looking toward the future in epilepsy care and treatment
“There’s a revolution happening in epilepsy treatment,” says Dr. Philip Pearl, director of Boston Children’s Hospital Epilepsy Center. Dr. Pearl and other members of the center celebrate Epilepsy Awareness Month by sharing what excites them about the future of epilepsy treatment, from targeted therapies to minimally invasive surgeries, and their continued hope for our patients ... Read More about Looking toward the future in epilepsy care and treatment