New classification system for brain tumours
Doctors at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen have developed a simple radiological method to predict the development of gliomas
2015-07-14
(Press-News.org) Despite modern chemoradiation therapy it is still very difficult to give reliable prognoses for malignant gliomas. Surgical removal of the glioma is still the preferred method of treatment. Doctors at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen's Department of Neurosurgery have now developed a new procedure for analysing radiological imaging scans which makes it possible to predict the course of a disease relatively precisely. Their findings have now been published in the journal 'Scientific Reports'.*
The Friedlein Grading A/B (FGA/B) classification system - named after the physician Katharina Friedlein - is a quick and precise way of determining whether surgical removal is the best possible treatment method for a given tumour. Essentially, the Erlangen-based doctors classify tumours according to their position in the brain in the context of a routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Tumours that are not located in functional brain regions or that are located at a certain distance from such regions are classified as FGA, while tumours that are close to or inside a functional brain region are classified as FGB.
With the FGA/B method it possible to plan the consequences of tumour surgery, which is crucial for the success of the treatment, in a precise, low-risk and quantitative manner. This makes the Friedlein Grading system the first classification system which can be easily applied in clinical practice. 'There have already been several attempts in medicine to develop such a classification system. However, most approaches were too complicated and were based on academic values only, which made it difficult to use them in clinical practice,' says PD Dr. Nicolai Savaskan from FAU's Chair of Neurosurgery. 'The FGA/B method can be applied on the basis of a standard MRI scan which glioma patients have to undergo anyway and is highly reliable despite being so simple. We hope that our colleagues in neurosurgery departments in smaller hospitals will also be able to use it successfully in everyday clinical practice.'
INFORMATION:
*Scientific Reports, July 2015. A new functional classification system (FGA/B) with prognostic value for glioma patients. Katharina Friedlein, Yavor Bozhkov, Nirjhar Hore, Andreas Merkel, Björn Sommer, Sebastian Brandner, Michael Buchfelder, Nicolai E. Savaskan & Ilker Y. Eyüpoglu
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2015-07-14
July 14, 2015 - Studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques are beginning to reveal differences in brain connectivity--the ways that different parts of the brain are connected to each other and work together--in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), reports a review in the Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.
Some common themes are beginning to emerge from research on structural and functional brain connectivity in ASD, according to David Kennedy, PhD, and colleagues of University of Massachusetts Medical School. ...
2015-07-14
July 14, 2015 - More than 80 percent of people with depression in the general population aren't eligible for clinical trials of antidepressant drugs, according to a study in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.
At least five patients would need to be screened to enroll just one patient meeting the typical inclusion and exclusion criteria for antidepressant registration trials (ARTs), suggests the new research by Drs. Sheldon Preskorn and Matthew Macaluso of University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita and Dr. Madhukar Trivedi ...
2015-07-14
July 14, 2015 - Benzodiazepine drugs are widely used in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but available evidence suggests that they are not effective--and may even be harmful, concludes a systematic review and meta-analysis in the July Journal of Psychiatric Practice. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.
"Benzodiazepines are ineffective for PTSD treatment and prevention, and risks associated with their use tend to outweigh potential short-term benefits," write Dr. Jeffrey Guina and colleagues from Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. They also ...
2015-07-14
Collision physics can be like a game of billiards. Yet in the microscopic world, the outcome of the game is hard to predict. Fire a particle at a group of other particles, and they may scatter, combine or break apart, according to probability distributions governed by quantum mechanics. These processes can tell us about fundamental properties of matter and, if antimatter projectiles are used, also about matter-antimatter interactions.
Scientists at UCL have finally answered one of the basic questions that has remained outstanding until now: if, in a collision with matter, ...
2015-07-14
CHICAGO-- Algae is evolving as the next new alternative protein source consumers are anxious to bite into as an ingredient in crackers, snack bars, cereals and breads, according to a July 12th presentation at IFT15: Where Science Feeds Innovation hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) in Chicago.
Algae, quinoa and pulses are considered by some food technologists to be the best protein sources and strong alternatives to slow meat consumption, reduce food waste and help feed the world's growing population.
Algae is a new vegan source of protein with a comparable ...
2015-07-14
Recent research has warned of the health detriments associated with sitting for long stretches of time at the office, but what about the nearly half of all employees worldwide who are required to stand for more than 75% of their workdays? Prolonged standing is associated with short-term adverse health issues, including reports of fatigue, leg cramps, and backaches, which can affect job performance and cause significant discomfort. A new study published in Human Factors suggests that, over time, this type of sustained muscle fatigue can result in serious health consequences.
"The ...
2015-07-14
James Cook University researchers are creating a buzz in bee research, gluing tiny transmitters to the backs of the insects for the first time.
Lead researcher, JCU's Dr Lori Lach, said the team glued Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) chips to the backs of 960 bees, providing new insights into how disease affects the threatened insects.
"We just had to hold them in our hands and hope the glue dried quickly. It was actually quite a process - they had to be individually painted, then individually fed, then the tag glued on. Then individually scanned so we knew which ...
2015-07-14
A new report to state lawmakers on hydraulic fracturing in California provides an important road map for scientists as they strive to produce energy while protecting human health and the environment, according to a scientist with appointments at University of the Pacific and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
William T. Stringfellow, director of the Environmental Measurements Laboratory at Lawrence Berkeley and a professor of engineering at Pacific, was part of a team of scientists who prepared the state-mandated independent assessment of oil well stimulation treatments, ...
2015-07-14
PITTSBURGH, July 14, 2015 - People diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in later childhood have weaker brain connectivity in midlife compared to those who were diagnosed at earlier ages according to a University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences study.
The findings are reported in a special issue of Psychosomatic Medicine that is focused on diabetes, obesity and the brain. Sixty-six middle-aged adults (ages 32 to 58) who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as children participated in the study.
"Other studies have shown an association between earlier onset ...
2015-07-14
As part of the Government's Summer Budget, the Chancellor, George Osborne, confirmed funding for six new multidisciplinary research centres - worth a total of £45 million with partner contributions - that will drive forward the UK's Digital Economy research, knowledge and skills.
Designed to help create and deliver real-world impact, the £23 million investment will come via The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and will support the centres over the next five years.
The centres will be hosted by the Universities of York, Bath, and ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] New classification system for brain tumours
Doctors at Universitätsklinikum Erlangen have developed a simple radiological method to predict the development of gliomas
