Mice sense each other's fear Sep 11, 2008
FEAR-OMONE: Mice smell fear in other mice using a structure called the Grueneberg ganglion. The ganglion has about 500 nerve cells that carry messages between a mouse's nose and brain ... This Grueneberg ganglion is made up of about 500 specialized cells - neurons - that carry messages between the body and the brain. (Science News for Kids)
Cells In Eye Could Help Control Sleep Aug 26, 2008
Working on mouse models in which these retinal ganglion cells have been turned off genetically, the research team found that the effects of light on sleep and alertness were completely abolished ... Turning off the light-sensitive retinal ganglion cells abolished this behaviour. (Science Daily)
Healthful Hints: Cysts develop in many organs; most are benign Jul 24, 2008
A ganglion, often called a cyst, is a perfect example of that. It is not a growth, but a herniation of joint lining outside, producing a bump, most often around a wrist. (Winona Daily News, MN)
Wireless Device Helps Illuminate the Role of Light on Human Health Jul 16, 2008
In 2002 Brown University neuroscience professor and biologist of the University of Virginia identified melanopsin, found in the retina's light-sensitive ganglion nerve cells, as the photoreceptor for circadian light. Lockley discovered that these photoreceptors function even in blind people. (Scientific American)
Skip to the heart beat and it's all the more rosy Jul 13, 2008
The Institute of HeartMath, Silicon Valley, is spun from the discovery of the heart's own neural ganglion, or mini-brain, that generates a measurable electromagnetic field. All the main bodily organs have these ganglia but the heart's is dominant, and emits a synchronising signal within the body. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Limitations in assessing nerve growth factor levels in aqueous humor samples from human eyes Jun 6, 2008
Nerve growth factor (NGF) helps in the healing and survival of ganglion cells, photoreceptors, and optic nerve after injury and has been implicated to have a role in pathophysiology of glaucoma. So far, in animal studies, injury to iris in vitro has revealed an increase in NGF levels in aqueous. (BioMed Central)
Real-time Imaging Device May Improve Surgery For Congenital Colon Disease Mar 31, 2008
Spectral imaging does not detect the presence or absence of ganglion cells themselves ... Hirschsprung's usually affects specialized nerve (ganglion) cells in the lower portion of the large intestine, although the entire colon can be involved ... Ganglion cells normally stimulate smooth muscle of the intestinal wall to push stool through the colon, but in sections where ganglia are missing (aganglionosis) the process comes to a halt, causing severe constipation that can lead to obstruction,... (Science Daily)
Computer software to detect glaucoma Mar 7, 2008
Glaucoma is a diseases of the optic nerve involving loss of retinal ganglion cells in a characteristic pattern of optic neuropathy. It is estimated that glaucoma affects 67 million people worldwide and Asians are prone to develop angle-closure glaucoma. (India Times)
Herpes simplex Virus Infection Jan 21, 2008
Reactivation occurs when HSV travels from the nerve centre (ganglion) back down the axon to the site of initial infection. The frequency and severity of infection is affected by both the severity of initial infection and the health of the immune system. (Suite101.com)
Neuroscience Discovery May Hold Key To Hearing Loss Remedy Dec 20, 2007
Davis described the hair cells as being analogous to the keys of a piano and the nerves to which they attach -- the spiral ganglion neurons that connect to the brain -- are the piano's strings. "Our studies have revealed that spiral ganglion auditory neurons possess a rich complexity that is only now beginning to be understood," said Davis ... Their presence in relative proportions transforms the spiral ganglion neurons into either fast-firing transmitters to carry high pitched sound messages to... (Science Daily)
Blind humans lacking rods and cones retain normal responses to non-visual effects of light Dec 14, 2007
It turns out that mammals have an additional light-sensitive photoreceptor in the retinal ganglion cell layer (pRGCs) that is directly sensitive to light and is primarily responsible for mediating these responses ... Thus the authors were able to show that the effects were maximal in response to wavelengths of light that the retinal ganglion cells respond best to, and not the wavelength that the visual system detects best. (EurekAlert!)
Neurotransmitters in biopolymers stimulate nerve regeneration Dec 12, 2007
Phase-contrast micrograph of a ganglion on a 70 percent acetylcholine polymer that shows neurite growth ... Fluorescence micrograph of a ganglion on a 70 percent acetylcholine polymer that shows neurites expressing an established neuronal marker called synaptophysin. (EurekAlert!)
RI chess master passed away Sep 27, 2007
Djamil was treated at the hospital after ganglion surgery last month. He is survived by his wife Sabariyah and six children. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Sports)
Fruit Flies Prefer Fizzy Drinks Aug 31, 2007
The exposed brain of a fly with a superimposed image of fluorescently labeled taste neurons in the region called the subesophageal ganglion. The diagram at right shows how the three identified taste cells on the fly's proboscis -- sweet (green), bitter (red) and carbonated (blue) -- send their axons through the proboscis to the brain. (Science Daily)
Fluctuating Eye Pressure Associated With Visual Field Deterioration In Glaucoma Patients Aug 17, 2007
"Why should IOP fluctuation be damaging? Theories abound about the mechanisms of retinal ganglion cell damage in glaucoma, but no single cellular or molecular cause satisfactorily explains the condition in all patients," Dr. Caprioli writes. "Long-term variability may disrupt homeostatic mechanisms. Irregular and large IOP fluctuations may cause a loading and unloading of stresses, and as opposed to conditions of static stress, the tissue is unable to compensate and damage occurs.". (Science Daily)
Getting A Grip On Common Hand Conditions Aug 15, 2007
Ganglion cysts also can cause pain, weakness or numbness in the hand if they put pressure on nerves near a joint. The cause of ganglion cysts isn t clear. (Science Daily)
Glaucoma Could Be Treated With Alzheimer's Drugs, New Study Aug 10, 2007
Cordeiro and colleagues examined retinas where the retinal ganglion cells (RGC) in the optic nerve had died off (a key feature of glaucoma) and noticed they were accompanied by plaques of amyloid beta protein similar to the ones in brains of people with Alzheimer's Disease. They were also able to induce RGC "apoptosis" (cell death) using various timed doses of amyloid beta proteins in the lab. (Medical News Today)
Raising awareness on cerebral palsy, its treatment Aug 8, 2007
Athetoid CP results in involuntary, uncontrolled and uncoordinated movements of the muscles, due to damage of the basal ganglion. Consequently, all limbs display jerky movements while the fingers and wrists are twisted. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
Nintendo Wii Controller Sidelining Virtual Athletes Jun 8, 2007
" Riley pointed out that there has been a long list of medical conditions that have arisen out of video game use. "Some of the most common hand problems," he said, "include arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, ganglion cysts and tenosynovitis. " "When I was a child, I remember being glued to the television playing with my Atari 2600 and Intellivision," Riley said, "and I have to tell you, the hand pain I suffered from too much gameplay was unbearable at times. (Yahoo News -- Technology)
Nanomedicine Opens the Way for Nerve Cell Regeneration: Two Research Groups Present Results at NSTI Nanotech 2007 May 20, 2007
Using optic nerve and spinal cord tissues as in vivo models and dissociated retinal ganglion neurons as an in vitro model, De Silva and his colleagues are currently investigating how these magnetic nanoparticles can be incorporated into neurons and axons at the site of injury. Although, this study is at a very preliminary stage to explore the possibility of using magnetic nanoparticles for enhancing in vivo axon regeneration, this work may have significant implications for the treatment of... (PR Newswire)
Great Grown-Up Spelling Bee Ends In Draw Apr 13, 2007
Team member Kevin Foley and I both confidently assured one another of our preferred spelling of "Ganglion" -- [n] an encapsulated neural structure consisting of a collection of cell bodies or neurons -- we spelled it with an -ian ending ... Now, see, if you recall, the only time you've ever heard a word like "Ganglion" is the word "Ganglia" -- which is some obscure medical term -- so spelling it with an -ian ending seems perfectly natural and right, but we forgot one basic tenet of spelling bee... (K-Eye News, TX)
Advanced Eyecare unveils new equipment Apr 4, 2007
Welch Allyn's patented frequency doubling technology targets a subset of retinal ganglion cells in the magnocellular (M-cell) pathway. Patterns of flickering black and white bars trigger a reaction in these cells, creating the perception that twice the number of bars are actually present, hence "frequency doubling." Myganglion cells are sparsely populated, resulting in less redundancy to mask any cell damage. (Ionia Sentinel-Standard, MI)
New clues to why we see red Mar 23, 2007
In general, the red/green color vision in mice that can distinguish between each color isn't as good as in humans, Neitz said, probably because humans have much denser arrays of cones and many more retinal ganglion cells to process the color information. "That's part of the explanation for why mice don't do as well as a primate would," Neitz said. (The Scientist)
Sleep apnea; Ganglion cyst; Colonoscopy Mar 7, 2007
" Tumor? So, now I'm worried. Should I be?-- M.D.Dear M.D.: A ganglion is a soft lump, most often jutting out from the back of the wrist. They don't usually hurt."Tumor" is a word that carries bad implications for people. It means any swelling. Some tumors are cancerous. Ganglions are not. It's just a swelling that sprouts from a tendon covering or from a joint covering and that is filled with a jellylike material.If a ganglion is large, limits motion, is painful or is a cosmetic problem, a... (Herald-Tribune)
Getting On Your Nerves ... And Repairing Them Feb 17, 2007
The optic nerve is composed of retinal ganglion cell axons and support cells. It leaves the orbit (eye). (Science Daily)
