The work shows that adenosine, a brain chemical most widely known as the cause of drowsiness, is central to the effect of deep brain stimulation, or DBS. The technique is used to treat people affected by Parkinson’s disease and who have severe tremor, and it’s also being tested in people who have severe depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Patients typically are equipped with a “brain pacemaker,” a small implanted device that delivers carefully choreographed electrical signals to a very precise point in the patient’s brain. The procedure disrupts abnormal nerve signals and alleviates symptoms, but doctors have long debated exactly how the procedure works. The new research, by a team of neuroscientists and neurosurgeons at the University of Rochester Medical Center, gives an unexpected nod to a role for adenosine and to cells called astrocytes that were long overlooked by neuroscientists. … Read more

Jot down your history. If you’re suffering form an ongoing problem – such as chronic pain – make a thorough record of the events that led to your problem, as well as any therapies or medications you have tried to treat it. Describe the problem. Write a detailed description. For example, if you have a severe pain in your back, record the exact location: indicate the intensity on a scale of zero to ten; describe the sensation – aching, sharp or tingling – and note anything that makes it worse or better. Take along your medications. Take any pills, creams, vitamins or herbal medicines you currently use. Include all medications – not just those you think are relevant. It’s important for the doctor to see which brands you are taking, and the doses. Take X-rays and scans. If you have … Read more

Dr. Rozen at the Michigan Head Pain and Neurological Insitute  reccommended that I take 3 mg of melatonin for a few days and then increase this to 6 mg. You can buy melatonin at any pharmacy like walgreens or CVS. I have been taking it at bedtime for the past couple of nights 20 minutes before bed.  If you live in Australia or the European Union you are going to need a prescription.It has been very helpful in helping me get to sleep. For the past few nights I have fallen asleep within 30 minutes where as before it was taking me between an hour and 2 hours to fall asleep. Melatonin is intimately involved in synchronizing the body’s hormone secretions, setting the brain’s internal clock and generating circadian rhythms (daily biorhythms). These patterns govern the release of hormones that … Read more