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A multi-million dollar grant from the United States Department of Defense (DoD) will allow six hospital centers, including the Methodist Neurological Institute (NI), to expand a spinal cord injury research network created by the Christopher Reeve Foundation (CRF). The North American Clinical Trials Network (NACTN) was organized by the CRF to bring promising therapies for spinal cord injury from the laboratory to clinical trials in an effective manner with maximum safety to patients undergoing treatment for their spinal cord injury.

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The Methodist Hospital System is one of the nation's most wired systems, according to the 2007 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study. Methodist has ranked in eight of the nine years since this survey began.

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A $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will help researchers at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center identify how weight loss and lifestyle changes affect the risk for heart disease in obese and diabetic patients, a rapidly-growing group in America.

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This is the first functional MRI study to determine how vocal sounds are represented within the brain of an awake zebra finch, a well-studied animal model of vocal learning. Because of many similarities between birdsong and human speech, this research could lead to a better understanding of the cause of stuttering and other speech problems.

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Scientist and inventor Stephen Wong, Ph.D, PE, led teams that developed the first inkjet printer production and the online stock trading system at Charles Schwab.

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For National Stroke Awareness Month, the Eddy Scurlock Stroke Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute has several story ideas to offer, including research on microbubbles and ultrasound used to destroy clots in stroke patients, and a therapeutic stroke treatment that targets insulin resistance in non-diabetic patients.

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New research demonstrates a higher rate of major adverse cardiac events, such as heart attack and need for a repeat procedure, in patients who fall outside the parameters of the FDA's original approval for use of drug-eluting stents. Reported in today's Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

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For more than three decades Houston heart surgeon Dr. Rafael Espada has mended the hearts of his fellow Guatemalans for free. His countrymen have made him a national hero "“ now he is hoping they make him their vice president.

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Research published today shows that a combination statin therapy lowers bad cholesterol by an unprecedented 70 percent, and has the added benefit of reducing life-threatening inflammation that can lead to heart disease and stroke. This is the biggest drop in bad cholesterol ever seen in a statin clinical trial.

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Experts from the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center are available to discuss implications of a Food and Drug Administration panel that met this week to consider whether drug-eluting stents (DES), heralded devices that have been implanted in four million Americans to prop open clogged arteries, might cause deadly blood clots.

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Surgeons at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center in Houston were among the first in the U.S. to implant a new vascular graft engineered to reduce the risk of blood clots in patients treated for peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which affects as many as 12 million Americans over the age of 50.

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Health feature story ideas: 1) Botox for stroke patients; 2) Erectile dysfunction and heart disease; 3) Minimally-invasive procedure for women with heavy menstrual cycles; 4) Acid reflux affecting the voice

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Physicians and researchers in the Methodist Neurological Institute (NI) are studying the use of a novel combination of radiation and suicide gene therapy to treat typically stubborn malignant brain tumors.

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Data presented indicates effectiveness of new treatment for kidney transplant recipients.

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This is a study involving obesity and inflammation that could lead to new therapies to prevent diabetes and heart disease.

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Two holiday-related stories: One is about heartburn and holiday meals, and the other is about deep vein thrombosis, a potentially-fatal condition that can affect travelers.

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Two nearly 6-foot tall, remote-controlled robots are now on staff at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, caring for critically ill patients suffering from stroke or other neurological problems.

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A novel toxin resembling a snake venom poison contributes to severe group A Streptococcus "flesh-eating" infections. This discovery provides promise for the development of new therapies to treat some forms of these life-threatening infections.

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The immune cells of the spinal cord and brain contribute significantly to prolonging survival in a model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that results in paralysis and eventual death, according to a study published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A.

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Research conducted by retina surgeons at The Methodist Hospital shows unprecedented improvements in vision in more than one-third of patients treated with Lucentisâ„¢ for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Research conducted at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center in Houston shows that a combination statin therapy already proven to lower bad cholesterol by a dramatic 70 percent, now has the added benefit of reducing life-threatening inflammation that can lead to heart disease.

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Computer-assisted devices can now offer patients an alternative to traditional physical rehabilitation and medical treatment for stroke, brain injuries and spinal cord injuries.

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Patients who undergo significant weight loss often need behavioral and social therapy to address issues around intimacy. This is an aspect of obesity that is rarely discussed.

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A medical/health tip sheet from The Methodist Hospital in Houston, covering topics ranging from a new sinus procedure to software that allows physicians to understand blood flow in the brain.

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A clinical trial under way at The Methodist Hospital in Houston is studying the use of stent grafts to treat thoracic aortic aneurysms in high-risk, emergency situations, such as a ruptured aortic aneurysms or tears in the aorta caused by trauma.

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Research conducted by retina surgeons at The Methodist Hospital has contributed to FDA approval of a new wonder drug for patients affected by one of the leading causes of blindness in people over 60.

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Research conducted at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center in Houston shows a 70 percent reduction in LDL-c, or bad cholesterol, using a combination therapy of two statin drugs. This is the largest reduction in bad cholesterol ever seen in a statin clinical trial.

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A unique clinical study found only at the Methodist Neurological Institute (NI) in Houston is looking at the benefits of Lipitor on the immune system in patients with Lou Gehrig's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

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A five-year follow-up study finds that a combination of radiation and suicide gene therapy is eliminating the spread of prostate cancer and providing a long term vaccine against the disease.

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A unique music therapy study, funded by the GRAMMY Foundation, is underway at the Methodist Neurological Institute (NI) in Houston. Dr. Ron Tintner, a neurologist at the NI and a participating physician in Methodist's Center for Performing Arts Medicine program, is studying music as a way to help treat Parkinson's disease patients.

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1) Investigational neuroprotectant for stroke showing positive signs; 2) Investigational NeuroFlo device for ischemic stroke; 3) Interventional stroke treatment uses first FDA-approved brain stent; 4) Implanted pump targets spasticity in stroke patients

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A neurosurgeon at the Methodist Neurological Institute (NI) found a new way to label nanotubes using quantum dots, a discovery that could give researchers a new view into cancer cells, proteins, and DNA molecules.