(August 29, 2008 - Insidermedicine) From Alabama- According to research in the New England Journal of Medicine, using magnesium sulphate to stop preterm labor lowers the risk of a baby developing cerebral palsy. In a study of over 2,000 women in preterm labor, those treated with magnesium sulphate to stop their contractions had a 45% lower chance of having a baby who was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

From St Louis - According to research published in Science, a protein linked to Alzheimer's may also be affected by brain injury. In an analysis of 18 patients with traumatic brain injury, researchers from Washington University noted hour-by-hour changes in beta-amyloid levels. While they thought levels would fall as brain function improved, they noted the opposite. While brain injury is known to raise the risk of Alzheimer's, more work needs to be done to better understand the link between these two conditions.

And finally, from London - According to research in the British Medical Journal, taking an antipsychotic drug can increase the risk for stroke. Studying nearly 7,000 stroke patients who had received at least one prescription for an antipsychotic medication, researchers noted a doubling of stroke risk while on the medication. In those with dementia, antipsychotic drugs were linked with a 3.5 times raised risk of stroke.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Allison Chow from Queen's University.