Brain News and Research

RSS

The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

Ultrathin nanowire-based electrode helps capture signals from brain nerve cells

Electrodes operated into the brain are today used in research and to treat diseases such as Parkinson's. However, their use has been limited by their size. At Lund University in Sweden, researchers have, for the first time, succeeded in implanting an ultrathin nanowire-based electrode and capturing signals from the nerve cells in the brain of a laboratory animal.

21 Feb 2013

Simple interventions could reduce delirium and improve patient perceptions about sleep quality

A hospital is not the best place to get a good night's sleep, especially in a noisy intensive care unit. It's a cause for concern because studies have shown that a lack of sleep can cause patients to experience delirium-an altered mental state that may delay their recovery and lead to short and long-term confusion and memory problems.

21 Feb 2013

BCHE gene variant predicts extent of plaque deposits in Alzheimer's

A study combining genetic data with brain imaging, designed to identify genes associated with the amyloid plaque deposits found in Alzheimer's disease patients, has not only identified the APOE gene -- long associated with development of Alzheimer's -- but has uncovered an association with a second gene, called BCHE.

21 Feb 2013

UCSD molecular biologist to receive Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

Napoleone Ferrara, MD, PhD, the molecular biologist credited with helping decipher how tumors grow and now senior deputy director for basic sciences at the University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center, was today named one of 11 recipients of the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, which comes with a $3 million cash award.

21 Feb 2013

Dietary antioxidants may not protect against stroke and dementia

Contrary to other research, a new study found that the total level of antioxidants in people's diets is not related to their risk of developing stroke or dementia.

21 Feb 2013

NINDS to award TSRI scientist with $3.5M Jacob K. Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award

Ron Davis, PhD, chair of the Neuroscience Department on the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute, has been selected to receive a prestigious $3.5 million Jacob K. Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award for his work on the complex biology of memory formation and the disorders that disrupt it.

21 Feb 2013

Researchers uncover neurological basis of speech motor control

A team of researchers at UC San Francisco has uncovered the neurological basis of speech motor control, the complex coordinated activity of tiny brain regions that controls our lips, jaw, tongue and larynx as we speak.

21 Feb 2013

Methylene blue inactivates molecular residues that promote bonding of tau proteins

The study published in "Angewandte Chemie" might help to work out strategies for developing potential drugs. As the team of scientist including Markus Zweckstetter and Eckhard Mandelkow report, methylene blue inactivates molecular residues that promote the bonding of tau proteins.

21 Feb 2013

Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix launches new clinic

The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix has launched a new clinic aimed at streamlining the process for the growing number of patients who are potential candidates for Deep Brain Stimulation.

20 Feb 2013

Sleep-deprived people select greater portion sizes of energy-dense snacks and meals

New research from Uppsala University shows that sleep-deprived people select greater portion sizes of energy-dense snacks and meals than they do after one night of normal sleep. Poor sleep habits can therefore affect people's risk of becoming overweight in the long run. The findings are published in Psychoneuroendocrinology.

20 Feb 2013

Allergan receives FDA approval for Natrelle 410 breast implant

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the Natrelle 410 Highly Cohesive Anatomically Shaped Silicone-Gel Filled Breast Implant to increase breast size (augmentation) in women at least 22 years old and to rebuild breast tissue (reconstruction) in women of any age. Natrelle 410 implants are manufactured by Allergan, Inc.

20 Feb 2013

Study assesses ischaemic and haemorrhagic risk linked with history of stroke or TIA

Heart and cerebro-vascular disorders represent the two leading causes of death throughout the world. They are sometimes combined in a single patient and their combination represents both a considerable risk to the patient and a therapeutic challenge.

20 Feb 2013

Study determines frequency of genetic variants linked to alcoholism for Spanish population

Research done at the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country has determined the frequency of genetic variants linked to alcoholism for the Spanish population, and its incidence not only in individuals with a high level of alcohol intake, but also in individuals with alcohol dependence.

20 Feb 2013

Surveying the landscape from bench to bedside

The Obama administration is planning a decade-long scientific effort to examine the workings of the human brain and build a comprehensive map of its activity, seeking to do for the brain what the Human Genome Project did for genetics.

20 Feb 2013

KSU faculty members help children with auditory processing disorder receive better treatment

Several Kansas State University faculty members are helping children with auditory processing disorder receive better treatment.

20 Feb 2013

Insight into how NMDA receptors function

In a pair of new papers, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences upend a long-held view about the basic functioning of a key receptor molecule involved in signaling between neurons, and describe how a compound linked to Alzheimer's disease impacts that receptor and weakens synaptic connections between brain cells.

20 Feb 2013

SanMedica’s SeroVital-hgh could revolutionize both anti-aging and weight-loss industries

While the Obesity Society's prestigious 30th Annual Scientific Meeting is the venue for some of the most cutting-edge obesity research in the world, at this year's conference the main highlight wasn't weight loss, but was instead — believe it or not — anti-aging. Research presented by a group of highly renowned scientists revealed an oral compound that experts are predicting could completely revolutionize both the anti-aging and weight-loss industries.

20 Feb 2013

Physicians do not talk to patients about psychosocial impact and long-term risks of ICDs

New research at Saint Louis University shows physicians do not talk to patients about the psychosocial impact and long-term risks of implanting cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) to treat irregular heart rhythms, leaving them misinformed about how the device may affect quality of life.

20 Feb 2013

TIR-199 shows promise in fighting renal cancer

Chemists at the University of California, Riverside have developed a compound that holds much promise in the laboratory in fighting renal (kidney) cancer.

20 Feb 2013

Study finds chemical cues that allow seals’ brain to remain half awake and asleep

A new study led by an international team of biologists has identified some of the brain chemicals that allow seals to sleep with half of their brain at a time.

20 Feb 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Ultrathin nanowire-based electrode helps capture signals from brain nerve cells

Simple interventions could reduce delirium and improve patient perceptions about sleep quality

BCHE gene variant predicts extent of plaque deposits in Alzheimer's

UCSD molecular biologist to receive Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

Dietary antioxidants may not protect against stroke and dementia

NINDS to award TSRI scientist with $3.5M Jacob K. Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award

Researchers uncover neurological basis of speech motor control

Methylene blue inactivates molecular residues that promote bonding of tau proteins

Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix launches new clinic

Sleep-deprived people select greater portion sizes of energy-dense snacks and meals

Allergan receives FDA approval for Natrelle 410 breast implant

Study assesses ischaemic and haemorrhagic risk linked with history of stroke or TIA

Study determines frequency of genetic variants linked to alcoholism for Spanish population

Surveying the landscape from bench to bedside

KSU faculty members help children with auditory processing disorder receive better treatment

Insight into how NMDA receptors function

SanMedica’s SeroVital-hgh could revolutionize both anti-aging and weight-loss industries

Physicians do not talk to patients about psychosocial impact and long-term risks of ICDs

TIR-199 shows promise in fighting renal cancer

Study finds chemical cues that allow seals’ brain to remain half awake and asleep

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Latest News