Brain News and Research

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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.

Early-life exposure to traffic-related air pollution associated with higher hyperactivity

Early-life exposure to traffic-related air pollution was significantly associated with higher hyperactivity scores at age 7, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

21 May 2013

Difficult-to-interpret patterns important for complex brain functions

Many brain researchers cannot see the forest for the trees. When they use electrodes to record the activity patterns of individual neurons, the patterns often appear chaotic and difficult to interpret. "But when you zoom out from looking at individual cells, and observe a large number of neurons instead, their global activity is very informative," says Mattia Rigotti, a scientist at Columbia University and New York University who is supported by the SNSF and the Janggen-Pöhn-Stiftung.

21 May 2013

New research suggests that listening to music lowers anxiety, sedation in ventilated patients

New research suggests that for some hospitalized ICU patients on mechanical ventilators, using headphones to listen to their favorite types of music could lower anxiety and reduce their need for sedative medications.

21 May 2013

Multiple studies examine ideal biomarkers for Huntington's disease

While Huntington's disease (HD) is currently incurable, the HD research community anticipates that new disease-modifying therapies in development may slow or minimize disease progression. The success of HD research depends upon the identification of reliable and sensitive biomarkers to track disease and evaluate therapies, and these biomarkers may eventually be used as outcome measures in clinical trials. Biomarkers could be especially helpful to monitor changes during the time prior to diagnosis and appearance of overt symptomatology.

21 May 2013

Diachisis can occur during subacute phase of ischemic stroke, find USF researchers

While the effects of acute stroke have been widely studied, brain damage during the subacute phase of stroke has been a neglected area of research. Now, a new study by the University of South Florida reports that within a week of a stroke caused by a blood clot in one side of the brain, the opposite side of the brain shows signs of microvascular injury.

21 May 2013

Childhood maltreatment linked to increased risk of obesity in adult life

Children who have suffered maltreatment are 36% more likely to be obese in adulthood compared to non-maltreated children, according to a new study by King's College London. The authors estimate that the prevention or effective treatment of 7 cases of child maltreatment could avoid 1 case of adult obesity.

21 May 2013

Stronger epigenetic changes in estrogen responsive genes linked to postpartum depression

The epigenetic modifications, which alter the way genes function without changing the underlying DNA sequence, can apparently be detected in the blood of pregnant women during any trimester, potentially providing a simple way to foretell depression in the weeks after giving birth, and an opportunity to intervene before symptoms become debilitating.

21 May 2013

Biogen Idec seeks FDA BLA approval for PLEGRIDY to treat multiple sclerosis

Today Biogen Idec announced it has submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of PLEGRIDY (peginterferon beta-1a), the company's pegylated subcutaneous injectable candidate for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS).

21 May 2013

Viewpoints: Sebelius' 'ethical line'; As tricky phase of health law approaches, concerns about exchanges opening on time

One of the biggest questions hanging over the health-care system is how many young Americans will sign up for coverage once the Affordable Care Act begins to phase in this October. If too few buy insurance on the markets that the government is creating, insurance companies would be stuck covering primarily the old and the sick. They would have to pay out more per customer.

21 May 2013

Researchers say that receiving cancer radiation therapy late in the day may minimize hair loss

Discovering that mouse hair has a circadian clock - a 24-hour cycle of growth followed by restorative repair - researchers suspect that hair loss in humans from toxic cancer radiotherapy and chemotherapy might be minimized if these treatments are given late in the day.

21 May 2013

Researchers develop new mouse model to discover gene pathways that drive MPNST

University of Minnesota Medical School researchers from the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, in partnership with the University's Brain Tumor Program, have developed a new mouse model of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors that allow them to discover new genes and gene pathways driving this type of cancer.

21 May 2013

Disruption of brain developmental processes caused by premature birth can affect cognitive function

Researchers from King's College London have for the first time used a novel form of MRI to identify crucial developmental processes in the brain that are vulnerable to the effects of premature birth.

21 May 2013

UTMB researchers awarded grant to study gene therapy techniques to eliminate neuropathic pain

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have been awarded a five-year, $1.8 million grant by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to apply the techniques of gene therapy to the problem of neuropathic pain - that is, pain that arises from a malfunction in the nervous system.

21 May 2013

Study reports good long-term outcomes after surgery in infants with PFSDH

Posterior fossa subdural hematoma is a serious and rare condition in newborns, generally occurring after difficult deliveries. But with appropriate treatment, there's an excellent chance of good long-term outcomes even in severe cases of PFSDH, reports a study in the May issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

21 May 2013

Researchers pinpoint catalytic trigger for onset of Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have pinpointed a catalytic trigger for the onset of Alzheimer's disease - when the fundamental structure of a protein molecule changes to cause a chain reaction that leads to the death of neurons in the brain.

21 May 2013

FDA designates Synageva's sebelipase alfa as Breakthrough Therapy for early onset LAL Deficiency

Synageva BioPharma Corp., a biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutic products for rare diseases, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to sebelipase alfa for the treatment of early onset lysosomal acid lipase deficiency, also known as Wolman disease.

20 May 2013

Honokiol protects muscles from normal inflammation caused by intense exercise

Honokiol is a powerful polyphenol compound extracted from Magnolia officinalis bark. Extensive pre-clinical research shows that honokiol (pronounced ha-no-kee-ohl) supports cellular health and provides gentle relaxation, as well as being a potent antioxidant.

20 May 2013

Targeting glucagon action: A new frontier for regulating diabetes

For the first time, scientists at the Toronto General Research Institute showed that targeting glucagon action in the brain may be a new frontier for regulating diabetes.

20 May 2013

Patients with treatment-resistant depression benefit from ketamine

Patients with treatment-resistant major depression saw dramatic improvement in their illness after treatment with ketamine, an anesthetic, according to the largest ketamine clinical trial to-date led by researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

20 May 2013

Takeda, Lundbeck announce presentation of data from four studies that evaluate vortioxetine for MDD

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and H. Lundbeck A/S today announced that the companies will be presenting new data from four studies that evaluated effectiveness in treating the overall symptoms of depression in patients taking vortioxetine, an investigational agent under review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of major depressive disorder.

20 May 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Early-life exposure to traffic-related air pollution associated with higher hyperactivity

Difficult-to-interpret patterns important for complex brain functions

New research suggests that listening to music lowers anxiety, sedation in ventilated patients

Multiple studies examine ideal biomarkers for Huntington's disease

Diachisis can occur during subacute phase of ischemic stroke, find USF researchers

Childhood maltreatment linked to increased risk of obesity in adult life

Stronger epigenetic changes in estrogen responsive genes linked to postpartum depression

Biogen Idec seeks FDA BLA approval for PLEGRIDY to treat multiple sclerosis

Viewpoints: Sebelius' 'ethical line'; As tricky phase of health law approaches, concerns about exchanges opening on time

Researchers say that receiving cancer radiation therapy late in the day may minimize hair loss

Researchers develop new mouse model to discover gene pathways that drive MPNST

Disruption of brain developmental processes caused by premature birth can affect cognitive function

UTMB researchers awarded grant to study gene therapy techniques to eliminate neuropathic pain

Study reports good long-term outcomes after surgery in infants with PFSDH

Researchers pinpoint catalytic trigger for onset of Alzheimer's disease

FDA designates Synageva's sebelipase alfa as Breakthrough Therapy for early onset LAL Deficiency

Honokiol protects muscles from normal inflammation caused by intense exercise

Targeting glucagon action: A new frontier for regulating diabetes

Patients with treatment-resistant depression benefit from ketamine

Takeda, Lundbeck announce presentation of data from four studies that evaluate vortioxetine for MDD

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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