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.

Study shows improved detection of dementia paves the way for refined clinical trials testing

A series of studies demonstrate improved detection of the second most common form of dementia, providing diagnostic specificity that clears the way for refined clinical trials testing targeted treatments.

18 Mar 2013

Cytomegalovirus employs a novel trick to hide from immune detection

A virus that most people have probably never heard of, yet most of us carry, is the number 1 infectious cause of congenital birth defects. One in 750 children are born with, or develop, permanent disabilities such as hearing loss or brain damage as a result of CMV (cytomegalovirus) infection in the womb.

17 Mar 2013

Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants may be an effective alternative to treat Hurler's syndrome

Transplants of blood-forming stem cells from umbilical cord blood may be an effective alternative to transplants of matched donor bone marrow stem cells to treat children with a rare, debilitating disease known as Hurler's syndrome (HS), according to results of a study published online today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

17 Mar 2013

New molecular sensor technique for cancer therapy detects lactate levels in individual cells

Cancer cells break down sugars and produce the metabolic acid lactate at a much higher rate than normal cells. This phenomenon provides a telltale sign that cancer is present, via diagnostics such as PET scans, and possibly offers an avenue for novel cancer therapies.

16 Mar 2013

Elevation of stress steroids in the brain speeds up Alzheimer disease

Why does chronic stress lead to increased risk for dementia? The answer may lie in the elevation of stress steroids that is seen in the brain during stress, Sara K. Bengtsson suggests in the thesis she is defending at Umeå University in Sweden on March 22nd.

16 Mar 2013

Discovery could lead to new target for treatment of cocaine addiction

Scientists have discovered a molecular process in the brain triggered by cocaine use that could provide a target for treatments to prevent or reverse addiction to the drug.

16 Mar 2013

Rehabilitation research findings in multiple sclerosis and stroke to be presented at AAN meeting

Kessler Foundation scientists and their colleagues will discuss their progress in rehabilitation research at the upcoming 65th Annual American Academy of Neurology Conference at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA, March 16 - 23.

16 Mar 2013

MBL study of dragonfly prey detection wins 2012 Cozzarelli Prize for scientific excellence and originality

Paloma T. Gonzalez-Bellido, a postdoctoral scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory and her colleagues have been awarded a 2012 Cozzarelli Prize by the editorial board of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

16 Mar 2013

Interventional endovascular therapy is safe but does not improve MS outcomes: Study

The first controlled clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of interventional endovascular therapy on the symptoms and progression of multiple sclerosis has found that the intervention, sometimes called the "liberation treatment," which has attracted intense interest in the global MS community, does not improve patient outcomes. In a few cases, the treatment made symptoms worse.

16 Mar 2013

New medical records software provides more personalized health care for older adult patients

Innovative medical records software developed by geriatricians and informaticians from the Regenstrief Institute and the Indiana University Center for Aging Research will provide more personalized health care for older adult patients, a population at significant risk for mental health decline and disorders.

16 Mar 2013

Scientists develop pig brain model to study human brain development

A mutual curiosity about patterns of growth and development in pig brains has brought two University of Illinois research groups together. Animal scientists Rod Johnson and Ryan Dilger have developed a model of the pig brain that they plan to use to answer important questions about human brain development.

16 Mar 2013

Luminex collaborates with Merck to design companion diagnostic device for Alzheimer’s disease

WHITEHOUSE STATION known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, and Luminex Corporation have signed a collaboration and license agreement to develop a companion diagnostic device that will be evaluated to help screen patients for recruitment into Merck's clinical development program for MK-8931, a novel oral beta amyloid precursor protein site cleaving enzyme (BACE) inhibitor and Merck's lead investigational candidate for Alzheimer's disease (AD).

From Luminex 15 Mar 2013

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals enrolls patients with primary brain cancer in Phase II clinical trial of TSC

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC today announced completion of enrollment in a Phase II clinical trial of trans sodium crocetinate, its lead compound for the treatment of cancer.

15 Mar 2013

Expert offers eight tips to help avert winter slips and falls

We all followed the "spring forward" adage as daylight savings time began but due to icy, wintery conditions, many have continued to "spring forward" due to tumbles on the ice.

15 Mar 2013

Promising studies for Parkinson's to be presented at 65th AAN meeting

Three studies released today present possible positive news for people with Parkinson's disease. The studies, which will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013, report on treatments for blood pressure problems, the wearing-off that can occur when people have taken the main drug for Parkinson's for a long time, and for people early in the disease whose symptoms are not well-controlled by their main drugs.

15 Mar 2013

Fast-progressing hearing impairment linked to fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Rapid hearing loss in both ears may be a symptom of the rare but always-fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and should be considered a reason for clinicians to test for the disorder.

15 Mar 2013

New hunt for intrinsic mechanism linked to schizophrenia

Since the 1960s, psychiatrists have been hunting for substances made by the body that might accumulate in abnormally high levels to produce the symptoms associated with schizophrenia. In particular, there was a search for chemicals that might be related to the hallucinogens phencyclidine (PCP) or lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), which could explain the emergence of psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia.

15 Mar 2013

Researchers show inhibiting brain's filter can boost performance for tasks

The brain's prefrontal cortex is thought to be the seat of cognitive control, working as a kind of filter that keeps irrelevant thoughts, perceptions and memories from interfering with a task at hand.

15 Mar 2013

Researchers find no overall recovery benefit to patients treated with clot-removal devices

When someone has a stroke, time equals brain. The longer a stroke is left untreated, the more brain tissue is lost. Since the only proven treatment - a clot-busting drug - works in less than half of patients, stroke physicians had high hopes for a mechanical device that could travel through the blocked blood vessel to retrieve or break up the clot, restoring blood flow to the brain.

15 Mar 2013

Probiotics help stress-associated gastrointestinal disorders, study says

For those with irritable bowel syndrome who wonder if stress aggravates their intestinal disorder, a new University of Michigan Health System study shows it's not all in their head.

15 Mar 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Study shows improved detection of dementia paves the way for refined clinical trials testing

Cytomegalovirus employs a novel trick to hide from immune detection

Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants may be an effective alternative to treat Hurler's syndrome

New molecular sensor technique for cancer therapy detects lactate levels in individual cells

Elevation of stress steroids in the brain speeds up Alzheimer disease

Discovery could lead to new target for treatment of cocaine addiction

Rehabilitation research findings in multiple sclerosis and stroke to be presented at AAN meeting

MBL study of dragonfly prey detection wins 2012 Cozzarelli Prize for scientific excellence and originality

Interventional endovascular therapy is safe but does not improve MS outcomes: Study

New medical records software provides more personalized health care for older adult patients

Scientists develop pig brain model to study human brain development

Luminex collaborates with Merck to design companion diagnostic device for Alzheimer’s disease

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals enrolls patients with primary brain cancer in Phase II clinical trial of TSC

Expert offers eight tips to help avert winter slips and falls

Promising studies for Parkinson's to be presented at 65th AAN meeting

Fast-progressing hearing impairment linked to fatal Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

New hunt for intrinsic mechanism linked to schizophrenia

Researchers show inhibiting brain's filter can boost performance for tasks

Researchers find no overall recovery benefit to patients treated with clot-removal devices

Probiotics help stress-associated gastrointestinal disorders, study says

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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