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.

Novel 3D hydrogel helps researchers to quickly screen potential cancer drugs

A 3D hydrogel created by researchers in U of T Engineering Professor Molly Shoichet's lab is helping University of Ottawa researchers to quickly screen hundreds of potential drugs for their ability to fight highly invasive cancers.

26 Feb 2019

New study analyzes impulsivity in Parkinson's patients treated with Deep Brain Stimulation

Promises of food, sums of money or entertaining pastimes: it does not matter what the temptation is, a new study shows that patients suffering from Parkinson's disease who are treated with Deep Brain Stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus are not more impulsive than others when making decisions about a stimulus that they find particularly appealing.

26 Feb 2019

New microfluidic device can isolate individual cancer cells from blood samples

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Queensland University of Technology of Australia, have developed a device that can isolate individual cancer cells from patient blood samples. The microfluidic device works by separating the various cell types found in blood by their size.

26 Feb 2019

National Multiple Sclerosis Society awards grant for pilot study of social interaction in individuals with MS

Ekaterina Dobryakova, PhD, and Pei-Pei Liu, PhD, were awarded a $50,000 grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to conduct a novel study of outcome processing in individuals with MS.

26 Feb 2019

Scientists discover puzzle piece that plays key role in development of epilepsies

When an epileptic seizure occurs in the brain, the nerve cells lose their usual pattern and fire in a very fast rhythm. The cause is a complex interplay of various factors.

25 Feb 2019

Researchers observe brain's ability to reconstruct facts from clues

What's an s-shaped animal with scales and no legs? What has big ears, a trunk and tusks? What goes 'woof' and chases cats? The brain's ability to reconstruct facts - 'a snake', 'an elephant' and 'a dog' - from clues has been observed using brain scanning by researchers at Aalto university.

25 Feb 2019

Scientists identify cause of devastating pediatric brain disorder

An international effort led by physician-scientists at Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, in collaboration with a team at the Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre, has identified the cause of a devastating pediatric brain disorder paving the way for the first step in developing potential therapies for this rare neurodegenerative condition.

25 Feb 2019

Obesity and severe obesity added as risk factors for premature heart disease in children

Obesity and severe obesity in childhood and adolescence have been added to the list of conditions that put children and teens at increased risk for premature heart disease, according to a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association published in the Association's journal Circulation.

25 Feb 2019

Using CRISPR to regulate genes in the rat brain

Neuroscientists have used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology to regulate genes in the rat brain. Described in eNeuro, this technique paves the way for researchers to probe genetic influences on brain health and disease in model organisms that more closely resemble human conditions.

From Society for Neuroscience 25 Feb 2019

Study emphasizes real-time eye contact as basis for effective social interaction

In contrast to studies of mice and rats, new research published in eNeuro investigating the effect of methylphenidate (Ritalin) on neuronal activity in monkeys has found no effect of the drug on the prefrontal cortex.

From Society for Neuroscience 25 Feb 2019

Neuron-derived estrogen key to making memories

Estrogen in the brain is important to keep neurons communicating and memories being made, scientists report.

25 Feb 2019

Researchers engineer 'antibody-like' T cell receptors to combat deadly virus

Researchers have engineered "antibody-like" T cell receptors that can specifically stick to cells infected with cytomegalovirus, or CMV, a virus that causes lifelong infection in more than half of all adults by age 40.

23 Feb 2019

2019 guidelines for management of patients with atrial fibrillation

Nearly 3 million Americans are living with atrial fibrillation (AFib), which is described as quivering or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).

23 Feb 2019

Neighborhood income, education associated with risk of disability progression in MS patients

Neighborhood income and education level is associated with risk of disability progression in patients with multiple sclerosis, suggests new research from the University of British Columbia.

23 Feb 2019

Different sleep schedules among teens may have dissimilar effects on cognition and glucose levels

Many adolescent students sleep less than the recommended duration of 8-10 hours a night. It is unclear; however, whether short night sleep combined with an afternoon nap is as good as having the same amount of sleep continuously during the night without a nap.

23 Feb 2019

Novel MRI sensor can peer deep into the brain to detect intracellular calcium activity

Calcium is a critical signaling molecule for most cells, and it is especially important in neurons. Imaging calcium in brain cells can reveal how neurons communicate with each other; however, current imaging techniques can only penetrate a few millimeters into the brain.

22 Feb 2019

'Holy herb' (Yerba santa) identified as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease

Yerba santa, also known as the ‘Holy Herb’, may have important implications for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

22 Feb 2019

The gene-edited twins born in China may have altered cognition and memory

A new study has fuelled further concerns over the controversial gene-editing experiment that was performed in China last year.

22 Feb 2019

Study finds out similarity in function between healthy retina cell and tumor cell

How is a healthy retina cell like a tumor cell? It hijacks an energy-producing chemical reaction to churn out molecular building blocks. When tumor cells do it, they use the building blocks to make cancer grow and spread. But when retina cells do it, they renew photoreceptor membranes that keep our vision sharp.

22 Feb 2019

New study explains why some patients report phantom sensations after limb amputation

After a limb amputation, brain areas responsible for movement and sensation alter their functional communication. This is the conclusion of a new study published today in Scientific Reports.

22 Feb 2019

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Novel 3D hydrogel helps researchers to quickly screen potential cancer drugs

New study analyzes impulsivity in Parkinson's patients treated with Deep Brain Stimulation

New microfluidic device can isolate individual cancer cells from blood samples

National Multiple Sclerosis Society awards grant for pilot study of social interaction in individuals with MS

Scientists discover puzzle piece that plays key role in development of epilepsies

Researchers observe brain's ability to reconstruct facts from clues

Scientists identify cause of devastating pediatric brain disorder

Obesity and severe obesity added as risk factors for premature heart disease in children

Using CRISPR to regulate genes in the rat brain

Study emphasizes real-time eye contact as basis for effective social interaction

Neuron-derived estrogen key to making memories

Researchers engineer 'antibody-like' T cell receptors to combat deadly virus

2019 guidelines for management of patients with atrial fibrillation

Neighborhood income, education associated with risk of disability progression in MS patients

Different sleep schedules among teens may have dissimilar effects on cognition and glucose levels

Novel MRI sensor can peer deep into the brain to detect intracellular calcium activity

'Holy herb' (Yerba santa) identified as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease

The gene-edited twins born in China may have altered cognition and memory

Study finds out similarity in function between healthy retina cell and tumor cell

New study explains why some patients report phantom sensations after limb amputation

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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