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.

Massive analysis of genomes reveals insights into genetic overlap among psychiatric diseases

A massive undertaking by the Brainstorm Consortium to analyze the genomes of nearly 900,000 people has revealed important insights into the genetic overlap among some psychiatric diseases, as well as among personality traits.

21 Jun 2018

Scientists use novel approach to uncover how brain networks interact to make word-choice decisions

Effective verbal communication depends on one's ability to retrieve and select the appropriate words to convey an intended meaning. For many, this process is instinctive, but for someone who has suffered a stroke or another type of brain damage, communicating even the most basic message can be arduous.

21 Jun 2018

Researchers report unusually high levels of herpesvirus in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease

Two strains of human herpesvirus - human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A) and human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7) - are found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease at levels up to twice as high as in those without Alzheimer's, researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report.

21 Jun 2018

Relaxing 'brain tingles' may have benefits for both mental and physical health

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response - the relaxing 'brain tingles' experienced by some people in response to specific triggers, such as whispering, tapping and slow hand movements - may have benefits for both mental and physical health, according to new research.

21 Jun 2018

Breakthrough discovery reveals brain metals that may drive progression of Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer's disease could be better treated, thanks to a breakthrough discovery of the properties of the metals in the brain involved in the progression of the neurodegenerative condition, by an international research collaboration including the University of Warwick.

21 Jun 2018

Harnessing Pediatric Cancer Genomic Data in the Cloud

Dr. Jinghui Zhang, an esteemed computational biologist at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital discusses her latest study and how technology such as cloud computing is changing the way that scientists carry out research.

21 Jun 2018

Christiana Care Health System opens first Epilepsy Monitoring Unit in Delaware

To increase access to advanced neurological care, Christiana Care Health System has opened the first Epilepsy Monitoring Unit in the First State.

21 Jun 2018

Rhesus macaque model could be useful to test therapies for congenital Zika virus syndrome

Rhesus macaque monkeys infected in utero with Zika virus develop similar brain pathology to human infants, according to a report by researchers at the California National Primate Research Center and School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, published June 20 in Nature Communications.

21 Jun 2018

Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals wins NINDS grant to advance novel therapies for ALS

Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals, leaders in stress granule biology, an exciting new target for the development of neurodegenerative therapeutics, announced today that it has been awarded $3.4 million from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in a competing grant to advance novel therapeutic drug candidates towards the clinic for treating patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

21 Jun 2018

Researchers create electronic skin that brings back real sense of touch to prosthetic limbs

Amputees often experience the sensation of a "phantom limb"--a feeling that a missing body part is still there.

21 Jun 2018

Nucleus accumbens plays influential role in enhancing memory network, shows study

Our ability to learn, remember, problem solve, and speak are all cognitive functions related to different parts of our brain.

21 Jun 2018

Study unravels new piece of information in the Huntington’s disease puzzle

In a new study, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have discovered a hitherto unknown error in the transport of glutamine between astrocytes and neurons in the brain of mice with Huntington's disease.

21 Jun 2018

Study provides insight into how planned and spontaneous movements are processed in the brain

The runners are lined up at the starting line, patiently awaiting the start signal for the 1000-meter race. In the second turn a runner falls in front of the one next to him. He dodges his falling neighbor and continues to sprint towards the finish line.

21 Jun 2018

New therapeutic approach may delay neurodegeneration in rare genetic disease

A new therapeutic approach may one day delay neurodegeneration typical of a disease called mucopolysaccharidoses IIIB. Neurodegeneration in this condition results from the abnormal accumulation of essential cellular molecules called mucopolysaccharides.

21 Jun 2018

Impulse control disorders found to be more common in people taking Parkinson's drugs

Over time, half of the people taking certain drugs for Parkinson's disease may develop impulse control disorders such as compulsive gambling, shopping or eating, according to a study published in the June 20, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20 Jun 2018

UT Southwestern scientists identify gene mutation linked with perplexing brain condition

Scientists conducting one of the largest full DNA analyses of a rare disease have identified a gene mutation associated with a perplexing brain condition that blinds and paralyzes patients.

20 Jun 2018

Researchers employ nucleotide-based gene silencing to mitigate common ataxia

In what researchers are calling a game changer for future ataxia treatments, a new study showed the ability to turn down the disease progression of the most common dominantly inherited ataxia.

20 Jun 2018

Multidisciplinary Human-Focused Research

The work that we're doing in particular involves the development of better models of the human body. To do that, we need to put together cells, tissues, culture them in an artificial environment so that they feel as if they're inside the human body.

From Logos Biosystems 20 Jun 2018

Dual-therapy approach can help boost motor recovery in stroke victims

Paralysis of an arm and/or leg is one of the most common effects of a stroke. But thanks to research carried out by scientists at the Defitech Foundation Chair in Brain-Machine Interface, in association with other members of EPFL's Center for Neuroprothetics, the Clinique Romande de Réadaptation in Sion, and the Geneva University Hospitals, stroke victims may soon be able to recover greater use of their paralyzed limbs.

20 Jun 2018

Coconut oil diet increases vitality, lifespan of fruit flies with peroxisomal disorder

"Lorenzo's Oil" was to help a seriously ill boy suffering from a peroxisomal disorder (adrenoleukodystrophy/ALD). The true story was turned into a film which made the rare disease well known. Scientists from the University of Bonn, the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the German Cancer Research Center investigated such peroxisomal diseases on fruit flies.

20 Jun 2018

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Massive analysis of genomes reveals insights into genetic overlap among psychiatric diseases

Scientists use novel approach to uncover how brain networks interact to make word-choice decisions

Researchers report unusually high levels of herpesvirus in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease

Relaxing 'brain tingles' may have benefits for both mental and physical health

Breakthrough discovery reveals brain metals that may drive progression of Alzheimer’s disease

Harnessing Pediatric Cancer Genomic Data in the Cloud

Christiana Care Health System opens first Epilepsy Monitoring Unit in Delaware

Rhesus macaque model could be useful to test therapies for congenital Zika virus syndrome

Aquinnah Pharmaceuticals wins NINDS grant to advance novel therapies for ALS

Researchers create electronic skin that brings back real sense of touch to prosthetic limbs

Nucleus accumbens plays influential role in enhancing memory network, shows study

Study unravels new piece of information in the Huntington’s disease puzzle

Study provides insight into how planned and spontaneous movements are processed in the brain

New therapeutic approach may delay neurodegeneration in rare genetic disease

Impulse control disorders found to be more common in people taking Parkinson's drugs

UT Southwestern scientists identify gene mutation linked with perplexing brain condition

Researchers employ nucleotide-based gene silencing to mitigate common ataxia

Multidisciplinary Human-Focused Research

Dual-therapy approach can help boost motor recovery in stroke victims

Coconut oil diet increases vitality, lifespan of fruit flies with peroxisomal disorder

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd 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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