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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.

Scientists successfully graft neural precursor cells into spinal cords of syngeneic pigs with no immunosuppression

A major hurdle to using neural stem cells derived from genetically different donors to replace damaged or destroyed tissues, such as in a spinal cord injury, has been the persistent rejection of the introduced material, necessitating the use of complex drugs and techniques to suppress the host's immune response.

10 May 2018

Scientific understanding of PSTD points to new treatment and prevention strategies

Recent advances in scientific understanding of how posttraumatic stress disorder develops and persists may lead to more effective treatment and even prevention of this debilitating disorder, according to the May/June special issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry, published by Wolters Kluwer.

10 May 2018

Researchers devise neuronal cookbook for turning skin cells into different types of neurons

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have devised what they call a "neuronal cookbook" for turning skin cells into different types of neurons.

10 May 2018

Virtual reality offers new hope in relieving physical and mental stress

We've all enjoyed losing ourselves in a good book, but what if the story could change our lived experience? It may sound like science fiction, yet Andrea Stevenson Won uses a similar concept to study how virtual reality can treat real-life pain.

10 May 2018

ECT is more cost-effective for treating depression than other treatment strategies, shows study

Right now, very few depression patients receive the treatment once known as 'shock therapy', which today uses far milder electrical impulses than decades ago.

10 May 2018

New lab-on-a-chip device shows promise in treating retinal diseases

Houston Methodist researchers developed a new lab-on-a-chip technology that could quickly screen possible drugs to repair damaged neuron and retinal connections, like what is seen in people with macular degeneration or who've had too much exposure to the glare of electronic screens.

10 May 2018

Study: Different strains of same protein may contribute to different Parkinson's-related brain disorders

Different Parkinson's-related brain disorders, called synucleionpathies, are characterized by misfolded proteins embedded in cells.

10 May 2018

Researchers identify six genes that predispose carriers to develop medulloblastoma

Researchers have identified six genes that predispose carriers to develop the brain tumor medulloblastoma and have used the discovery to craft genetic counseling and screening guidelines. The study appears today in the journal The Lancet Oncology.

10 May 2018

Study finds neuroinflammation in spinal cord, nerve roots of patients with chronic sciatica

A study by Massachusetts General Hospital investigators has found, for the first time in humans, that patients with chronic sciatica - back pain that shoots down the leg - have evidence of inflammation in key areas of the nervous system.

10 May 2018

Brain magnetic stimulation can increase walking speed for stroke victims

A technique of magnetic stimulation of the brain can increase walking speed in patients who are undergoing rehabilitation after a stroke, reports a research update in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, the official journal of the Association of Academic Physiatrists.

10 May 2018

New technology detects the 'glow' to guide brain tumor resection

Research by Barrow Neurological Institute physicians and University of Washington scientists on novel imaging technology for malignant brain tumors was published in the April issue of World Neurosurgery.

10 May 2018

Researchers find link between depression and memory problems, brain aging

Depression in older adults may be linked to memory problems, according to a study published in the May 9, 2018, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 May 2018

Poor communication between brain's visual networks may increase risk of mental illness

Individual regions of the brain have to team up to get things done. And like in any team, the key to working together is communication.

9 May 2018

Study: The brain processes emotion differently in patients with OCD than their unaffected siblings

A new study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging reports that people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) feel more distress when viewing images to provoke OCD-related emotions than their unaffected siblings.

9 May 2018

Johns Hopkins researchers identify protein clumps in diseased hearts

Similar to how protein clumps build up in the brain in people with some neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, protein clumps appear to accumulate in the diseased hearts of mice and people with heart failure, according to a team led by Johns Hopkins University researchers.

9 May 2018

Scientists use X-ray laser to gain insights into structure of Alzheimer's proteins

A new experimental method permits the X-ray analysis of amyloids, a class of large, filamentous biomolecules which are an important hallmark of diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

9 May 2018

Disruption of the body's circadian rhythm linked to increased risk of breast cancer

For years, doctors have associated the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations with an increased risk of breast cancer.

9 May 2018

Tissue-engineered islets used to treat sudden-onset type 1 diabetes in mice

Researchers tissue-engineered human pancreatic islets in a laboratory that develop a circulatory system, secrete hormones like insulin and successfully treat sudden-onset type 1 diabetes in transplanted mice.

9 May 2018

Complex medical imaging systems to be installing led in new NHS high energy proton beam therapy center

One of the most complex medical imaging systems ever developed which uses proton beams to create 3D images of the internal anatomy of cancer patients will be installed in one of the UK's only two new NHS high energy proton beam therapy centers, helping to provide better treatment planning and monitoring for difficult to treat cancers.

9 May 2018

New study may help customize more effective treatments for people with anxiety

Scientists have shone new light on how the human brain uses past experiences and generalizes them to future events, helping us safely navigate the world around us, a study in eLife reveals.

9 May 2018

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Scientists successfully graft neural precursor cells into spinal cords of syngeneic pigs with no immunosuppression

Scientific understanding of PSTD points to new treatment and prevention strategies

Researchers devise neuronal cookbook for turning skin cells into different types of neurons

Virtual reality offers new hope in relieving physical and mental stress

ECT is more cost-effective for treating depression than other treatment strategies, shows study

New lab-on-a-chip device shows promise in treating retinal diseases

Study: Different strains of same protein may contribute to different Parkinson's-related brain disorders

Researchers identify six genes that predispose carriers to develop medulloblastoma

Study finds neuroinflammation in spinal cord, nerve roots of patients with chronic sciatica

Brain magnetic stimulation can increase walking speed for stroke victims

New technology detects the 'glow' to guide brain tumor resection

Researchers find link between depression and memory problems, brain aging

Poor communication between brain's visual networks may increase risk of mental illness

Study: The brain processes emotion differently in patients with OCD than their unaffected siblings

Johns Hopkins researchers identify protein clumps in diseased hearts

Scientists use X-ray laser to gain insights into structure of Alzheimer's proteins

Disruption of the body's circadian rhythm linked to increased risk of breast cancer

Tissue-engineered islets used to treat sudden-onset type 1 diabetes in mice

Complex medical imaging systems to be installing led in new NHS high energy proton beam therapy center

New study may help customize more effective treatments for people with anxiety

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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