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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.

Researchers use smartphone to diagnose people infected with Loa loa worm

The Berkeley researchers figured out that they could quickly determine who has the Loa loa worm using a smartphone, customized to work like a microscope. They could then skip the medication for those people and give it to everyone else. Kamgno, who received the latest version of the phones in 2016, dubbed the mobile microscopes "revolutionary."

19 Apr 2018

SLU professor discovers new biomarkers for chlorine gas exposure

As experts sort through questions around recent chemical attacks in Syria, future answers to quickly testing and treating those who may have been exposed to chlorine gas may lie in chlorinated lipids, says a Saint Louis University professor.

19 Apr 2018

Investigational drug may help increase protein levels in babies with spinal muscular atrophy

A preliminary study suggests that an investigational drug may help increase protein levels in babies with spinal muscular atrophy. The open-label study is released today and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 70th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, April 21 to 27, 2018.

19 Apr 2018

Genome editing identifies neural circuit behind leptin’s anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects

Revealing surprising answers to a long-standing enigma about the brain target of the anti-obesity hormone leptin, neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine have used CRISPR genome editing to identify a neural circuit in the hypothalamus as the primary mechanism in mediating leptin's anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects and have identified two distinct mechanisms underlying leptin's inhibition of appetite.

19 Apr 2018

People diagnosed with traumatic brain injury may have increased risk of Parkinson's disease, shows study

People who have been diagnosed with a mild concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury, may have a 56 percent increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease, according to a study published in the April 18, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Apr 2018

Researchers use optogenetics to treat chronic pain

The finger prick from a thorn generates an immediate sensory response. In that instant, neurons at the injury site fire an electrical signal along a nerve fiber to the central nervous system. Our brain notes to avoid further encounters with thorns and the painful insult subsides.

18 Apr 2018

Functional connectivity MRI could help detect brain disorders and diseases

There are no laboratory tests to diagnose migraines, depression, bipolar disorder and many other ailments of the brain. Doctors typically gauge such illnesses based on self-reported symptoms and behavior.

18 Apr 2018

Direct electrical current can be delivered to nerves for blocking pain signals

Using computer models and laboratory rats, Johns Hopkins researchers have demonstrated that "direct electrical current" can be delivered to nerves preferentially, blocking pain signals while leaving other sensations undisturbed.

18 Apr 2018

UT Southwestern scientists discover protein linked to metastatic breast cancer

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a protein that is strongly associated with metastatic breast cancer and that could be a target for future therapies.

18 Apr 2018

Study proposes new mechanism that may contribute to gender differences in weight control

For years, scientists have observed that when male and female mice eat the same high-fat diet, the males gain significantly more weight than the females.

18 Apr 2018

Deep brain stimulation offers relief to UTHealth patient with treatment-resistant depression

For Shannon Paige McCann, the thought of having brain surgery – which would frighten most – paled in significance to the depression that had dragged her down most of her life.

18 Apr 2018

Study finds no evidence of lower intelligence in young children who had anesthesia

A Mayo Clinic study finds no evidence that children given anesthesia before their third birthdays have lower IQs than those who did not have it. A more complex picture emerges among people who had anesthesia several times as small children: Although their intelligence is comparable, they score modestly lower on tests measuring fine motor skills, and their parents are more likely to report behavioral and learning problems. The findings are published in Anesthesiology.

18 Apr 2018

New drug for migraine in the pipeline

According to a pilot study results released yesterday (17th of April 2018), a new drug may help provide relief to people with migraine that is unsuccessfully treated with the currently available drugs.

18 Apr 2018

Researchers clarify immune response for patients with breast cancer brain metastases

Once it has begun to spread in the body, approximately half of patients with an aggressive breast cancer type will develop cancer in the brain. Researchers at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center want to improve treatment for patients with breast cancer brain metastases, but using the body's existing defenses - the immune system.

18 Apr 2018

Children with autism have gastrointestinal and immune system deregulation, research finds

Researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute have found that children with autism spectrum disorder have reduced immune system regulation, as well as shifts in their gut microbiota.

17 Apr 2018

Targeting opioid receptor offers relief for chronic itching

A common side effect of opioids is intense itching -- a problem for some patients who need the drugs for pain relief and for others fighting addiction.

17 Apr 2018

Study reports promising novel approach to treat therapy resistant pediatric brain tumors

Researchers used an experimental molecular therapy in preclinical laboratory tests to effectively treat several types of deadly pediatric brain cancer and now propose advancing the treatment to clinical testing in children.

17 Apr 2018

Study shows presence of beta-amyloid dimers in the brains of Alzheimer's patients

The most widely used biomarkers for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are currently the concentrations of beta-amyloid and phosphorylated Tau in cerebrospinal fluid. However, it has been observed that not all individuals with alterations in these biomarkers develop the disease.

17 Apr 2018

Researchers shed light on role of striosomal neurons in reinforcement learning

A pleasant surprise or a nasty shock is likely to be a memorable experience. For instance, if you touch a hot oven, you very quickly learn not to do it again.

17 Apr 2018

Novel interactive diagram shows many facets of mild traumatic brain injury

A Portland State University research team studying concussion has published an interactive diagram showing the many facets of mild traumatic brain injury - from sleep problems to mood disorders to the increased danger of dementia - and how they connect with and affect each other.

17 Apr 2018

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers use smartphone to diagnose people infected with Loa loa worm

SLU professor discovers new biomarkers for chlorine gas exposure

Investigational drug may help increase protein levels in babies with spinal muscular atrophy

Genome editing identifies neural circuit behind leptin’s anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects

People diagnosed with traumatic brain injury may have increased risk of Parkinson's disease, shows study

Researchers use optogenetics to treat chronic pain

Functional connectivity MRI could help detect brain disorders and diseases

Direct electrical current can be delivered to nerves for blocking pain signals

UT Southwestern scientists discover protein linked to metastatic breast cancer

Study proposes new mechanism that may contribute to gender differences in weight control

Deep brain stimulation offers relief to UTHealth patient with treatment-resistant depression

Study finds no evidence of lower intelligence in young children who had anesthesia

New drug for migraine in the pipeline

Researchers clarify immune response for patients with breast cancer brain metastases

Children with autism have gastrointestinal and immune system deregulation, research finds

Targeting opioid receptor offers relief for chronic itching

Study reports promising novel approach to treat therapy resistant pediatric brain tumors

Study shows presence of beta-amyloid dimers in the brains of Alzheimer's patients

Researchers shed light on role of striosomal neurons in reinforcement learning

Novel interactive diagram shows many facets of mild traumatic brain injury

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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