Brain News and Research

RSS

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.

New class of menopause drugs provides beneficial effects in just three days

A new class of experimental drugs reduces hot flushes in menopausal women by almost three-quarters in just three days.

14 Mar 2018

African Americans with thyroid gene variation more likely to develop Alzheimer's

African Americans with a common genetic variation are at increased risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, while European Americans with the same variation are not, according to a study led by researchers at Rush University Medical Center.

14 Mar 2018

Study highlights divergent molecular mechanisms contributing to depression in men and women

Men and women with major depressive disorder have opposite changes in the expression of the same genes, according to a new postmortem brain study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.

14 Mar 2018

Study reports evidence of 'systemic bias' in alcohol screening after TBI

"Has this patient been drinking?" It's a critical question for neurosurgical nurses and other professionals when evaluating patients with traumatic brain injury. But some groups of TBI patients are less likely to be screened for alcohol use, including women and younger patients, reports a study in the March issue of the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, official journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses.

13 Mar 2018

Suppressing emotions appears to reduce negative memories

By peering at the brains of study subjects prompted to suppress negative emotions, scientists have gained new insights into how emotional regulation influences negative feelings and memories. The researchers hope the findings will lead to new methods to combat depression.

13 Mar 2018

Researchers identify B immune cells that promote axon myelination in developing neurons

Neurons are specialized cells of the nervous system that communicate using electrical signals, which propagate down long, wire-like projections called axons. The conduction of these signals requires myelin, a fatty substance that surrounds axons in much the same way that plastic coating surrounds an electrical wire.

13 Mar 2018

Study highlights significant clinical differences between men and women with sleep apnea

Researchers from the UCLA School of Nursing examined clinical records and magnetic resonance imaging brain scans of patients who were recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, and discovered several apparent connections between thinning of the brain's cerebral cortex and apnea symptoms.

13 Mar 2018

NIH-funded researchers use CRISPR to rapidly find new genetic suspects behind ALS, FTD

NIH-funded researchers at Stanford University used the gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 to rapidly identify genes in the human genome that might modify the severity of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia caused by mutations in a gene called C9orf72.

13 Mar 2018

Large number of genes associated with intelligence discovered

A large genome study by researchers at the University of Edinburgh and Harvard University has found over 500 genes that can be attributed to intelligence. The study was published in the latest issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

13 Mar 2018

Genetic link to insomnia found

A new study has found certain genes that predispose a person to develop insomnia or sleep problems. This was one of the largest genome wide studies undertaken on insomnia. The study led by psychiatrist Murray Stein from the University of California San Diego was published in the latest issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

13 Mar 2018

Feeling sleepy during the day could predict Alzheimer's disease finds study

In a new study, researchers have shown that excessive sleepiness during the day time among elderly who had normal mental acuity and cognitive powers is associated with the buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain that is typical of Alzheimer’s disease.

13 Mar 2018

Study identifies two new biomarkers for common form of childhood cancer

Two new biomarkers for a type of cancer in children called neuroblastoma have been identified in a study published in the journal Cancer Cell. The findings are expected to have immediate significance for disease prognosis, and eventually also for treatment.

13 Mar 2018

Six tips for seniors to help limit confusion after surgery

The longer you live the more likely you will develop a medical condition that requires surgery or a procedure. In fact, half of all people 65 and older will have at least one surgical procedure in their lifetime.

13 Mar 2018

Self-adhering chest patch may better detect common heart rhythm disorder than usual care

For people at heightened risk for atrial fibrillation —a common heart rhythm disorder that also carries a high risk of stroke—wearing a self-adhering chest patch that records heart patterns may better detect the condition and facilitate more timely treatment than relying on usual care, according to one-year data being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 67th Annual Scientific Session.

12 Mar 2018

Stroke patients and their families need more emotional support, study suggests

Doctors caring for severe stroke patients need to take account of their psychological needs and help prepare families for the possibility that they may not recover, a study suggests.

12 Mar 2018

Researchers report genomic sequencing of 250,000 developmental cells

Researchers from the global Human Cell Atlas Consortium report that they have sequenced a quarter of a million separate cells that are of importance for early development of organs such as the liver, skin and kidneys. Sten Linnarsson at Karolinska Institutet is participating in the project.

9 Mar 2018

Researchers develop new method to increase life span of donated brain tissue samples

Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have developed a method that enables them to use donated brain tissue from people with epilepsy for 48 hours. Previously, the researchers only had 12 hours to test new treatments before the structure of the cells started to break down. The research has now been published in the journal Scientific Reports.

9 Mar 2018

Kessler Foundation scientist wins $400,000 grant to improve spinal cord injury outcomes

Amanda Botticello, PhD, MPH, has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation to observe community activity spaces in order to better understand the influence of the environment on participation behavior among people with spinal cord injury (SCI).

9 Mar 2018

Social stress alters gut microbiota in Syrian hamsters, study finds

Exposure to psychological stress in the form of social conflict alters gut bacteria in Syrian hamsters, according to a new study by Georgia State University.

9 Mar 2018

Bowel care ranks top concern for individuals with spinal cord injury, study shows

Cardiovascular physiology researcher Victoria Claydon's latest study, published in the Journal of Neurotrauma, focuses on the results of her multi-national study, which surveyed almost 300 participants with spinal cord injuries at or above the mid-thoracic level (middle of the chest ).

9 Mar 2018

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New class of menopause drugs provides beneficial effects in just three days

African Americans with thyroid gene variation more likely to develop Alzheimer's

Study highlights divergent molecular mechanisms contributing to depression in men and women

Study reports evidence of 'systemic bias' in alcohol screening after TBI

Suppressing emotions appears to reduce negative memories

Researchers identify B immune cells that promote axon myelination in developing neurons

Study highlights significant clinical differences between men and women with sleep apnea

NIH-funded researchers use CRISPR to rapidly find new genetic suspects behind ALS, FTD

Large number of genes associated with intelligence discovered

Genetic link to insomnia found

Feeling sleepy during the day could predict Alzheimer's disease finds study

Study identifies two new biomarkers for common form of childhood cancer

Six tips for seniors to help limit confusion after surgery

Self-adhering chest patch may better detect common heart rhythm disorder than usual care

Stroke patients and their families need more emotional support, study suggests

Researchers report genomic sequencing of 250,000 developmental cells

Researchers develop new method to increase life span of donated brain tissue samples

Kessler Foundation scientist wins $400,000 grant to improve spinal cord injury outcomes

Social stress alters gut microbiota in Syrian hamsters, study finds

Bowel care ranks top concern for individuals with spinal cord injury, study shows

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

Latest News