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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 novel PET tracer to assess myelin damage in mouse models of MS

The loss or damage of myelin, a cellular sheath that surrounds and insulates nerves, is the hallmark of the immune-mediated neurological disorder multiple sclerosis.

12 Jan 2018

Genetic analysis can enhance outcomes of depression treatment

The failure of drugs such as SSRIs, used to treat depression, can be a result of genetic variations in patients.

12 Jan 2018

Study finds overall pattern of commonality between Huntington's and Parkinson's

A new study strongly suggests that the brains of people who have died of Huntington's disease (HD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) show a similar response to a lifetime of neurodegeneration, despite being two very distinct diseases.

12 Jan 2018

Worsening of anxiety symptoms may be early indicator of Alzheimer's disease

A new study suggests an association between elevated amyloid beta levels and the worsening of anxiety symptoms. The findings support the hypothesis that neuropsychiatric symptoms could represent the early manifestation of Alzheimer's disease in older adults.

12 Jan 2018

The Virus That Causes Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease May Use Human Protein to Aid Infection

The human protein, prohibitin, may be used by the virus to enter motor neurons and cause the neurological complications of hand, foot and mouth disease.

12 Jan 2018

Study suggests shared genetic susceptibility to epilepsy and mood disorders

Mood disorders, including depression, are the most common comorbid conditions in individuals with epilepsy, but the cause remains unclear, according to a latest study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Rutgers University.

12 Jan 2018

Novel antifungal shows promise to stave off drug-resistant superbugs

Microscopic yeast have been wreaking havoc in hospitals around the world- creeping into catheters, ventilator tubes, and IV lines- and causing deadly invasive infection.

11 Jan 2018

New study discovers key brain circuit implicated in social behavior

A new study by researchers at Roche in Basel, Switzerland has identified a key brain region of the neural circuit that controls social behavior. Increasing the activity of this region, called the habenula, led to social problems in rodents, whereas decreasing activity of the region prevented social problems.

11 Jan 2018

Kessler Foundation researcher receives grant for study on emotional processing intervention in MS

Helen Genova, PhD, Assistant Director of Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Research at Kessler Foundation, has been awarded a $44,000 grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

10 Jan 2018

Circadian rhythms could hold key to novel treatments for glioblastoma

Biological clocks throughout the body play a major role in human health and performance, from sleep and energy use to how food is metabolized and even stroke severity.

10 Jan 2018

Study finds genetic variations linked to BMI and obesity risk

It's not just diet and physical activity; your genes also determine how easily you lose or gain weight. In a study published in the January issue of Nature Genetics, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and other institutions of the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits consortium found 13 genes that carry variations associated with body mass index.

10 Jan 2018

Researchers find evidence for genetic relationship between epileptic seizures and depression

From the time of Hippocrates, physicians have suspected a link between epilepsy and depression. Now, for the first time, scientists at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and Columbia University have found evidence that seizures and mood disorders such as depression may share the same genetic cause in some people with epilepsy, which may lead to better screening and treatment to improve patients' quality of life.

10 Jan 2018

Impact of craniosacral therapy on concussion and mild TBI symptoms among football players

This invited commentary references a preliminary study in which the integrative medicine technique known as CranioSacral Therapy was tested on a group of ex-National Football League players who showed significant improvement in range of motion, pain, sleep, and cognitive function.

10 Jan 2018

Changing belief patterns about causes of mental illness may increase social acceptance

Belief that mental illness is biological has increased among both health experts and the public in recent years.

10 Jan 2018

Salk scientists identify molecular target of experimental Alzheimer’s drug

The experimental drug J147 is something of a modern elixir of life; it's been shown to treat Alzheimer's disease and reverse aging in mice and is almost ready for clinical trials in humans.

10 Jan 2018

New 3D printing technique allows researchers to replicate biological structures

A new 3D printing technique allows researchers to replicate biological structures, which could be used for tissue regeneration and replica organs.

10 Jan 2018

New 3-D imaging system offers insight into potential obesity and diabetes treatments

Researchers have developed A 3-D tissue imaging system that has revealed the inner workings of fat cells in mice, providing insight into potential therapeutic targets for combating obesity and diabetes.

10 Jan 2018

3D images of fat cells reveal potential targets to fight against obesity

Stunning three-dimensional images of fat cells, the first of their kind, are the latest tactic in the ongoing fight against the global obesity epidemic.

10 Jan 2018

General anesthesia may be more complex in its workings than we know now

Associate Professor Bruno van Swinderen from Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland with his colleagues have studied the workings of general anesthetics on the brain and found that these agents did more than just put a person to sleep. These findings could pave the way for better and more effective anesthetics they believe. The study was published in the latest issue of the journal Cell Reports.

10 Jan 2018

Researchers awarded grant to repurpose FDA-approved drugs for treating Alzheimer's patients

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and collaborators have received a five-year, $2.8 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to identify FDA-approved medications that could be repurposed to treat Alzheimer's disease.

9 Jan 2018