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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.

Findings offer new approach for detecting dyslexia risk before children learn to read

Almost 10% of the world population suffers dyslexia. Establishing an early diagnosis would allow the development of training programs to palliate this disorder.

31 Oct 2017

Researchers develop illuminated pajamas for babies being treated for jaundice

Alone, naked, and with their eyes covered for protection: this is how newborns lie in incubators when they are being treated for jaundice. Irradiation with blue light in an incubator is necessary because toxic decomposition products of the blood pigment hemoglobin are deposited in the skin in newborns with jaundice.

31 Oct 2017

Gene therapy prevents age-related learning and memory problems in mice

Researchers from the Institute of Neurosciences at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute are the first to demonstrate that regulation of the brain's Klotho gene using gene therapy protects against age-related learning and memory problems in mice.

31 Oct 2017

Alzheimer's disease could be triggered by breakdowns from other parts of the body

Alzheimer's disease, the leading cause of dementia, has long been assumed to originate in the brain. But research from the University of British Columbia and Chinese scientists indicates that it could be triggered by breakdowns elsewhere in the body.

31 Oct 2017

New biomarkers could help doctors diagnose traumatic brain injury through simple blood test

UCLA researchers have identified four biomarkers that could help doctors diagnose brain trauma and concussions through a simple blood test. The biomarkers are proteins, from brain cells called astrocytes, which are released instantly into the bloodstream when astrocytes' outer membranes rupture from blunt impact or whiplash trauma.

31 Oct 2017

Researchers identify link between circadian rhythm disturbance and brain dysfunction

Researchers at Okayama University describe in the Journal of Neuroscience that a certain protein known to play a major role in circadian rhythmicity — humans’ intrinsic 24-hour biological cycle — is also key to proper brain functioning.

31 Oct 2017

Neuronal cross-talk in the sleeping brain may play role in memory formation

Using an innovative "NeuroGrid" technology, scientists showed that sleep boosts communication between two brain regions whose connection is critical for the formation of memories.

30 Oct 2017

Suicidal individuals could be identified using brain scans

The authors have explained that this could be a new approach to assessment of psychiatric diseases and conditions. They add that suicide risk is one of the most difficult conditions to be assessed and predicted.

30 Oct 2017

Phantom body pain can be reduced in paraplegics with help of virtual reality

In breakthrough research led by neuroscientist Olaf Blanke and his team at EPFL, Switzerland, the scientists show that phantom body pain can be reduced in paraplegics by creating a bodily illusion with the help of virtual reality. The results are published in Neurology.

30 Oct 2017

Pilot study: Focused ultrasound shows potential for managing Parkinson's tremor

An initial test to determine if a scalpel-free form of brain surgery can reduce tremor caused by Parkinson's disease has produced encouraging results. Further research is warranted, the researchers conclude in a paper published today by the scientific journal JAMA Neurology.

30 Oct 2017

Losing weight with diet, physical activity can improve blood flow in the brain of older adults with diabetes

Type 2 diabetes affects blood circulation. The disease stiffens blood vessels and reduces the amount of oxygen that circulates throughout your body. This includes your brain. When blood flow in the brain is impaired, it can affect the way we think and make decisions.

30 Oct 2017

Multiple adverse experiences in early childhood linked to poor health in teen, preteen years

Adverse experiences in childhood - such as the death of a parent, growing up in poverty, physical or sexual abuse, or having a parent with a psychiatric illness - have been associated with physical and mental health problems later in life.

30 Oct 2017

New discovery challenges basic assumptions about the brain's cellular makeup

A discovery made by Junhwan Kim, PhD, assistant professor at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, is challenging science's longstanding beliefs regarding the cellular makeup of the brain. This breakthrough was outlined in a study recently published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry.

30 Oct 2017

Study demonstrates beneficial effects of calorie-restricted diet in mice

Caloric restriction diets have been associated with various health benefits, but their effects on the skin have not been previously demonstrated. Research conducted at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil shows that controlling calories helps mice live longer, although it reduces the reserves of fat in adipose tissue needed to keep the body warm.

30 Oct 2017

Infusions of cord blood cells can help improve motor function in children with cerebral palsy

An infusion of cells from a child's own umbilical cord blood appears to improve brain connectivity and motor function in children with spastic cerebral palsy, according to a randomized clinical trial published this week by Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

30 Oct 2017

Early onset of drinking increases risk for alcohol-related neurocognitive vulnerabilities

Although drinking by U.S. adolescents has decreased during the last decade, more than 20 percent of U.S. high-school students continue to drink alcohol before the age of 14 years.

30 Oct 2017

Researchers discover quirk of cell aging that could help detect late-onset Alzheimer's

Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry and McGovern Medical School have discovered a previously unknown characteristic of brain-cell aging that could help detect late-onset Alzheimer's disease decades before symptoms begin.

30 Oct 2017

Study reveals unique molecules in the blood of people with MS

A breakthrough study led by the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital has revealed unique molecules in the blood of people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) that could become definitive diagnostic biomarkers of the world's most common neurologic disability in young adults.

30 Oct 2017

UTHealth professor receives $2.6 million NIH award for brain research

The National Institutes of Health has presented its Maximizing Investigators' Research Award to Vasanthi Jayaraman, Ph.D., a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology with McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. It is a $2.6 million, five-year award.

30 Oct 2017

NASA’s “Twins Study” explores the effects space travel has on the human body

Preliminary results from NASA’s Twins Study have revealed some of the bodily changes that occurred in an astronaught, who spent almost one year in space, compared with his twin brother, who remained on earth.

30 Oct 2017

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Findings offer new approach for detecting dyslexia risk before children learn to read

Researchers develop illuminated pajamas for babies being treated for jaundice

Gene therapy prevents age-related learning and memory problems in mice

Alzheimer's disease could be triggered by breakdowns from other parts of the body

New biomarkers could help doctors diagnose traumatic brain injury through simple blood test

Researchers identify link between circadian rhythm disturbance and brain dysfunction

Neuronal cross-talk in the sleeping brain may play role in memory formation

Suicidal individuals could be identified using brain scans

Phantom body pain can be reduced in paraplegics with help of virtual reality

Pilot study: Focused ultrasound shows potential for managing Parkinson's tremor

Losing weight with diet, physical activity can improve blood flow in the brain of older adults with diabetes

Multiple adverse experiences in early childhood linked to poor health in teen, preteen years

New discovery challenges basic assumptions about the brain's cellular makeup

Study demonstrates beneficial effects of calorie-restricted diet in mice

Infusions of cord blood cells can help improve motor function in children with cerebral palsy

Early onset of drinking increases risk for alcohol-related neurocognitive vulnerabilities

Researchers discover quirk of cell aging that could help detect late-onset Alzheimer's

Study reveals unique molecules in the blood of people with MS

UTHealth professor receives $2.6 million NIH award for brain research

NASA’s “Twins Study” explores the effects space travel has on the human body

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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