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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.

CHOP researchers discover key differences among gene fusions in childhood brain tumors

Researchers investigating pediatric low-grade gliomas, the most common type of brain tumor in children, have discovered key biological differences in how mutated genes combine with other genes to drive this childhood cancer.

17 Oct 2017

Magic mushrooms chemical Psilocybin for treatment of hard-to treat depression

A new study from UK has found efficacy of psilocybin – a chemical found in “magic mushrooms”, in severe depression. The study involved 19 patients with severe depression. The patients took the psilocybin and around half of them improved and reported maintained improvement after 5 weeks of therapy. The patients however also received psychological care along with the treatment.

16 Oct 2017

Wake Forest Baptist scientists win grant to develop more effective treatments for brain cancer

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive cancer that originates in the brain. Current therapies can slow the disease, but more often than not can't cure it.

16 Oct 2017

Findings reveal how seizures can have lasting detrimental effects on memory

Although it's been clear that seizures are linked to memory loss and other cognitive deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease, how this happens has been puzzling. In a study published in the journal Nature Medicine, a team of researchers reveals a mechanism that can explain how even relatively infrequent seizures can lead to long-lasting cognitive deficits in animal models.

16 Oct 2017

Einstein scientists share $9 million NIH grant for longevity research

Scientists now believe that the Fountain of Youth flows from our genes, or at least from the genes of people who live healthy lives to age 100 or later.

16 Oct 2017

The storm has passed, but Puerto Rico’s health faces prolonged recovery

As President Donald Trump signals impatience to wind down emergency aid to Puerto Rico, the challenges wrought by Hurricane Maria to the health of Puerto Ricans and the island's fragile health system are in many ways just beginning.

16 Oct 2017

Researchers to investigate cellular changes leading to development of glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is the most common of malign brain tumors in adults, and it currently has no cure. Now a research team led by Dr Claudia Barros, from the Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and its Brain Tumour Research-funded Centre of Excellence, has secured funding from the Brain Research Trust, which will help to expose novel molecules and their modes of action responsible for the initiation and growth of the disease.

16 Oct 2017

Scientists validate biomarker indicative of brain cancer patient's prognosis and drug response

Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Sema4, and collaborating institutions including Colorado State University and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center reported results today from a glioblastoma study in which they validated a biomarker indicative of a patient's prognosis and likely response to specific therapies.

16 Oct 2017

Dietary supplement could be promising therapeutic target for seizure disorders

Seizure disorders -- including epilepsy -- are associated with pathological hyperexcitability in brain neurons. Unfortunately, there are limited available treatments that can prevent this hyperexcitability.

13 Oct 2017

New study maps human genome to healthy tissue functions and disease processes

Our genomes help to determine who we are - the countless variations between individuals that encode the complexity of tissues and functions throughout the body.

13 Oct 2017

MRI brain scans can reveal MS risk in children before clinical symptoms appear

By the time multiple sclerosis (MS) is diagnosed in children, it may be difficult to prevent the disabilities and relapses that come with the disease. In a new Yale School of Medicine study, researchers examined MRI brain scans to identify children at high risk of developing MS before symptoms appear, which may lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment.

13 Oct 2017

UAB expert provides in-depth understanding of food-borne illnesses

Parties and gatherings are typically centered around food, making it important to know the do's and don'ts of handling food.

13 Oct 2017

Report: Global burden of neurological disorders in today’s world

Globally, the burden of neurological disorders (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, epilepsy etc) has increased substantially over the past 25 years.

13 Oct 2017

Breakthrough discovery reveals positive correlation between sugar and cancer

A nine-year joint research project conducted by VIB, KU Leuven and VUB has led to a crucial breakthrough in cancer research.

13 Oct 2017

Researchers find how tDCS could increase performance of associative learning

HRL Laboratories, LLC, researchers have determined how non-invasive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could increase performance of associative learning.

13 Oct 2017

McGill researchers discover new cellular mechanism in Alzheimer's disease

McGill University researchers have discovered a cellular mechanism that may contribute to the breakdown of communication between neurons in Alzheimer's disease.

13 Oct 2017

Magic mushrooms may effectively reset activity of brain circuits involved in depression

Patients taking psilocybin to treat depression show reduced symptoms weeks after treatment following a 'reset' of their brain activity.

13 Oct 2017

Researchers use mixed realty viewer to visualize complex biological networks in 3D

They call it the "hairy ball." It's an unflattering name for two-dimensional representations of a complex biological network, a depiction of a system of linkages and connections so complex and dense that "it looks like a big mess," said Dmitry Korkin, PhD, associate professor of computer science at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and director of the university's bioinformatics and computational biology program.

13 Oct 2017

Researchers find multiple new mutations linked to autism in children but not their parents

Most cases of autism appear to be associated with the appearance of new mutations that are not inherited from the child's parents, researchers from the University of Washington School of Medicine report.

12 Oct 2017

Biased research samples can profoundly skew results of brain imaging studies

Any scientist who studies groups of people knows that the characteristics of the "sample" -- the group of people selected for the study -- can profoundly impact the study's findings. To produce the most accurate findings, a study group ought to be as similar as possible to the people in the larger population you want to say something about.

12 Oct 2017