Brain News and Research

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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.

MPFI scientist receives $2.4 million NIH grant to study neural circuits in the cerebral cortex

Dr. David Fitzpatrick, Scientific Director and CEO at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, has been awarded a $2.4 million five-year grant from the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health to study the functional organization of neural circuits in the cerebral cortex, specifically, in the area of brain responsible for processing visual information.

3 Oct 2017

Researchers find link between maternal pesticide use and risk of childhood brain tumors

Previous epidemiological studies have suggested that exposure to pesticides during pregnancy may have a possible role in the development of childhood brain tumors.

3 Oct 2017

Genital herpes was inherited from human ancestors

There are two main herpes simplex viruses that cause herpes in man – those that cause cold sores or HSV1 and those that cause genital herpes or HSV2. Humans and chimpanzees both were affected by HSV1 millions of years ago when their lineages split. HSV2 however did not leap on to humans until much later shows new research.

3 Oct 2017

Study provides new insights into how sleep contributes to brain plasticity

A study has given new insights into how sleep contributes to brain plasticity - the ability for our brain to change and reorganize itself - and could pave the way for new ways to help people with learning and memory disorders.

3 Oct 2017

Cooling treatment for babies deprived of oxygen at birth can reduce childhood epilepsy

Cooling babies deprived of oxygen at birth (perinatal asphyxia) can reduce the number of children who develop epilepsy later in childhood, according to a new study published in the journal Epilepsia.

3 Oct 2017

Researchers discover circadian clock at work in our muscles

Biological clocks are ticking everywhere throughout our body. They trigger the release of the hormone melatonin during sleep, favour the secretion of digestive enzymes at lunchtime or keep us awake at the busiest moments of the day.

3 Oct 2017

New non-invasive biomarker detects Alzheimer's disease before occurrence of first symptoms

Absence of a prefrontal activation during sensory gating of simple tones detects the Alzheimer's disease (AD) before the occurrence of the first symptoms. Sanja Josef Golubic Ph.D., physicists at the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, reveals the high potential, absolutely non-invasive biomarker of AD pathology in a new study published in the journal Human Brain Mapping. Josef Golubic found a discrete, individual biomarker of AD with "ideal" properties.

3 Oct 2017

Different genres of video games may affect cognitive training

Video games are quickly becoming a hot topic in cognitive training. Many see them as a potential tool to help patients improve their performance and memory, yet little is known about how different types of video games may affect white matter in the brain and cognition.

3 Oct 2017

Novel microscopy technique can more accurately diagnose cancer than current methods

A novel microscopy technique to examine tumour tissue in three dimensions can more accurately diagnose cancer than current two-dimensional methods, according to a study conducted at Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden. The study is published in Nature Biomedical Engineering.

3 Oct 2017

Researchers look for ways to prevent chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment

Of the 14 million cancer survivors in the United States, a significant number experience a serious side effect called chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI). While easily recognized, little is known about the etiology of this condition, also known informally as "chemo brain."

3 Oct 2017

RCSI-led study aims to train next generation of brain cancer researchers

RCSI is leading an international team of scientists on a major research study that aims to train the next generation of brain cancer researchers.

3 Oct 2017

Grant awarded to UDA for Quantum Technology-based brain imaging system

Unitive Design & Analysis Ltd, a London-based SME, announced today their success in being awarded an Innovate UK grant to develop a commercial roadmap for a Quantum Technology- based brain imaging system.

3 Oct 2017

Transcranial direct current stimulation leads to reduction in MS-related fatigue

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who underwent a non-invasive form of electrical brain stimulation experienced significant reductions in fatigue, a common and often debilitating symptom of the disease, according to new research from the Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center at NYU Langone Health.

3 Oct 2017

UTHealth study focuses on how gene-environment interactions impact cocaine use disorder

Studying the effect of environmental stressors on the development of cocaine use is the focus of a $2.6 million award from the National Institutes of Health to researchers at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

3 Oct 2017

Researchers win $2 million grant to refine and expand use of unique microscope

Researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the University of Colorado Boulder have won a $2 million grant allowing them to refine a unique microscope they have developed while expanding its use to other scientists across the country.

3 Oct 2017

Losing sense of smell linked to dementia

Scientists have found that losing the sense of smell is an early sign that a person is at risk of development of dementia later in life. The study entitled “Olfactory Dysfunction Predicts Subsequent Dementia in Older US Adults,” was published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

2 Oct 2017

NsXeR protein: A new optogenetic tool to control muscle and neuronal cells

Scientists have examined a protein that will find application in optogenetics and could be used to control muscle and neuronal cells. The paper on the light-sensitive NsXeR protein of the xenorhodopsin class was published in Science Advances by the international team of researchers from MIPT, Research center Jülich, and Institut de Biologie Structurale.

30 Sep 2017

Researcher discovers why people tend to fall asleep when bored

University of Tsukuba researcher discovers why we have the tendency to fall asleep in the absence of motivating stimuli, i.e., when bored.

30 Sep 2017

Researchers examine how concussions affect women differently than men

Do concussions affect women differently than men? What impact do they have on a person's psychological health?

30 Sep 2017

Impairing critical partnership between brain cells can lead to Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have discovered that impairing a critical partnership between brain cells can lead to neurodegeneration. The study published in Cell Metabolism reports a mechanism by which two types of brain cells, neurons and glia, normally support each other's functions.

30 Sep 2017

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

MPFI scientist receives $2.4 million NIH grant to study neural circuits in the cerebral cortex

Researchers find link between maternal pesticide use and risk of childhood brain tumors

Genital herpes was inherited from human ancestors

Study provides new insights into how sleep contributes to brain plasticity

Cooling treatment for babies deprived of oxygen at birth can reduce childhood epilepsy

Researchers discover circadian clock at work in our muscles

New non-invasive biomarker detects Alzheimer's disease before occurrence of first symptoms

Different genres of video games may affect cognitive training

Novel microscopy technique can more accurately diagnose cancer than current methods

Researchers look for ways to prevent chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment

RCSI-led study aims to train next generation of brain cancer researchers

Grant awarded to UDA for Quantum Technology-based brain imaging system

Transcranial direct current stimulation leads to reduction in MS-related fatigue

UTHealth study focuses on how gene-environment interactions impact cocaine use disorder

Researchers win $2 million grant to refine and expand use of unique microscope

Losing sense of smell linked to dementia

NsXeR protein: A new optogenetic tool to control muscle and neuronal cells

Researcher discovers why people tend to fall asleep when bored

Researchers examine how concussions affect women differently than men

Impairing critical partnership between brain cells can lead to Alzheimer's disease

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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