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.

People with OCD show distinct changes in the brain when treated with special form of talk therapy

UCLA researchers report that people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, when treated with a special form of talk therapy, demonstrate distinct changes in their brains as well as improvement in their symptoms.

19 Sep 2017

Scientists take important step toward gene therapy for deaf patients

Scientists at Oregon State University have taken an important step toward gene therapy for deaf patients by developing a way to better study a large protein essential for hearing and finding a truncated version of it.

19 Sep 2017

Researchers discover ‘recycled’ genes in mammalian genome

One often hears about the multitude of genes we have in common with chimps, birds or other living creatures, but such comparisons are sometimes misleading. The shared percentage usually refers only to genes that encode instructions for making proteins -- while overlooking regulatory genes, which nonetheless make up a large part of the genome.

18 Sep 2017

Scientists discover markers for progressive multiple sclerosis

Scientists have uncovered two closely related cytokines -- molecules involved in cell communication and movement -- that may explain why some people develop progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), the most severe form of the disease.

18 Sep 2017

Baycrest study could pave way to affordable, easy-to-use treatment for MCI patients

Baycrest will embark on the first study combining music therapy with brain stimulation to improve memory among patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).

18 Sep 2017

Scientists design method for predicting behavioral response to stimulus using neuronal oscillations

Neuroscientists from Higher School of Economics and Charité University Clinic in Berlin have come up with a new multivariate method for predicting behavioral response to a stimulus using information about the phase of preceding neuronal oscillations recorded with EEG.

18 Sep 2017

Researchers precisely describe effects of frequent genetic mutation in congenital hyperinsulinism

Diabetes is characterized by a deficiency of insulin. The opposite is the case in congenital hyperinsulinism: patients produce the hormone too frequently and in excessive quantities, even if they haven't eaten any carbohydrates.

18 Sep 2017

Scientists genetically engineer mice that display behavioral hallmarks of human bipolar disorder

Johns Hopkins researchers report they have genetically engineered mice that display many of the behavioral hallmarks of human bipolar disorder, and that the abnormal behaviors the rodents show can be reversed using well-established drug treatments for bipolar disorder, such as lithium.

18 Sep 2017

Study: Genomic profiling could help identify effective treatments for pediatric gliomas

The largest genomic profiling study ever conducted into a type of brain tumor known as glioma in children has identified genetic alterations in 96% of cases. As reported in The Oncologist, this genetic information could help to identify the most effective treatments for specific cases of glioma, hopefully improving the prognosis for what is currently the leading cause of death for children with cancer in the US.

18 Sep 2017

Without price breaks, rural hospitals struggle to stock costly, lifesaving drugs

Hospital pharmacist Mandy Langston remembers when Lulabelle Berry arrived at Stone County Medical Center's emergency department last year.

18 Sep 2017

Expressive writing can prepare the brain to effectively tackle stressful situations, study says

A new study conducted at the Michigan State University, USA found that expressive writing might help a person to perform efficiently in an upcoming stressful task.

18 Sep 2017

New ‘Neurology Atlas’ reveals treatment gap and disparities in distribution of resources

In the run-up to the World Congress of Neurology in Kyoto the new "Neurology Atlas" was published today. Even though there has been progress in the availability of neurological care worldwide and great improvement is being made in diagnostic and therapeutic tools, appalling disparities in the availability of treatment do persist.

18 Sep 2017

Aging brain maintains healthy cognitive function by increasing bilateral communication

Increased communication between distant brain regions helps older adults compensate for the negative aspects of aging, reports a new study published this week in Human Brain Mapping.

15 Sep 2017

Neuroscientists win $2.36 million NIH grant to develop new computational tool for brain research

Cognitive neuroscientists Rosie Cowell and David Huber at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently received a four-year, $2.36 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop a new computational tool that will help researchers in interpreting functional magnetic resonance images of the brain and improve accuracy in relating fMRI data to neural responses in the brain.

15 Sep 2017

Research provides insight into how imbalance in neural precursor cells may contribute to brain diseases

Salk Institute scientists have discovered that an interaction between two key proteins helps regulate and maintain the cells that produce neurons.

15 Sep 2017

Hypometabolism in medial prefrontal areas linked to AD-related nutritional problems

A new study from the Multimodal Neuroimaging for AD Diagnosis study, which is a prospective study implemented at the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, provides that hypometabolism in the medial prefrontal areas is specifically associated with Alzheimer's disease-related nutritional problems, and decrease in fat mass may have a key role. This study is published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.

15 Sep 2017

Quality-improvement initiative could enhance safety of newborns, provide significant savings

Sick newborns often rely on a ventilator to supply oxygen and are tethered to the life-saving device by a plastic endotracheal tube. The American Academy of Pediatrics has counseled health care providers that ordering a chest X-ray daily simply to verify positioning of the ETT ratchets up costs without improving patient safety.

15 Sep 2017

Research shows link between brain's immune system and desire to drink alcohol

Researchers from the University of Adelaide have found a new link between the brain's immune system and the desire to drink alcohol in the evening.

15 Sep 2017

Study highlights complexity of childhood cancer survivors’ medical needs

Survivors of childhood cancer may experience, on average, nearly twice as many chronic health condition by the age of 45, compared to the general population, according to a new study led by St Jude Children’s Research Hospital (USA) and published in The Lancet.

15 Sep 2017

Studies reveal link between autism and severe maternal infection during pregnancy

Two studies conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Massachusetts Medical School indicated that mothers who were affected with severe infections that required hospitalization are at an increased risk of having an autistic child.

15 Sep 2017

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

People with OCD show distinct changes in the brain when treated with special form of talk therapy

Scientists take important step toward gene therapy for deaf patients

Researchers discover ‘recycled’ genes in mammalian genome

Scientists discover markers for progressive multiple sclerosis

Baycrest study could pave way to affordable, easy-to-use treatment for MCI patients

Scientists design method for predicting behavioral response to stimulus using neuronal oscillations

Researchers precisely describe effects of frequent genetic mutation in congenital hyperinsulinism

Scientists genetically engineer mice that display behavioral hallmarks of human bipolar disorder

Study: Genomic profiling could help identify effective treatments for pediatric gliomas

Without price breaks, rural hospitals struggle to stock costly, lifesaving drugs

Expressive writing can prepare the brain to effectively tackle stressful situations, study says

New ‘Neurology Atlas’ reveals treatment gap and disparities in distribution of resources

Aging brain maintains healthy cognitive function by increasing bilateral communication

Neuroscientists win $2.36 million NIH grant to develop new computational tool for brain research

Research provides insight into how imbalance in neural precursor cells may contribute to brain diseases

Hypometabolism in medial prefrontal areas linked to AD-related nutritional problems

Quality-improvement initiative could enhance safety of newborns, provide significant savings

Research shows link between brain's immune system and desire to drink alcohol

Study highlights complexity of childhood cancer survivors’ medical needs

Studies reveal link between autism and severe maternal infection during pregnancy

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd edition eBook

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