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.

New recommendations advise against use of brain imaging as test for chronic pain

A task force consisting of researchers from around the world and led by a scientist at the Krembil Research Institute in Toronto has released a set of recommendations that advise against the use of brain imaging as a test for chronic pain.

8 Sep 2017

Retinal imaging may help doctors confirm or rule out frontotemporal degeneration

Frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that is present in tens of thousands of Americans, but is often difficult to diagnose accurately.

8 Sep 2017

Neuroscientists discover new signaling pathway that could be good drug target to fight chronic pain

Researchers have discovered a new pain-signaling pathway in nerve cells that eventually could make a good target for new drugs to fight chronic pain.

8 Sep 2017

Tulane researchers move closer to improving treatment for chronic depression

In a new study published in the journal Cell Reports, researchers associated with the Tulane Brain Institute say they have moved a step closer to improving treatment for chronic depression.

7 Sep 2017

New drug treatment linked to higher bladder compliance after spinal cord injury

Researchers have shown that compared to placebo, a drug treatment intended to prevent remodeling of the bladder wall and given within 48 hours after spinal cord injury (SCI) in dogs was associated with significantly higher bladder compliance.

7 Sep 2017

Study provides first structural glimpse of circadian clock's molecular machinery

Scientists have long known that circadian clocks- biochemical oscillators that control physiology, metabolism and behavior on a roughly 24-hour cycle- are present in all forms of life, including animals, plants, fungi and some types of bacteria. However, the molecular mechanisms that "run" these systems remain largely unknown.

7 Sep 2017

Scientists directly convert skin cells from healthy adults into motor neurons

Scientists working to develop new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases have been stymied by the inability to grow human motor neurons in the lab. Motor neurons drive muscle contractions, and their damage underlies devastating diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy, both of which ultimately lead to paralysis and early death.

7 Sep 2017

Study finds that brain network organization mediates relationship between nutrition and intelligence

Nutrition has been linked to cognitive performance, but researchers have not pinpointed what underlies the connection.

7 Sep 2017

PupilScreen could detect concussion, brain injuries on the spot using smartphone camera

University of Washington researchers are developing the first smartphone app that is capable of objectively detecting concussion and other traumatic brain injuries in the field: on the sidelines of a sports game, on a battlefield or in the home of an elderly person prone to falls.

7 Sep 2017

Study finds mechanism behind super-sharp night vision for brief time during total eclipse

If you were fortunate enough to witness the recent total solar eclipse in all its glory, you might have noticed something surprising.

7 Sep 2017

TUM scientists pave way for better diagnosis of motor deficits following stroke

After a stroke, many people are unable to successfully perform basic hand movements in everyday life. The reason are symptoms of hemiparesis resulting from damage to the brain.

7 Sep 2017

Early signs of cardiovascular risk found in children exposed to 9/11 dust

Sixteen years after the collapse of the World Trade Center towers sent a "cloud" of toxic debris across Lower Manhattan, children living nearby who likely breathed in the ash and fumes are showing early signs of risk for future heart disease.

7 Sep 2017

Salk professor awarded $950,000 NSF grant to explore how the brain processes complex sounds

Salk Associate Professor Tatyana Sharpee has been awarded a grant of approximately $950,000 over 4 years by the National Science Foundation to study how the brain processes complex sounds. This grant is part of a multi-national project together with groups in France and Israel.

7 Sep 2017

Duke neuroscientists pinpoint one powerful cell that serves as ‘master controller’ of habits

Some habits are helpful, such as automatically washing your hands before a meal or driving the same route to work every day. They accomplish an important task while freeing up valuable brain space.

7 Sep 2017

Football remains America's favorite sport, despite concerns over head injuries

Three-quarters of fans say head injuries in football are a major problem and another six in 10 are worried about off-field violence involving players. Despite that, football remains America's favorite professional sport, according to results of a UMass Lowell-Washington Post poll released today.

7 Sep 2017

Women experience concussion differently compared to their male counterparts

Scientists have known for more than a decade that female athletes sustain concussions at a higher rate than males when playing sports with similar rules, such as soccer, basketball and baseball/softball. Females also tend to report more symptoms - and more severe ones--and may also take longer to recover from brain injuries than their male counterparts.

6 Sep 2017

Structural abnormalities in the brain's white matter seen in children with ASD traits

Structural abnormalities in the brain's white matter match up consistently with the severity of autistic symptoms not only in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but also, to some degree, in those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who also have autistic traits.

6 Sep 2017

Parkinson’s disease detection by simple smell or drawing tests find two parallel studies

According to a latest study from the Michigan State University, a simple “scratch and sniff” test could be enough to predict Parkinson’s disease before it starts is debilitating curse.

6 Sep 2017

Cannabidiol appears to protect against long-term negative psychiatric effects of THC

A study reported Sept. 5 by neuroscientists at Indiana University finds that a non-psychoactive compound in cannabis called cannabidiol, or CBD, appears to protect against the long-term negative psychiatric effects of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.

6 Sep 2017

Blood tumor markers could be useful in monitoring therapeutic outcomes for lung cancer patients

For many years, oncologists have known that cancers can secrete complex molecules into the blood and that levels of these molecules can be easily measured. These so-called 'tumor markers' are traditionally associated with a single dominant cancer type, for example Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) linked to prostate cancer, Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) to colorectal cancer, CA125 to ovarian cancer, CA19.9 to pancreatic cancer and CA27.29 to breast cancer.

6 Sep 2017

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New recommendations advise against use of brain imaging as test for chronic pain

Retinal imaging may help doctors confirm or rule out frontotemporal degeneration

Neuroscientists discover new signaling pathway that could be good drug target to fight chronic pain

Tulane researchers move closer to improving treatment for chronic depression

New drug treatment linked to higher bladder compliance after spinal cord injury

Study provides first structural glimpse of circadian clock's molecular machinery

Scientists directly convert skin cells from healthy adults into motor neurons

Study finds that brain network organization mediates relationship between nutrition and intelligence

PupilScreen could detect concussion, brain injuries on the spot using smartphone camera

Study finds mechanism behind super-sharp night vision for brief time during total eclipse

TUM scientists pave way for better diagnosis of motor deficits following stroke

Early signs of cardiovascular risk found in children exposed to 9/11 dust

Salk professor awarded $950,000 NSF grant to explore how the brain processes complex sounds

Duke neuroscientists pinpoint one powerful cell that serves as ‘master controller’ of habits

Football remains America's favorite sport, despite concerns over head injuries

Women experience concussion differently compared to their male counterparts

Structural abnormalities in the brain's white matter seen in children with ASD traits

Parkinson’s disease detection by simple smell or drawing tests find two parallel studies

Cannabidiol appears to protect against long-term negative psychiatric effects of THC

Blood tumor markers could be useful in monitoring therapeutic outcomes for lung cancer patients

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st 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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