Brain News and Research

RSS

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.

Scientists use stem cells to identify underlying cellular defects that cause Angelman syndrome

Researchers at UConn Health used stem cells derived from patients with Angelman syndrome to identify the underlying cellular defects that cause the rare neurogenetic disorder, an important step in the ongoing search for potential treatments for Angelman and a possible cure.

25 Apr 2017

Working memory training combined with brain stimulation can improve performance, research shows

Your Saturday Salsa club or Introductory Italian class might be even better for you than you thought. According to Sandia National Laboratories cognitive scientist Mike Trumbo, learning a language or an instrument or going dancing is the best way to keep your brain keen despite the ravages of time. Not only do you enhance your cognition but you also learn a skill and have fun.

25 Apr 2017

Whole-exome sequencing may routinely miss detecting some disease-causing genes, say researchers

Whole-exome DNA sequencing -- a technology that saves time and money by sequencing only protein-coding regions and not the entire genome -- may routinely miss detecting some genetic variations associated with disease, according to Penn State researchers who have developed new ways to identify such omissions.

24 Apr 2017

Synchronized voltage rhythms in SCN could play role in maintaining the body’s circadian clock

Cells in the brain's master circadian clock synchronize voltage rhythms despite asynchronous calcium rhythms, which might explain how a tissue-wide rhythm is maintained.

24 Apr 2017

New model for toxicity risk assessment could reduce reliance on animal testing

Traditional toxicological investigations performed on animals (in vivo) are expensive, time-consuming and may cause animal suffering.

24 Apr 2017

Researchers discover new cellular mechanism that may cause multiple sclerosis

A new study has made a major new discovery towards finding the cause of multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially paving the way for research to investigate new treatments.

24 Apr 2017

Brain genes influence our eating habits, study finds

Differences in the genetic make-up of our brains may account for the particular food preferences people have and their varying ability to stick to diets, according to new research.

24 Apr 2017

Study shows how brain genes influence food intake and dietary preferences

Have you ever wondered why you keep eating certain foods, even if you know they are not good for you? Gene variants that affect the way our brain works may be the reason, according to a new study. The new research could lead to new strategies to empower people to enjoy and stick to their optimal diets.

24 Apr 2017

Researchers show how fish oil component helps in survival of injured retina, brain cells

A team of researchers led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, has shown for the first time that NDP1, a signaling molecule made from DHA, can trigger the production of a protective protein against toxic free radicals and injury in the brain and retina.

21 Apr 2017

Doctors highlight importance of virtual and augmented reality in the operating room

The reality of life in the operating room is about to look more like virtual reality, as leaders in clinical medicine at the University of Maryland, Baltimore and colleagues with expertise in computing and imaging at the University of Maryland, College Park work together on lifesaving technologies.

21 Apr 2017

Positive CHMP opinion recognizes efficacy of Biogen’s SPINRAZA for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy

Biogen today announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency adopted a positive opinion recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for SPINRAZA to treat patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

21 Apr 2017

UCLA research overturns paradigm about how axons grow during embryonic development

New research by scientists at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA overturns a long-standing paradigm about how axons -- thread-like projections that connect cells in the nervous system -- grow during embryonic development.

21 Apr 2017

Researchers use gene-editing tool to restore visual function in mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa

Using the gene-editing tool CRISPR/Cas9, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego Health, with colleagues in China, have reprogrammed mutated rod photoreceptors to become functioning cone photoreceptors, reversing cellular degeneration and restoring visual function in two mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa.

21 Apr 2017

Johns Hopkins researchers discover group of nerve cells in the skin responsible for ‘active touch’

Working with genetically engineered mice -- and especially their whiskers -- Johns Hopkins researchers report they have identified a group of nerve cells in the skin responsible for what they call "active touch," a combination of motion and sensory feeling needed to navigate the external world.

21 Apr 2017

Hockey players with multiple concussions may have other injuries in their brains, research reveals

The relationship between head injuries suffered during contact sport and Alzheimer's disease is now being called into question thanks to research by the Sahlgrenska Academy, which has revealed that hockey players with multiple concussions probably have other injuries in their brains.

21 Apr 2017

Sugary drinks may impact memory and diet alternatives could cause dementia

New research, published in both Alzheimer's & Dementia and Stroke indicate that drinking sugary drinks regularly may lead to a reduction in the size of the brain and poorer memory.

21 Apr 2017

Alcoholism may have different effects on the brain’s reward system of women than in men

A collaborative study between researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston University School of Medicine has found evidence implying that alcoholism may have different effects on the reward system in the brains of women than it does in men.

21 Apr 2017

Experimental mobile app may revolutionize future of mental health monitoring, study shows

Researchers found that an experimental mobile app from Posit Science can monitor mental health in ways that are both comparable and superior to current methods, according to a study just published.

21 Apr 2017

Researchers reveal promising performance of retinal prosthesis implanted in rats

Researchers at Okayama University report in the Journal of Artificial Organs the promising performance of a retinal prosthesis material when implanted in rats. The material is capable of converting external light stimuli into electric potentials that are picked up by neurons.

21 Apr 2017

First-ever communication App launched for immobilized patients

A team of young international tech entrepreneurs with the support of hospitals in France, Luxembourg and Switzerland launched the first and only communication App dedicated to people with severe physical disabilities.

21 Apr 2017

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Scientists use stem cells to identify underlying cellular defects that cause Angelman syndrome

Working memory training combined with brain stimulation can improve performance, research shows

Whole-exome sequencing may routinely miss detecting some disease-causing genes, say researchers

Synchronized voltage rhythms in SCN could play role in maintaining the body’s circadian clock

New model for toxicity risk assessment could reduce reliance on animal testing

Researchers discover new cellular mechanism that may cause multiple sclerosis

Brain genes influence our eating habits, study finds

Study shows how brain genes influence food intake and dietary preferences

Researchers show how fish oil component helps in survival of injured retina, brain cells

Doctors highlight importance of virtual and augmented reality in the operating room

Positive CHMP opinion recognizes efficacy of Biogen’s SPINRAZA for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy

UCLA research overturns paradigm about how axons grow during embryonic development

Researchers use gene-editing tool to restore visual function in mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa

Johns Hopkins researchers discover group of nerve cells in the skin responsible for ‘active touch’

Hockey players with multiple concussions may have other injuries in their brains, research reveals

Sugary drinks may impact memory and diet alternatives could cause dementia

Alcoholism may have different effects on the brain’s reward system of women than in men

Experimental mobile app may revolutionize future of mental health monitoring, study shows

Researchers reveal promising performance of retinal prosthesis implanted in rats

First-ever communication App launched for immobilized 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

Latest News