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.

Simple finger-prick blood test can help doctors prescribe treatment for depression

Doctors for the first time can determine which medication is more likely to help a patient overcome depression, according to research that pushes the medical field beyond what has essentially been a guessing game of prescribing antidepressants.

29 Mar 2017

Endocannabinoid system stimulation may be potential approach to treatment of epilepsy, study shows

In a study published in Brain Research, biophysicists from the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics of the Russian Academy of Sciences and MIPT have shown that drug-induced activation of the endocannabinoid system of the brain leads to reduced or completely suppressed epileptic activity in test animals.

29 Mar 2017

Scientists target hunger's complex chemistry to yield promising treatments for obesity

Discoveries of hormones related to weight and appetite in the '90s helped spur a search for obesity treatments targeting those hormones-- with disappointing results.

29 Mar 2017

Neuro-prosthesis helps man with complete paralysis to regain hand and arm movements, study shows

A man who was paralysed from the shoulders down has been able to feed himself and drink as a result of a novel neuro-prosthesis which reconnects his brain with his muscles.

29 Mar 2017

FDA approves new therapy for adult patients with relapsing and primary progressive MS

On March 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) to treat adult patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS).

29 Mar 2017

Phase-contrast X-ray imaging could identify tumors earlier

Phase-contrast X-ray imaging differs from conventional X-rays because it uses a different physical principle.

29 Mar 2017

Cleveland-based study to explore how childhood obesity can be prevented before conception

A Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and MetroHealth System researcher, along with Cleveland Clinic's director of metabolic research, have received federal funding to determine if childhood obesity can be prevented before women become pregnant.

29 Mar 2017

Study unravels mysteries behind cause of acute liver failure

Twenty years ago, the federal government funded the study of a condition quietly killing hundreds of Americans a year - acute liver failure, or ALF. Growing evidence had linked ALF to overdoses of acetaminophen, the popular over-the-counter pain medication many viewed as harmless at the time.

29 Mar 2017

New study identifies early vulnerability brain marker for psychosis

A new study has identified an early vulnerability brain marker for psychosis. A research team led by University of Montreal and Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Center shows that an exaggerated emotional response from the brain to non-threatening and non-emotional cues predicts the emergence of the first signs of psychotic symptoms in late adolescence.

29 Mar 2017

Researchers identify appetite-suppression mechanism in flies

Researchers have identified a molecule sent by fat cells to the fly brain that senses when they have had enough food and inhibits feeding, according to a study publishing March 28 in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Walton Jones of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon, and colleagues.

29 Mar 2017

Man with quadriplegia uses implanted technologies to restore arm and hand movements

Bill Kochevar grabbed a mug of water, drew it to his lips and drank through the straw. His motions were slow and deliberate, but then Kochevar hadn't moved his right arm or hand for eight years.

29 Mar 2017

High blood pressure not related to elevated mortality risk for older adults with weak grip strength

A study of nearly 7,500 Americans age 65 or older suggests that elevated blood pressure is not related to high mortality risk among people in that age group with weak grip strength.

28 Mar 2017

JAX professor receives HFSP grant for 3D genome studies of memory, learning and epilepsy

Jackson Laboratory Professor Yijun Ruan, Ph.D., a leader in the study of the three-dimensional organization of the human genome, has received a three-year grant totaling $1,050,000 from the international Human Frontier Science Program to explore the fundamental mechanics involved in memory and learning as well as epilepsy.

28 Mar 2017

Cerebellar stimulation improves schizophrenia-like thinking problems in rats

"A beautiful, lobular structure," is how Krystal Parker describes the cerebellum - a brain region located at the base of the skull just above the spinal column.

28 Mar 2017

City of Hope researchers to highlight basic cancer research and population studies at AACR meeting

City of Hope, a world-renowned independent research and cancer and diabetes treatment center, will highlight a variety of basic research and population studies at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., April 1 to 5.

28 Mar 2017

Research shows role played by brain reorganisation process in success or failure of cochlear implants

A cochlear implant is an electronic device capable of restoring hearing in a profoundly deaf person by directly stimulating the nerve endings in the inner ear. This technology enables people who have become deaf to be able to communicate orally again, even by telephone, and children born deaf to learn to speak and to benefit from normal schooling.

28 Mar 2017

Research helps elucidate mechanisms behind low-level laser therapy in treating neuropathic pain

Low-level laser therapy has been shown by recent studies to be a non-invasive and effective alternative for treating neuropathic pain, a chronic condition caused by nerve damage, spinal cord injury or diseases such as diabetes.

28 Mar 2017

New study explores biomechanics of head injury in pediatric patients

The biomechanics of head injury in youths (5 to 18 years of age) have been poorly understood. A new study reported in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics set out to determine what biomechanical characteristics predispose youths with concussions to experience transient or persistent postconcussion symptoms.

28 Mar 2017

High concentrations of stress hormone affect DNA processes and mental health

High concentrations of the stress hormone, Cortisol, in the body affect important DNA processes and increase the risk of long-term psychological consequences.

28 Mar 2017

Shutting down key protein could slow or prevent Alzheimer’s disease, study shows

In experiments with a protein called Ephexin5 that appears to be elevated in the brain cells of Alzheimer's disease patients and mouse models of the disease, Johns Hopkins researchers say removing it prevents animals from developing Alzheimer's characteristic memory losses.

28 Mar 2017

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Simple finger-prick blood test can help doctors prescribe treatment for depression

Endocannabinoid system stimulation may be potential approach to treatment of epilepsy, study shows

Scientists target hunger's complex chemistry to yield promising treatments for obesity

Neuro-prosthesis helps man with complete paralysis to regain hand and arm movements, study shows

FDA approves new therapy for adult patients with relapsing and primary progressive MS

Phase-contrast X-ray imaging could identify tumors earlier

Cleveland-based study to explore how childhood obesity can be prevented before conception

Study unravels mysteries behind cause of acute liver failure

New study identifies early vulnerability brain marker for psychosis

Researchers identify appetite-suppression mechanism in flies

Man with quadriplegia uses implanted technologies to restore arm and hand movements

High blood pressure not related to elevated mortality risk for older adults with weak grip strength

JAX professor receives HFSP grant for 3D genome studies of memory, learning and epilepsy

Cerebellar stimulation improves schizophrenia-like thinking problems in rats

City of Hope researchers to highlight basic cancer research and population studies at AACR meeting

Research shows role played by brain reorganisation process in success or failure of cochlear implants

Research helps elucidate mechanisms behind low-level laser therapy in treating neuropathic pain

New study explores biomechanics of head injury in pediatric patients

High concentrations of stress hormone affect DNA processes and mental health

Shutting down key protein could slow or prevent Alzheimer’s disease, study shows

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

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Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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