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.

Study shows safety of Schwann cell transplantation for treating subacute thoracic spinal cord injury

A Phase I clinical trial that targeted individuals with new onset paraplegia to evaluate the safety of transplanting their own potentially neuroprotective Schwann cells into a trauma-induced spinal cord lesion showed no evidence of adverse effects after 1 year.

22 Mar 2017

‘Supportive touch’ experiences can help preterm infants in NICU respond better, research suggests

Treatment in the nation's Neonatal Intensive Care Units save millions of infants born prematurely every year. But this treatment is not without cost. Painful procedures such as needle pricks can impact early brain development.

22 Mar 2017

Study: Unsaturated fatty acid metabolism associated with progression of Alzheimer's disease

A new study published in PLOS Medicine's Special Issue on Dementia has found that the metabolism of omega-3 and omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids in the brain are associated with the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

22 Mar 2017

'Cannibal drug' consumption in adolescence can increase vulnerability to cocaine use during adulthood

Consumption of the synthetic drug MDPV -a powerful psychostimulant known as 'cannibal drug'- in adolescence, can increase vulnerability of cocaine addiction during adulthood, according to a study carried out with laboratory animals and led by the researchers Elena Escubedo, from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences and the Institute of Biomedicine of the UB and Olga Valverde, head of the Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group of Pompeu Fabra University.

22 Mar 2017

SPECT imaging may not be suitable for monitoring Parkinson's disease, study shows

When monitoring Parkinson's disease, SPECT imaging of the brain is used for acquiring information on the dopamine activity. A new study conducted in Turku, Finland, shows that the dopamine activity observed in SPECT imaging does not reflect the number of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra, as previously assumed.

22 Mar 2017

Poor smell linked to higher risk of early mortality

In a study of adults aged 40 to 90 years who were followed for 10 years, poor smell was linked with an increased risk of dying.

22 Mar 2017

New recommendations aim to guide doctors and patients about testing, treatment options

Surgical options for people with medical conditions including obesity, and the risks of operating on the elderly, feature among 10 new recommendations released today under the Choosing Wisely Australia initiative.

22 Mar 2017

Study to assess effectiveness of two OTC medications for treating alcoholism in bipolar patients

Researchers have long wondered if medications could treat alcohol abuse. Ihsan Salloum, M.D., chief of the Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, hopes to answer that question in part with a new clinical trial with E. Sherwood Brown, M.D., Ph.D., at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

22 Mar 2017

Changes in the vascular system could play role in initiating Alzheimer’s disease

As the average age of Americans increases, so too does the problem of Alzheimer's, one of the world's most common neurological diseases. In recent years, scientists have explored many new approaches to clear the plaques and tangles in the brain that characterize the condition, but the new drugs have largely turned out to be disappointing.

22 Mar 2017

USC study close to finding gene involved in cleft lip and palate

A group of researchers has found that three siblings born with cleft lip and palate share a common gene mutation associated with the birth defect.

22 Mar 2017

Brain inspiration leads to faster, more efficient cybersecurity system

Cybersecurity is critical -- for national security, corporations and private individuals. Sophisticated cybersecurity systems excel at finding "bad apples" in computer networks, but they lack the computing power to identify the threats directly.

22 Mar 2017

Penn researcher wins Scientific Innovations Award from Chicago-based Brain Research Foundation

James Eberwine, PhD, the Elmer Holmes Bobst Professor of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has received the 2017 Scientific Innovations Award from the Chicago-based Brain Research Foundation, which supports research for preventing and treating neurological diseases.

22 Mar 2017

Researchers discover minimally invasive way to take high-resolution pictures of animal brain

With just an inexpensive micro-thin surgical needle and laser light, University of Utah engineers have discovered a minimally invasive, inexpensive way to take high-resolution pictures of an animal brain, a process that also could lead to a much less invasive method for humans.

21 Mar 2017

FDA approves drug as add-on treatment for Parkinson's disease patients

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Xadago (safinamide) tablets as an add-on treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease who are currently taking levodopa/carbidopa and experiencing "off" episodes.

21 Mar 2017

Insulin resistance linked to more rapid decline in cognitive performance

A new Tel Aviv University study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease finds that insulin resistance, caused in part by obesity and physical inactivity, is also linked to a more rapid decline in cognitive performance.

21 Mar 2017

Primitive numerical ability shared across many species stems from brain’s subcortex, research suggests

Cognitive neuroscience researcher Joonkoo Park at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who recently received a five-year, $751,000 faculty early career development grant from the National Science Foundation to address basic research questions about how our brains process number and magnitude and how such processes give rise to more complex mathematical thinking, has co-authored a paper that reports this week where in the brain numerical quantity evaluation is processed.

21 Mar 2017

New study shows how the brain looks at the world in 3D

We live in a three-dimensional world, but everything we see is first recorded on our retinas in only two dimensions.

21 Mar 2017

Study may signal major shift in understanding of how the cerebellum encodes information

It's the part of the brain that makes sure you cannot tickle yourself. The cerebellum, an apple-sized region near the base of the skull, senses that your own fingers are the ones trying to tickle, and cancels your usual response.

21 Mar 2017

Study finds greater risk of suicide following initial episode of self-harm

New findings suggest that American adults who survive deliberate self-harm are at increased risk of suicide in the first year after such an event, indicating a need to direct clinical interventions in the critical 12 months following such episodes.

21 Mar 2017

Parasitic fish offers unique insights into evolution of gut neurons in ancient vertebrates

Lamprey are slimy, parasitic eel-like fish, one of only two existing species of vertebrates that have no jaw. While many would be repulsed by these creatures, lamprey are exciting to biologists because they are so primitive, retaining many characteristics similar to their ancient ancestors and thus offering answers to some of life's biggest evolutionary questions

21 Mar 2017

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Study shows safety of Schwann cell transplantation for treating subacute thoracic spinal cord injury

‘Supportive touch’ experiences can help preterm infants in NICU respond better, research suggests

Study: Unsaturated fatty acid metabolism associated with progression of Alzheimer's disease

'Cannibal drug' consumption in adolescence can increase vulnerability to cocaine use during adulthood

SPECT imaging may not be suitable for monitoring Parkinson's disease, study shows

Poor smell linked to higher risk of early mortality

New recommendations aim to guide doctors and patients about testing, treatment options

Study to assess effectiveness of two OTC medications for treating alcoholism in bipolar patients

Changes in the vascular system could play role in initiating Alzheimer’s disease

USC study close to finding gene involved in cleft lip and palate

Brain inspiration leads to faster, more efficient cybersecurity system

Penn researcher wins Scientific Innovations Award from Chicago-based Brain Research Foundation

Researchers discover minimally invasive way to take high-resolution pictures of animal brain

FDA approves drug as add-on treatment for Parkinson's disease patients

Insulin resistance linked to more rapid decline in cognitive performance

Primitive numerical ability shared across many species stems from brain’s subcortex, research suggests

New study shows how the brain looks at the world in 3D

Study may signal major shift in understanding of how the cerebellum encodes information

Study finds greater risk of suicide following initial episode of self-harm

Parasitic fish offers unique insights into evolution of gut neurons in ancient vertebrates

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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