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.

Gestational age may have long-term effect on children's academic performance, study finds

A new study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology indicates that being born either too early or too late may have a long-term effect on children's academic performance.

8 Nov 2016

Stanford researchers discover new biological markers to measure progression of Huntington's disease

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have identified several new biological markers to measure the progression of the inherited neurodegenerative disorder Huntington's disease (HD).

7 Nov 2016

Scientists develop new strategy to stop uncontrollable poison ivy itch

Scientists at Duke Health and Zhejiang Chinese Medical University have developed a strategy to stop the uncontrollable itch caused by urushiol, the oily sap common to poison ivy, poison sumac, poison oak and even mango trees.

7 Nov 2016

Researchers develop new blood test that can accurately diagnose concussions

Scientists from Children's Health Research Institute, a program of Lawson Health Research Institute, and Western University have developed a new blood test that identifies with greater than 90 per cent certainty whether or not an adolescent athlete has suffered a concussion.

7 Nov 2016

Characteristics of brain tumour provide insight into survival, treatment options for patients over 70

Characteristics like seizures, location of the tumour, and pressure in the brain, give insight into length of survival and treatment options for brain tumour patients over the age of 70, according to new research presented at the National Cancer Research Institute's Cancer Conference in Liverpool.

7 Nov 2016

Scientists uncover neurological reason why people with eating disorders can override desire for food

Scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have discovered the neurological reasons why those with anorexia and bulimia nervosa are able to override the urge to eat.

7 Nov 2016

Content of ‘love hormone’ in blood plasma 100 times higher than previously thought

Scientists at the University of Oslo have shown that the content of the "love hormone" oxytocin in blood plasma and serum is about 100 times higher than previously thought.

7 Nov 2016

UNC scientists find clue that may help explain why people differ in ability to survive arterial blockages

Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine have found a major clue that may explain why some people sustain relatively little damage from strokes or heart attacks despite severe arterial blockages.

7 Nov 2016

People with reduced oxytocin levels perform worse on empathy tasks, new research shows

People suffering medical conditions causing low levels of oxytocin perform worse on empathy tasks, according to new research presented today at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Brighton.

7 Nov 2016

Sports-related eye injuries higher among young people, study finds

Roughly 30,000 sports-related eye injuries serious enough to end in a visit to the emergency room occur each year in the United States, and the majority happen to those under the age of 18, new Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health-led research suggests.

5 Nov 2016

Stem cell therapy appears to dampen the body's neuroinflammatory response to trauma, preserve brain tissue

Results of a cellular therapy clinical trial for traumatic brain injury (TBI) using a patient's own stem cells showed that the therapy appears to dampen the body's neuroinflammatory response to trauma and preserve brain tissue, according to researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

4 Nov 2016

Researcher develops nature-inspired adhesive that stays sticky when wet

Even the strongest glues collapse when soaked. Just watch a band-aid slide ungracefully off a finger or toe while in the shower. However, with support from the Office of Naval Research, one researcher has developed a nature-inspired adhesive that stays sticky when wet.

4 Nov 2016

Novel brain-focused population health management program lowers depression severity

The Aging Brain Care Medical Home, a novel brain-focused population health management program implemented in the homes of older adults, lowered depression severity by more than 50 percent over six months according to a new study from the Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University Center for Aging Research, IU Center for Health Innovation and Implementation Science, and Eskenazi Health.

4 Nov 2016

Llama antibodies can detect cerebral lesions that characterize Alzheimer's disease

The major challenge facing physicians treating Alzheimer's is the ability to detect markers of the disease as early as possible. These markers, located in the brain, are difficult to access, hampering diagnosis.

4 Nov 2016

Scanning people's brains with fMRI more effective at spotting lies than traditional polygraph test

When it comes to lying, our brains are much more likely to give us away than sweaty palms or spikes in heart rate, new evidence from researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania suggests.

4 Nov 2016

New technology may help scientists better understand circadian rhythm in individual cells

An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Georgia has developed a new technology that may help scientists better understand how an individual cell synchronizes its biological clock with other cells.

3 Nov 2016

Brain plasticity after injury: an interview with Dr Swathi Kiran

Brain plasticity is the phenomenon by which the brain can rewire and reorganize itself in response to changing stimulus input. Brain plasticity is at play when one is learning new information (at school) or learning a new language...

3 Nov 2016

Genetic mutation confers risk for development of Parkinson's disease earlier than usual

A collaboration of 32 researchers in seven countries, led by scientists at Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida, has found a genetic mutation they say confers a risk for development of Parkinson's disease earlier than usual.

3 Nov 2016

Lack of shrinkage in the hippocampus may help predict people at risk for dementia with Lewy bodies

Dementia with Lewy bodies is a progressive disease that causes hallucinations, decline in mental abilities, rigid muscles, slow movement and tremors. With symptoms similar to Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, a correct diagnosis can be difficult.

3 Nov 2016

Researchers identify first two core genes that regulate deep sleep and dreaming

Researchers have identified the first two core genes that regulate the amount of deep sleep and dreaming, a key development they believe will lead to the discovery of a network of related genes controlling sleep.

3 Nov 2016

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Gestational age may have long-term effect on children's academic performance, study finds

Stanford researchers discover new biological markers to measure progression of Huntington's disease

Scientists develop new strategy to stop uncontrollable poison ivy itch

Researchers develop new blood test that can accurately diagnose concussions

Characteristics of brain tumour provide insight into survival, treatment options for patients over 70

Scientists uncover neurological reason why people with eating disorders can override desire for food

Content of ‘love hormone’ in blood plasma 100 times higher than previously thought

UNC scientists find clue that may help explain why people differ in ability to survive arterial blockages

People with reduced oxytocin levels perform worse on empathy tasks, new research shows

Sports-related eye injuries higher among young people, study finds

Stem cell therapy appears to dampen the body's neuroinflammatory response to trauma, preserve brain tissue

Researcher develops nature-inspired adhesive that stays sticky when wet

Novel brain-focused population health management program lowers depression severity

Llama antibodies can detect cerebral lesions that characterize Alzheimer's disease

Scanning people's brains with fMRI more effective at spotting lies than traditional polygraph test

New technology may help scientists better understand circadian rhythm in individual cells

Brain plasticity after injury: an interview with Dr Swathi Kiran

Genetic mutation confers risk for development of Parkinson's disease earlier than usual

Lack of shrinkage in the hippocampus may help predict people at risk for dementia with Lewy bodies

Researchers identify first two core genes that regulate deep sleep and dreaming

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

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Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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