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.

Cell phone radiation exposure may lead to increased rates of rare cancers

According to new report from Microwave News, the U.S. National Toxicology Program has found increased rates of rare cancers of the heart and brain in animals exposed to cell phone radiation in a long-awaited multi-million dollar two-year study.

27 May 2016

Study finds positive link between perceptual difficulty and insular cortex activity

As the difficulty of making a decision based on sensory evidence increases, activity in the brain's insular cortex also increases, according to researchers at Georgia State University.

27 May 2016

Healthy lifestyle may help women reduce chances of developing breast cancer

Women with a high risk of developing breast cancer based on family history and genetic risk can still reduce the chance they will develop the disease in their lifetimes by following a healthy lifestyle, new research led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health suggests.

27 May 2016

Rockefeller scientists develop new technique that captures detailed snapshot of brain activity

When it comes to measuring brain activity, scientists have tools that can take a precise look at a small slice of the brain (less than one cubic millimeter), or a blurred look at a larger area.

27 May 2016

Adolescents and young adults have lower cancer survival rates compared to children

More young people of all ages are surviving cancer than ever before, but new research published today in The Lancet Oncology journal shows that adolescents and young adults have a lower chance of surviving eight relatively common types of cancer than children, according to the latest data from a long-running study of cancer survival across Europe.

27 May 2016

External stimulation guides brain circuit’s early development

A healthy brain has just the right ratio of cells that enhance signals (excitatory neurons) and cells that tone down signals (inhibitory neurons). These two sets of neurons start out looking exactly the same, so what determines their roles?

27 May 2016

Researcher explores whether DBS can help improve life of bipolar disorder patients

Jennifer Sweet, MD, a neurosurgeon at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, recently opened a clinical research study to learn if there is a structural target in the brain for patients suffering from bipolar disorder and whether deep brain stimulation (DBS) can bring them relief.

27 May 2016

Advanced cancer patients lack palliative, hospice care

Medical societies, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, recommend that patients with advanced cancer receive palliative care soon after diagnosis and receive hospice care for at least the last three days of their life. Yet major gaps persist between these recommendations and real-life practice, a new study shows.

27 May 2016

Study reveals brain mechanism involved in switching between habitual behavior and decision-making

Not all habits are bad. Some are even necessary. It's a good thing, for example, that we can find our way home on "autopilot" or wash our hands without having to ponder every step. But inability to switch from acting habitually to acting in a deliberate way can underlie addiction and obsessive compulsive disorders.

27 May 2016

Fasting-mimicking diet may help decrease multiple sclerosis symptoms

Evidence is mounting that a diet mimicking the effects of fasting has health benefits beyond weight loss, with a new USC-led study indicating that it may reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis.

27 May 2016

Study reveals males and females exhibit different stress responses

How does stress - which, among other things, causes our bodies to divert resources from non-essential functions - affect the basic exchange of materials that underlies our everyday life? Weizmann Institute of Science researchers investigated this question by looking at a receptor in the brains of mice, and they came up with a surprising answer.

27 May 2016

Normoglycaemia key to improved neurological outcome after paediatric stroke

Achieving normal blood glucose concentrations may be important in preventing poor neurological outcomes in children following acute arterial ischemic stroke, a retrospective review indicates.

27 May 2016

Study explores history of penumbra in untreated acute stroke patients

Radiological imaging is being used more often to evaluate stroke diagnosis and outcomes, with penumbra, or tissue that is at risk of progressing to dead tissue but is still salvageable if blood flow is returned, as a potential target for therapy.

26 May 2016

Researchers find new clue to understanding 'chemo brain' in cancer patients

During and after chemotherapy, many cancer patients describe feeling a mental fog, a condition that has been dubbed "chemo brain." Why this happens is unclear, but researchers have found a new clue to understanding this syndrome.

26 May 2016

Gene mutation linked to autism plays key role in formation, maturation of synapses

A new study from MIT neuroscientists reveals that a gene mutation associated with autism plays a critical role in the formation and maturation of synapses -- the connections that allow neurons to communicate with each other.

26 May 2016

Integrative Body-Mind Training helps reduce smoking

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that 15.1 percent of American adults smoked cigarettes in 2015, down almost 2 percent from the year before. This is the lowest recorded smoking rate in the country's history.

26 May 2016

Research sheds new light on biological processes underlying neurodegeneration in AD

Progranulin is a central protein in both neuronal survival and neurodegenerative diseases. It is thus not surprising that altered progranulin levels represent a universal theme shared across several common neurodegenerative diseases.

26 May 2016

Specific immune system genes may determine how long people can live with glioblastoma

Researchers have identified a group of immune system genes that may play a role in how long people can live after developing a common type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme, a tumor of the glial cells in the brain.

26 May 2016

Prenatal fruit consumption linked to improved cognitive development in infants

Most people have heard the old adage "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." It's an old truth that encompasses more than just apples--eating fruit in general is well known to reduce risk for a wide variety of health conditions such as heart disease and stroke.

26 May 2016

Alzheimer’s research raises questions on the role of infection

A new study has shown that A-beta (Aβ), the protein that forms β-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, is a normal part of the immune system - raising questions about the role infection plays in Alzheimer’s disease and whether current treatment strategies should be changed.

26 May 2016

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Cell phone radiation exposure may lead to increased rates of rare cancers

Study finds positive link between perceptual difficulty and insular cortex activity

Healthy lifestyle may help women reduce chances of developing breast cancer

Rockefeller scientists develop new technique that captures detailed snapshot of brain activity

Adolescents and young adults have lower cancer survival rates compared to children

External stimulation guides brain circuit’s early development

Researcher explores whether DBS can help improve life of bipolar disorder patients

Advanced cancer patients lack palliative, hospice care

Study reveals brain mechanism involved in switching between habitual behavior and decision-making

Fasting-mimicking diet may help decrease multiple sclerosis symptoms

Study reveals males and females exhibit different stress responses

Normoglycaemia key to improved neurological outcome after paediatric stroke

Study explores history of penumbra in untreated acute stroke patients

Researchers find new clue to understanding 'chemo brain' in cancer patients

Gene mutation linked to autism plays key role in formation, maturation of synapses

Integrative Body-Mind Training helps reduce smoking

Research sheds new light on biological processes underlying neurodegeneration in AD

Specific immune system genes may determine how long people can live with glioblastoma

Prenatal fruit consumption linked to improved cognitive development in infants

Alzheimer’s research raises questions on the role of infection

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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