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.

Mimicry may be useful tool to help Alzheimer's patients regain lost abilities

Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Alzheimer's Association. There is no cure and no way to slow or prevent the illness. But, patients can still benefit from both physical and cognitive rehabilitation, and researchers are learning that mimicry may be a useful tool to help them regain lost abilities.

2 Apr 2016

Researchers uncover vital clues of how the brain erases long term memories

Vital clues about how the brain erases long term memories have been uncovered by researchers. The study in rats reveals how forgetting can be the result of an active deletion process rather than a failure to remember.

2 Apr 2016

Altered metabolism of two essential amino acids helps drive development of glioblastoma

The altered metabolism of two essential amino acids helps drive the development of the most common and lethal form of brain cancer, according to a new study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

2 Apr 2016

Johns Hopkins expert offers tips on Zika virus relating to pregnancy, sexual transmission

No treatment or vaccine currently exists for Zika virus. For most people who contract the virus, the illness will be mild and pass on its own in about one week.

1 Apr 2016

Purdue University-led researchers determine structure of Zika virus

A team led by Purdue University researchers is the first to determine the structure of the Zika virus, which reveals insights critical to the development of effective antiviral treatments and vaccines.

1 Apr 2016

New UCLA study reveals how the brain combines sound and vision

A new UCLA psychology study provides insights into how the brain combines sound and vision. The research suggests that there is not one sole mechanism in the brain that governs how much our senses work together to process information.

1 Apr 2016

Study links voluntary exercise during pregnancy to more physically active children

Baylor College of Medicine researchers have discovered that female mice that voluntarily exercise during pregnancy have offspring that are more physically active as adults. The research appears in The FASEB Journal.

1 Apr 2016

Aging reduces axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury

Older Americans are increasingly active, and this lifestyle shift has contributed to the rise in average age of a person experiencing a spinal cord injury. The changing demographic calls for a better understanding of how aging impacts recovery and repair after a spinal cord injury.

1 Apr 2016

Tumor suppressor p53 gene twice as likely to be defective in autistic children

A large study by researchers with the UC Davis MIND Institute has found that a gene whose role is to suppress cellular damage from environmental stressors is nearly twice as likely to be defective in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and that the deficit is also present in their fathers.

1 Apr 2016

Symptom Tracking App for Concussions helps athletes, parents deal with head injuries

Thirteen-year-old Madeline Yunker fell hard during a soccer match three years ago, striking her head on the turf with enough force to cause a concussion.

1 Apr 2016

Commonly used fungicides could cause gene expression changes in brain cells

Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine have found a class of commonly used fungicides that produce gene expression changes similar to those in people with autism and neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease.

31 Mar 2016

Right side of the brain reorganizes itself after stroke to help recover speech-motor functions

New research suggests that looking at structures in the right side of the brain may help predict who will better recover from language problems after a stroke, according to a study published in Neurology, a medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

31 Mar 2016

Researchers design more effective version of FDA-approved epilepsy drug with fewer side effects

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Arts & Sciences have designed a more effective version of an FDA-approved epilepsy drug with the potential for fewer side effects, according to a study published on March 22 in Molecular Pharmacology. The experimental agent also could prove to be a treatment for tinnitus and other disorders caused by volatile neural signaling.

31 Mar 2016

Penn researchers discover molecular mechanism that underlies common cerebrovascular disease

Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are clusters of dilated, thin-walled blood vessels in the brain that can cause stroke and seizures, yet exactly how they form is somewhat of a mystery. Now, a team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has discovered the molecular mechanism that underlies this common cerebrovascular disease. They published their results this week online ahead of print in Nature.

31 Mar 2016

Understanding neuronal feedback could provide new insight into visual perception

Ever see something that isn't really there? Could your mind be playing tricks on you? The "tricks" might be your brain reacting to feedback between neurons in different parts of the visual system, according to a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience by Carnegie Mellon University Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Sandra J. Kuhlman and colleagues.

31 Mar 2016

Naltrexone injections could reduce risk of relapse among opioid dependent individuals

In a multicenter, randomized clinical trial, ex-prisoners who received six monthly injections of naltrexone--a long-acting medication that blocks opioid receptors in the brain--were significantly less likely to resume opioid use than those who received counseling and referrals to community treatment centers without naltrexone.

31 Mar 2016

Seizure-free childhood epilepsy could lead to suboptimal social, educational outcomes in young adults

Learning difficulties and behavioral problems during childhood can lead to suboptimal social and educational outcomes among young adults with childhood epilepsy even when their seizures are well under control and their disease in remission, according to findings from a study led by researchers at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

31 Mar 2016

Opioids could be dangerous, deadly at high doses

Most people know that heroin is a dangerous drug, but its cousins, the legal, pharmaceutical opioids, such as codeine or hydrocodone, must be safe, right?Not so fast.Opioids—which include the illegal drug heroin as well as prescription medications, including hydrocodone (such as Vicodin), oxycodone (such as OxyContin and Percocet), morphine and codeine—can be dangerous, even deadly, at high doses.

31 Mar 2016

UCJC study reveals excessive electrolyte loss may lead to hyponatraemia

Spanish researchers have analysed how the sodium lost through sweat during a marathon influences the maintenance of stable and physiologically sound conditions that allow the body to carry out its functions. Excessive electrolyte loss may lead to a medical problem known as hyponatraemia.

31 Mar 2016

Measuring brain signal variability could help identify patients at higher risk of dementia

Dementia will develop in about 80% of patients with Parkinson's disease, and a new study has found significant variability in brain signaling that could serve as a predictive marker for identifying which patients are at highest risk of dementia.

31 Mar 2016

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Mimicry may be useful tool to help Alzheimer's patients regain lost abilities

Researchers uncover vital clues of how the brain erases long term memories

Altered metabolism of two essential amino acids helps drive development of glioblastoma

Johns Hopkins expert offers tips on Zika virus relating to pregnancy, sexual transmission

Purdue University-led researchers determine structure of Zika virus

New UCLA study reveals how the brain combines sound and vision

Study links voluntary exercise during pregnancy to more physically active children

Aging reduces axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury

Tumor suppressor p53 gene twice as likely to be defective in autistic children

Symptom Tracking App for Concussions helps athletes, parents deal with head injuries

Commonly used fungicides could cause gene expression changes in brain cells

Right side of the brain reorganizes itself after stroke to help recover speech-motor functions

Researchers design more effective version of FDA-approved epilepsy drug with fewer side effects

Penn researchers discover molecular mechanism that underlies common cerebrovascular disease

Understanding neuronal feedback could provide new insight into visual perception

Naltrexone injections could reduce risk of relapse among opioid dependent individuals

Seizure-free childhood epilepsy could lead to suboptimal social, educational outcomes in young adults

Opioids could be dangerous, deadly at high doses

UCJC study reveals excessive electrolyte loss may lead to hyponatraemia

Measuring brain signal variability could help identify patients at higher risk of dementia

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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