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.

European Medicines Agency approves first-ever treatment for hereditary factor X deficiency

Bio Products Laboratory, Limited (BPL) today announced that the European Medicines Agency has granted marketing authorisation for Coagadex.

31 Mar 2016

Blood test detects mild traumatic brain injury for up to a week

Researchers report findings of a blood biomarker that consistently detects mild to moderate traumatic brain injury for up to 7 days and quantifies the degree of damage.

31 Mar 2016

Fertility 'reassurance' for most chemotherapy-treated female childhood cancer survivors

Both female and male chemotherapy-treated survivors of childhood cancer have an increased risk of impaired fertility, but results suggest that the risk in women is limited to those given specific chemotherapy drugs.

31 Mar 2016

Certain types of hormonal contraceptives may increase risk of seizures in women with epilepsy

Could certain types of hormonal contraceptives cause an increase in seizures in women with epilepsy? A recent Texas A&M Health Science Center study suggests that ethinyl estradiol, the primary component of oral contraceptives, could be detrimental to the epileptic brain.

30 Mar 2016

Patients with multiple mild TBIs most likely to have saccadic eye movement impairment

Mild traumatic brain injuries (TBI) could be linked to eye movement impairment, even beyond the acute stage of injury, according to researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

30 Mar 2016

IUPUI assistant professor to study role of deficient pain modulatory systems on post-traumatic headaches

An assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology in the IU School of Physical Education and Tourism Management at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has been awarded a grant to study the role of deficient pain modulatory systems on chronic post-traumatic headaches afflicting hundreds of thousands of people with mild traumatic brain injuries.

30 Mar 2016

Research describes first new mouse model for Zika infection in decades

Efforts to combat the rapid spread of Zika virus got a boost this week as researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston (UTMB) announced the first peer-reviewed publication of a mouse model for Zika infection reported in decades.

30 Mar 2016

Gene plays vital role in controlling appetite for salt and risk of blood pressure

Scientists have shed light on why some people crave salty food, even when they know it can seriously damage their health.

30 Mar 2016

New stem cell-based therapies for Parkinson's Disease may be on the horizon

As stem cell-based therapies are moving rapidly towards clinical trials, treatments for Parkinson's Disease (PD), an incurable condition, may be on the horizon. A recent announcement of a Phase I/IIa clinical trial involving transplantation of stem cells into the first human subjects has raised hope among patients and sparked discussions in the research community.

30 Mar 2016

Researchers clarify potential transmissibility of Alzheimer's disease

MedUni Vienna researchers have published the results of a clarifying research study on the potential transmissibility of Alzheimer's disease. Although the protein associated with Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-β, might be transmissible under very unusual circumstances, this does not go along with a transmission of the clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease. The affected persons develop no clinical symptoms of the disease.

29 Mar 2016

Higher aortic stiffness associated with reduced white matter volume among young adults

A large, multi-center study led by the UC Davis School of Medicine for the first time has shown that people as young as their 40s have stiffening of the arteries that is associated with subtle structural damage to the brain that is implicated in cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease later in life.

29 Mar 2016

Network of connections between neurons reveals how brain circuits are organized

Even the simplest networks of neurons in the brain are composed of millions of connections, and examining these vast networks is critical to understanding how the brain works.

29 Mar 2016

Study confirms involvement of immune system in CASPR2-associated encephalitis

The complement system, which forms part of our immune system, is involved in a special form of epilepsy. This is the conclusion of a recently published single-case study.

29 Mar 2016

Concussion-related symptoms improve following initial session of OMT

Two case reports published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association document improvements in concussion-related symptoms following an initial session of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT).

29 Mar 2016

Oregon's new birth control law could improve access to all forms of contraception

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University, University of Minnesota School of Public Health and George Mason University applaud Oregon's new birth control law which allows women age 18 or older to obtain some methods of hormonal contraception directly from pharmacies, without having to visit a prescribing clinician, yet note how the law could go even further to improve access to all forms of contraception, according to a viewpoint article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association today.

29 Mar 2016

DTI may predict functional post-deployment outcomes for veterans with MTBI

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a type of MRI, may be able to predict functional post-deployment outcomes for veterans who sustained mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), or concussion, during combat, according to a new study published in the journal Radiology.

29 Mar 2016

Certain gut bacteria can influence the immune system to reduce severity of stroke

Certain types of bacteria in the gut can leverage the immune system to decrease the severity of stroke, according to new research from Weill Cornell Medicine. This finding can help mitigate stroke -- which is the second leading cause of death worldwide.

29 Mar 2016

Simple blood test can help detect evidence of concussions up to 7 days after injury

Researchers at Orlando Health detected evidence of concussions in patients up to 7 days after their injury using a simple blood test, according to a new study published in JAMA Neurology. The discovery could greatly expand the window for diagnosing concussions, especially in patients who experience a delayed onset of symptoms.

29 Mar 2016

Stem cell-derived neurons used to regenerate lost tissue in damaged corticospinal tracts of rats

Writing in the March 28, 2016 issue of Nature Medicine, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, with colleagues in Japan and Wisconsin, report that they have successfully directed stem cell-derived neurons to regenerate lost tissue in damaged corticospinal tracts of rats, resulting in functional benefit.

29 Mar 2016

SLU scientist describes several tactics that can help cells overcome lesions

In a recent review paper published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, SLU scientist Alessandro Vindigni, Ph.D., describes the strategies cells use when their DNA faces replication stress, challenges that may derail a cell's ability to reproduce.

29 Mar 2016

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

European Medicines Agency approves first-ever treatment for hereditary factor X deficiency

Blood test detects mild traumatic brain injury for up to a week

Fertility 'reassurance' for most chemotherapy-treated female childhood cancer survivors

Certain types of hormonal contraceptives may increase risk of seizures in women with epilepsy

Patients with multiple mild TBIs most likely to have saccadic eye movement impairment

IUPUI assistant professor to study role of deficient pain modulatory systems on post-traumatic headaches

Research describes first new mouse model for Zika infection in decades

Gene plays vital role in controlling appetite for salt and risk of blood pressure

New stem cell-based therapies for Parkinson's Disease may be on the horizon

Researchers clarify potential transmissibility of Alzheimer's disease

Higher aortic stiffness associated with reduced white matter volume among young adults

Network of connections between neurons reveals how brain circuits are organized

Study confirms involvement of immune system in CASPR2-associated encephalitis

Concussion-related symptoms improve following initial session of OMT

Oregon's new birth control law could improve access to all forms of contraception

DTI may predict functional post-deployment outcomes for veterans with MTBI

Certain gut bacteria can influence the immune system to reduce severity of stroke

Simple blood test can help detect evidence of concussions up to 7 days after injury

Stem cell-derived neurons used to regenerate lost tissue in damaged corticospinal tracts of rats

SLU scientist describes several tactics that can help cells overcome lesions

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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