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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.

Pulsar Vascular reaches target enrollment in PulseRider clinical trial for treatment of intracranial aneurysms

Pulsar Vascular, an innovative medical device company, focused on breakthrough technology in the neurovascular space, announced today that they have reached the target enrollment in their clinical trial for PulseRider, the company's lead product.

19 Oct 2015

Premature babies face increased risk of mental illness due to weakened connections in brain networks

Babies born prematurely face an increased risk of neurological and psychiatric problems that may be due to weakened connections in brain networks linked to attention, communication and the processing of emotions, new research shows.

19 Oct 2015

Discovery may provide noninvasive approach to assessing toxic effects of anesthetic agents in children

Could looking at the eyes provide a new way of studying how anesthesia affects the developing brain? The retinas of immature mice exposed to one widely used general anesthetic show evidence of "programmed cell death," or apoptosis, reports a study in Anesthesia & Analgesia.

19 Oct 2015

Breakthrough advancements on new molecular mechanism may lead to Parkinson's treatments

More than one million people in the United States are afflicted with Parkinson's disease, a progressive disorder of the brain that affects movement and coordination. The cause is typically unknown, and presently there is no cure for the disease.

19 Oct 2015

Genetic mutation linked to ALS, FTD prevents proteins from entering and exiting the cell's nucleus

Three teams of scientists supported by the National Institutes of Health showed that a genetic mutation linked to some forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) may destroy neurons by disrupting the movement of materials in and out of the cell's nucleus, or command center where most of its DNA is stored.

19 Oct 2015

Reward and daytime nap combo key to learning, new study suggests

A new study suggests that receiving rewards as you learn can help cement new facts and skills in your memory, particularly when combined with a daytime nap.

19 Oct 2015

New research shows nicotine increases codeine-induced analgesia

According to new research in rat models, nicotine use over time increases the speed that codeine is converted into morphine within the brain, by increasing the amount of a specific enzyme. It appears smokers' brains are being primed for a bigger buzz from this common pain killer - which could put them at a higher risk for addiction, and possibly even overdose.

19 Oct 2015

Brief counseling in primary care setting could help reduce risky drug use among patients

A few minutes of counseling in a primary care setting could go a long way toward steering people away from risky drug use -- and possibly full-fledged addiction, a UCLA-led study suggests.

19 Oct 2015

Researchers find that stem cell treatment may reduce cognitive impairment related to dementia with Lewy bodies

Neural stem cells transplanted into damaged brain sites in mice dramatically improved both motor and cognitive impairments associated with dementia with Lewy bodies, according to University of California, Irvine neurobiologists with the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center and the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders.

19 Oct 2015

University of Maryland develops GammaPod system to treat early-stage breast cancer

After more than a decade of research and development, researchers in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine will begin enrolling patients in the first clinical trial of GammaPod, a new high-precision, image-guided radiation therapy system specifically designed to treat early-stage breast cancer.

19 Oct 2015

BET protein family plays key role in regulation of normal neuronal development and function

Regulation of a family of brain proteins known as bromodomain and extra-terminal domain containing transcription regulators (BETs) plays a key role in normal cognition and behavior, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published advanced online on September 21 and in print October 19 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.

19 Oct 2015

New UCL study highlights genes associated with schizophrenia and obesity

Genes involved in schizophrenia and obesity have been highlighted in a new UCL study, which could lead to a better understanding of the DNA variants which affect risk of these conditions and aid the development of improved strategies for prevention and treatment.

18 Oct 2015

Doctors use MR-guided focused ultrasound to treat essential tremor

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is one of six locations nationally - and the only one in the Midwest - studying the safety and effectiveness of a promising new technology using MR-guided focused ultrasound to treat patients suffering from essential tremor as part of a multi-center FDA trial.

18 Oct 2015

Seizure control improves for TSC patients undergoing more extensive surgery

Children with the genetic disorder tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) often need epilepsy surgery for severe, uncontrollable seizures. A new study finds that seizure control is improved for patients undergoing more extensive surgery, reports the October issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, published by Wolters Kluwer.

16 Oct 2015

UM SOM researchers to initiate first clinical trial of GammaPod system in patients with early-stage breast cancer

16 Oct 2015

New breakthrough advances our understanding of how brain detects, prevents dehydration

Scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and Duke University have made a breakthrough that advances our understanding of how the brain detects and prevents dehydration.

16 Oct 2015

Rare genetic mutation could improve outcomes in NSCLC patients with brain metastases

Most patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has metastasized to the brain have a dire prognosis. But Yale researchers have identified a subset of those patients with a rare genetic mutation who are living significantly longer than patients without the mutation.

16 Oct 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Pulsar Vascular reaches target enrollment in PulseRider clinical trial for treatment of intracranial aneurysms

Premature babies face increased risk of mental illness due to weakened connections in brain networks

Discovery may provide noninvasive approach to assessing toxic effects of anesthetic agents in children

Breakthrough advancements on new molecular mechanism may lead to Parkinson's treatments

Genetic mutation linked to ALS, FTD prevents proteins from entering and exiting the cell's nucleus

Reward and daytime nap combo key to learning, new study suggests

New research shows nicotine increases codeine-induced analgesia

Brief counseling in primary care setting could help reduce risky drug use among patients

Researchers find that stem cell treatment may reduce cognitive impairment related to dementia with Lewy bodies

University of Maryland develops GammaPod system to treat early-stage breast cancer

BET protein family plays key role in regulation of normal neuronal development and function

New UCL study highlights genes associated with schizophrenia and obesity

Doctors use MR-guided focused ultrasound to treat essential tremor

Seizure control improves for TSC patients undergoing more extensive surgery

UM SOM researchers to initiate first clinical trial of GammaPod system in patients with early-stage breast cancer

New breakthrough advances our understanding of how brain detects, prevents dehydration

Rare genetic mutation could improve outcomes in NSCLC patients with brain metastases

Study identifies proteins that could help in treating deafness

OHSU designs new iPhone app to advance melanoma research

New COMPASS platform points directly to protein's likely structure

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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