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.

BAM Project authors propose creation of national network of neurotechnology centers

The authors of the original proposal for the Brain Activity Map (BAM) Project, which inspired the White House's BRAIN Initiative, issued today a position statement in Neuron proposing the creation of a national network of neurotechnology centers.

16 Oct 2015

Scientists use new technology to create gene expression map of inner ear cell development

Using a sensitive new technology called single-cell RNA-seq on cells from mice, scientists have created the first high-resolution gene expression map of the newborn mouse inner ear.

16 Oct 2015

Researchers introduce free iOS app to learn about autism in young children

A team of researchers and software developers from Duke University and the Duke Medical Center has introduced a free iOS app to learn more about autism in young children living around the world.

16 Oct 2015

Study details circumstances surrounding actual childhood injuries

Two kids climb into an empty shopping cart and launch themselves down a hill. If you're an adult, you can imagine what happens next; if you're 6 and trying to impress your little brother, not so much.

16 Oct 2015

GATE opens for generic equivalent to glatiramer acetate in MS

Findings from the GATE study have shown equivalent efficacy and tolerability for a generic version of glatiramer acetate to that of the original brand version in the treatment of relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis.

15 Oct 2015

Discovery may pave way for addressing different forms of child abuse

Emotional abuse may be as harmful as physical abuse and neglect. This finding led by a team of researchers at McGill University complements previous imaging research showing that emotional and physical pain both activate the same parts of the brain.

15 Oct 2015

SleepRate introduces Sleep-Life Balance Program to help people reach important personal goals

SleepRate, a company that improves sleep for better health, announced the introduction of its Sleep-Life Balance Program, designed to help people reach important personal goals -- weight loss, enhanced athletic performance and improved focus and productivity – by simply detecting and fixing unhealthy sleep patterns.

15 Oct 2015

New approaches to treating amblyopia

Amblyopia, commonly known as "lazy-eye," has been classically treated by patching the strong eye to force the weaker eye to be used. However, the concept of binocular dysfunction, in which the brain suppresses the image from the weaker eye in favor of the stronger eye, has motivated new approaches to amblyopia treatment.

15 Oct 2015

New method uses advanced noninvasive neuroimaging to localize and identify epileptic lesions

Epilepsy affects more than 65 million people worldwide. One-third of these patients have seizures that are not controlled by medications. In addition, one-third have brain lesions, the hallmark of the disease, which cannot be located by conventional imaging methods.

15 Oct 2015

Developing tailored interventions for cognitive and behavioral symptoms key to improving outcomes after TBI

Kessler researchers assessed moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) for frontal behavioral syndromes and cognitive function. Their finding suggest that adding the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale to neuropsychological assessment may yield useful information about the behavioral sequelae of TBI.

15 Oct 2015

Researchers report weak association between brain size and IQ

As early as 1836, the German physiologist and anatomist Friedrich Tiedemann, in an article in the Philosophical Transactions, expressed his opinion that "there is undoubtedly a connection between the absolute size of the brain and the intellectual powers and functions of the mind". With the advent of brain imaging methods (e.g., MRI, PET), reliable assessments of in-vivo brain volume and investigations of its association with IQ are now possible.

15 Oct 2015

Gene therapy preserves vision in canine model of late-stage retinitis pigmentosa

Gene therapy preserved vision in a study involving dogs with naturally occurring, late-stage retinitis pigmentosa, according to research funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The findings contribute to the groundwork needed to move gene therapy forward into clinical trials for people with the blinding eye disorder, for which there is currently no cure.

15 Oct 2015

UTHealth biochemists expose structures of IP3R calcium channels

Calcium is a crucial element in the body that controls thought, movement and other bodily functions. These events are directed by specialized proteins called ion channels that allow the flow of calcium ions in and out of cells and among cell compartments. For years, scientists have been unsure how calcium ion channels function.

15 Oct 2015

CWRU investigator receives $2.82 million NIH grant to make stealth bombs for brain cancer treatment

A Case Western Reserve University researcher has received a 5-year, $2.82 million National Institutes of Health grant to make, in essence, stealth bombs that slip past the brain's defenses to attack an incurable form of cancer.

15 Oct 2015

Having a high stress job may increase risk of stroke

Having a high stress job may be linked to a higher risk of stroke, according to an analysis of several studies. The meta-analysis is published in the October 14, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

15 Oct 2015

New $6.7 million project aims to help kidney dialysis patients live longer

Helping kidney dialysis patients have healthier treatment sessions and longer lives is the goal of a new $6.7 million project at the University of Michigan.

15 Oct 2015

Novel ligand peptide-mimic inhibits abnormal overgrowth of blood vessels, may lead to new anti-cancer drugs

An international research team led by scientists at the University of New Mexico Cancer Center discovered and developed a novel ligand peptide-mimic that inhibits abnormal overgrowth of blood vessels in retinal diseases and tumors. The discovery could lead to new drugs that keep cancers from growing. The team published a paper in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

15 Oct 2015

SRS microscope technology gives surgeons real-time microscopic vision of brain tumors

Brain tumor tissue can be hard to distinguish from normal brain during surgery. Neurosurgeons use their best judgment in the operating room but often must guess exactly where the edges of the tumor are while removing it.

15 Oct 2015

The Medical Center of Plano Partners with BIND, Brain Injury Network of Dallas to support survivors of traumatic brain injuries

Supporting patients who have suffered a serious brain injury is the goal of a new partnership between The Medical Center of Plano and the Brain Injury Network of Dallas, also called BIND.

15 Oct 2015

Researchers one step closer to finding effective drug for alcohol dependence

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and the Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden might be one step closer to finding an effective drug for alcohol dependence. In two separate studies, they show that the so-called dopamine stabilizer OSU6162 can reduce the craving for alcohol in alcohol dependent people and normalises the level of dopamine in the brain reward system of rats that have consumed alcohol over a long period of time.

14 Oct 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

BAM Project authors propose creation of national network of neurotechnology centers

Scientists use new technology to create gene expression map of inner ear cell development

Researchers introduce free iOS app to learn about autism in young children

Study details circumstances surrounding actual childhood injuries

GATE opens for generic equivalent to glatiramer acetate in MS

Discovery may pave way for addressing different forms of child abuse

SleepRate introduces Sleep-Life Balance Program to help people reach important personal goals

New approaches to treating amblyopia

New method uses advanced noninvasive neuroimaging to localize and identify epileptic lesions

Developing tailored interventions for cognitive and behavioral symptoms key to improving outcomes after TBI

Researchers report weak association between brain size and IQ

Gene therapy preserves vision in canine model of late-stage retinitis pigmentosa

UTHealth biochemists expose structures of IP3R calcium channels

CWRU investigator receives $2.82 million NIH grant to make stealth bombs for brain cancer treatment

Having a high stress job may increase risk of stroke

New $6.7 million project aims to help kidney dialysis patients live longer

Novel ligand peptide-mimic inhibits abnormal overgrowth of blood vessels, may lead to new anti-cancer drugs

SRS microscope technology gives surgeons real-time microscopic vision of brain tumors

The Medical Center of Plano Partners with BIND, Brain Injury Network of Dallas to support survivors of traumatic brain injuries

Researchers one step closer to finding effective drug for alcohol dependence

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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