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.

Weaker physical fitness, higher body fat content linked to arterial stiffness in children

Arterial wall stiffness and reduced arterial dilation are the first signs of cardiovascular diseases that can be measured. The Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study (PANIC) carried out in the Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Eastern Finland shows that low levels of physical activity, weaker physical fitness and higher body fat content are linked to arterial stiffness already in 6-8 year-old children.

14 Sep 2015

New study reveals link between cardiorespiratory fitness, brain activation and executive function in older adults

The aging process is associated with declines in brain function, including memory and how fast our brain processes information, yet previous research has found that higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness in older adults leads to better executive function in the brain, which helps with reasoning and problem solving. Higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels have also been found to increase brain volume in key brain regions.

14 Sep 2015

Simple vision test can be a valuable sideline tool for concussion detection in athletes

A timed vision test that involves rapidly reading numbers off of cards can be a valuable sideline tool for detecting whether a concussion occurred while playing sports, according to a meta-analysis and systematic review led by NYU Langone Medical Center concussion specialists.

11 Sep 2015

Modified Story Memory Technique improves memory in adults with moderate to severe TBI

Kessler Foundation researchers published results of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) of a cognitive intervention to improve learning and memory in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) - the TBI-MEM trial.

11 Sep 2015

Innovative technologies offer hope to people living with chronic pain

More than 100 million people in this country have pain that won't go away. Many of these chronic pain sufferers fail to get relief from pills, shots and even surgery, while others temporarily trade the pain for side effects such as drowsiness or digestive problems.

11 Sep 2015

NIH-funded study may help predict treatment response in older adults with depression

Treating depressed individuals and figuring out who will and won't respond to antidepressants is mostly trial and error — much to the frustration of patients and the health care providers who treat them.

11 Sep 2015

Study reveals why long-term use of L-DOPA leads to dyskinesia

Researchers have discovered why long-term use of L-DOPA (levodopa), the most effective treatment for Parkinson's disease, commonly leads to a movement problem called dyskinesia, a side effect that can be as debilitating as Parkinson's disease itself.

11 Sep 2015

VEGF family biomarkers ‘promising’ tools for pulmonary hypertension diagnosis

Two members of the vascular endothelial growth factor family are highly specific and moderately sensitive for the presence of pulmonary hypertension, report researchers.

10 Sep 2015

Northwestern University nanoscientist wins Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize in Convergence Research

Northwestern University scientist Chad A. Mirkin, one of the world's leaders in nanotechnology research and its application, has been awarded the inaugural $400,000 Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize in Convergence Research from the National Academy of Sciences.

10 Sep 2015

Masayo Takahashi awarded inaugural Ogawa-Yamanaka Stem Cell Prize

The Gladstone Institutes is pleased to present the inaugural Ogawa-Yamanaka Stem Cell Prize to Masayo Takahashi, MD, PhD, a faculty member and project leader in the Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration at the RIKEN Centre for Developmental Biology in Japan.

10 Sep 2015

Signs of Alzheimer’s found in growth hormone patients

People may be able to contract Alzheimer’s disease during certain medical procedures in the same way that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is transmitted, suggest researchers from University College London.

10 Sep 2015

DelMar presents updated VAL-083 Phase I/II trial data at GBM2015 meeting

DelMar Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of new cancer therapies, today presented updated clinical data from its Phase I/II study of lead product candidate VAL-083 (dianhydrogalactitol), in patients with refractory glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), at GBM2015: 2nd International Symposium on Clinical and Basic Investigation in Glioblastoma in Toledo, Spain.

10 Sep 2015

Discovery opens door to new way of thinking about ancient ancestors

An international team of scientists, including one from the University of Colorado Denver and another from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, announced the discovery Thursday of a new species of hominin, a small creature with a tiny brain that opens the door to a new way of thinking about our ancient ancestors.

10 Sep 2015

World expert panel recommends routine brain health screening for adults older than 70

A panel of world experts in aging convened at Saint Louis University recommended that everyone 70 and older should have their memory and reasoning ability evaluated annually by a doctor or health care provider.

10 Sep 2015

Study shows external brain stimulation temporarily improves motor symptoms in Parkinson's patients

People with Parkinson's disease (PD) tend to slow down and decrease the intensity of their movements even though many retain the ability to move more quickly and forcefully.

10 Sep 2015

Study evaluates effectiveness of hypnotherapy

Although hypnosis has existed for hundreds of years, today it is still difficult to clearly judge its usefulness in the medical domain.

10 Sep 2015

Researchers take new line of approach to combat Alzheimer's disease

Today, more than 5.1 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease, a devastating type of dementia that plagues memory and thinking. That number is expected to triple in the coming decades. Moreover, according to a 2012 survey, Americans fear Alzheimer's more than any other disease.

10 Sep 2015

Researchers discover potential biomarker for episodic migraine

Researchers may have discovered a new marker found in the blood for episodic migraine, according to a study published in the September 9, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

10 Sep 2015

Innovative vaccine therapy shows promise against glioblastoma brain tumors

An innovative vaccine therapy developed at Roswell Park Cancer Institute is being tested in a multisite clinical trial involving 50 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma brain tumors. The phase II study, now accruing patients at both Roswell Park and the Cleveland Clinic, will assess the effectiveness of the SurVaxM vaccine in combination with standard chemotherapy as treatment for this often-fatal cancer.

10 Sep 2015

Nerve damage caused by leprosy linked to changes in the brain of patients

Brain plasticity is the ability of the brain to change both anatomically and functionally in response to changes in the body or in the environment.

10 Sep 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Weaker physical fitness, higher body fat content linked to arterial stiffness in children

New study reveals link between cardiorespiratory fitness, brain activation and executive function in older adults

Simple vision test can be a valuable sideline tool for concussion detection in athletes

Modified Story Memory Technique improves memory in adults with moderate to severe TBI

Innovative technologies offer hope to people living with chronic pain

NIH-funded study may help predict treatment response in older adults with depression

Study reveals why long-term use of L-DOPA leads to dyskinesia

VEGF family biomarkers ‘promising’ tools for pulmonary hypertension diagnosis

Northwestern University nanoscientist wins Raymond and Beverly Sackler Prize in Convergence Research

Masayo Takahashi awarded inaugural Ogawa-Yamanaka Stem Cell Prize

Signs of Alzheimer’s found in growth hormone patients

DelMar presents updated VAL-083 Phase I/II trial data at GBM2015 meeting

Discovery opens door to new way of thinking about ancient ancestors

World expert panel recommends routine brain health screening for adults older than 70

Study shows external brain stimulation temporarily improves motor symptoms in Parkinson's patients

Study evaluates effectiveness of hypnotherapy

Researchers take new line of approach to combat Alzheimer's disease

Researchers discover potential biomarker for episodic migraine

Innovative vaccine therapy shows promise against glioblastoma brain tumors

Nerve damage caused by leprosy linked to changes in the brain of patients

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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