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.

Research findings in mice may pave way towards understanding autism in human patients

For the first time, researchers have linked autism in a mouse model of the disease with abnormalities in specific regions of the animals' chromosomes.

17 Apr 2013

With Bio-patch sensor, health care can be moved into home, researcher says

The future of health care could be found in a tiny, paper-thin skin patch that collects vital information. The Bio-patch sensor developed by researchers at Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology is inexpensive, versatile and, best of all, comfortable to wear.

17 Apr 2013

Study exposes unexpected features of why humans sometimes make incorrect decisions

Making decisions involves a gradual accumulation of facts that support one choice or another. A person choosing a college might weigh factors such as course selection, institutional reputation and the quality of future job prospects.

17 Apr 2013

Research suggests fainting may be genetic while certain triggers may not be inherited

New research suggests that fainting may be genetic and, in some families, only one gene may be responsible. However, a predisposition to certain triggers, such as emotional distress or the sight of blood, may not be inherited.

16 Apr 2013

Propranolol drug can improve language abilities, social functioning of people with ASD

People with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have trouble communicating and interacting with others because they process language, facial expressions and social cues differently.

16 Apr 2013

High levels of blood cholesterol increase risk of AD and heart disease

Researchers at the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome and the University of Colorado School of Medicine have found that a single mechanism may underlie the damaging effect of cholesterol on the brain and on blood vessels.

16 Apr 2013

Electroconvulsive therapy improves quality of life in patients with severe depression

Patients whose severe depression goes into remission for six months following electroconvulsive therapy report a quality of life similar to that of healthy individuals, researchers say.

16 Apr 2013

New study examines impact of sleep on learning process for musicians

A new study that examined how the brain learns and retains motor skills provides insight into musical skill.

16 Apr 2013

Researchers transform skin cells directly into oligodendrocyte precursor cells

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have succeeded in transforming skin cells directly into oligodendrocyte precursor cells, the cells that wrap nerve cells in the insulating myelin sheaths that help nerve signals propagate.

16 Apr 2013

Pneumococcal vaccine: an interview with Graham Clarke, CEO ImmBio

The pathogen that we are talking about is called streptococcus pneumoniae. That is a fairly common bacteria and if you did a nasal swab you would find that quite a lot of people have this bacterium living in their nasal passages.

16 Apr 2013

Viewpoints: Editorial boards offer advice to Supreme Court on gene patents

On Monday, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear argument about that decision in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics.

16 Apr 2013

Evoking illusion of having phantom hand in non-amputated individuals possible, study shows

The sensation of having a physical body is not as self-evident as one might think. Almost everyone who has had an arm or leg amputated experiences a phantom limb: a vivid sensation that the missing limb is still present.

16 Apr 2013

Junk DNA plays important role in brain development

Specific DNA once dismissed as junk plays an important role in brain development and might be involved in several devastating neurological diseases, UC San Francisco scientists have found.

16 Apr 2013

Study shows taste of alcoholic drink can elicit dopamine activity in brain's reward centers

The taste of beer, without any effect from alcohol itself, can trigger dopamine release in the brain, which is associated with drinking and other drugs of abuse, according to Indiana University School of Medicine researchers.

16 Apr 2013

NeuroDerm enrolls patients for Phase IIa clinical trial of ND0612

NeuroDerm, Ltd. announced today that enrollment of patients is ongoing in its Phase IIa clinical trial of ND0612, a novel drug formulation for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

16 Apr 2013

Working-memory training can improve range of skills, new study reveals

A brain-training task that increases the number of items an individual can remember over a short period of time may boost performance in other problem-solving tasks by enhancing communication between different brain areas.

16 Apr 2013

Study: p38α MAPK protein functions as important switch to drive inflammatory responses in brain

Even a mild injury to the brain can have long lasting consequences, including increased risk of cognitive impairment later in life. While it is not yet known how brain injury increases risk for dementia, there are indications that chronic, long-lasting, inflammation in the brain may be important.

16 Apr 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Research findings in mice may pave way towards understanding autism in human patients

With Bio-patch sensor, health care can be moved into home, researcher says

Study exposes unexpected features of why humans sometimes make incorrect decisions

Research suggests fainting may be genetic while certain triggers may not be inherited

Propranolol drug can improve language abilities, social functioning of people with ASD

High levels of blood cholesterol increase risk of AD and heart disease

Electroconvulsive therapy improves quality of life in patients with severe depression

New study examines impact of sleep on learning process for musicians

Researchers transform skin cells directly into oligodendrocyte precursor cells

Pneumococcal vaccine: an interview with Graham Clarke, CEO ImmBio

Viewpoints: Editorial boards offer advice to Supreme Court on gene patents

Evoking illusion of having phantom hand in non-amputated individuals possible, study shows

Junk DNA plays important role in brain development

Study shows taste of alcoholic drink can elicit dopamine activity in brain's reward centers

NeuroDerm enrolls patients for Phase IIa clinical trial of ND0612

Working-memory training can improve range of skills, new study reveals

Study: p38α MAPK protein functions as important switch to drive inflammatory responses in brain

Researchers discover new technique that directly converts skin cells into functional brain cells

Researchers identify gene mutations responsible for subtype of childhood brain tumor

Overcoming fear of gym

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Changing the landscape of R&D to build clinical success from the ground up

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