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.

Seizures are common but not clinically apparent in newborns after cardiac surgery

In 2011, the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society issued a guideline recommending that neonates undergoing cardiac surgery for repair of congenital heart disease be placed on continuous encephalographic (EEG) monitoring after surgery to detect seizures. These recommendations followed reports that seizures are common in this population, may not be detected clinically, and are associated with adverse neurocognitive outcomes.

20 Aug 2015

New genome-wide association study sheds light on the underlying biology of polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been passed down in many families for generations -- causing reproductive and metabolic health problems for millions of women around the world. Yet, its cause remains unknown despite more than 80 years of research since the disorder was first described in 1935.

20 Aug 2015

UT Southwestern, NASA to study zero-gravity effects on the human brain in cancer patients

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers, in conjunction with NASA, will take four volunteer cancer patients on a zero-gravity ride into the upper atmosphere to study why zero-gravity conditions on the International Space Station sometimes affect the vision of astronauts staying there for extended periods.

20 Aug 2015

Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator funds advanced biomedical research projects

A few years ago, Andrew Myers' laboratory discovered a new way to synthesize an important class of antibiotics that could one day tackle the toughest, most resistant infections.

20 Aug 2015

Kentucky, Oklahoma and Rhode Island researchers awarded NSF grant to develop innovative brain imaging technologies

The National Science Foundation has awarded $6 million to researchers in Kentucky, Oklahoma and Rhode Island to develop innovative and broadly accessible brain imaging technologies to provide insight into how the nervous system functions in health and disease.

20 Aug 2015

SLUCare cardiac surgeon aims to connect underserved population in St. Louis region with health care services

A new project spearheaded by a Saint Louis University cardiac surgeon is aiming to connect an underserved population with health care services in the St. Louis region.

20 Aug 2015

IQWiG finds no added benefit for safinamide in Parkinson disease

Safinamide (trade name: Xadago) has been available since February 2015 as add-on therapy for the treatment of mid- to late-stage Parkinson disease in adults. In combination with levodopa alone or together with other Parkinson disease medicinal products, this monoamine oxidase (MAO-B) inhibitor is used to help restore dopamine levels in the brain.

20 Aug 2015

GARFIELD-AF data to demonstrate impact of antithrombotic treatment patterns on AF patients at ESC Congress 2015

New analyses from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the Field - Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) will be presented at ESC Congress 2015 to be held in London, United Kingdom, from August 29 to September 2, 2015.

20 Aug 2015

Transplanting mesenchymal stromal cells derived from amniotic membranes can benefit eye diseases

A team of researchers in South Korea has successfully transplanted mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) derived from human amniotic membranes of the placenta (AMSCs) into laboratory mice modeled with oxygen-induced retinopathy (a murine model used to mimic eye disease).

20 Aug 2015

Stress hormone cortisol tied to thinking problems in healthy older people

Testing the saliva of healthy older people for the level of the stress hormone cortisol may help identify individuals who should be screened for problems with thinking skills, according to a study published in the August 19, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20 Aug 2015

Amherst neurobiologists awarded grant to study how neurons regulate locomotion

Neurobiologist Gerald Downes, with chemist James Chambers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Amherst College neurobiologist Josef Trapani, have been awarded a three-year $824,025 collaborative research grant from the National Science Foundation to study the zebrafish brain to better understand how neurons regulate locomotion.

20 Aug 2015

Researchers reveal new pathway that governs proper sorting of essential synaptic proteins in neurons

Genetic analysis of human patients has shown that mutations in genes involved in synaptic communication can drive neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases such as autism spectrum disorder and Alzheimer's disease.

20 Aug 2015

Researchers find potential targets to improve sleep in patients with fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic pain from no clear source. Patients with fibromyalgia frequently have sleep problems: Their deep sleep brain wave patterns are often disrupted by brain waves that correspond to wakefulness.

20 Aug 2015

New study offers first clinical recommendations for headache diagnosis in pregnant women

If a pregnant woman with high blood pressure and no history of headache suddenly develops a headache that quickly gets worse, she could be at risk for pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia, which put both the mother and fetus at risk.

20 Aug 2015

Researchers uncover genetic circuit involved in obesity

Like many other conditions, obesity is caused by an interplay between genetic and environmental factors. While efforts to combat the obesity epidemic will need to include changes in diet and exercise, insights into the genes involved may also help with prevention and treatment.

20 Aug 2015

Complete removal of visible tumor improves outcomes in children with high-grade glioma

For children with aggressive brain cancers called high-grade gliomas (HGG), the chances of survival are improved when surgery is successful in eliminating all visible cancer, reports a study in the September issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

19 Aug 2015

Contact precaution use needs to be individualized to fit hospital's specific needs and resources

Contact precautions are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for all patients known to be infected with or carrying multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). Yet, the use of contact precautions--which require a patient to be isolated in a single hospital room and health care providers to wear a gown and gloves when caring for patients--is widely debated in the medical community.

19 Aug 2015

Scientists reveal link between smaller hippocampal brain volume and marijuana use

How scientists study the effects of marijuana on the brain is changing. Until recently marijuana research largely excluded tobacco users from its participant pool, but scientists at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas have found reason to abandon this practice, uncovering significant differences in the brains of individuals who use both tobacco and marijuana and the brains of those who only use marijuana.

19 Aug 2015

Clinicians and researchers to meet at UPMC to propose standard guidelines for treating concussions

Nearly 30 leading, independent concussion clinicians and researchers from around the United States will convene at UPMC Oct. 15 and 16 with a unique purpose: to propose standard guidelines on the best practices, protocols and active therapies for treating concussions today, resulting in a white paper to be published in a medical journal and shared nationwide.

19 Aug 2015

Johns Hopkins scientists develop novel fish embryo technique to identify potential new treatments for diabetes

In experiments with 500,000 genetically engineered zebrafish embryos, Johns Hopkins scientists report they have developed a potentially better and more accurate way to screen for useful drugs, and they have used it to identify 24 drug candidates that increase the number of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

19 Aug 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Seizures are common but not clinically apparent in newborns after cardiac surgery

New genome-wide association study sheds light on the underlying biology of polycystic ovary syndrome

UT Southwestern, NASA to study zero-gravity effects on the human brain in cancer patients

Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator funds advanced biomedical research projects

Kentucky, Oklahoma and Rhode Island researchers awarded NSF grant to develop innovative brain imaging technologies

SLUCare cardiac surgeon aims to connect underserved population in St. Louis region with health care services

IQWiG finds no added benefit for safinamide in Parkinson disease

GARFIELD-AF data to demonstrate impact of antithrombotic treatment patterns on AF patients at ESC Congress 2015

Transplanting mesenchymal stromal cells derived from amniotic membranes can benefit eye diseases

Stress hormone cortisol tied to thinking problems in healthy older people

Amherst neurobiologists awarded grant to study how neurons regulate locomotion

Researchers reveal new pathway that governs proper sorting of essential synaptic proteins in neurons

Researchers find potential targets to improve sleep in patients with fibromyalgia

New study offers first clinical recommendations for headache diagnosis in pregnant women

Researchers uncover genetic circuit involved in obesity

Complete removal of visible tumor improves outcomes in children with high-grade glioma

Contact precaution use needs to be individualized to fit hospital's specific needs and resources

Scientists reveal link between smaller hippocampal brain volume and marijuana use

Clinicians and researchers to meet at UPMC to propose standard guidelines for treating concussions

Johns Hopkins scientists develop novel fish embryo technique to identify potential new treatments for diabetes

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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