Brain News and Research

RSS

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.

New MS therapies associated with risks and side effects, require active management strategy

Advances in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis have been good news for patients, but side effects and risks mean that an active management strategy and constant monitoring are essential.

3 Aug 2015

BUSM researchers find new way to detect and treat basal-like breast cancer

A new way to detect - and perhaps treat - one of the deadliest types of breast cancer has been found. Led by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), the study appears online in Breast Cancer Research.

3 Aug 2015

Physically impaired people to compete at Cybathlon 2016

Zurich will host the first Cybathlon in autumn 2016, bringing together physical-ly impaired people from all over the world to compete against each other using the latest assistive technologies.

3 Aug 2015

Brain-controlled prosthesis could improve quality of life in people with spinal cord injuries

When we type or perform other precise tasks, our brains and muscles usually work together effortlessly. But when a neurological disease or spinal cord injury severs the connection between the brain and limbs, once-easy motions become difficult or impossible.

3 Aug 2015

Researchers uncover strong evidence for genetic causes of cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common cause of physical disability in children. It has historically been considered to be caused by factors such as birth asphyxia, stroke and infections in the developing brain of babies.

3 Aug 2015

Researchers closer to understanding complicated brain chemistry behind Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at the University of Melbourne have discovered that a protein involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease also has properties that could be helpful for human health.

3 Aug 2015

Research shows specific routes of administration can predict risk of drug addiction

Abstinence is the best way to avoid drug addiction. But in many societies, drug use is the norm, not the exception, especially by youth.

3 Aug 2015

Atomic level images reveal how neuropeptide hormone neurotensin may activate its receptors

Many hormones and neurotransmitters work by binding to receptors on a cell's exterior surface. This activates receptors causing them to twist, turn and spark chemical reactions inside cells.

3 Aug 2015

3D-printed models of children's brain anatomy help reduce operative risk of complex procedures

Boston Children's Hospital physicians report the first cases of children benefiting from 3D printing of their anatomy before undergoing high-risk brain procedures.

3 Aug 2015

University of Southampton research finds that electric fields alter behaviour of fruit flies

A new piece of research led by the University of Southampton has found that the behaviour of fruit flies, which are commonly used in laboratory experiments, is altered by electric fields.

31 Jul 2015

Study focuses on regulation of neuronal plasticity

A team of scientists has linked changes in the structure of a handful of central brain neurons to understanding how animals adjust to changing seasons. Its findings enhance our understanding of the mechanisms vital to the regulation of our circadian system, or internal clock.

31 Jul 2015

Study: Positive reinforcement improves performance of ADHD kids on certain cognitive tasks

A little recognition for a job well done means a lot to children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - more so than it would for typically developing kids.

31 Jul 2015

New non-invasive spinal cord stimulation helps paralyzed men voluntarily move their legs

Five men with complete motor paralysis were able to voluntarily generate step-like movements thanks to a new strategy that non-invasively delivers electrical stimulation to their spinal cords, according to a new study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. The strategy, called transcutaneous stimulation, delivers electrical current to the spinal cord by way of electrodes strategically placed on the skin of the lower back.

31 Jul 2015

Study reveals how brain work leads to physical fatigue

Do you ever notice how stress and mental frustration can affect your physical abilities? When you are worried about something at work, do you find yourself more exhausted at the end of the day? This phenomenon is a result of the activation of a specific area of the brain when we attempt to participate in both physical and mental tasks simultaneously.

31 Jul 2015

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge making splash again this August

Led by co-founders Pete Frates, Pat Quinn and Anthony Senerchia, and with the help of celebrities, the Boston Red Sox and Major League Baseball, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is making a splash again this August.

31 Jul 2015

Interactive Autism Network to join National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network

The Interactive Autism Network, a project of the Kennedy Krieger Institute supported by the Simons Foundation, was approved today for a three-year $1.6 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to be part of PCORnet, the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network.

31 Jul 2015

DNA study reveals potential treatments to delay or prevent onset of Huntington's disease

Scientists from Cardiff University believe that a treatment to prevent or delay the symptoms of Huntington’s disease could now be much closer, following a major breakthrough.

31 Jul 2015

New blood test could help diagnose severity of traumatic brain injury

A new blood test could help emergency room doctors quickly diagnose traumatic brain injury and determine its severity.

31 Jul 2015

Female patients with depression have abnormally high expression levels of glutamate receptor genes

Numerous genes that regulate the activity of a neurotransmitter in the brain have been found to be abundant in brain tissue of depressed females. This could be an underlying cause of the higher incidence of suicide among women, according to research at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

31 Jul 2015

Study sheds light on certain antagonist drugs that block physiological responses

Members of the Consolidated Research Group of Molecular Neurobiology of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the University of Barcelona (UB), affiliated with the Centre for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), have published a study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) about the formation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) which allows understanding the unexpected behaviour of some antagonists that block physiological responses.

30 Jul 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New MS therapies associated with risks and side effects, require active management strategy

BUSM researchers find new way to detect and treat basal-like breast cancer

Physically impaired people to compete at Cybathlon 2016

Brain-controlled prosthesis could improve quality of life in people with spinal cord injuries

Researchers uncover strong evidence for genetic causes of cerebral palsy

Researchers closer to understanding complicated brain chemistry behind Alzheimer's disease

Research shows specific routes of administration can predict risk of drug addiction

Atomic level images reveal how neuropeptide hormone neurotensin may activate its receptors

3D-printed models of children's brain anatomy help reduce operative risk of complex procedures

University of Southampton research finds that electric fields alter behaviour of fruit flies

Study focuses on regulation of neuronal plasticity

Study: Positive reinforcement improves performance of ADHD kids on certain cognitive tasks

New non-invasive spinal cord stimulation helps paralyzed men voluntarily move their legs

Study reveals how brain work leads to physical fatigue

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge making splash again this August

Interactive Autism Network to join National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network

DNA study reveals potential treatments to delay or prevent onset of Huntington's disease

New blood test could help diagnose severity of traumatic brain injury

Female patients with depression have abnormally high expression levels of glutamate receptor genes

Study sheds light on certain antagonist drugs that block physiological responses

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

Latest News