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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.

New project aims to revolutionize application of optogenetics in neuroscience

The revolution that optogenetics technology has brought to biology -- neuroscience in particular -- could be transformed all over again if a new project getting underway at Brown University and Central Michigan University is successful.

17 Jul 2015

$New study shows cannabinoid cannabidiol can help heal bone fractures$

New study shows cannabinoid cannabidiol can help heal bone fractures

Cannabis -- marijuana, hashish -- was used as a go-to medical remedy by societies around the world for centuries. But the therapeutic use of marijuana was banned in most countries in the 1930s and '40s due to a growing awareness of the dangers of addiction. The significant medical benefits of marijuana in alleviating symptoms of such diseases as Parkinson's, cancer, and multiple sclerosis have only recently been reinvestigated.

17 Jul 2015

Transcranial magnetic stimulation holds promise for tinnitus patients

In the largest U.S. clinical trial of its kind funded by the Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation Research and Development Service, researchers at the VA Portland Medical Center and Oregon Health & Science University found that transcranial magnetic stimulation significantly improved tinnitus symptoms for more than half of study participants.

17 Jul 2015

Neuronal activity in the brain's prefrontal cortex is nuanced and complex, new study finds

Results of a new study reported this week by David Moorman of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Gary Aston-Jones of Rutgers University suggest that adjusting behavior based on previous events involves an unexpected mix of neurons working together in the brain's prefrontal cortex.

17 Jul 2015

Kessler Foundation, University of Bordeaux team up to study emotional processing deficits in MS people

Kessler Foundation received $65,500 as part of a two-year $140,000 grant from the ARSEP Foundation of France to the University of Bordeaux, to launch a collaborative study of emotional processing deficits in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Helen Genova, Ph.D., and Jean Lengenfelder, Ph.D., of Kessler Foundation and Bruno Brochet, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Bordeaux are the principal investigators.

17 Jul 2015

New brain stimulation technique could improve physical performance

Researchers have discovered a new technique to enhance brain excitability that could improve physical performance in healthy individuals such as athletes and musicians.

17 Jul 2015

Major study to assess effectiveness of mindfulness training in UK schools

The three-part study includes the first large randomised control trial of mindfulness training compared with 'teaching as usual' in 76 schools, which will involve nearly six thousand students aged 11 to 14. Other parts of the study are a programme of experimental research to establish whether and how mindfulness improves the mental resilience of teenagers, and an evaluation of the most effective way to train teachers to deliver mindfulness classes to students.

16 Jul 2015

New findings point toward potential blood test to detect schizophrenia

High blood levels of a growth factor known to enable new blood vessel development and brain cell protection correlate with a smaller size of brain areas key to complex thought, emotion and behavior in patients with schizophrenia, researchers report in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

16 Jul 2015

Einstein-Montefiore researchers to present multiple findings at Alzheimer's Association International Conference

Investigators at Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University will present multiple findings at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, taking place July 18-23 in Washington, D.C. Research topics include risk factors for developing amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI)—a condition characterized by memory problems, and is most often a precursor of Alzheimer's dementia.

16 Jul 2015

Novogen's Anisina granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation for neuroblastoma

US-Australian drug discovery company, Novogen Limited, today announced that it has received notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that its chemotherapy candidate drug, Anisina, has been granted Orphan Drug Designation for neuroblastoma.

16 Jul 2015

Gene therapy used for sight restoration also strengthens visual pathways in the brain

Since 2007, clinical trials using gene therapy have resulted in often-dramatic sight restoration for dozens of children and adults who were otherwise doomed to blindness. Now, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, have found evidence that this sight restoration leads to strengthening of visual pathways in the brain, published this week in Science Translational Medicine.

16 Jul 2015

Discovery brings hope for people suffering from Parkinson's disease

Scientists from Singapore's Nanyang Technological University and McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School in the United States have found that existing anti-malaria drugs could be a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease.

16 Jul 2015

Scientists discover protein that plays significant role in development of fragile X syndrome

Scientists at VIB and KU Leuven have discovered that the protein APP plays a significant role in the development of fragile X syndrome (FXS) at young stages. They identified an unexpected biological pathway as a promising target to ameliorate deficits associated with FXS and autism. The results have recently been published in Neuron, one of the most influential journals in the field of neuroscience.

16 Jul 2015

New imaging technique could help with early detection of Alzheimer's disease

Various types of information can be ascertained by the way blood flows through the brain. When a region of the brain has been activated, blood flow increases and oxygenation rises. By observing variations in blood flow with the help of non-invasive imaging, it is possible to determine which regions are at work at a given point in time and how they work together.

16 Jul 2015

New research offers potential for early intervention to prevent neurodegenerative diseases

New research led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center provides the first direct evidence linking traumatic brain injury to Alzheimer's disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) -- and offers the potential for early intervention to prevent the development of these debilitating neurodegenerative diseases.

16 Jul 2015

SLU researcher awarded NIH's Cutting-Edge Basic Research Award to solve pain-killer problem

SLU pain researcher Daniela Salvemini has been awarded the NIH's Cutting-Edge Basic Research Award (CEBRA) to solve an alarming problem: pain killers that are capable of quelling terrible pain also carry debilitating side effects and significant risk of addiction.

16 Jul 2015

Children with psychiatric issues more likely to have serious problems as adults

Children with even mild or passing bouts of depression, anxiety and/or behavioral issues were more inclined to have serious problems that complicated their ability to lead successful lives as adults, according to research from Duke Medicine.

16 Jul 2015

Iowa researchers gain important insight into sudden unexpected death in epilepsy

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is becoming increasingly recognized as a very real and devastating problem in which impaired breathing is thought to play a critical role. Researchers believe breathing may be impaired during and after seizures, without the patient's knowledge.

16 Jul 2015

Key parts of the human brain network give power to control, redirect attention

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have found that key parts of the human brain network that give us the power to control and redirect our attention--a core cognitive ability--may be unique to humans.

16 Jul 2015

TSRI scientists reveal how mutations in specific autism risk gene alter pattern of early brain development

As early as 1943, when autism was first described by psychiatrist Leo Kanner, reports were made that some, but not all, children with autism spectrum disorder have relatively enlarged heads. But even today, more than half a century later, the exact cause of this early abnormal growth of the head and brain has remained unclear.

16 Jul 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New project aims to revolutionize application of optogenetics in neuroscience

New study shows cannabinoid cannabidiol can help heal bone fractures

Transcranial magnetic stimulation holds promise for tinnitus patients

Neuronal activity in the brain's prefrontal cortex is nuanced and complex, new study finds

Kessler Foundation, University of Bordeaux team up to study emotional processing deficits in MS people

New brain stimulation technique could improve physical performance

Major study to assess effectiveness of mindfulness training in UK schools

New findings point toward potential blood test to detect schizophrenia

Einstein-Montefiore researchers to present multiple findings at Alzheimer's Association International Conference

Novogen's Anisina granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation for neuroblastoma

Gene therapy used for sight restoration also strengthens visual pathways in the brain

Discovery brings hope for people suffering from Parkinson's disease

Scientists discover protein that plays significant role in development of fragile X syndrome

New imaging technique could help with early detection of Alzheimer's disease

New research offers potential for early intervention to prevent neurodegenerative diseases

SLU researcher awarded NIH's Cutting-Edge Basic Research Award to solve pain-killer problem

Children with psychiatric issues more likely to have serious problems as adults

Iowa researchers gain important insight into sudden unexpected death in epilepsy

Key parts of the human brain network give power to control, redirect attention

TSRI scientists reveal how mutations in specific autism risk gene alter pattern of early brain development

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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