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.

UCSD researchers report that statins make women aggressive, but men calmer

Statins are a hugely popular drug class used to manage blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Previous studies had raised questions about adverse behavioral changes with statins, such as irritability or violence, but findings with statins have been inconsistent. In the first randomized trial to look at statin effects on behavior, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that aggressive behavior typically declined among men placed on statins (compared to placebo), but typically increased among women placed on statins.

2 Jul 2015

Study: Peripheral nerve stimulation therapy can reverse SCI-associated nerve deterioration

Approximately 12,000 spinal cord injuries (SCI) happen every year in the U.S., the majority caused by car accidents, falls, sporting accidents and gunshot wounds.

2 Jul 2015

Wayne State University awarded grant to explore new MS pathology model

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has provided a grant to a Wayne State University School of Medicine professor to explore a new model of MS pathology.

2 Jul 2015

Histones steadily replaced in brain cells throughout life, find Mount Sinai researchers

For decades, researchers in the genetics field have theorized that the protein spools around which DNA is wound, histones, remain constant in the brain, never changing after development in the womb.

2 Jul 2015

Brain-imaging studies may help predict promiscuity, problem drinking in young adults

A pair of brain-imaging studies suggest researchers may be able to predict how likely young adults are to develop problem drinking or engage in risky sexual behavior in response to stress.

2 Jul 2015

Robert G. Miller awarded $1.5 million grant to help fund Neuraltus' Phase 2 clinical study of NP001 for ALS

Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of groundbreaking drugs to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), announced today that Robert G. Miller, M.D., Director of the Forbes Norris MDA/ALS Research Center at Sutter Health's California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, has been awarded a grant from The ALS Association for $1.5 million to help fund a Phase 2 clinical study of the company's investigational therapy for ALS, NP001.

1 Jul 2015

ALS ACT initiative to speed discovery of new ALS treatments

The ALS Association and the ALS Finding a Cure Foundation are pleased to announce $3 million in funding for two new Phase II clinical studies through the ALS Accelerated Therapeutics (ALS ACT) initiative.

1 Jul 2015

New collection of papers adds to mounting evidence of gut microbiome’s influential role in health

A newly released collection of papers, the result of the Gut in Focus Symposium Nobel Forum held earlier this year, is adding to the mounting evidence of the influential role the gut microbiome plays in health.

1 Jul 2015

Neurologists evaluate application of smartphones in epilepsy care

While many people with epilepsy can control their seizures with medication, those unpredictable and involuntary changes in behavior and consciousness can be limiting for others. Neurologists writing in the International Journal of Epilepsy evaluated the application of smartphones in epilepsy care.

1 Jul 2015

Scientists develop olfactory fingerprint test to identify individuals from sense of smell

Each of us has, in our nose, about six million smell receptors of around four hundred different types. The distribution of these receptors varies from person to person - so much so that each person's sense of smell may be unique.

1 Jul 2015

Scientists identify new protein that affects growth of secondary breast tumours in the brain

Scientists from the University of Leeds and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, have discovered a new protein which triggers the growth of blood vessels in breast cancer tumours which have spread to the brain, a common location which breast cancer can spread to.

1 Jul 2015

University of Georgia's Lynn Bailey leads international paper on folate biomarkers

A University of Georgia researcher is lead author on an international paper on folate biomarkers as part of an initiative to provide evidence-based guidance for the global nutrition and public health community.

1 Jul 2015

UVA Health System opens high-tech clinical genomics lab

The University of Virginia Health System has opened a high-tech clinical genomics lab that will personalize care for patients, help doctors determine the best treatments for cancers and other diseases, and allow UVA to offer the most cutting-edge clinical trials.

1 Jul 2015

Males may play positive role in development of offspring's brains before pregnancy

A new study from Indiana University provides evidence in mice that males may play a positive role in the development of offspring's brains starting before pregnancy.

1 Jul 2015

NIBIB-supported researchers create platelet-like particles to control excessive bleeding, augment clotting

NIBIB-supported researchers have created tiny gel particles that can perform the same essential functions as platelets. The particles could one day be used to control excessive bleeding following traumatic injury or in individuals with impaired clotting due to an inherited condition or as a result of certain medications or chemotherapy.

1 Jul 2015

Sialic acid may play significant role in certain brain disorders

A new report published in the July 2015 issue of The FASEB Journal suggests that a common molecule found in higher animals, including humans, affects brain structure. This molecule may play a significant role in how brain cells communicate, possibly shedding light on the underlying causes of certain brain disorders.

1 Jul 2015

Kessler Foundation receives $3 million to improve cognition and mobility of people with TBI

The New Jersey Commission on Brain Injury Research awarded $3 million in grants to Kessler Foundation, half of its total grant distribution in 2015, to improve cognition and mobility of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

1 Jul 2015

Angiography and MPI: an interview with Professor Mauro Magnani University of Urbino

I am Mauro Magnani, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Urbino, Italy. My background is essentially the transition of activity from the lab to application. I am also the founder of a spin-off company called EryDel, which uses technology to load materials or drugs inside cells.

From Bruker BioSpin Group 30 Jun 2015

Poor sleep linked to negative mood in women with bipolar disorder

Poor sleep is associated with negative mood in women with bipolar disorder, according to researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and University of Michigan Medical School.

30 Jun 2015

TSRI scientists find five different miRNAs involved in memory formation

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found that a type of genetic material called “microRNA” plays surprisingly different roles in the formation of memory in animal models. In some cases, these RNAs increase memory, while others decrease it.

30 Jun 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

UCSD researchers report that statins make women aggressive, but men calmer

Study: Peripheral nerve stimulation therapy can reverse SCI-associated nerve deterioration

Wayne State University awarded grant to explore new MS pathology model

Histones steadily replaced in brain cells throughout life, find Mount Sinai researchers

Brain-imaging studies may help predict promiscuity, problem drinking in young adults

Robert G. Miller awarded $1.5 million grant to help fund Neuraltus' Phase 2 clinical study of NP001 for ALS

ALS ACT initiative to speed discovery of new ALS treatments

New collection of papers adds to mounting evidence of gut microbiome’s influential role in health

Neurologists evaluate application of smartphones in epilepsy care

Scientists develop olfactory fingerprint test to identify individuals from sense of smell

Scientists identify new protein that affects growth of secondary breast tumours in the brain

University of Georgia's Lynn Bailey leads international paper on folate biomarkers

UVA Health System opens high-tech clinical genomics lab

Males may play positive role in development of offspring's brains before pregnancy

NIBIB-supported researchers create platelet-like particles to control excessive bleeding, augment clotting

Sialic acid may play significant role in certain brain disorders

Kessler Foundation receives $3 million to improve cognition and mobility of people with TBI

Angiography and MPI: an interview with Professor Mauro Magnani University of Urbino

Poor sleep linked to negative mood in women with bipolar disorder

TSRI scientists find five different miRNAs involved in memory formation

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