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.

Researchers create 'brainstorm barometer' to calculate the brain functions of very premature infants

University of Helsinki researchers have partnered with Swedish and Australian researchers to create a "brainstorm barometer", which allows computers to calculate the brain functions of very premature babies during their first hours of life.

25 May 2015

Echolocators use echoes to detect multiple properties of objects through visual areas of the brain

Certain blind individuals have the ability to use echoes from tongue or finger clicks to recognize objects in the distance, and some use echolocation as a replacement for vision. Research done by Dr. Mel Goodale, from the University of Western Ontario, in Canada, and colleagues around the world, is showing that echolocation in blind individuals is a full form of sensory substitution, and that blind echolocation experts recruit regions of the brain normally associated with visual perception when making echo-based assessments of objects.

25 May 2015

Scientists reveal how disruption of DISC1 gene involved in mental illness affects the brain

Scientists have for the first time shown how the disruption of a key gene involved in mental illness impacts on the brain.

24 May 2015

New nationwide survey shows steady increase in pediatric patients treated with proton radiation therapy

Results from a new nationwide survey announced today indicate a steady increase in the number of pediatric patients who are being treated with proton radiation therapy for cancerous and non-cancerous tumors.

24 May 2015

Esophageal cancer patients treated with proton therapy experience less toxic side effects

New research by scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has found that esophageal cancer patients treated with proton therapy experienced significantly less toxic side effects than patients treated with older radiation therapies.

24 May 2015

Mayo Clinic scientists create mouse model of ALS, FTD caused by mutations in C9ORF72 gene

Scientists at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida created a novel mouse that exhibits the symptoms and neurodegeneration associated with the most common genetic forms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease), both of which are caused by a mutation in the a gene called C9ORF72.

24 May 2015

Just think about it: Giving natural movement to a patient with quadriplegia

Paralysis is often the result of nerve damage that prevents commands from the brain being relayed to muscle to cause movement...

22 May 2015

Decreased removal of toxic peptides causes onset of Alzheimer's disease

Jens Pahnke and his team at the University of Oslo has recently published results in the prestigious scientific journal 'BRAIN' showing that decreased removal of toxic peptides in the brain causes the onset and first clinical signs of Alzheimer's disease, rather than overproduction as has previously been assumed. This information can now be used to target specific genes to enhance their function in the brain of elderly or people at risk.

22 May 2015

nTMS analysis of motor areas improves prognosis of patients with malignant brain tumors

A method known as navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) has been gaining importance in neurosurgery for some time now.

22 May 2015

Scientists find new way to convert blood cells into sensory neurons

Scientists at McMaster University have discovered how to make adult sensory neurons from human patients simply by having them roll up their sleeve and providing a blood sample.

22 May 2015

Researchers map out surgical anatomy, approaches for auditory brainstem implant placement

A technique called auditory brainstem implantation can restore hearing for patients who can't benefit from cochlear implants. A team of US and Japanese experts has mapped out the surgical anatomy and approaches for auditory brainstem implantation in the June issue of Operative Neurosurgery, published on behalf of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons by Wolters Kluwer.

22 May 2015

Goethe University researchers find endocrine disrupting chemicals in plastic baby teethers

In laboratory tests, two out of ten teethers, plastic toys used to sooth babies' teething ache, release endocrine disrupting chemicals. One product contains parabens, which are normally used as preservatives in cosmetics, while the second contains six so-far unidentified endocrine disruptors.

22 May 2015

Studies refine amyloid imaging role in dementia

Two meta-analyses published in JAMA help to define the role of amyloid imaging in dementia.

21 May 2015

Certain proteins may slow cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer's disease

Certain proteins may slow the devastating memory loss caused by Alzheimer's disease, according to a groundbreaking Iowa State University study.

21 May 2015

New study shows that infections can affect cognitive ability

New research shows that infections can impair your cognitive ability measured on an IQ scale. The study is the largest of its kind to date, and it shows a clear correlation between infection levels and impaired cognition.

21 May 2015

Magstim Announces FDA (510k) Clearance of rTMS (repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Therapy System

Magstim is the pioneer of TMS technology, having built a reputation for developing leading medical devices in the research field for over 25 years. ..

From Magstim 21 May 2015

COPD associated with increased mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation, but not stroke

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is associated with increased risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease such as heart failure or a heart attack, as well as diseases not associated with the heart. However, COPD is not by itself associated with increased likelihood of having a stroke or a systemic embolism, according to a new research study.

21 May 2015

Depression may be a risk factor for Parkinson's disease, say Umeå University researchers

People with depression may be more likely to develop Parkinson's disease, according to a large study by researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, published on 20 May, 2015, in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

21 May 2015

Researchers find that blocking MCAM molecule could slow progression of multiple sclerosis

A drug that could halt the progression of multiple sclerosis may soon be developed thanks to a discovery by a team at the CHUM Research Centre and the University of Montreal. The researchers have identified a molecule called MCAM, and they have shown that blocking this molecule could delay the onset of the disease and significantly slow its progression.

21 May 2015

First-of-its-kind DNA bank aims at advancing research into genetics of stuttering

Scientists at the University of Alberta's Institute for Stuttering Treatment and Research want Albertans to give a spit -- five millilitres to be precise -- to help find the cause and a cure for stuttering.

21 May 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers create 'brainstorm barometer' to calculate the brain functions of very premature infants

Echolocators use echoes to detect multiple properties of objects through visual areas of the brain

Scientists reveal how disruption of DISC1 gene involved in mental illness affects the brain

New nationwide survey shows steady increase in pediatric patients treated with proton radiation therapy

Esophageal cancer patients treated with proton therapy experience less toxic side effects

Mayo Clinic scientists create mouse model of ALS, FTD caused by mutations in C9ORF72 gene

Just think about it: Giving natural movement to a patient with quadriplegia

Decreased removal of toxic peptides causes onset of Alzheimer's disease

nTMS analysis of motor areas improves prognosis of patients with malignant brain tumors

Scientists find new way to convert blood cells into sensory neurons

Researchers map out surgical anatomy, approaches for auditory brainstem implant placement

Goethe University researchers find endocrine disrupting chemicals in plastic baby teethers

Studies refine amyloid imaging role in dementia

Certain proteins may slow cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer's disease

New study shows that infections can affect cognitive ability

Magstim Announces FDA (510k) Clearance of rTMS (repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Therapy System

COPD associated with increased mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation, but not stroke

Depression may be a risk factor for Parkinson's disease, say Umeå University researchers

Researchers find that blocking MCAM molecule could slow progression of multiple sclerosis

First-of-its-kind DNA bank aims at advancing research into genetics of stuttering

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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