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.

Yale researchers test new device that protects patients' brain during heart-valve replacement procedure

In the first multicenter trial of its kind, Yale researchers tested a new device that lowers the risk of stroke and cognitive decline in patients undergoing heart-valve replacement.

16 Mar 2015

Flu vaccine based upon four strains of inactivated influenza enhances flu protection

A flu vaccine given just under the surface of the skin that includes four strains of inactivated influenza could be more protective than a similar flu vaccine containing only three strains, Saint Louis University research found.

16 Mar 2015

Max Planck Florida Institute receives NIH grant to study cerebral cortex function and development

Dr. David Fitzpatrick, Scientific Director and CEO at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, has been awarded a $2.4 million five-year grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the functional organization and development of neural circuits in the cerebral cortex, specifically, in the area of brain responsible for processing visual information.

13 Mar 2015

Study: Listening to classical music improves activity of genes involved in brain functions

Although listening to music is common in all societies, the biological determinants of listening to music are largely unknown. According to a latest study, listening to classical music enhanced the activity of genes involved in dopamine secretion and transport, synaptic neurotransmission, learning and memory, and down-regulated the genes mediating neurodegeneration.

13 Mar 2015

Guanabenz drug prevents myelin loss, alleviates symptoms of MS in animal models

An FDA-approved drug for high blood pressure, guanabenz, prevents myelin loss and alleviates clinical symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in animal models, according to a new study.

13 Mar 2015

Increasing minimum age of legal access to tobacco products would reduce smoking, save lives

Increasing the minimum age of legal access (MLA) to tobacco products will prevent or delay initiation of tobacco use by adolescents and young adults, particularly those ages 15 to 17, and improve the health of Americans across the lifespan, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

13 Mar 2015

Study shows fatigue pathways are more sensitive in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

The mechanism that causes high-performance athletes to "feel the burn" turns out to be the culprit in what makes people with chronic fatigue syndrome feel exhausted by the most common daily activities, new University of Florida Health research shows.

13 Mar 2015

Study suggests distinct role of brain regions in dental pain relief

Today at the 93rd General Session and Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research, researcher Michael L. Meier, Center for Dental Medicine, University of Zürich, Switzerland, will present a study titled "Distinct Brain Mechanisms Related to Dental Pain Relief."

13 Mar 2015

Glyconanoparticles may help reduce cell damage and inflammation after stroke

Materials resulting from chemical bonding of glucosamine, a type of sugar, with fullerenes, kind of nanoparticles known as buckyballs, might help to reduce cell damage and inflammation occurring after stroke.

13 Mar 2015

Cancer drug promotes neuronal regeneration after spinal cord injury

Damage to the spinal cord rarely heals because the injured nerve cells fail to regenerate. The regrowth of their long nerve fibers is hindered by scar tissue and molecular processes inside the nerves.

13 Mar 2015

When you eat is just as important as what you eat

If you're looking to improve your heart health by changing your diet, when you eat may be just as important as what you eat.

13 Mar 2015

High levels of triglycerides, cholesterol can keep vitamin E tied up in blood stream

In the continuing debate over how much vitamin E is enough, a new study has found that high levels of blood lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides can keep this essential micronutrient tied up in the blood stream, and prevent vitamin E from reaching the tissues that need it.

13 Mar 2015

Gene variant may help predict people’s response to investigational Alzheimer's therapy

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a gene variant that may be used to predict people most likely to respond to an investigational therapy under development for Alzheimer's disease (AD).

13 Mar 2015

Non-invasive ultrasound technology can treat Alzheimer's disease, restore memory

Queensland scientists have found that non-invasive ultrasound technology can be used to treat Alzheimer's disease and restore memory.

13 Mar 2015

Slow-growing tumors have treatment-resistant stem cells, shows study

Scientists are eager to make use of stem cells' extraordinary power to transform into nearly any kind of cell, but that ability also is cause for concern in cancer treatment.

12 Mar 2015

Cannabis abuse affects long-term memory, finds new Northwestern Medicine study

Teens who were heavy marijuana users - smoking it daily for about three years -- had an abnormally shaped hippocampus and performed poorly on long-term memory tasks, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

12 Mar 2015

Neuralstem reports top line data from NSI-566 Phase II trial for treatment of ALS

Neuralstem, Inc. announced top line data from the Phase II trial of NSI-566 spinal cord-derived neural stem cells under development for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study met primary safety endpoints. The maximum tolerated dose of 16 million transplanted cells and the surgery was well tolerated.

12 Mar 2015

Promising new natural treatment for Alzheimer's disease nears clinical trial

A promising new natural treatment for Alzheimer's disease is moving toward clinical trials. This will be a major step forward as there is nothing on the market that slows the progression of Alzheimer's.

12 Mar 2015

More research needed to explore toxicity of cellulose nanocrystals, says Virginia Tech scientist

Are cellulose nanocrystals harmful to human health? The answer might depend on the route of exposure, according to a review of the literature by a Virginia Tech scientist, but there have been few studies and many questions remain.

12 Mar 2015

European scientists identify gene linked with certain types of early-onset epilepsy

Certain types of early-onset epilepsy are caused by previously unknown mutations of a potassium channel gene, KCNA2. The mutations disrupt the electrical balance in the brain in two ways. In some patients, the flow of potassium is greatly reduced; while in others, it is raised enormously. Both states can lead to hard-to-treat epileptic seizures. Mental and motor development can come to a stop, or even to regress.

12 Mar 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Yale researchers test new device that protects patients' brain during heart-valve replacement procedure

Flu vaccine based upon four strains of inactivated influenza enhances flu protection

Max Planck Florida Institute receives NIH grant to study cerebral cortex function and development

Study: Listening to classical music improves activity of genes involved in brain functions

Guanabenz drug prevents myelin loss, alleviates symptoms of MS in animal models

Increasing minimum age of legal access to tobacco products would reduce smoking, save lives

Study shows fatigue pathways are more sensitive in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome

Study suggests distinct role of brain regions in dental pain relief

Glyconanoparticles may help reduce cell damage and inflammation after stroke

Cancer drug promotes neuronal regeneration after spinal cord injury

When you eat is just as important as what you eat

High levels of triglycerides, cholesterol can keep vitamin E tied up in blood stream

Gene variant may help predict people’s response to investigational Alzheimer's therapy

Non-invasive ultrasound technology can treat Alzheimer's disease, restore memory

Slow-growing tumors have treatment-resistant stem cells, shows study

Cannabis abuse affects long-term memory, finds new Northwestern Medicine study

Neuralstem reports top line data from NSI-566 Phase II trial for treatment of ALS

Promising new natural treatment for Alzheimer's disease nears clinical trial

More research needed to explore toxicity of cellulose nanocrystals, says Virginia Tech scientist

European scientists identify gene linked with certain types of early-onset epilepsy

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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