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.

New evidence links autism risk genes to better cognitive function

Genes linked with a greater risk of developing autism may also be associated with higher intelligence, a study suggests.

11 Mar 2015

Brain tumor experts launch revolutionary fast-track approach to cancer research

Brain tumor experts at Barrow Neurological Institute at Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center have launched a revolutionary fast-track approach to cancer research, giving new hope to brain cancer patients.

10 Mar 2015

Chemotherapy, radiation therapy combination improves outcomes for people with low-grade brain cancer

New clinical-trial findings provide further evidence that combining chemotherapy with radiation therapy is the best treatment for people with a low-grade form of brain cancer. The findings come from a phase II study co-led by a researcher at Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute and researchers at the University of Maryland and at London Regional Cancer Program in Ontario, Canada.

10 Mar 2015

New drug shows promise in driving insulin-producing beta cells to multiply

In a screen of more than 100,000 potential drugs, only one, harmine, drove human insulin-producing beta cells to multiply, according to a study led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, funded by JDRF and the National Institutes of Health, and published online today in Nature Medicine.

10 Mar 2015

Neuroscientists reveal how olfaction is encoded in the brain

In a study that helps to deconstruct how olfaction is encoded in the brain, neuroscientists at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a type of neuron that appears to help tune, amplify and dampen neuronal responses to chemosensory inputs from the nasal cavity.

10 Mar 2015

Finding appears to support the hypothesis that Alzheimer's is an autoimmune disease

Brain levels of the lipid ceramide are high in Alzheimer's disease, and now scientists have found increased levels of an antibody to the lipid in their disease model.

10 Mar 2015

Perceptual learning training can improve contrast sensitivity in older adults

Older adults whose vision is affected by declining contrast sensitivity - which is a factor in the ability to detect and resolve details in low light - can improve their ability to see with perceptual learning training, according to researchers at the University of California, Riverside and Brown University.

10 Mar 2015

Narcolepsy bears trademarks of classic autoimmune disorder

Narcoleptics suffer from bouts of sleepiness and sleep attacks, which impair their ability to function in daily life. But the precise cause of narcolepsy has long eluded scientists, and the cure for the devastating neurological disorder afflicting an estimated three million people worldwide -- and one in 3,000 Americans -- remains at bay.

10 Mar 2015

Naturally-occurring protein in the brain can curb binge alcohol drinking

A new study led by University of North Carolina School of Medicine researchers has found that a naturally-occurring protein in the brain can act to suppress binge alcohol drinking, a major public health problem estimated to cost the U.S. more than $170 billion each year.

10 Mar 2015

Tourette syndrome patients may face second psychiatric disorder during their lifetimes

A new study of Tourette syndrome (TS) led by researchers from UC San Francisco and Massachusetts General Hospital has found that nearly 86 percent of patients who seek treatment for TS will be diagnosed with a second psychiatric disorder during their lifetimes, and that nearly 58 percent will receive two or more such diagnoses.

10 Mar 2015

Use of psychedelic drugs linked to less psychological distress, fewer suicidal thoughts

A history of psychedelic drug use is associated with less psychological distress and fewer suicidal thoughts, planning and attempts, according to new research from Johns Hopkins and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

10 Mar 2015

Scientists find blood-based genomic biomarkers that could help identify young boys with ASD

In a study published in the current online issue of JAMA Psychiatry, an international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, report finding a highly accurate blood-based measure that could lead to development of a clinical test for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in males as young as one to two years old.

10 Mar 2015

CaptureSeq technology can accurately measure activity of genes

A new gene sequencing technology allows us to explore the human genome at a much higher resolution than ever before, with revolutionary implications for research and cancer diagnosis.

10 Mar 2015

UC Irvine researchers discover inner mechanisms of jet lag

Long the stuff of science fiction, the disembodied "brain in a jar" is providing science fact for UC Irvine researchers, who by studying the whole brains of fruit flies are discovering the inner mechanisms of jet lag.

10 Mar 2015

Blood group O provides protection against severe malaria

It has long been known that people with blood type O are protected from dying of severe malaria. In a study published in Nature Medicine, a team of Scandinavian scientists explains the mechanisms behind the protection that blood type O provides, and suggest that the selective pressure imposed by malaria may contribute to the variable global distribution of ABO blood groups in the human population.

10 Mar 2015

Traffic signal labels help consumers resist high-calorie foods

Should food products be labeled with traffic light symbols to make health-related information on ingredients easier to understand? This question has remained a subject of debate. Now researchers at the University of Bonn have reached the conclusion that the traffic light label is more effective in helping consumers resist high-calorie foods than a purely information-based label.

10 Mar 2015

Simple training can improve vision in older adults

Just a weeks' worth of training can improve vision in older adults, according to new research in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The findings show that training boosted older adults' sensitivity to contrast and also their ability to see things clearly at close distances.

9 Mar 2015

The Brain Prize awarded to four scientists for development of two-photon microscopy

The world's most valuable (€1m) neuroscience prize, The Brain Prize has been awarded, to four scientists, Winfried Denk and Arthur Konnerth (Germany), and Karel Svoboda and David Tank (USA), for the invention and development of two-photon microscopy, a transformative tool in brain research.

9 Mar 2015

IUPUI researchers awarded grant to study how brain's reward system is hijacked by alcohol

With the support of a $545,000 three-year grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, researchers from the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis are conducting research on how the brain's reward system -- the circuitry that helps regulate the body's ability to feel pleasure -- is hijacked by alcohol.

9 Mar 2015

Appetite-controlling neurons initiate repetitive behaviors seen in OCD, anorexia nervosa

In the absence of food, neurons that normally control appetite initiate complex, repetitive behaviors seen in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and anorexia nervosa, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers.

9 Mar 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New evidence links autism risk genes to better cognitive function

Brain tumor experts launch revolutionary fast-track approach to cancer research

Chemotherapy, radiation therapy combination improves outcomes for people with low-grade brain cancer

New drug shows promise in driving insulin-producing beta cells to multiply

Neuroscientists reveal how olfaction is encoded in the brain

Finding appears to support the hypothesis that Alzheimer's is an autoimmune disease

Perceptual learning training can improve contrast sensitivity in older adults

Narcolepsy bears trademarks of classic autoimmune disorder

Naturally-occurring protein in the brain can curb binge alcohol drinking

Tourette syndrome patients may face second psychiatric disorder during their lifetimes

Use of psychedelic drugs linked to less psychological distress, fewer suicidal thoughts

Scientists find blood-based genomic biomarkers that could help identify young boys with ASD

CaptureSeq technology can accurately measure activity of genes

UC Irvine researchers discover inner mechanisms of jet lag

Blood group O provides protection against severe malaria

Traffic signal labels help consumers resist high-calorie foods

Simple training can improve vision in older adults

The Brain Prize awarded to four scientists for development of two-photon microscopy

IUPUI researchers awarded grant to study how brain's reward system is hijacked by alcohol

Appetite-controlling neurons initiate repetitive behaviors seen in OCD, anorexia nervosa

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

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Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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