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.

UCLA life scientists develop new method to find genetic markers for many diseases

UCLA life scientists have created an accurate new method to identify genetic markers for many diseases -- a significant step toward a new era of personalized medicine, tailored to each person's DNA and RNA.

4 Mar 2015

Neuroscientists find new pathway that allows several brain areas communicate within striatum

Carnegie Mellon University neuroscientists have identified a new pathway by which several brain areas communicate within the brain's striatum.

4 Mar 2015

Study on spider venom may lead to new class of potent painkillers

New research shows that seven compounds of the countless found in spider venom block a key step in the body's ability to pass pain signals to the brain. The hunt for a medicine based on just one of these compounds, which would open up a new class of potent painkillers, is now a step closer according to new research published in the British Journal of Pharmacology.

4 Mar 2015

Brain scientists map changes in communication between nerve cells in rats

Lights, sound, action: we are constantly learning how to incorporate outside sensations into our reactions in specific situations. In a new study, brain scientists have mapped changes in communication between nerve cells as rats learned to make specific decisions in response to particular sounds. The team then used this map to accurately predict the rats' reactions. These results add to our understanding of how the brain processes sensations and forms memories to inform behavior.

3 Mar 2015

Study associates heart function with development of Alzheimer's disease

A healthier heart could prevent Alzheimer's disease, according to new research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

3 Mar 2015

Study finds link between fluoridated water and ADHD prevalence

"Artificial water fluoridation prevalence was significantly positively associated with ADHD prevalence," according to research published in Environmental Health (2/15), reports the Fluoride Action Network (FAN).

3 Mar 2015

Anxiety and déjà vu: an interview with Dr Christine Wells, Sheffield Hallam University

It’s thought that the neural basis of déjà vu is located in the temporal lobes, a region of the brain strongly associated with the storage and retrieval of memories. One source of support for this is evidence from individuals with temporal lobe epilepsy, some of whom experience déjà vu episodes as part of seizure-related auras...

3 Mar 2015

New standardized approach for feeding infants in NICU improves growth of babies

A new standardized approach for feeding infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) helps babies attain full oral feeds sooner, improves their growth and sends them home sooner.

3 Mar 2015

MD Anderson scientists show why some brain cancer patients develop resistance to treatments

Scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center may have discovered why some brain cancer patients develop resistance to standard treatments including radiation and the chemotherapy agent temozolomide.

3 Mar 2015

Existing drug could help treat MS, other neurological diseases

Damage to myelin, the fatty insulator that enables communication between nerve cells, characterizes multiple sclerosis (MS) and other devastating neurological diseases.

3 Mar 2015

TREM2 protein may help slow progression of multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease

Highlighting a potential target in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer's disease, new research suggests that triggering a protein found on the surface of brain cells may help slow the progression of these and other neurological diseases.

3 Mar 2015

Swiss teenager with classic sudden symptoms of stroke diagnosed with Lyme disease

A Swiss teenager, recently returned home from a discotheque, came to the emergency department with classic sudden symptoms of stroke, only to be diagnosed with Lyme disease.

3 Mar 2015

Autism Speaks' affiliate DELSIA announces new funding for clinical trial of cognitive video game

Autism Speaks' not-for-profit affiliate Delivering Scientific Innovation for Autism has announced new funding for clinical testing of a cognitive video game designed to improve executive function skills in children and adolescents with autism.

3 Mar 2015

People prone to high anxiety make bad decisions under uncertainties of life

Highly anxious people have more trouble deciding how best to handle life's uncertainties. They may even catastrophize, interpreting, say, a lovers' tiff as a doomed relationship or a workplace change as a career threat.

3 Mar 2015

Henry Ford researchers propose new treatment strategy for stroke, other neurological disorders

Medicine should reconsider how it treats stroke and other neurological disorders, focusing on the intrinsic abilities of the brain and nervous system to heal themselves rather than the "modest" benefits of clot-busting drugs and other neuroprotective treatments.

3 Mar 2015

Toning down TREM2 receptor's activity may help prevent neurodegeneration in AD patients

Tackling brain inflammation ameliorates Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to a study published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.

3 Mar 2015

Anticholinergic medications associated with pneumonia risk in older people

Taking commonly used medications with anticholinergic effects is associated with a significantly higher risk for developing pneumonia in a study of more than 3,000 older Group Health patients living in the community--not in nursing homes.

3 Mar 2015

New genetic discovery may lead to effective treatments for Huntington's disease

A new genetic discovery in the field of Huntington's disease (HD) could mean a more effective way in determining severity of this neurological disease when using specific treatments. This study may provide insight for treatments that would be effective in slowing down or postponing the death of neurons for people who carry the HD gene mutation, but who do not yet show symptoms of the disease.

2 Mar 2015

People with diabetes more prone to depression, anxiety

People with diabetes are more prone to anxiety and depression than those with other chronic diseases that require similar levels of management. The reasons for this aren't well understood, but Joslin Diabetes Center researchers have discovered one potential explanation.

2 Mar 2015

Transition completes enrolment of patients in ELND005 Phase 2 study for treatment of AD patients

Transition Therapeutics Inc. announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Transition Therapeutics Ireland Limited completed enrolment of the Phase 2 clinical study evaluating neuropsychiatric drug candidate ELND005 as a treatment for agitation and aggression in patients with mild, moderate and severe Alzheimer's disease ("AD").

2 Mar 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

UCLA life scientists develop new method to find genetic markers for many diseases

Neuroscientists find new pathway that allows several brain areas communicate within striatum

Study on spider venom may lead to new class of potent painkillers

Brain scientists map changes in communication between nerve cells in rats

Study associates heart function with development of Alzheimer's disease

Study finds link between fluoridated water and ADHD prevalence

Anxiety and déjà vu: an interview with Dr Christine Wells, Sheffield Hallam University

New standardized approach for feeding infants in NICU improves growth of babies

MD Anderson scientists show why some brain cancer patients develop resistance to treatments

Existing drug could help treat MS, other neurological diseases

TREM2 protein may help slow progression of multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease

Swiss teenager with classic sudden symptoms of stroke diagnosed with Lyme disease

Autism Speaks' affiliate DELSIA announces new funding for clinical trial of cognitive video game

People prone to high anxiety make bad decisions under uncertainties of life

Henry Ford researchers propose new treatment strategy for stroke, other neurological disorders

Toning down TREM2 receptor's activity may help prevent neurodegeneration in AD patients

Anticholinergic medications associated with pneumonia risk in older people

New genetic discovery may lead to effective treatments for Huntington's disease

People with diabetes more prone to depression, anxiety

Transition completes enrolment of patients in ELND005 Phase 2 study for treatment of AD patients

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