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.

Infant’s cry can indicate prenatal cocaine exposure

A new study conducted by University of North Carolina School of Medicine researchers provides the first known evidence of how a similar acoustic characteristic in the cry sounds of human infants and rat pups may be used to detect the harmful effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on nervous system development.

24 Oct 2014

Research shows FGF21 hormone acts directly on brain to regulate obesity

A hormone seen as a popular target to develop weight-loss drugs works by directly targeting the brain and triggering previously unknown activity in the nervous system, UT Southwestern Medical Center obesity researchers have found.

24 Oct 2014

MIT researchers develop new way to model effects of cancer-causing genetic mutations

Sequencing the genomes of tumor cells has revealed thousands of genetic mutations linked with cancer. However, sifting through this deluge of information to figure out which of these mutations actually drive cancer growth has proven to be a tedious, time-consuming process.

24 Oct 2014

Longer looks: Obamacare in the midterm campaign; watching Ebola mutate; lessons on dying

According to Kantar Media, a firm that tracks political advertising, health care is the main subject of campaign ads, especially Republican ones. Obamacare is unpopular - over half of Americans disapprove of it. Republicans talk about it constantly on the campaign trail, though not as intemperately as they did during their own party's primaries. Democrats scarcely mention it (10/18).

24 Oct 2014

The PROBEAT-RT Proton Beam Therapy System incorporating real-time tumor-tracking is approved in Japan

Hokkaido University and Hitachi, Ltd. have announced that the approval under Japan’s Pharmaceutical Affairs Law has been granted to Hitachi for the manufacture and sales of the PROBEAT-RT, a proton beam therapy treatment system combining spot scanning irradiation and Real-time Tumor-tracking Radiation Therapy.

23 Oct 2014

UH's Neurological Institute designated as Gold Center of Excellence

The Neurological Institute at University Hospitals has been designated as a Gold Center of Excellence (COE) and featured as a top performing center by NeuStrategy, Inc., a Chicago consulting firm providing strategic support to neuroscience, oncology and orthopaedic service providers.

23 Oct 2014

Scientists use innovative exome sequencing strategy to identify new gene associated with ALS

Using an innovative exome sequencing strategy, a team of international scientists led by John Landers, PhD, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School has shown that TUBA4A, the gene encoding the Tubulin Alpha 4A protein, is associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurological disorder also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

23 Oct 2014

Afatinib active against NSCLC nervous system metastases

Heavily pretreated patients with epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer and central nervous system metastases may benefit from treatment with afatinib, say German researchers.

22 Oct 2014

‘Neuroprotective’ effects of smoking disputed

The apparent neuroprotective effect of smoking may simply be because ease of quitting smoking is a marker of prodromal Parkinson’s disease, say researchers.

22 Oct 2014

Einstein, Montefiore receive grant to establish home health services for people with IDD

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Montefiore Medical Center in collaboration with Developmental Disabilities Health Alliance of New York and Community Resource Center for the Developmentally Disabled, Inc., have received a $2.4 million grant to integrate medical and mental healthcare for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

22 Oct 2014

Walnuts may help prevent Alzheimer's disease, study finds

A new animal study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease indicates that a diet including walnuts may have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk, delaying the onset, slowing the progression of, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.

22 Oct 2014

Research: MHCI protein moonlights in nervous system to regulate synapses

When it comes to the brain, "more is better" seems like an obvious assumption. But in the case of synapses, which are the connections between brain cells, too many or too few can both disrupt brain function.

21 Oct 2014

New electronic EyeCane improves mobility of blind people

White Canes provide low-tech assistance to the visually impaired, but some blind people object to their use because they are cumbersome, fail to detect elevated obstacles, or require long training periods to master.

21 Oct 2014

Omeros provides update on OMS824 for treatment of schizophrenia, Huntington's disease

Omeros Corporation today provided an update on OMS824, the company's phosphodiesterase 10 (PDE10) inhibitor in development for the treatment of schizophrenia and Huntington's disease.

21 Oct 2014

Higher level of vocabulary can help combat cognitive impairment

Some people suffer incipient dementia as they get older. To make up for this loss, the brain's cognitive reserve is put to the test.

21 Oct 2014

Finding could help improve treatment of hearing loss caused by noise, normal aging

Scientists have restored the hearing of mice partly deafened by noise, using advanced tools to boost the production of a key protein in their ears.

21 Oct 2014

BIDMC investigators develop three-minute assessment that identifies delirium in older hospital patients

Delirium is a state of confusion that develops suddenly, often following an acute medical illness, a surgical procedure or a hospitalization. Although delirium is estimated to complicate hospital stays for over 2.5 million elderly individuals in the U.S. each year, this common condition often goes undetected. The end result can be serious complications with sometimes devastating consequences for vulnerable hospitalized elders.

21 Oct 2014

Researchers unravel separate biological responses of the eye to blue light

Blue light can both set the mood and set in motion important biological responses. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine and School of Arts and Sciences have teased apart the separate biological responses of the human eye to blue light, revealing an unexpected contest for control.

21 Oct 2014

Study reveals that people with stress-related inflammation may suffer from depression

Preexisting differences in the sensitivity of a key part of each individual's immune system to stress confer a greater risk of developing stress-related depression or anxiety, according to a study conducted at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published October 20 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

21 Oct 2014

Internal calorie counter evaluates food based on its caloric density, shows neuroimaging study

As you glance over a menu or peruse the shelves in a supermarket, you may be thinking about how each food will taste and whether it's nutritious, or you may be trying to decide what you're in the mood for.

21 Oct 2014

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Infant’s cry can indicate prenatal cocaine exposure

Research shows FGF21 hormone acts directly on brain to regulate obesity

MIT researchers develop new way to model effects of cancer-causing genetic mutations

Longer looks: Obamacare in the midterm campaign; watching Ebola mutate; lessons on dying

The PROBEAT-RT Proton Beam Therapy System incorporating real-time tumor-tracking is approved in Japan

UH's Neurological Institute designated as Gold Center of Excellence

Scientists use innovative exome sequencing strategy to identify new gene associated with ALS

Afatinib active against NSCLC nervous system metastases

‘Neuroprotective’ effects of smoking disputed

Einstein, Montefiore receive grant to establish home health services for people with IDD

Walnuts may help prevent Alzheimer's disease, study finds

Research: MHCI protein moonlights in nervous system to regulate synapses

New electronic EyeCane improves mobility of blind people

Omeros provides update on OMS824 for treatment of schizophrenia, Huntington's disease

Higher level of vocabulary can help combat cognitive impairment

Finding could help improve treatment of hearing loss caused by noise, normal aging

BIDMC investigators develop three-minute assessment that identifies delirium in older hospital patients

Researchers unravel separate biological responses of the eye to blue light

Study reveals that people with stress-related inflammation may suffer from depression

Internal calorie counter evaluates food based on its caloric density, shows neuroimaging study

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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