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.

Cyclists improve performance during deception

Indiana University researchers say a little deception caused cyclists in their 4-kilometer time trial to up their performance even after they realized they had been tricked.

30 May 2014

Transplantation of embryonic neural cells can alleviate epilepsy seizure activity in mice

New research from North Carolina State University pinpoints the areas of the cerebral cortex that are affected in mice with absence epilepsy and shows that transplanting embryonic neural cells into these areas can alleviate symptoms of the disease by reducing seizure activity.

30 May 2014

New research shows how misfolded proteins are precisely selected for degradation

It's almost axiomatic that misfolded proteins compromise how cells normally function and cause debilitating human disease, but how these proteins are detected and degraded within the body is not well understood.

30 May 2014

Research: Women's faces are rated as more attractive in presence of pleasant odors

New research from the Monell Chemical Senses Center reveals that women's faces are rated as more attractive in the presence of pleasant odors. In contrast, odor pleasantness had less effect on the evaluation of age.

30 May 2014

Researchers use patterned visual stimulation to control rapid re-wiring of nerve circuits

In a new study, published in this week's issue of the journal Science, researchers show for the first time how the brain re-wires and fine-tunes its connections differently depending on the relative timing of sensory stimuli.

29 May 2014

Research shows how brain distinguishes specific voices in noisy, distracting environments

Listening to a conversation in the context of a cocktail party presents a great challenge for the auditory system.

29 May 2014

New approach provides a viable way to culture hESCs for clinical purposes

To be suitable for medical transplantation, one idea is that human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) need to remain "undifferentiated" i.e. they are not changing into other cell types.

29 May 2014

First Edition: May 29, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including articles on an inspector general's report on care at VA hospitals and growing pressure from some House Republicans to vote on an alternative to the Affordable Care Act.

29 May 2014

People with high levels of cynical distrust more likely to develop dementia, says study

People with high levels of cynical distrust may be more likely to develop dementia, according to a study published in the May 28, 2014, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 May 2014

Memory is more dynamic and changeable than previously thought, say researchers

Research presented by Morris Moscovitch, from the Rotman Research Institute at the University of Toronto, shows that memory is more dynamic and changeable than previously thought.

29 May 2014

Prenatal exposure to flame retardants can be linked to lower IQs

A new study involving Simon Fraser University researchers has found that prenatal exposure to flame retardants can be significantly linked to lower IQs and greater hyperactivity in five-year old children.

29 May 2014

New nanoscale structures capable of introducing "cocktail" of multiple drugs into cancer cells

Biomedical engineering researchers have developed daisy-shaped, nanoscale structures that are made predominantly of anti-cancer drugs and are capable of introducing a "cocktail" of multiple drugs into cancer cells.

29 May 2014

Tai Chi intervention offers anti-aging benefits, says study

Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese martial art and sport, has been found to be beneficial in raising the numbers of an important type of cell when three groups of young people were tested to discover the benefits of Tai Chi, brisk walking or no exercise.

29 May 2014

CytRx announces Phase 2b clinical trial results of aldoxorubicin in subjects with metastatic STS

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical research and development company specializing in oncology, today announced updated results from its ongoing multicenter, randomized, open-label global Phase 2b clinical trial investigating the efficacy and safety of aldoxorubicin compared with doxorubicin as first-line therapy in subjects with metastatic, locally advanced or unresectable soft tissue sarcomas.

28 May 2014

Researchers discover region of brain that enables children to overcome emotional self-centeredness as they mature

Children are more egocentric than adults. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig have demonstrated for the first time that children are also worse at putting themselves in other people's emotional shoes.

28 May 2014

Sports-related concussion heals slower than previously known, says study

Scientists at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, have shown that analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid after concussion can be used to determine the magnitude of brain injury and to follow its course.

28 May 2014

Study: Apolipoprotein E mimetic peptide protects against diffuse brain injury

Because the majority of patients with diffuse brain injury are not suitable candidates for surgery, neuroprotective agents are of great importance.

28 May 2014

Many children who are injured in traffic affected by posttraumatic stress disorder

Nearly every third child in Sweden who is injured in traffic is subsequently affected by posttraumatic stress disorder.

28 May 2014

Critically ill patients receiving steroids in ICU are more likely to develop delirium

New Johns Hopkins research suggests that critically ill patients receiving steroids in a hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) are significantly more likely to develop delirium. Results of their research, they say, suggest minimizing the use of steroids could reduce delirium in the ICU.

28 May 2014

Viewpoints: Political stand-off on insurance industry safeguards; VA's problems may lie in how government works

The Obama administration calls it an adjustment, Republicans call it a bailout and insurance companies call it the one thing that might keep them from raising rates and angering policyholders.

28 May 2014

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Cyclists improve performance during deception

Transplantation of embryonic neural cells can alleviate epilepsy seizure activity in mice

New research shows how misfolded proteins are precisely selected for degradation

Research: Women's faces are rated as more attractive in presence of pleasant odors

Researchers use patterned visual stimulation to control rapid re-wiring of nerve circuits

Research shows how brain distinguishes specific voices in noisy, distracting environments

New approach provides a viable way to culture hESCs for clinical purposes

First Edition: May 29, 2014

People with high levels of cynical distrust more likely to develop dementia, says study

Memory is more dynamic and changeable than previously thought, say researchers

Prenatal exposure to flame retardants can be linked to lower IQs

New nanoscale structures capable of introducing "cocktail" of multiple drugs into cancer cells

Tai Chi intervention offers anti-aging benefits, says study

CytRx announces Phase 2b clinical trial results of aldoxorubicin in subjects with metastatic STS

Researchers discover region of brain that enables children to overcome emotional self-centeredness as they mature

Sports-related concussion heals slower than previously known, says study

Study: Apolipoprotein E mimetic peptide protects against diffuse brain injury

Many children who are injured in traffic affected by posttraumatic stress disorder

Critically ill patients receiving steroids in ICU are more likely to develop delirium

Viewpoints: Political stand-off on insurance industry safeguards; VA's problems may lie in how government works

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd edition eBook

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Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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