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.

Research shows promise for developing a method of clearly identifying cancerous tissue during surgery

First-of-its-kind research by the Innovation Institute at Henry Ford Hospital shows promise for developing a method of clearly identifying cancerous tissue during surgery on one of the most common and deadliest types of brain tumor.

30 Jan 2014

Running is more effective than walking for breast cancer survivors

Previous studies have shown that breast cancer survivors who meet the current exercise recommendations (2.5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity per week) are at 25% lower risk for dying from breast cancer.

29 Jan 2014

Researchers discover potential treatment for viral infection that causes illnesses in children

Researchers have discovered a potential treatment for a viral infection that causes potentially fatal brain swelling and paralysis in children. The findings also point to possible treatments for related viruses including those that cause "common cold" symptoms.

29 Jan 2014

Researchers identify new technique of measuring brain activity in newborns

JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments, will publish a procedure to identify newborns and children at-risk for developmental problems, especially those born prematurely.

29 Jan 2014

Susceptible loci identified for bipolar I disorder in Taiwanese

Researchers have identified three genetic loci that may be linked to bipolar I disorder risk in Taiwanese individuals.

29 Jan 2014

REM sleep, memory and depression: an interview with Dr Penny Lewis, University of Manchester

Usually you don’t go into REM until you’ve passed through all the other stages of sleep. The stage immediately before REM is slow-wave sleep.

From The University of Manchester 29 Jan 2014

Omeros announces positive results from Phase 2a trial of OMS824 in patients with schizophrenia

Omeros Corporation today announced positive results from a Phase 2a clinical trial of OMS824, the company's phosphodiesterase 10 (PDE10) inhibitor, in which the drug was well tolerated and demonstrated comparable systemic pharmacokinetics when administered alone and concomitantly with approved antipsychotic agents in patients with schizophrenia. OMS824 selectively inhibits PDE10, an enzyme expressed in areas of the brain linked to a wide range of diseases that affect cognition, including schizophrenia and Huntington's disease.

29 Jan 2014

FARA funds gene therapy-based research project to tackle Friedreich's ataxia

The gene therapy-based research project to tackle Friedreich's ataxia launched in November in labs at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine, in Barcelona, and the "Centro de Biolog-a Molecular Severo Ochoa", in Madrid, has received 100,000 US$ per year for two years from the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance.

29 Jan 2014

Global atlas identifies greatest need for palliative care in low-and middle-income countries

Only 1 in 10 people who need palliative care - that is medical care to relieve the pain, symptoms and stress of serious illness - is currently receiving it. This unmet need is mapped for the first time in the "Global atlas of palliative care at the end of life", published jointly by the WHO and the Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance.

29 Jan 2014

Therapath signs contract with United Healthcare to provide neuropathology services

Therapath LLC, the leader in comprehensive diagnostic and consultative neuropathology laboratory services, has signed a national contract with United Healthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), to provide the pathology analysis for these specialty services.

29 Jan 2014

Researchers identify unique area of human brain associated with cognitive powers

Oxford University researchers have identified an area of the human brain that appears unlike anything in the brains of some of our closest relatives.

29 Jan 2014

Study at Autism Speaks shows improvement towards universal early screening

A new study from researchers at Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, shows improvement towards universal early screening for autism.

29 Jan 2014

3-D model of famous amnesiac's brain helps illuminate human memory

During his lifetime, Henry G. Molaison (H.M.) was the best-known and possibly the most-studied patient of modern neuroscience. Now, thanks to the postmortem study of his brain, based on histological sectioning and digital three-dimensional construction led by Jacopo Annese, PhD, at the University of California, San Diego, scientists around the globe will finally have insight into the neurological basis of the case that defined modern studies of human memory.

29 Jan 2014

Early rehabilitation interventions seem to be essential for patient recovery after severe TBI

Early rehabilitation interventions seem to be essential for how well a patient recovers after a severe brain injury. It might even increase the chances for long-term survival, according to researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

29 Jan 2014

New vacuum-like tool removes potentially deadly, large clots in hearts

Instead of making a chest incision for open heart surgery, cardiovascular surgeons can now use a new vacuum-like tool to remove potentially deadly, large clots that lodge in patients' hearts.

29 Jan 2014

New research finds similarity in organization of regions of brain in humans and monkeys

New research suggests a surprising degree of similarity in the organization of regions of the brain that control language and complex thought processes in humans and monkeys.

29 Jan 2014

Low levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine in brain are important for cognition

Although inflammation is frequently a cause of disease in the body, research from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio indicates that low levels of a pro-inflammatory cytokine in the brain are important for cognition. Cytokines are proteins produced by the immune system.

28 Jan 2014

Study shows melatonin hormone may inhibit tumor growth and cell production

An early stage study shows melatonin - a hormone that regulates the body's sleep and awake cycles - may have the potential to help slow the growth of certain breast cancer tumors, according to researchers from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and Foundation for Research Support of the State of S-o Paulo.

28 Jan 2014

New molecule reduces diabetic patients' higher risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer's

Researchers at the Hebrew university of Jerusalem have created a molecule that could potentially lower diabetic patients' higher risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

28 Jan 2014

Johns Hopkins researchers reveal how non-CpG methylation may contribute to Rett Syndrome

In normal development, all cells turn off genes they don’t need, often by attaching a chemical methyl group to the DNA, a process called methylation. Historically, scientists believed methyl groups could only stick to a particular DNA sequence: a cytosine followed by a guanine, called CpG. But in recent years, they have been found on other sequences, and so-called non-CpG methylation has been found in stem cells, and in neurons in the brain.

28 Jan 2014

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Research shows promise for developing a method of clearly identifying cancerous tissue during surgery

Running is more effective than walking for breast cancer survivors

Researchers discover potential treatment for viral infection that causes illnesses in children

Researchers identify new technique of measuring brain activity in newborns

Susceptible loci identified for bipolar I disorder in Taiwanese

REM sleep, memory and depression: an interview with Dr Penny Lewis, University of Manchester

Omeros announces positive results from Phase 2a trial of OMS824 in patients with schizophrenia

FARA funds gene therapy-based research project to tackle Friedreich's ataxia

Global atlas identifies greatest need for palliative care in low-and middle-income countries

Therapath signs contract with United Healthcare to provide neuropathology services

Researchers identify unique area of human brain associated with cognitive powers

Study at Autism Speaks shows improvement towards universal early screening

3-D model of famous amnesiac's brain helps illuminate human memory

Early rehabilitation interventions seem to be essential for patient recovery after severe TBI

New vacuum-like tool removes potentially deadly, large clots in hearts

New research finds similarity in organization of regions of brain in humans and monkeys

Low levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine in brain are important for cognition

Study shows melatonin hormone may inhibit tumor growth and cell production

New molecule reduces diabetic patients' higher risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer's

Johns Hopkins researchers reveal how non-CpG methylation may contribute to Rett Syndrome

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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