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.

Aortic valve implantation does not impair mental capacity of patients

Aortic valve stenosis is the most frequent heart valve defect of older people in Europe - the cause is usually increasing calcification of this important valve. In patients at high and excessive risk, conventional cardiac surgery is often no therapeutic option.

6 Dec 2013

Study uncovers novel mechanism by which glioblastoma evades targeted therapies

A Ludwig Cancer Research study has uncovered an entirely novel mechanism by which glioblastoma, the most common kind of brain cancer, evades targeted therapies. Published in the current issue of the journal Science, the paper describes how GBM tumor cells essentially hide the signaling molecule targeted by such therapies, adding a layer of complexity to current models of drug resistance in cancer.

6 Dec 2013

Scientists test affected human nerve cells to foretell efficacy of Alzheimer drugs

Why do certain Alzheimer medications work in animal models but not in clinical trials in humans? A research team from the University of Bonn and the biomedical enterprise LIFE & BRAIN GmbH has been able to show that results of established test methods with animal models and cell lines used up until now can hardly be translated to the processes in the human brain. Drug testing should therefore be conducted with human nerve cells, conclude the scientists.

6 Dec 2013

Central analgesic mechanism of acupuncture for treating migraine remains poorly understood

The central analgesic mechanism of acupuncture for migraine remains poorly understood. Acupuncture has been shown to become a recommended treatment for migraine sufferers.

6 Dec 2013

Study reports new links between brain cell activity and choices where two options have equal appeal

Life presents us with choices all the time: salad or pizza for lunch? Tea or coffee afterward? How we make these everyday decisions has been a topic of great interest to economists, who have devised theories about how we assign values to our options and use those values to make decisions.

6 Dec 2013

Understanding biochemical mechanisms associated with memory formation

A discovery by a research team led by Dr. Ryohei Yasuda at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience has significantly advanced basic understanding of biochemical mechanisms associated with how memories are formed.

6 Dec 2013

Return to play on the same day after sports concussions not recommended

Any athlete with concussion symptoms should not be allowed to return to play on the same day, according to the latest consensus statement on sports-related concussion. The updated guidelines are summarized in Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

6 Dec 2013

Researchers discover biological mechanism that allows brain tumor cells to escape from drugs

Researchers from UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have discovered a biological mechanism that allows brain tumor cells to escape from the drugs designed to target them, resulting in drug resistance. The study was published in the December 5, 2013 online issue of Science.

6 Dec 2013

Scientists receive 2013 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for advancements in field of neuroscience

For discoveries about how the brain calculates and remembers where it is—which could be part of the foundation of memory—Columbia University will award the 2013 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize to Edvard I. Moser, PhD, and May-Britt Moser, PhD, of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Norway, and John Michael O'Keefe, PhD, of University College London in the UK.

6 Dec 2013

Molecular mechanisms of NR2B regulates age-related memory storage, brain aging

The N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor dysfunction in the brain of aged animals has been shown. In older rodents, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 2B subunit gene expression declines significantly associated with memory impairment.

6 Dec 2013

New program to investigate link between secondhand smoke and ADHD in children

Duke Medicine has established a new research program to investigate the relationship between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke during pregnancy and childhood and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

6 Dec 2013

Baylor researchers study outcomes and effectiveness of traumatic brain injury rehabilitation

For patients recovering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the rehabilitation process - compensating for changes in functioning, adaptation and even community reintegration - can be challenging.

6 Dec 2013

Study reveals that brain cancer cells resist therapy by dialing down gene mutation targeted by drugs

A team of scientists, led by principal investigator Paul S. Mischel, MD, a member of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and professor in the Department of Pathology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has found that brain cancer cells resist therapy by dialing down the gene mutation targeted by drugs, then re-amplify that growth-promoting mutation after therapy has stopped.

6 Dec 2013

Quadriplegics have heightened risk of central sleep apnea

There are over a million people with spinal cord injuries in the United States alone with an estimated 11,000 new cases every year. Furthermore, it is estimated that there are, at least, 100,000 veterans with SCI, making the VA the largest integrated health care system in the world for SCI care. But despite this large prevalence, researchers are still discovering all the various ways that SCI affect those with this condition beyond the obvious paralysis.

6 Dec 2013

Study results show insulin sensitizers reduce risk of cancer in female patients with type 2 diabetes

A Cleveland Clinic-led study shows that a specific type of diabetes drug can decrease the risk of cancer in female patients with type 2 diabetes by up to 32 percent.

5 Dec 2013

Researchers identify gene involved in building circuitry that relays signals via brain

Using a powerful gene-hunting technique for the first time in mammalian brain cells, researchers at Johns Hopkins report they have identified a gene involved in building the circuitry that relays signals through the brain.

5 Dec 2013

Measles still poses threat to domestic and global health security

Fifty years after the approval of an extremely effective vaccine against measles, one of the world's most contagious diseases, the virus still poses a threat to domestic and global health security.

5 Dec 2013

Brain anatomy affects cognitive control in children

The anatomy of the brain affects cognitive control, an essential skill for learning and academic success. This is the result of studies performed by the Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education de l'Enfant (CNRS/Université Paris Descartes/Université de Caen Basse-Normandie), in collaboration with the NeuroSpin Center (CEA).

5 Dec 2013

Children with prenatal alcohol exposure at higher risk of developing problems with social skills

A recent study published in Child Neuropsychology has found that drinking alcohol while pregnant means your child is more likely to develop issues with social skills as they grow older.

5 Dec 2013

New research shows that the brain can produce and release estrogen

A University of Wisconsin-Madison research team reports today that the brain can produce and release estrogen - a discovery that may lead to a better understanding of hormonal changes observed from before birth throughout the entire aging process.

5 Dec 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Aortic valve implantation does not impair mental capacity of patients

Study uncovers novel mechanism by which glioblastoma evades targeted therapies

Scientists test affected human nerve cells to foretell efficacy of Alzheimer drugs

Central analgesic mechanism of acupuncture for treating migraine remains poorly understood

Study reports new links between brain cell activity and choices where two options have equal appeal

Understanding biochemical mechanisms associated with memory formation

Return to play on the same day after sports concussions not recommended

Researchers discover biological mechanism that allows brain tumor cells to escape from drugs

Scientists receive 2013 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for advancements in field of neuroscience

Molecular mechanisms of NR2B regulates age-related memory storage, brain aging

New program to investigate link between secondhand smoke and ADHD in children

Baylor researchers study outcomes and effectiveness of traumatic brain injury rehabilitation

Study reveals that brain cancer cells resist therapy by dialing down gene mutation targeted by drugs

Quadriplegics have heightened risk of central sleep apnea

Study results show insulin sensitizers reduce risk of cancer in female patients with type 2 diabetes

Researchers identify gene involved in building circuitry that relays signals via brain

Measles still poses threat to domestic and global health security

Brain anatomy affects cognitive control in children

Children with prenatal alcohol exposure at higher risk of developing problems with social skills

New research shows that the brain can produce and release estrogen

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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