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.

Government of Canada awards $8.76M in funding to develop cure for HIV

In the push for a cure for HIV, the Government of Canada has announced $8.76 million in funding to Université de Montréal and Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal Professor éric A. Cohen, who will lead an unrivaled group of Canadian investigators and international collaborators with a strong track record of interactive research.

29 Nov 2013

Neuroscientists discover how brain cells form "geotags" for specific memories

Using a video game in which people navigate through a virtual town delivering objects to specific locations, a team of neuroscientists from the University of Pennsylvania and Freiburg University has discovered how brain cells that encode spatial information form "geotags" for specific memories and are activated immediately before those memories are recalled.

29 Nov 2013

Researchers identify gene responsible for malfunctions in fear-related memory system

A study published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience points, for the first time, to the gene trkC as a factor in susceptibility to the disease. The researchers define the specific mechanism for the formation of fear memories which will help in the development of new pharmacological and cognitive treatments.

29 Nov 2013

Childhood asthma, eczema linked to adolescent psychotic experiences

UK research indicates that children with asthma and eczema are significantly more likely to have psychotic experiences during adolescence, boosting a previously reported relationship between schizophrenia and atopic disorders.

28 Nov 2013

Research: Modification of SUMO protein plays vital role in normal brain function

Scientists are a step closer to understanding how some of the brain's 100 billion nerve cells co-ordinate their communication.

28 Nov 2013

Occludin and connexin 43 expression may reflect pathogenesis of brain injury

Understanding the pathogenesis of brain edema may allow for the prevention and treatment of edema in the field of neurosurgery, thus resulting in better treatments for intracranial diseases.

28 Nov 2013

Compound extracted from wine-processed Fructus corni protects hippocampal neurons from damage

Studies have shown that Fructus corni has a protective effect on hepatocytes, and has anticancer, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, a compound extracted from wine-processed Fructus corni, has a protective effect on hippocampal neurons damaged by H2O2.

28 Nov 2013

Screening for genetic mutations may help identify silent carriers of adrenal Cushing's syndrome

Genetic research that will be published tomorrow in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests to Dr. André Lacroix, professor at the University of Montreal, that clinicians' understanding and treatment of a form of Cushing's syndrome affecting both adrenal glands will be fundamentally changed, and that moreover, it might be appropriate to begin screening for the genetic mutations that cause this form of the disease.

28 Nov 2013

Modafinil in combination with antidepressants reduces severity of depression more effectively

A new study has concluded that taking the drug modafinil, typically used to treat sleep disorders, in combination with antidepressants reduces the severity of depression more effectively than taking antidepressants alone.

28 Nov 2013

Accumulation of small protein in brain’s blood vessels can drive early cognitive impairment

A team of Stony Brook University researchers led by William Van Nostrand, PhD, Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery, has discovered in a model of Alzheimer's disease that early accumulation of a small protein, known as amyloid β, in the blood vessels of the brain can drive early cognitive impairment.

28 Nov 2013

Longer looks: Providing dental care in rural Alaska; the after-effects of the ICU; cure for allergies

Aniak, Alaska, is a Yu'pik village of 500 people on the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta, about 400 miles northwest of Anchorage. It is in this special and isolated community where I practice as a dental therapist, trained and certified to deliver some, but not all, types of dental care. Dental therapists have been practicing in Alaska for nine years and now provide routine dental care to 40,000 Native Alaskans. In the United States about forty-seven million people live in areas where there is a shortage of dentists, and millions more can't afford to see them. For so many Americans, even the most basic dental care is out of reach. Yet right here in Alaska, I think we've found part of the solution (Conan Murat, November, 2013).

28 Nov 2013

NIBIB-funded researchers explore better treatment for brain aneurysms

Thirty thousand Americans suffer severe neurological damage or death from brain aneurysms each year and the existing treatments eventually fail in nearly half of patients. Currently, these "bubbles" in the blood vessel are either clamped off, which requires invasive brain surgery, or filled with platinum coils to induce clotting in the aneurysm. Both treatments, although somewhat effective, can have subsequent problems, including inflammation, incomplete healing, and the development of secondary aneurysms adjacent to the initial site. These complications result in approximately 40 percent of patients needing additional treatment to attempt to re-repair the aneurysm.

28 Nov 2013

Drugs delivered by nanoparticles hold promise for targeted treatment of many diseases, including cancer

Drugs delivered by nanoparticles hold promise for targeted treatment of many diseases, including cancer. However, the particles have to be injected into patients, which has limited their usefulness so far.

27 Nov 2013

CRI researcher receives grant from DIPG to research on pediatric brain tumors

Javad Nazarian, PhD, a researcher with Children's Research Institute (CRI) at Children's National, is the recipient of a $99,979 grant from the DIPG Collaborative for his proposal entitled, "Comparative Proteomic and RNA Sequencing of DIPGs."

27 Nov 2013

Scientists find possible new treatment for people with spinal cord injuries

Scientists may have found a new treatment that can help people with spinal cord injuries walk better. The research is published in the November 27, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Nov 2013

Mutation in alpha-synuclein gene causes increased vulnerability to pesticides, leading to Parkinson's

A team of researchers has brought new clarity to the picture of how gene-environmental interactions can kill nerve cells that make dopamine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination.

27 Nov 2013

Brain research provides new clues to Pavlovian conditioning

Do fruit flies hold the key to treating dementia? Researchers at the University of Houston have taken a significant step forward in unraveling the mechanisms of Pavlovian conditioning. Their work will help them understand how memories form and, ultimately, provide better treatments to improve memory in all ages.

27 Nov 2013

Neuroimaging could predict psychosis treatment response

Assessing white matter integrity in patients with first-episode psychosis may predict who will respond to antipsychotic treatment, research suggests.

27 Nov 2013

US may be losing ground as the leader in biomedical research

The United States may be losing ground as the leader in biomedical research and within the next five years will be second to China in the funds it spends for R&D, according to Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D, director of the National Institutes of Health.

27 Nov 2013

Advances in cardiovascular sciences to be discussed at University of Leicester

Advances in Cardiovascular Sciences are to be showcased in two public lectures at the University of Leicester.

27 Nov 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Government of Canada awards $8.76M in funding to develop cure for HIV

Neuroscientists discover how brain cells form "geotags" for specific memories

Researchers identify gene responsible for malfunctions in fear-related memory system

Childhood asthma, eczema linked to adolescent psychotic experiences

Research: Modification of SUMO protein plays vital role in normal brain function

Occludin and connexin 43 expression may reflect pathogenesis of brain injury

Compound extracted from wine-processed Fructus corni protects hippocampal neurons from damage

Screening for genetic mutations may help identify silent carriers of adrenal Cushing's syndrome

Modafinil in combination with antidepressants reduces severity of depression more effectively

Accumulation of small protein in brain’s blood vessels can drive early cognitive impairment

Longer looks: Providing dental care in rural Alaska; the after-effects of the ICU; cure for allergies

NIBIB-funded researchers explore better treatment for brain aneurysms

Drugs delivered by nanoparticles hold promise for targeted treatment of many diseases, including cancer

CRI researcher receives grant from DIPG to research on pediatric brain tumors

Scientists find possible new treatment for people with spinal cord injuries

Mutation in alpha-synuclein gene causes increased vulnerability to pesticides, leading to Parkinson's

Brain research provides new clues to Pavlovian conditioning

Neuroimaging could predict psychosis treatment response

US may be losing ground as the leader in biomedical research

Advances in cardiovascular sciences to be discussed at University of Leicester

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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