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.

Preterm infants at high risk for significant long-term problems

Premature birth appears to trigger developmental processes in the white matter of the brain that could put children at higher risk of problems later in life, according to a study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

27 Nov 2013

Novel micro-catheter fluorescent dye method to treat aneurysm in deep brain

In March 2013, Eric Wagner told his wife to call 9-1-1 because he was feeling the worst that he had ever felt. He was rushed by EMS to University Hospitals (UH) Ahuja Medical Center, and then airlifted to UH Case Medical Center, where brain scans showed that he had a ruptured aneurysm, a leaking blister on a blood vessel that was letting blood flow into his brain and causing a stroke.

27 Nov 2013

DFG approves establishment of new Collaborative Research Centres

The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) has approved the establishment of nine new Collaborative Research Centres (CRCs).

27 Nov 2013

Research: Motor proteins transport mRNA to get where it is needed, prevent diseases

Scientists have found that mRNA may travel one way down a cell, then board another, aptly named motor protein, and head in the opposite direction to get where it ultimately needs to be.

27 Nov 2013

Study reveals how brain and olfactory system operate to process scent, odor signals

Our sense of smell is often the first response to environmental stimuli. Odors trigger neurons in the brain that alert us to take action.

27 Nov 2013

EPCs: A promising therapy for type 1 diabetes

Pancreatic islet transplantation is a promising therapy for treating type 1 diabetes, but the majority of transplanted cells die soon after they are transplanted.

27 Nov 2013

Protecting or boosting neurotrophins may slow progression of Huntington's disease

A drug that acts like a growth-promoting protein in the brain reduces degeneration and motor deficits associated with Huntington's disease in two mouse models of the disorder, according to a study appearing November 27 in the Journal of Neuroscience. The findings add to a growing body of evidence that protecting or boosting neurotrophins - the molecules that support the survival and function of nerve cells - may slow the progression of Huntington's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

27 Nov 2013

Treatments based on behavioral or non-invasive physiological stimulation show greatest potential

Because the concept of permanent neurological injury has given way to recognition of the brain's potential for long-term regeneration ad reorganization, rehabilitations strategies are undergoing radical changes. The potential for five new translational interventions was examined in an article published ahead of print on November 13 by Neurology Clinical Practice: Barrett AM, Oh-Park M, Chen P, Ifejika NL: Five New Things in Neurorehabilitation.

27 Nov 2013

Study links genetic predisposition to childhood obesity

Research has suggested that a particular gene in the brain's reward system contributes to overeating and obesity in adults. This same variant has now been linked to childhood obesity and tasty food choices, particularly for girls, according to a new study by Dr. Patricia Silveira and Prof. Michael Meaney of McGill University and Dr. Robert Levitan of the University of Toronto.

27 Nov 2013

Merck announces approval of NOXAFIL delayed-release tablets by FDA

Merck (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved NOXAFIL® (posaconazole) 100 mg delayed-release tablets.

27 Nov 2013

Study shows dl-3n-butylphthalide may have protective effects against diffuse brain injury

Dl-3n-butylphthalide can effectively treat cerebral ischemia; however, the mechanisms underlying the effects of dl-3n-butylphthalide on microcirculation disorders following diffuse brain injury remain unclear.

27 Nov 2013

Computer-based training programs does not help children with ADHD, says UCF researcher

Many parents spend thousands of dollars on computer-based training programs that claim to help children with ADHD succeed in the classroom and in peer relationships while reducing hyperactivity and inattentiveness. But a University of Central Florida researcher says parents are better off saving their hard-earned cash.

27 Nov 2013

International researchers report significant findings on vascular abnormality outside the brain

Studies on Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia have long focused on what's happening inside the brain. Now an international research team studying Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment is reporting potentially significant findings on a vascular abnormality outside the brain.

27 Nov 2013

BUSM & BMC win GCE grant to develop next-generation condom using nanotechnology

The department of radiology at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) is a Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) winner, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

26 Nov 2013

UK researchers identify a gene that regulates alcohol consumption

UK researchers have discovered a gene that regulates alcohol consumption and when faulty can cause excessive drinking. They have also identified the mechanism underlying this phenomenon.

26 Nov 2013

Auditory processing disorder diagnosis: an interview with Dr Doris-Eva Bamiou, UCL Ear Institute

It is a listening or hearing disorder, which is due to the brain’s defective analysis of sounds, so that individuals who are affected with this disorder cannot make sense of what they hear.

26 Nov 2013

Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease has joined cancer at the top of the list of feared diagnoses, and although Alzheimer's does have the potential to devastate millions of patients and families, there are reasons for hope - and possibly opportunities to reduce risk or alter the course of disease progression, according to Keith Black, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai.

26 Nov 2013

Researchers reveal why some breast cancer cells are resistant to chemotherapy

Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine, working with cell lines in a lab, have discovered why some of the most aggressive and fatal breast cancer cells are resistant to chemotherapy, and UNC scientists are developing ways to overcome such resistance.

26 Nov 2013

Asparagine found in meat, eggs and dairy products is important for normal brain development

Asparagine, found in foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy products, was until now considered non-essential because it is produced naturally by the body. Researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital found that the amino acid is essential for normal brain development.

26 Nov 2013

Lockheed Martin donates funds to new telehealth suite dedicated for wounded warriors

Thanks to a $4 million gift from Lockheed Martin, UCLA Health System's Operation Mend now has a state-of-the-art telehealth suite, which will enable improved communication between the program's personnel, patients and partners, and a renovated recovery area for the wounded warriors who undergo surgery at the Westwood facility.

26 Nov 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Preterm infants at high risk for significant long-term problems

Novel micro-catheter fluorescent dye method to treat aneurysm in deep brain

DFG approves establishment of new Collaborative Research Centres

Research: Motor proteins transport mRNA to get where it is needed, prevent diseases

Study reveals how brain and olfactory system operate to process scent, odor signals

EPCs: A promising therapy for type 1 diabetes

Protecting or boosting neurotrophins may slow progression of Huntington's disease

Treatments based on behavioral or non-invasive physiological stimulation show greatest potential

Study links genetic predisposition to childhood obesity

Merck announces approval of NOXAFIL delayed-release tablets by FDA

Study shows dl-3n-butylphthalide may have protective effects against diffuse brain injury

Computer-based training programs does not help children with ADHD, says UCF researcher

International researchers report significant findings on vascular abnormality outside the brain

BUSM & BMC win GCE grant to develop next-generation condom using nanotechnology

UK researchers identify a gene that regulates alcohol consumption

Auditory processing disorder diagnosis: an interview with Dr Doris-Eva Bamiou, UCL Ear Institute

Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease

Researchers reveal why some breast cancer cells are resistant to chemotherapy

Asparagine found in meat, eggs and dairy products is important for normal brain development

Lockheed Martin donates funds to new telehealth suite dedicated for wounded warriors

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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