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.

Neurosurgeons use minimally-invasive technique to remove brain tumor

More than two decades ago, Ryan Vincent had open brain surgery to remove a malignant brain tumor, resulting in a lengthy hospital stay and weeks of recovery at home.

5 Nov 2013

Magnesium deficiency may play important role in cognitive impairment

November is National Alzheimer's Awareness Month and the serious issues of cognitive health will be in the spotlight in the coming weeks. The medical community agrees that cognitive impairment, ranging from mild to severe, is almost epidemic in the U.S. as the Baby Boomer generation is aging and living longer. Scientists believe one reason is that the human brain begins shrinking after age 25. Structural changes and loss of brain synapses lead to rapid decline in cognitive health.

5 Nov 2013

Voxel-based morphometry can accurately assess loss of gray matter in patients with Parkinson's disease

Non-motor symptoms, including abnormalities in cognition, mental behaviors, autonomic nerves and sensory perception, have the greatest effect on the quality of in Parkinson's disease patient life.

5 Nov 2013

California gets 'A' grade on March of Dimes 2013 Premature Birth report card

California has improved its grade on the March of Dimes 2013 Premature Birth report card, moving from a 'B' grade in 2012 to an 'A' grade in 2013.

4 Nov 2013

Stem cell therapy after traumatic brain injury promotes lasting cognitive improvement

A stem cell therapy previously shown to reduce inflammation in the critical time window after traumatic brain injury also promotes lasting cognitive improvement, according to preclinical research led by Charles Cox, M.D., at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School.

4 Nov 2013

Researchers find crucial step in determining normal aging

For the first time in a large study sample, the decline in brain function in normal aging is conclusively shown to be influenced by genes, say researchers from the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio and Yale University.

4 Nov 2013

Generic drug gabapentin appears to be safe, effective in treating alcohol dependence

The generic drug gabapentin, which is already widely prescribed for epilepsy and some kinds of pain, appears to be safe and effective in the treatment of alcohol dependence. The finding comes from a 150-patient randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind clinical trial conducted by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute.

4 Nov 2013

Neuroimaging findings indicate presence of 'fatigue-network' in individuals with MS

A new study by Kessler Foundation scientists sheds light on the mechanisms underlying cognitive fatigue in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Cognitive fatigue is fatigue resulting from mental work rather than from physical labor.

4 Nov 2013

Study in mice may help in the development of more effective treatments for anxiety disorders

Excessive fear can develop after a traumatic experience, leading to anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and phobias. During exposure therapy, an effective and common treatment for anxiety disorders, the patient confronts a fear or memory of a traumatic event in a safe environment, which leads to a gradual loss of fear.

4 Nov 2013

SRI to expand current preclinical molecular imaging capabilities with MILabs VECTor+ system

MILabs is pleased to announce that Sunnybrook Research Institute, the research arm of the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, located in Toronto, Canada will install a MILabs VECTor+ system to expand their current preclinical molecular imaging capabilities.

4 Nov 2013

Scientists find surprising degree of variation among genomes of individual neurons

It was once thought that each cell in a person's body possesses the same DNA code and that the particular way the genome is read imparts cell function and defines the individual. For many cell types in our bodies, however, that is an oversimplification.

4 Nov 2013

Aerobic exercise improves memory in individuals with MS, shows study

A research study headed by Victoria Leavitt, Ph.D. and James Sumowski, Ph.D., of Kessler Foundation, provides the first evidence for beneficial effects of aerobic exercise on brain and memory in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS).

3 Nov 2013

FDG-PET parameter predicts locally advanced lung cancer survival

High post-treatment concentrations of a radioactive imaging marker are predictive of worse overall survival from inoperable, locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer, prospective study findings suggest.

31 Oct 2013

Large, rare CNV burden reduced in bipolar disorder

Large and rare chromosomal copy number variants are uncommon in patients with bipolar disorder, even those with early-onset disease, study findings confirm.

31 Oct 2013

New therapeutic approach for treating type 2 diabetes

Scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München (HMGU) and the Technische Universität München (TUM), together with scientists in the USA, have developed a new therapeutic approach for treatment of type 2 diabetes.

31 Oct 2013

Array BioPharma reports net loss of $0.13 per share for first quarter of fiscal 2014

Array BioPharma Inc. today reported results for the first quarter of its fiscal year ending June 30, 2014.

31 Oct 2013

Researchers identify new way to determine successful surgical outcomes for epilepsy

A discovery from Case Western Reserve and Cleveland Clinic researchers could provide epilepsy patients invaluable advance guidance about their chances to improve symptoms through surgery.

31 Oct 2013

ARIAD temporarily suspends commercial distribution of Iclusig drug in US

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it is temporarily suspending the marketing and commercial distribution of Iclusig® (ponatinib), a treatment for patients with resistant or intolerant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia-chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL), in the United States, while it continues to negotiate updates to the U.S. prescribing information for Iclusig and implementation of a risk mitigation strategy.

31 Oct 2013

Scientists uncover new mechanism through which gene expression is regulated

A new study by Weill Cornell Medical College scientists reveals a mechanism through which the expression of genes is controlled -- a finding that highlights genetic mutations that can impair the timing of gene expression.

31 Oct 2013

Prana's PBT2 effective in reversing memory, learning losses associated with aging process

Prana Biotechnology, a leading global developer of first-in-class treatments for neurodegenerative disease, has today announced the publication of an article in the peer reviewed Aging Cell showing the effects of PBT2 on neurogenesis and in reversing the memory and learning losses associated with the aging process, in normal (ie non transgenic) old mice.

31 Oct 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Neurosurgeons use minimally-invasive technique to remove brain tumor

Magnesium deficiency may play important role in cognitive impairment

Voxel-based morphometry can accurately assess loss of gray matter in patients with Parkinson's disease

California gets 'A' grade on March of Dimes 2013 Premature Birth report card

Stem cell therapy after traumatic brain injury promotes lasting cognitive improvement

Researchers find crucial step in determining normal aging

Generic drug gabapentin appears to be safe, effective in treating alcohol dependence

Neuroimaging findings indicate presence of 'fatigue-network' in individuals with MS

Study in mice may help in the development of more effective treatments for anxiety disorders

SRI to expand current preclinical molecular imaging capabilities with MILabs VECTor+ system

Scientists find surprising degree of variation among genomes of individual neurons

Aerobic exercise improves memory in individuals with MS, shows study

FDG-PET parameter predicts locally advanced lung cancer survival

Large, rare CNV burden reduced in bipolar disorder

New therapeutic approach for treating type 2 diabetes

Array BioPharma reports net loss of $0.13 per share for first quarter of fiscal 2014

Researchers identify new way to determine successful surgical outcomes for epilepsy

ARIAD temporarily suspends commercial distribution of Iclusig drug in US

Scientists uncover new mechanism through which gene expression is regulated

Prana's PBT2 effective in reversing memory, learning losses associated with aging process

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st 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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