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.

Prefrontal glutamate abnormalities confined to established psychosis

Abnormalities in glutamate and glutamine levels in the prefrontal cortex are only present in patients with chronic schizophrenia, say researchers.

24 Sep 2013

Changes in national diets linked to dramatic rise in AD prevalence in Japan and developing countries

In a paper just published electronically in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, dramatic increases in Alzheimer's disease in Japan and significant increases in developing countries are linked to changes in national diets.

24 Sep 2013

Caffeine intake results in delayed brain development

Humans and other mammals show particularly intensive sleeping patterns during puberty. The brain also matures fastest in this period. But when pubescent rats are administered caffeine, the maturing processes in their brains are delayed. This is the result of a study supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).

24 Sep 2013

Stereotactic radiosurgery improves survival in adult brain cancer patients under 50

When treated with stereotactic radiosurgery, that is not combined with whole brain radiotherapy, adult brain cancer patients who were 50 years old and younger were found to have improved survival, according to research presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO's) 55th Annual Meeting.

24 Sep 2013

Increasing eye patching is effective at treating persistent amblyopia in children

The standard treatment for amblyopia, a condition of poor vision in an otherwise healthy eye, is patching: covering a child's better-seeing eye with a patch for two hours a day to improve vision in the weaker eye.

24 Sep 2013

Long-term abstinence from cocaine does not result in complete normalization of brain circuitry

It is often said that once people develop an addiction, they can never completely eliminate their attraction to the abused substance. New findings provide further support for this notion by suggesting that even long-term abstinence from cocaine does not result in a complete normalization of brain circuitry.

24 Sep 2013

Brains could process new situations by relying on method similar to "pointer" system

Our brains give us the remarkable ability to make sense of situations we've never encountered before-a familiar person in an unfamiliar place, for example, or a coworker in a different job role-but the mechanism our brains use to accomplish this has been a longstanding mystery of neuroscience.

24 Sep 2013

Study shows beneficial effects of mild hypothermia on cellular responses to TBI

Moderate reductions in body temperature can improve outcomes after a person suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI). New research that identifies positive effects of mild hypothermia on brain tissue is presented in an article published in Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

24 Sep 2013

Study suggests certain pediatric surgeries carry low risk of serious blood loss

Certain pediatric surgeries carry such low risk of serious blood loss that clinicians can safely forgo expensive blood typing and blood stocking before such procedures, suggest the results of a small study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

24 Sep 2013

Proton radiotherapy proves to be cost-effective in treating pediatric brain tumors

Proton therapy, an external beam radiotherapy in which protons deliver precise radiation doses to a tumor and spare healthy organs and tissues, is cost-effective in treating medulloblastomas, fast-growing brain tumors that mainly affect children, when compared to standard photon radiation therapy, according to research presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology's (ASTRO's) 55th Annual Meeting.

24 Sep 2013

Researchers develop first imaging tool to examine myelin damage in MS

Researchers have made an exciting breakthrough - developing a first-of-its-kind imaging tool to examine myelin damage in multiple sclerosis (MS). An extremely difficult disease to diagnose, the tool will help physicians diagnose patients earlier, monitor the disease's progression, and evaluate therapy efficacy.

24 Sep 2013

UT Arlington team to lead $1M NSF grant project to develop smart rehabilitation system

A UT Arlington multidisciplinary team will lead a three-year, $1 million National Science Foundation grant project to develop iRehab, a smart rehabilitation system that can adapt and personalize therapy programs based on a patient's needs and constraints.

24 Sep 2013

Protecting stem cells around hippocampus in brain reduces rate of memory loss in cancer patients

Protecting the stem cells that reside in and around the hippocampus - a C-shaped area in the temporal lobe on both sides of the brain associated with the ability to form and store memories - substantially reduces the rate of cancer patients' memory loss during whole-brain radiotherapy without a significant risk of recurrence in that area of the brain, a new study shows.

24 Sep 2013

Kessler researcher receives Clinical Biomechanics Award from American Society of Biomechanics

Peter Barrance, PhD, of Kessler Foundation received the 2013 Clinical Biomechanics Award on September 7 at the 37th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Biomechanics in Omaha, Nebraska.

24 Sep 2013

Rice University researchers come up with touch-to-access security for implanted devices

Pacemakers, insulin pumps, defibrillators and other implantable medical devices often have wireless capabilities that allow emergency workers to monitor patients. But these devices have a potential downside: They can be hacked.

24 Sep 2013

Scientists validate new system for identifying individuals with preclinical Alzheimer's disease

For years, scientists have attempted to understand how Alzheimer's disease harms the brain before memory loss and dementia are clinically detectable. Most researchers think this preclinical stage, which can last a decade or more before symptoms appear, is the critical phase when the disease might be controlled or stopped, possibly preventing the failure of memory and thinking abilities in the first place.

24 Sep 2013

New diagnostic criteria for TSC appear in recent online issue of Pediatric Neurology

A paper detailing new diagnostic criteria for tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) appears in the most recent online issue of Pediatric Neurology. The author is Hope Northrup, M.D., professor of pediatrics at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

24 Sep 2013

Respicardia reports results from remede System Pilot Study for central sleep apnea treatment

Respicardia, a developer of implantable therapies to improve respiratory and cardiovascular health, announced results from the remede System Pilot Study during the Heart Failure Society of America Late Breaking Scientific Session in Orlando. Dr. William T. Abraham of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus presented the results for the first and only implantable device for respiratory rhythm management to treat central sleep apnea.

24 Sep 2013

Researchers discover drug that halts growth of brain tumor cells

Working with mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that weeks of treatment with a repurposed FDA-approved drug halted the growth of - and ultimately left no detectable trace of - brain tumor cells taken from adult human patients.

24 Sep 2013

Sleep disturbances may influence vascular cognitive decline

Patients with vascular cognitive impairment without dementia have distinct abnormal sleep patterns that may be related to their cognitive deficits, researchers report.

23 Sep 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Prefrontal glutamate abnormalities confined to established psychosis

Changes in national diets linked to dramatic rise in AD prevalence in Japan and developing countries

Caffeine intake results in delayed brain development

Stereotactic radiosurgery improves survival in adult brain cancer patients under 50

Increasing eye patching is effective at treating persistent amblyopia in children

Long-term abstinence from cocaine does not result in complete normalization of brain circuitry

Brains could process new situations by relying on method similar to "pointer" system

Study shows beneficial effects of mild hypothermia on cellular responses to TBI

Study suggests certain pediatric surgeries carry low risk of serious blood loss

Proton radiotherapy proves to be cost-effective in treating pediatric brain tumors

Researchers develop first imaging tool to examine myelin damage in MS

UT Arlington team to lead $1M NSF grant project to develop smart rehabilitation system

Protecting stem cells around hippocampus in brain reduces rate of memory loss in cancer patients

Kessler researcher receives Clinical Biomechanics Award from American Society of Biomechanics

Rice University researchers come up with touch-to-access security for implanted devices

Scientists validate new system for identifying individuals with preclinical Alzheimer's disease

New diagnostic criteria for TSC appear in recent online issue of Pediatric Neurology

Respicardia reports results from remede System Pilot Study for central sleep apnea treatment

Researchers discover drug that halts growth of brain tumor cells

Sleep disturbances may influence vascular cognitive decline

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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