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.

Ability to draw spontaneously may be preserved in brains of artists even after vascular dementia

The ability to draw spontaneously as well as from memory may be preserved in the brains of artists long after the deleterious effects of vascular dementia have diminished their capacity to complete simple, everyday tasks, according to a new study by physicians at St. Michael's Hospital.

26 Aug 2013

BES procedure may prevent cell apoptosis in stem cell-based transplantation therapy

Researchers at the Beihang University School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, led by Dr. Yubo Fan, have discovered that Biphasic Electrical stimulation (BES), a non-chemical procedure, may be used as a strategy for preventing cell apoptosis in stem cell-based transplantation therapy.

26 Aug 2013

Researchers identify compound that eases symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Researchers at Johns Hopkins and elsewhere have brought new clarity to the picture of what goes awry in the brain during Parkinson's disease and identified a compound that eases the disease's symptoms in mice.

26 Aug 2013

Article sheds new light on differences between normal aging and Alzheimer's disease

The ability of different regions of the brain to communicate gradually breaks down with aging and in Alzheimer's disease, but there are key differences between these two processes. Some of these differences are reported in a study that compared neural networks, signaling efficiency, and disruptions in connectivity in the brains of healthy elderly subjects and patients with Alzheimer's disease.

23 Aug 2013

Innovative memory aid system for dementia patients

A NEW ‘home help’ website giving dementia patients timely reminders and reassuring them of key visits of family, relatives, social activities and carers is being trialled in a care home in Sheffield.

23 Aug 2013

Loyola neurologists describe first known case of musical hallucinations

One night when she was trying to fall asleep, a 60-year-old woman suddenly began hearing music, as if a radio were playing at the back of her head. The songs were popular tunes her husband recognized when she sang or hummed them. But she herself could not identify them. This is the first known case of a patient hallucinating music that was familiar to people around her, but that she herself did not recognize, according to Dr. Danilo Vitorovic and Dr. José Biller of Loyola University Medical Center.

23 Aug 2013

Board of Directors approve interim report for second quarter 2013

DiaGenic: The interim report for the second quarter 2013 was approved by the Board of Directors on 22 August 2013. Please find the interim report and presentation attached.

23 Aug 2013

Study suggests that human brains are hardwired to empathize with friends, spouses

Perhaps one of the most defining features of humanity is our capacity for empathy - the ability to put ourselves in others' shoes. A new University of Virginia study strongly suggests that we are hardwired to empathize because we closely associate people who are close to us - friends, spouses, lovers - with our very selves.

23 Aug 2013

Stem cell therapy improves radiation-induced cognitive impairment

Patients receiving cranial irradiation treatment for brain cancer may find the treatment life-saving, but often suffer progressive and debilitating cognitive detriments, including spatial learning and memory deficits. The cognitive deficits are a contributing factor to the often significant adverse impacts on the surviving patients' quality of life after radiation therapy. In an effort to improve post-irradiation cognitive impairment, scientists at the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues at Neuralstem, Inc. (Rockville, MD), have transplanted fetal stem cells into laboratory animals with radiation-induced cognitive impairments and found that this led to a number of cognitive improvements.

23 Aug 2013

Longer looks: Gunshot season for surgeons; Hispanic teen suicide; the economics of pregnancy

Every week reporter Ankita Rao selects interesting reading from around the Web.

23 Aug 2013

MFDCs have advantages over adult skin cells, including proliferation and differentiation

Multipotent fetal dermal cells (MFDCs) may be an ideal source for cell therapy for repairing damaged tissues and organs. Their performance is superior to that of adult dermal cells, said a research team in Italy that developed a cell isolation technique for MFDCs and subsequently published a study that appears as an early e-publication for the journal Cell Transplantation.

23 Aug 2013

UH, TMHRI receive grants to advance research on robotic exoskeleton

The Cullen Foundation and The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) have awarded grants to a robotics research project by the University of Houston (UH) and The Methodist Hospital Research Institute (TMHRI).

23 Aug 2013

Scientists develop new way to detect threatening nanoparticles in food

Over the last few years, the use of nanomaterials for water treatment, food packaging, pesticides, cosmetics and other industries has increased. For example, farmers have used silver nanoparticles as a pesticide because of their capability to suppress the growth of harmful organisms. However, a growing concern is that these particles could pose a potential health risk to humans and the environment.

23 Aug 2013

Georgia State University receives $3.4M grant to investigate neurobiology behind evolution of emotions

The Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, led by Georgia State University, has received a $3.4 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation to investigate the neurobiology behind the evolution of positive emotions and prosocial behaviors, such as empathy, compassion and cooperation.

23 Aug 2013

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals signs SPA agreements with FDA for NAV5001 Phase 3 program

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on precision diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals, today announced that it has reached agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for two special protocol assessments for the Company's pivotal Phase 3 program with NAV5001 as an aid in the differential diagnosis of Parkinsonian Syndromes from non-Parkinsonian tremor.

23 Aug 2013

Neuroscientist from DZNE wins 1.3M Euros to explore how spatial orientation changes in elderly humans

Prof. Thomas Wolbers from the Magdeburg site of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) has been awarded a "Starting Grant" from the European Research Council (ERC) and thus, the support of one of Europe's most prestigious funding programs. Wolbers, who in 2012 was jointly appointed by the Otto-von-Guericke-Universit-t Magdeburg and the DZNE as professor for "Cognitive Ageing", will explore how spatial orientation changes in elderly humans.

23 Aug 2013

Brain size can predispose person to develop eating disorders

New research indicates that teens with anorexia nervosa have bigger brains than teens that do not have the eating disorder. That is according to a study by researchers at the University of Colorado's School of Medicine that examined a group of adolescents with anorexia nervosa and a group without.

23 Aug 2013

Brain Study Suggests New Way To Treat Anxiety

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22 Aug 2013

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy may affect people's thinking, memory, behavior and mood

New research suggests that chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disease associated with repeat brain trauma including concussions in athletes, may affect people in two major ways: initially affecting behavior or mood or initially affecting memory and thinking abilities.

22 Aug 2013

Research findings may lead to treatments for disorders triggered by circadian clock dysfunction

Overnight flights across the Atlantic, graveyard shifts, stress-induced insomnia are all prime culprits in keeping us from getting a good night's sleep. Thanks to new research from McGill University and Concordia University, however, these common sleep disturbances may one day be put to bed.

22 Aug 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Ability to draw spontaneously may be preserved in brains of artists even after vascular dementia

BES procedure may prevent cell apoptosis in stem cell-based transplantation therapy

Researchers identify compound that eases symptoms of Parkinson's disease

Article sheds new light on differences between normal aging and Alzheimer's disease

Innovative memory aid system for dementia patients

Loyola neurologists describe first known case of musical hallucinations

Board of Directors approve interim report for second quarter 2013

Study suggests that human brains are hardwired to empathize with friends, spouses

Stem cell therapy improves radiation-induced cognitive impairment

Longer looks: Gunshot season for surgeons; Hispanic teen suicide; the economics of pregnancy

MFDCs have advantages over adult skin cells, including proliferation and differentiation

UH, TMHRI receive grants to advance research on robotic exoskeleton

Scientists develop new way to detect threatening nanoparticles in food

Georgia State University receives $3.4M grant to investigate neurobiology behind evolution of emotions

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals signs SPA agreements with FDA for NAV5001 Phase 3 program

Neuroscientist from DZNE wins 1.3M Euros to explore how spatial orientation changes in elderly humans

Brain size can predispose person to develop eating disorders

Brain Study Suggests New Way To Treat Anxiety

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy may affect people's thinking, memory, behavior and mood

Research findings may lead to treatments for disorders triggered by circadian clock dysfunction

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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