Brain News and Research

RSS

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.

Identifying bipolarity through MRI's proves successful in initial results

What are some of the most troubling numbers in mental health? Six to 10 -- the number of years it can take to properly diagnose a mental health condition. Dr. Elizabeth Osuch, a Researcher at Lawson Health Research Institute and a Psychiatrist at London Health Sciences Centre and the Department of Psychiatry at Western University, is helping to end misdiagnosis by looking for a 'biomarker' in the brain that will help diagnose and treat two commonly misdiagnosed disorders.

16 Aug 2013

Study supports new diagnostic structure in toddlers with ASD

A study published in the August 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry demonstrates support for the changes in autism symptom structure for toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD found in the newly released Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)).

14 Aug 2013

Trinity researchers reveal CHD5 protein acts as tumor suppressor in nervous system development

CHD5 has previously been proposed as a tumour suppressor, acting as a brake that prevents healthy cells from developing into cancer cells. But the part played by the protein in healthy tissue, and whether this role is important for its ability to counter tumour growth, has remained largely uncharted.

14 Aug 2013

New study reports dramatic decline in ischemic stroke rates during the last decade

A new study reports that the incidence of ischemic stroke—the most common type of stroke, caused by a clot in the blood vessels of the brain—among non-Hispanic Whites and Mexican Americans over age 60 has declined over the past decade.

14 Aug 2013

New findings reveal that older prisoners have unmet health and social care needs

Prisons and partner organizations must do more to provide health and social care to growing population of older prisoners.

From The University of Manchester 14 Aug 2013

NIH awards $17M to research projects to investigate emerging field of exRNA

The National Institutes of Health announced today it will award $17 million this year for 24 research projects designed to improve scientists' understanding of a newly discovered type of cell-to-cell communication based on extracellular (outside the cell) RNA, also called exRNA.

14 Aug 2013

Pregnant women with thyroid hormone deficiency are 4 times likelier to produce autistic children

Pregnant women who don't make nearly enough thyroid hormone are nearly 4 times likelier to produce autistic children than healthy women, report scientists from the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute and Erasmus Medical Centre in an upcoming Annals of Neurology (online today).

14 Aug 2013

New protein switch plays dual role in memory-building activity

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have uncovered a protein switch that can either increase or decrease memory-building activity in brain cells, depending on the signals it detects.

14 Aug 2013

Regular exercise can give significant mental boost for HIV infected adults

Regular exercise is not only good for health, but can give people living with HIV a significant mental boost. This is according to a study by Dr. David J. Moore and colleagues at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), published in Springer's Journal of NeuroVirology.

14 Aug 2013

Neuroimaging specialists use tanners to identify whether UV light triggers brain's pleasure sensors

Neuroimaging specialists at UT Southwestern Medical Center are launching the first clinical trial involving frequent and infrequent tanners designed to identify whether UV light triggers the brain's pleasure sensors.

13 Aug 2013

Non-responsive patients can use selective auditory attention to communicate

A case study using functional magnetic resonance imaging suggests that behaviorally nonresponsive patients can use selective auditory attention to convey their ability to follow commands and communicate, according to a small study by Lorina Naci, Ph.D., and Adrian M. Owen, Ph.D., of Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

13 Aug 2013

Researchers identify clear genetic risk factors in patients with severe epilepsy

Neurologists and epilepsy researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center were among scientists who have 329 random genetic mutations associated with two of the most severe forms of epilepsy, according to a paper published today in Nature.

13 Aug 2013

Rice researchers frame rules to design viral capsid proteins for gene therapy

Rice University researchers are making strides toward a set of rules to custom-design Lego-like viral capsid proteins for gene therapy.

13 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: Obama overlooking legal constraints on employer mandate delay; Bush's 'unnecessary' heart procedure; discrimination against people with mental illnesses

In his Friday remarks, Mr. Obama also claimed that he had the "executive authority" for the mandate delay. But if he really believes that, then why did he say he would normally ask for a legislative "tweak." Either the fix requires legislation or it doesn't. His comments are certainly revealing about his attitudes on Presidential power and the constraints of the U.S. Constitution. Article II, Section 3 instructs him to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, not merely what he thinks is "the essence" of laws (8/10).

13 Aug 2013

Infants fed with DHA-enriched formula score better intelligence in early childhood

University of Kansas scientists have found that infants who were fed formula enriched with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) from birth to 12 months scored significantly better than a control group on several measures of intelligence conducted between the ages of three to six years.

13 Aug 2013

Preclinical study reveals pomalidomide shows promising results for treatment of CNS lymphoma

A drug recently approved for use in multiple myeloma is now being tested for its ability to fight central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma, a deadly cancer of the immune system that can affect the brain, spinal cord and fluid, and eyes.

13 Aug 2013

Research suggests Huntington's disease might begin in synapses

The synapses in the brain act as key communication points between approximately one hundred billion neurons. They form a complex network connecting various centres in the brain through electrical impulses. New research from Lund University suggests that it is precisely here, in the synapses, that Huntington's disease might begin.

13 Aug 2013

Study reveals new genetic mutations that cause epilepsy

Results from a landmark international study using state of the art technology has revealed new genetic mutations that cause epilepsy. The findings could help to advance treatments for the most severe forms of epilepsy.

13 Aug 2013

Nine risk factors for YOD in late adolescence

A study of Swedish men suggests nine risk factors, most of which can be traced to adolescence, account for most cases of young-onset dementia (YOD) diagnosed before the age of 65 years, according to a report published by JAMA Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

13 Aug 2013

Scientist develop mathematical model that predicts how individuals respond to cancer treatment

Vittorio Cristini, PhD, uses the example of an airplane to explain what he does in cancer research. "Before calculus," he says, "people couldn't really design a plane that would fly. You can do it by trial and error, but it would probably take centuries." Dr. Cristini has a faster way to try to understand cancer treatment. Like airplane designers today, he uses a mathematical model.

13 Aug 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Identifying bipolarity through MRI's proves successful in initial results

Study supports new diagnostic structure in toddlers with ASD

Trinity researchers reveal CHD5 protein acts as tumor suppressor in nervous system development

New study reports dramatic decline in ischemic stroke rates during the last decade

New findings reveal that older prisoners have unmet health and social care needs

NIH awards $17M to research projects to investigate emerging field of exRNA

Pregnant women with thyroid hormone deficiency are 4 times likelier to produce autistic children

New protein switch plays dual role in memory-building activity

Regular exercise can give significant mental boost for HIV infected adults

Neuroimaging specialists use tanners to identify whether UV light triggers brain's pleasure sensors

Non-responsive patients can use selective auditory attention to communicate

Researchers identify clear genetic risk factors in patients with severe epilepsy

Rice researchers frame rules to design viral capsid proteins for gene therapy

Viewpoints: Obama overlooking legal constraints on employer mandate delay; Bush's 'unnecessary' heart procedure; discrimination against people with mental illnesses

Infants fed with DHA-enriched formula score better intelligence in early childhood

Preclinical study reveals pomalidomide shows promising results for treatment of CNS lymphoma

Research suggests Huntington's disease might begin in synapses

Study reveals new genetic mutations that cause epilepsy

Nine risk factors for YOD in late adolescence

Scientist develop mathematical model that predicts how individuals respond to cancer treatment

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

Latest News