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.

Neuroscientists uncover the source of visual system's 'false alarms'

On rare occasion, the light-sensing photoreceptor cells in the eye misfire and signal to the brain as if they have captured photons, when in reality they haven't. For years this phenomenon remained a mystery. Reporting in the June 10 issue of Science, neuroscientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have discovered that a light-capturing pigment molecule in photoreceptors can be triggered by heat, as well, giving rise to these false alarms.

10 Jun 2011

Researchers develop new imaging technology to detect cardiovascular disease

Researchers have developed a new type of imaging technology to diagnose cardiovascular disease and other disorders by measuring ultrasound signals from molecules exposed to a fast-pulsing laser.

10 Jun 2011

Masimo receives GOLD 2011 Medical Design Excellence Award for Pronto-7 noninvasive hemoglobin

Masimo Corporation announced today that its Pronto-7 handheld noninvasive hemoglobin, arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2), pulse rate, and perfusion index spot-check testing device has received the GOLD 2011 Medical Design Excellence Award—the highest award given in the general hospital devices and therapeutic products category.

10 Jun 2011

Study finds brain differences in preschool children with symptoms of ADHD

In a study published today in the Clinical Neuropsychologist, researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute found differences in the brain development of preschool children with symptoms of Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

10 Jun 2011

Scripps Research receives $2.2M NIH grant to develop novel therapeutics for substance abuse

The Scripps Research Institute has been awarded a $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop novel therapeutics for the treatment of addiction to multiple substances in a national effort with the University of Kansas.

10 Jun 2011

Exercise protects against silent stroke: Study

Strokes can cause brain damage by cutting off blood flow to the brain. But unlike major strokes, recognizable by symptoms such as weakness on one side of the body and trouble speaking, so-called silent strokes by definition go unnoticed. Symptoms can include subtle memory and mobility problems, as well as an increased risk for future strokes, according to the American Academy of Neurology. Silent strokes are also different from mini-strokes, which are noticeable but last only for minutes or hours.

9 Jun 2011

Smoking keeps weight off: Study finds out how

The researchers have found that nicotine activates a pathway in the brain that suppresses appetite. The study was published in the journal Science. The authors believe this discovery should lead to better diet drugs.

9 Jun 2011

Abbott reports positive interim results from LCIG Phase III open-label study for advanced Parkinson's disease

Interim efficacy and safety results from a long-term, 54-week, Phase III open-label study of Abbott's investigational treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease showed that patients treated with levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) for 12 weeks reported a decrease in "off" time and an increase in "on" time without troublesome dyskinesias.

9 Jun 2011

New vaccine leads to dramatic fall in meningitis A cases

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger report the lowest number of confirmed meningitis A cases ever recorded during an epidemic season this year following the successful introduction of a new vaccine that could eliminate the primary cause of the deadly disease from Africa's meningitis belt, announced the Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP) today, which spearheaded development of the vaccine.

9 Jun 2011

University of Mississippi grants ChromaDex global rights to pterostilbene

ChromaDex Corp. and the University of Mississippi today announced the university has granted the natural products company the exclusive worldwide patent rights to a potential new therapeutic use for pterostilbene (tero-STILL-bean) as an anxiolytic or anti-anxiety agent. ChromaDex' pTeroPure® is an ultra-pure formulation of pterostilbene, a compound found in blueberries and demonstrated to have multiple health benefits.

9 Jun 2011

MDxHealth extends agreement with Merck for use of MGMT assay in brain cancer trials

MDxHealth SA, a leading molecular diagnostics company in the field of personalized medicine, announced today that it will extend its agreement with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, for use of MDxHealth's MGMT assay in Merck KGaA's brain cancer clinical trials.

9 Jun 2011

Lund researchers create nerve cells from human skin

A research breakthrough has proven that it is possible to reprogram mature cells from human skin directly into brain cells, without passing through the stem cell stage. The unexpectedly simple technique involves activating three genes in the skin cells; genes which are already known to be active in the formation of brain cells at the foetal stage.

9 Jun 2011

ImmunoCellular expands ICT-107 Phase II clinical trial for glioblastoma multiforme

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd., a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel immune-based cancer therapies, today announced the expansion of sites for its Phase II clinical trial of ICT-107. ICT-107 is the Company's dendritic cell based cancer vaccine candidate targeting multiple tumor antigens for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

9 Jun 2011

Synaptophysin controls replacement of vesicles

A University of Wisconsin-Madison research team has solved a 25-year mystery that may lead to better treatments for people with learning deficits and mental retardation.

9 Jun 2011

Tips for preventing outdoor home-related injury: AANS

The nail-gun neck injury and treatment incurred by a 25-year-old carpenter described in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine article might read like an oddity, but nail guns are actually a common form of penetrating low-velocity injury. What made this case unique was that the patient incurred a penetrating wound to the cervical spine by a barbed nail lodged in close proximity to the right vertebral artery.

9 Jun 2011

Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy to launch first ever national PN research registry

What starts as burning, numbness, pain, and/or tingling in the feet, or hands in some can turn into a debilitating condition. Peripheral Neuropathy (PN), one of the largest and most common neurodegenerative disorders, affects more than 20 million Americans of all races and ethnic backgrounds.

9 Jun 2011

Metabolomics analysis shows 3IS as early predictive, sensitive biomarker of acute kidney injury

Metabolon, Inc., the leader in metabolomics, biomarker discovery and analysis, announces the publication of "Metabolomics Analysis Reveals Elevation of 3-Indoxyl Sulfate in Plasma and Brain during Chemically-induced Acute Kidney Injury in Mice: Investigation of Nicotinic Acid Receptor Agonists", in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.

9 Jun 2011

Adults with herpes zoster may face higher risk of multiple sclerosis

Taiwanese investigators have found that there can be a significantly higher risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) occurring in the year following a shingles, or herpes zoster, attack.

9 Jun 2011

Older people who engage in moderate to intense exercise less likely to have silent strokes

Older people who regularly exercise at a moderate to intense level may be less likely to develop the small brain lesions, sometimes referred to as "silent strokes," that are the first sign of cerebrovascular disease, according to a new study published in the June 8, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

9 Jun 2011

Article reports on bright future and enormous need for stem cell therapeutics

An article in the current issue of Technology & Innovation, Proceedings of the National Academy of Inventors - reports on the bright future and enormous need for stem cell therapeutics that may offer hope for those suffering from debilitating and deadly diseases.

9 Jun 2011

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Neuroscientists uncover the source of visual system's 'false alarms'

Researchers develop new imaging technology to detect cardiovascular disease

Masimo receives GOLD 2011 Medical Design Excellence Award for Pronto-7 noninvasive hemoglobin

Study finds brain differences in preschool children with symptoms of ADHD

Scripps Research receives $2.2M NIH grant to develop novel therapeutics for substance abuse

Exercise protects against silent stroke: Study

Smoking keeps weight off: Study finds out how

Abbott reports positive interim results from LCIG Phase III open-label study for advanced Parkinson's disease

New vaccine leads to dramatic fall in meningitis A cases

University of Mississippi grants ChromaDex global rights to pterostilbene

MDxHealth extends agreement with Merck for use of MGMT assay in brain cancer trials

Lund researchers create nerve cells from human skin

ImmunoCellular expands ICT-107 Phase II clinical trial for glioblastoma multiforme

Synaptophysin controls replacement of vesicles

Tips for preventing outdoor home-related injury: AANS

Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy to launch first ever national PN research registry

Metabolomics analysis shows 3IS as early predictive, sensitive biomarker of acute kidney injury

Adults with herpes zoster may face higher risk of multiple sclerosis

Older people who engage in moderate to intense exercise less likely to have silent strokes

Article reports on bright future and enormous need for stem cell therapeutics

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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