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.

Melatonin pre-treatment greatly increases cell survival, say researchers

When melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, was used as a pre-treatment for mesenchymal stem cells prior to their transplantation into the brains of laboratory animals to repair damage from stroke, researchers in China found that the stem cells survived longer after transplantation. Previous studies had shown that 80 percent of transplanted MSCs died within 72 hours of transplantation.

23 Jul 2013

Primer provides physicians with current approaches to diagnose and manage concussions in patients

Concussions, the most common traumatic brain injury, can have serious long-term health effects; therefore, diagnosis and management of these injuries are important. A primer published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) provides physicians with current approaches to diagnosing and managing concussions in patients.

23 Jul 2013

Findings show oxytocin strengthens bad memories and increases fear, anxiety

It turns out the love hormone oxytocin is two-faced. Oxytocin has long been known as the warm, fuzzy hormone that promotes feelings of love, social bonding and well-being. It's even being tested as an anti-anxiety drug. But new Northwestern Medicine- research shows oxytocin also can cause emotional pain, an entirely new, darker identity for the hormone.

23 Jul 2013

Researchers identify neural pathways involved in word learning among humans

For the first time scientists have identified how a pathway in the brain which is unique to humans allows us to learn new words. The average adult's vocabulary consists of about 30,000 words. This ability seems unique to humans as even the species closest to us -- chimps -- manage to learn no more than 100.

23 Jul 2013

Scientists identify circuitry in brain that drives compulsive drinking in rats

A research team led by scientists from the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco has identified circuitry in the brain that drives compulsive drinking in rats, and likely plays a similar role in humans.

23 Jul 2013

NIH awards $1.7M grant to develop effective treatments for brain disorders

Ten percent of Americans experience a seizure in their lifetime, with three million diagnosed with epilepsy, a chronic neurological disorder. Anticonvulsant medications can mitigate the hyperactivity of neurons that leads to seizures, but not without severe side effects, including cognitive impairment.

23 Jul 2013

Results of post-mortem brain tissue study using Navidea's NAV4694 imaging agent presented at AAIC 2013

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on precision diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals, today announced that researchers at McGill Center for Studies in Aging, Douglas Research Institute and Montreal Neurological Institute presented results of a post-mortem brain tissue study using Navidea's investigational Fluorine-18 labeled β-amyloid imaging agent, NAV4694, during the Alzheimer's Association International Conference in Boston, MA.

23 Jul 2013

Exposure to excessive heat can lead to heatstroke

The Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is issuing a heat advisory to alert the nation to the increased risk of heat-related illnesses for individuals with mental and substance use disorders. Children and older adults with these conditions are particularly vulnerable to elevated temperatures.

23 Jul 2013

New finding provides fresh hope for women with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer

A new finding provides fresh hope for the millions of women worldwide with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer. Australian scientists have shown that a specific change, which occurs when tumours become resistant to anti-oestrogen therapy, might make the cancers susceptible to treatment with chemotherapy drugs.

23 Jul 2013

Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies receives patent for Parkinson’s disease monitoring technology

Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies announced today they have received allowance of claims from the U.S. Patent Office for an application covering their system and method of stimulating the brain during sleep to treat movement disorder symptoms.

22 Jul 2013

Experts join together to form Rhode Island Consortium for Autism Research and Treatment

Dozens of autism experts across a variety of specialties have joined together to form the Rhode Island Consortium for Autism Research and Treatment. The consortium will bring together researchers, physicians, scientists, service providers, educators and parents to collaborate on a broad range of research, education and advocacy projects.

22 Jul 2013

New stem cell discovery may help scientists replace damaged organs

Stem-cell researchers at UC San Francisco have found a key role for a protein called BMI1 that may help scientists direct the development of tissues to replace damaged organs in the human body.

22 Jul 2013

Gladstone-led study finds underlying mechanisms behind Huntington's disease

Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's. Names forever linked to what they represent: diseases that ravage the brain's neurons and leave entire regions to wither and die. These and other so-called neurodegenerative diseases are often associated with the buildup of toxic proteins that lead to the death of neurons.

22 Jul 2013

Quickly clearing out damaged proteins may help prevent neurodegenerative disorders: Study

Recycling is not only good for the environment, it's good for the brain. A study using rat cells indicates that quickly clearing out defective proteins in the brain may prevent loss of brain cells.

22 Jul 2013

Study sheds light on how cells regenerate protective sheaths around nerve fibres in the brain

Multiple sclerosis treatments that repair damage to the brain could be developed thanks to new research.

22 Jul 2013

Researchers study neural-biological processes associated with cultural differences

A University of Maryland-led research team is working to help diplomats, military personnel, global managers and others who operate abroad to peer inside the minds of people from very different cultures.

20 Jul 2013

Investigators report complete catalog of genes expressed in retina

Investigators at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School have published the most thorough description of gene expression in the human retina reported to date. In a study published today in the journal BMC Genomics, Drs. Michael Farkas, Eric Pierce and colleagues in the Ocular Genomics Institute at Mass. Eye and Ear reported a complete catalog of the genes expressed in the retina.

20 Jul 2013

UCSF researchers find a way to knock down cancers caused by tumor-driving protein

UC San Francisco researchers have found a way to knock down cancers caused by a tumor-driving protein called -myc,- paving the way for patients with myc-driven cancers to enroll in clinical trials for experimental treatments.

20 Jul 2013

Biogen Idec announces acceptance of marketing applications for review of PLEGRIDY

Today Biogen Idec announced that U.S. and EU regulatory authorities have accepted the marketing applications for the review of PLEGRIDY (peginterferon beta-1a), the company's pegylated subcutaneous injectable candidate for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis.

19 Jul 2013

Mayo Clinic, Banner Health work together on diagnostic test to identify early Parkinson's disease

Researchers from Mayo Clinic Arizona and Banner Sun Health Research Institute are working together on a diagnostic test to identify early Parkinson's disease in patients thanks to a $152,486 grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

19 Jul 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Melatonin pre-treatment greatly increases cell survival, say researchers

Primer provides physicians with current approaches to diagnose and manage concussions in patients

Findings show oxytocin strengthens bad memories and increases fear, anxiety

Researchers identify neural pathways involved in word learning among humans

Scientists identify circuitry in brain that drives compulsive drinking in rats

NIH awards $1.7M grant to develop effective treatments for brain disorders

Results of post-mortem brain tissue study using Navidea's NAV4694 imaging agent presented at AAIC 2013

Exposure to excessive heat can lead to heatstroke

New finding provides fresh hope for women with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer

Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies receives patent for Parkinson’s disease monitoring technology

Experts join together to form Rhode Island Consortium for Autism Research and Treatment

New stem cell discovery may help scientists replace damaged organs

Gladstone-led study finds underlying mechanisms behind Huntington's disease

Quickly clearing out damaged proteins may help prevent neurodegenerative disorders: Study

Study sheds light on how cells regenerate protective sheaths around nerve fibres in the brain

Researchers study neural-biological processes associated with cultural differences

Investigators report complete catalog of genes expressed in retina

UCSF researchers find a way to knock down cancers caused by tumor-driving protein

Biogen Idec announces acceptance of marketing applications for review of PLEGRIDY

Mayo Clinic, Banner Health work together on diagnostic test to identify early Parkinson's disease

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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