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.

Researchers report that two biomarkers appear to indicate risk for silent strokes

Two biomarkers widely being investigated as predictors of heart and vascular disease appear to indicate risk for "silent" strokes and other causes of mild brain damage that present no symptoms, report researchers from The Methodist Hospital and several other institutions in an upcoming issue of Stroke (now online).

5 Jun 2013

Study reveals how type 2 diabetes and CVD increase risk of cognitive decline

People suffering from type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are at an increased risk of cognitive decline, according to a new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

5 Jun 2013

Canadian researcher develops first animal model to study function of C9ORF72 in ALS

Canadian researcher Edor Kabashi of the Université de Montréal has developed the first animal model to study the function of a gene responsible for the highest percentage of ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Results to date shed light on the cause of the devastating disease.

4 Jun 2013

Tel Aviv University researchers find protein modification may help control Alzheimer's and epilepsy

In the brain, cell-to-cell communication is dependent on neurotransmitters, chemicals that aid the transfer of information between neurons. Several proteins have the ability to modify the production of these chemicals by either increasing or decreasing their amount, or promoting or preventing their secretion.

4 Jun 2013

Researchers solve long-standing mystery behind dormant disseminated breast tumor cells

The long-standing mystery behind dormant disseminated breast tumor cells and what activates them after years and even decades of latency may have been solved. Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have identified the microenvironment surrounding microvasculature - the small blood vessels that transport blood within tissues - as a niche where dormant cancer cells reside. When these blood vessels begin to sprout, the new tips produce molecules that transform dormant cancer cells into metastatic tumors.

4 Jun 2013

Researchers establish link between abnormal structure of synapses and behavioral abnormalities of brain circuits in FXS

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic malady that is the most common inherited cause of autism and intellectual disability. Brain scientists know the gene defect that causes FXS, and the damage it does-- misshaping the brain's synapses, the connections between neurons. But how that abnormal shaping of synapses translates to abnormal behavior is unclear.

4 Jun 2013

Study: Neural reserve, neural compensation activated in highly educated prodromal Alzheimer's patients

Highly educated individuals with mild cognitive impairment that later progressed to Alzheimer's disease cope better with the disease than individuals with a lower level of education in the same situation, according to research published in the June issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine.

4 Jun 2013

Researchers now one step closer to unlocking the nature of ALS

As the result of a major breakthrough by researchers at Northwestern University's School of Medicine, researchers studying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, are now one step closer to unlocking the nature of ALS.

4 Jun 2013

Study supports role of skin sodium in blood pressure regulation

It's time to expand the models for blood pressure regulation, according to clinical pharmacologist Jens Titze, M.D. Titze and his colleagues have identified a new cast of cells and molecules that function in the skin to control sodium balance and blood pressure.

4 Jun 2013

Altered function of neural circuitry contributes to bulimia and anorexia

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa -disorders characterized by extreme eating behavior and distorted body image - are among the deadliest of psychiatric disorders, with few proven effective treatments.

4 Jun 2013

Study: Blood vessels in retina may indicate brain health years before onset of dementia

The width of blood vessels in the retina, located at the back of the eye, may indicate brain health years before the onset of dementia and other deficits, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

4 Jun 2013

Dog-interaction activities improve mood among teenagers living in treatment centers

Lindsay Ellsworth is prescribing a new, mood-boosting therapy for teenagers in drug and alcohol treatment: shelter dogs. On Friday afternoons, about four dogs from the Spokane Humane Society take a field trip to Excelsior Youth Center as a group of teenage boys eagerly await their arrival. Ellsworth, a doctoral candidate in animal sciences at Washington State University, organizes the meet-ups where participants can help brush, feed and play with the dogs.

4 Jun 2013

Scientists pinpoint genetic traits of cells that give rise to gliomas

A multi-institutional team of researchers have pinpointed the genetic traits of the cells that give rise to gliomas - the most common form of malignant brain cancer. The findings, which appear in the journal Cell Reports, provide scientists with rich new potential set of targets to treat the disease.

4 Jun 2013

Interval between pregnancies: A golden window for obese women to lose weight

The time between pregnancies is a golden window for obese women to lose weight, a Saint Louis University study finds.

4 Jun 2013

Experts call for international consensus on criteria used to diagnose circulatory and neurological death

The criteria used to diagnose both circulatory and brain death in a patient are subject to variability and as such can be controversial. Anaesthesiologists play an important role in procedures related to the determination of death, so should have specific knowledge about medical, ethical and legal criteria of brain death definition.

3 Jun 2013

A national summit to boost education and employment outcomes for Americans with disabilities

Elaine Katz, MS, CCC-SLP, of Kessler Foundation will speak at "Building a More Inclusive Workforce: A National Summit to Boost Education and Employment Outcomes for Americans with Disabilities."

3 Jun 2013

NeuroDerm receives MJFF grant to develop ND0612 for treatment of Parkinson's disease

NeuroDerm, Ltd. was informed today that it was awarded, for the second time, a grant of $1M by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research to support the clinical development of its subcutaneously delivered drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

3 Jun 2013

Research: Bevacizumab fails to increase overall survival for glioblastoma patients

The angiogenesis inhibitor bevacizumab (Avastin) failed to increase overall survival (OS) or statistically significant progression-free survival (PFS) for glioblastoma patients in the frontline setting, according to research led by researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

3 Jun 2013

Study: GLT1 protein plays a critical role in cocaine craving

A new study conducted by a team of Indiana University neuroscientists demonstrates that GLT1, a protein that clears glutamate from the brain, plays a critical role in the craving for cocaine that develops after only several days of cocaine use.

3 Jun 2013

Study investigates gene expression signature to predict response to bevacizumab

A new test may help identify newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients more likely to benefit from bevacizumab (Avastin-), according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

3 Jun 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers report that two biomarkers appear to indicate risk for silent strokes

Study reveals how type 2 diabetes and CVD increase risk of cognitive decline

Canadian researcher develops first animal model to study function of C9ORF72 in ALS

Tel Aviv University researchers find protein modification may help control Alzheimer's and epilepsy

Researchers solve long-standing mystery behind dormant disseminated breast tumor cells

Researchers establish link between abnormal structure of synapses and behavioral abnormalities of brain circuits in FXS

Study: Neural reserve, neural compensation activated in highly educated prodromal Alzheimer's patients

Researchers now one step closer to unlocking the nature of ALS

Study supports role of skin sodium in blood pressure regulation

Altered function of neural circuitry contributes to bulimia and anorexia

Study: Blood vessels in retina may indicate brain health years before onset of dementia

Dog-interaction activities improve mood among teenagers living in treatment centers

Scientists pinpoint genetic traits of cells that give rise to gliomas

Interval between pregnancies: A golden window for obese women to lose weight

Experts call for international consensus on criteria used to diagnose circulatory and neurological death

A national summit to boost education and employment outcomes for Americans with disabilities

NeuroDerm receives MJFF grant to develop ND0612 for treatment of Parkinson's disease

Research: Bevacizumab fails to increase overall survival for glioblastoma patients

Study: GLT1 protein plays a critical role in cocaine craving

Study investigates gene expression signature to predict response to bevacizumab

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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