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.

People with no dementia symptoms and high protein levels more likely to avoid the disease

People who are free of dementia and have high levels of a protein that indicates the presence of inflammation have relatives who are more likely to avoid the disease as well, according to a new study published in the August 15, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Aug 2012

Study tracks effects of heavy PAE on growth and body composition throughout childhood

Although studies of alcohol's effects on fetal growth have consistently demonstrated deficits that persist through infancy, the data on long-term postnatal growth from human studies have been inconsistent. A new study of the effects of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on growth and body composition throughout childhood has found growth restrictions that persist through to nine years of age, as well as a delay in weight gain during infancy, both of which were exacerbated by iron deficiency.

16 Aug 2012

Biomedical engineer devises new noise model that is closer to the biological reality

Biomedical engineer Muhammet Uzuntarla from Bulent Ecevit University, Turkey, and his colleagues present a biologically accurate model of the underlying noise which is present in the nervous system.

16 Aug 2012

Study looks at differences in brain structure between karate practitioners

Brain scans have revealed distinctive features in the brain structure of karate experts, which could be linked to their ability to punch powerfully from close range. Researchers from Imperial College London and UCL (University College London) found that differences in the structure of white matter - the connections between brain regions - were correlated with how black belts and novices performed in a test of punching ability.

16 Aug 2012

Study uncovers new pathway that can treat depression

Depression takes a substantial toll on brain health. Brain imaging and post-mortem studies provide evidence that the wealth of connections in the brain are reduced in individuals with depression, with the result of impaired functional connections between key brain centers involved in mood regulation. Glial cells are one of the cell types that appear to be particularly reduced when analyzing post-mortem brain tissue from people who had depression.

16 Aug 2012

Acute stress modifies DNA methylation and activity of certain genes

Acute stress alters the methylation of the DNA and thus the activity of certain genes. This is reported by researchers at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum together with colleagues from Basel, Trier and London for the first time in the journal Translational Psychiatry. "The results provide evidence how stress could be related to a higher risk of mental or physical illness", says Prof. Dr. Gunther Meinlschmidt from the Clinic of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the LWL University Hospital of the RUB.

16 Aug 2012

Passenger deletions that deactivate essential genes provide new opportunity to strike cancer

Genomic deletions promote cancer by carving up or eliminating tumor-suppressor genes, but now scientists report in the journal Nature that the collateral damage they inflict on neighboring genes exposes cancer cells to vulnerabilities and new avenues for attack.

16 Aug 2012

APS’ Sharon S. Keller Chronic Pain Research Program to award $150,000 for eligible members

The American Pain Society (APS) announced today it is accepting applications for research grants from the newly established Sharon S. Keller Chronic Pain Research Program.

16 Aug 2012

Book provides up-to-date knowledge about mild cognitive impairment

At least one in ten adults over the age of 65 suffers from Mild Cognitive Impairment, or MCI. This condition, a state between the normal decline in cognition associated with aging and the more precipitous drop caused by a deadly dementia like Alzheimer's disease, has only recently begun to be studied; first identified by the Mayo Clinic in 1999, it was only given an official diagnostic code in late 2006.

16 Aug 2012

Scientists devise new fluorescent probes to diagnose neurodegenerative diseases

Sticky plaques of proteins called amyloids mark several different, though related degenerative brain diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Creutzfeld-Jacobs. The symptoms of these disorders overlap and methods to diagnose and monitor them are not very advanced.

16 Aug 2012

Cedars-Sinai's ICT-107 doubles median survival of patients with malignant brain tumor

An experimental immune-based therapy more than doubled median survival of patients diagnosed with the most aggressive malignant brain tumor, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center researchers reported in Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy, published online Aug. 3.

16 Aug 2012

Combination of exercise and S-nitrosoglutathione improves recovery from stroke

In a study published in the current issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience scientists report that a therapy combining exercise with the neurovascular protective agent S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) improved recovery from stroke in a rat model. GSNO is a compound found naturally in the body and it has no known side effects or toxicity.

16 Aug 2012

Brain changes can occur after long-term methadone treatment

Long-term methadone treatment can cause changes in the brain, according to recent studies from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. The results show that treatment may affect the nerve cells in the brain. The studies follow on from previous studies where methadone was seen to affect cognitive functioning, such as learning and memory.

16 Aug 2012

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals receives new U.S. patents for trans sodium crocetinate

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC, a biotechnology company focused on innovative cancer treatments, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted it patent numbers 7919527 and 8030350, entitled "Bipolar Trans Carotenoids Salts and Their Uses" and "Trans Carotenoids, Their Synthesis and Uses," respectively.

16 Aug 2012

Sports medicine physician recommends two high-tech tools to enhance patient care

Research shows that the average person only retains 15 to 20 percent of what he or she is told during a medical appointment. According to Matt Roth, MD, associate medical director for ProMedica Sports Care, when patients have the opportunity to view actual images of their anatomy and diagnosis, their understanding and retention improves.

16 Aug 2012