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.

New clues in the pathogenesis of skull and skin birth defects associated with BSS

Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York have found new clues in the pathogenesis of skull and skin birth defects associated with a rare genetic disorder, Beare-Stevenson cutis gyrata syndrome.

16 May 2012

Scientists identify and prioritize genes associated with schizophrenia

An Indiana University-led research team, along with a group of national and international collaborators, has identified and prioritized a comprehensive group of genes most associated with schizophrenia that together can generate a score indicating whether an individual is at higher or lower risk of developing the disease.

16 May 2012

Genetic factor for good memory may increase risk of PTSD in war victims

Experiencing distressing memories of a shocking experience characterizes posttraumatic stress disorder. Scientists from the University of Basel have now discovered that a genetic factor for good memory is also associated with a heightened risk for the development of a posttraumatic stress disorder in war victims.

16 May 2012

HHS announcing finalized Alzheimer's plan

The plan, which includes an emphasis on research, sets 2025 as the target date for finding effective treatments for this disease.

16 May 2012

Nerve transfer procedure helps patients recover movement in hands and extremities

San Diego based neurosurgeon, Dr. Justin M. Brown, M.D., Director of the Neurosurgery Peripheral Nerve Program at UCSD School of Medicine, has implemented a procedure that helps patients recover movement in their hands and extremities after spinal cord and brain injuries, strokes, and other forms of paralysis.

16 May 2012

Healthy lifestyle choices may reduce risk of stroke

Every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke. Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and the number one cause of adult disability in the country. While stroke often occurs without warning, understanding risk factors and learning to recognize symptoms can potentially save lives and limit damage if a stroke occurs. In recognition of National Stroke Awareness Month, Northwestern Medicine experts encourage consumers learn about their potential risk factors and start making lifestyle decisions that may decrease their likelihood of having a stroke.

16 May 2012

Intriguing links between Snf2l gene and brain developmental disorders

Scientists at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) and the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) have discovered that mice that lack a gene called Snf2l have brains that are 35 per cent larger than normal.

16 May 2012

Exendin-4 drug effectively suppresses craving for food

A drug made from the saliva of the Gila monster lizard is effective in reducing the craving for food. Researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, have tested the drug on rats, who after treatment ceased their cravings for both food and chocolate.

16 May 2012

Mass. Eye and Ear announces recipients of 2012 Curing Kids Fund grants

The Mass. Eye and Ear Curing Kids fund has awarded grants for research projects that aim to help the brain locate sound, identify genes that cause congenital blindness, cure deafness through hair cell regeneration, and improve treatment for childhood eye cancer.

16 May 2012

Researchers find protein that controls neurotransmission: findings may lead to new drugs to treat neurological disorders

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have discovered that the single protein -- alpha 2 delta -- exerts a spigot-like function, controlling the volume of neurotransmitters and other chemicals that flow between the synapses of brain neurons. The study, published online in Nature, shows how brain cells talk to each other through these signals, relaying thoughts, feelings and action, and this powerful molecule plays a crucial role in regulating effective communication.

15 May 2012

First study to track movement of individuals with dementia until death

A new study from the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University has found that, at time of death, individuals with dementia are more likely to be living at home than in a nursing home. This contradicts the commonly held view that most individuals with dementia in the United States eventually move to nursing homes and die there.

15 May 2012

Paediatric brain tumours preserve specific characteristics of normal cells from which they originate

Paediatric brain tumours preserve specific characteristics of the normal cells from which they originate - a previously unknown circumstance with ramifications for how tumour cells respond to treatment.

15 May 2012

CHDI, KineMed partner to investigate turnover rates of huntingtin protein

KineMed, Inc. and CHDI Foundation, Inc. announced today a collaboration to use KineMed's isotopic labeling and dynamic proteomics platform to investigate the turnover rates of huntingtin protein, a mutant form of which plays a central role in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD).

15 May 2012

CU scientist looks at reward circuits in the brain

Why does one person become anorexic and another obese? A study recently published by a University of Colorado School of Medicine researcher shows that reward circuits in the brain are sensitized in anorexic women and desensitized in obese women.

15 May 2012

Latest research on caring for ischemic stroke patients

Following a stroke, factors as varied as blood sugar, body temperature and position in bed can affect patient outcomes, Loyola University Medical Center researchers report.

15 May 2012

HyStem-C effective in transplantation of heart muscle-derived cells for heart disease

BioTime, Inc. announced today the publication of a scientific paper demonstrating the effectiveness of HyStem-C in the transplantation of heart muscle-derived cells in an animal model of heart disease.

14 May 2012

FDA clears Bioness smaller leg cuff for use with L300 Foot Drop System

Bioness Inc. today announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market a smaller leg cuff for use with the company's L300 Foot Drop System.

14 May 2012

Toshiba’s Aquilion ONE CT system improves detection of acute stroke

Kaleida Health's Gates Stroke Center (GSC) at the Gates Vascular Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., a world-class neurological and stroke care center, recently completed the second phase of its study analyzing the patient and fiscal benefits of using Toshiba America Medical System, Inc.'s Aquilion ONE CT system in diagnosing acute stroke.

14 May 2012

Phase II trial to examine effects of resveratrol on individuals with mild to moderate dementia

A national, phase II clinical trial examining the effects of resveratrol on individuals with mild to moderate dementia due to Alzheimer's disease has begun as more than two dozen academic institutions recruit volunteers in the coming months. R. Scott Turner, M.D., Ph.D., director of Georgetown University Medical Center's Memory Disorders Program, is the lead investigator for the national study.

14 May 2012

New clinical trial to evaluate effectiveness of ABMT for PTSD

At Ease USA, a Nebraska organization dedicated to providing confidential post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) care for military families, has launched a clinical trial of a promising new therapeutic intervention at Creighton University.

14 May 2012