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.

UA researchers identify the likely culprit of epilepsy

Only 10 years ago, deciphering the genetic information from one individual in a matter of weeks to find a certain disease-causing genetic mutation would have been written off as science fiction. It was the time of the Human Genome Project, and it had taken armies of sequencing robots working around the clock for almost a decade to unravel the complete sequence of the human genetic code - referred to as the genome - by churning out the DNA alphabet letter by letter.

24 Feb 2012

Machine perfusion offers significant improvements for 3-year graft survival in kidney transplantation

Study results published today in the New-England-Journal of Medicine show that 3-year graft survival is significantly greater in all transplanted kidneys machine perfused in the LifePort Kidney Transporter compared to those stored in a traditional box of ice. The graft survival difference at three years was most pronounced for kidneys from expanded criteria donors.

23 Feb 2012

Surgery associated with brain atrophy in elderly patients with MCI

A study published in the March issue of Anesthesiology found that elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), as well as normal elderly undergoing surgery experienced increased levels of brain atrophy beyond what is expected from normal aging.

23 Feb 2012

HHS releases first draft of National Alzheimer's Plan

The release of the first draft of the National Alzheimer's Plan is another positive step toward the nation's first ever strategic plan for Alzheimer's.

23 Feb 2012

Unknown facets of biological mechanism that immune cells use for creating free radicals

Sometimes our immune defence attacks our own cells. When this happens in the brain we see neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. But if the the immune defence is inhibited, the results could be disastrous.

23 Feb 2012

Ventral striatum drives motivation during cognitive and motor actions

A team coordinated by Mathias Pessiglione, Inserm researcher at the -Centre de recherche en neurosciences de la Piti- Salp-tri-re- (Inserm/UPMC-Universit- Pierre and Marie Curie/CNRS) have identified the part of the brain driving motivation during actions that combine physical and mental effort: the ventral striatum.

23 Feb 2012

Varenicline improves walking ability in patients with SCA3

A nicotinic drug approved for smoking cessation significantly improved the walking ability of patients suffering from an inherited form of ataxia, reports a new clinical study led by University of South Florida researchers.

23 Feb 2012

New kind of on-off switch for cortisol release in the brain discovered

After we sense a threat, our brain center responsible for responding goes into gear, setting off a chain of biochemical reactions leading to the release of cortisol from the adrenal glands.

23 Feb 2012

Mount Sinai receives Le Foundation gift for psychiatric neuroimaging study

The Department of Psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine has received a $250,000 gift from The Iris & Junming Le Foundation to advance neuroimaging research conducted by young scientists in the early stages of their careers.

23 Feb 2012

Patterns of brain development are distinct in infants with ASD

Patterns of brain development in the first two years of life are distinct in children who are later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), according to researchers in a network funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study results show differences in brain structure at 6 months of age, the earliest such structural changes have been recorded in ASDs.

23 Feb 2012

Targeting versican protein may help stop breast cancer metastasis

Oncologists have known that in order for cancer cells to spread, they must transform themselves so they can detach from a tumor and spread to a distant organ. Now, scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College have revealed critical steps in what happens next -- how these cells reverse the process, morphing back into classical cancer that can now grow into a new tumor.

23 Feb 2012

Computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation benefits patients with relapsing-remitting MS

In a new study published in the March issue of Radiology, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) shows that cognitive rehabilitation changes brain function and improves cognitive performance in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS).

23 Feb 2012

Women with migraine more likely to develop depression

New research suggests women who have migraine or have had them in the past are at an increased risk for developing depression compared to women who have never had migraine.

23 Feb 2012

Causal link between TBI and increased susceptibility to PTSD

Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are cardinal injuries associated with combat stress, and TBI increases the risk of PTSD development. The reasons for this correlation have been unknown, in part because physical traumas often occur in highly emotional situations.

22 Feb 2012

Major discovery for visual cognition using diffusion spectrum imaging

If you are looking for a particular object - say a yellow pencil - on a cluttered desk, how does your brain work to visually locate it?

22 Feb 2012

Some diets and diet pills may cause further kidney damage in overweight adults

With 1 in 5 overweight Americans suffering from chronic kidney disease, Cleveland Clinic researchers analyzed the nutritional and lifestyle habits of overweight adults, finding that their methods included diets and diet pills that may cause further kidney damage.

22 Feb 2012

Scientists study chess player's brains to decipher how humans process visual information

Just as expert chess players scrutinize a board to calculate their next moves, UT Dallas cognitive neuroscientists are studying the way these players' brains work to better understand how visual information is processed.

22 Feb 2012

AAN to honor former NASA astronaut with Public Leadership in Neurology Award

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Academy of Neurology Foundation (AAN Foundation) have announced that Rich Clifford, former NASA astronaut, is the recipient of the 2012 Public Leadership in Neurology Award.

22 Feb 2012

First prospective study of ethnic differences in symptoms of autism in toddlers

The first prospective study of ethnic differences in the symptoms of autism in toddlers shows that children from a minority background have more delayed language, communication and gross motor skills than Caucasian children with the disorder. Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute concluded that subtle developmental delays may be going unaddressed in minority toddlers until more severe symptoms develop.

22 Feb 2012

First ever publication with data on head impacts from youth football players

The Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences (SBES) announces the first ever publication with data on head impacts from youth football players. The paper is published in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering and is available online for free download. The manuscript includes the details of over 700 head impacts measured on 7 and 8 year old youth football players.

22 Feb 2012