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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.

FDA approves U.S. launch of Wiskott-Aldrich gene therapy clinical trial

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the launching in the U.S. of a clinical trial for gene therapy for a rare immunodeficiency, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.

22 Jul 2011

Study finds high prevalence of prescription pain medication addiction in chronic patients

A new study by Geisinger Health System researchers finds a high prevalence of prescription pain medication addiction among chronic pain patients.

22 Jul 2011

Neuroscience 2011 to explore latest advances in brain research

The Society for Neuroscience's Annual Meeting, Neuroscience 2011, Nov. 12-16 at the Washington Convention Center. The event will include more than 16,000 study abstracts on new discoveries in aging, stress, mental illness, learning, disease, and more.

22 Jul 2011

Microglia prune connections between neurons

Gardeners know that some trees require regular pruning: some of their branches have to be cut so that others can grow stronger. The same is true of the developing brain: cells called microglia prune the connections between neurons, shaping how the brain is wired, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo, Italy, discovered.

22 Jul 2011

Reducing variety in food choices may help lose weight

Variety is considered the "spice of life," but does today's unprecedented level of dietary variety help explain skyrocketing rates of obesity? Some researchers think it might.

21 Jul 2011

Deep brain stimulation benefits people with Parkinson's, essential tremor

Tom Keilen couldn't grab a glass of water without spilling it all over himself. Plagued with uncontrollable tremors at just 57 years old, the Michigan resident was fighting a battle against an aggressive case of Parkinson's disease.

21 Jul 2011

Children and adults with social withdrawal due to Fragile X may benefit from STX209

Children and adults with social withdrawal due to Fragile X syndrome, the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability and the most common known single gene cause of autism, may benefit from an experimental drug under study by pediatric neurologists at Rush Children's Hospital at Rush University Medical Center.

21 Jul 2011

Experts present new research at 2011 Alzheimer's Association ICAD

Experts from the Center of Excellence on Brain Aging at NYU Langone Medical Center will present new research at the 2011 Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's disease to be held in Paris, France from July 16 - 21.

21 Jul 2011

Excess brain activity in aMCI patients contributes to brain dysfunction underlying memory loss

An existing anti-seizure drug improves memory and brain function in adults with a form of cognitive impairment that often leads to full-blown Alzheimer's disease, a Johns Hopkins University study has found.

21 Jul 2011

Localized one-time gene therapy might effectively protect against atherosclerosis

A one-dose method for delivering gene therapy into an arterial wall effectively protects the artery from developing atherosclerosis despite ongoing high blood cholesterol.

21 Jul 2011

Dealing with chronic pain

For people with severe chronic pain like Kelly Young and Teresa Shaffer—both of whom have become patient advocates —coping with agony is a fact of life. Young suffers from rheumatoid arthritis while Shaffer's pain is linked primarily to another degenerative bone disease.

21 Jul 2011

Essential criteria for clinical diagnosis of restless legs syndrome

We've all experienced abnormal sensations in our legs at one time or another, but for as many as 10 percent of the US population, restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a daily occurrence. Characterized by throbbing, pulling, tingling, itching, and crawling sensations, RLS is a neurological disorder that produces unpleasant physical sensations in the extremities and an urge to counteract that sensation by movement.

21 Jul 2011

Receptor GPR56 could have a critical role in cancer progression

Melanoma is devastating on many fronts: rates are rising dramatically among young people, it is deadly if not caught early, and from a biological standpoint, the disease tends to adapt to even the most modern therapies, known as VEGF inhibitors.

21 Jul 2011

Inherited forms of Alzheimer's could be detected long before memory problems develop

Inherited forms of Alzheimer's disease may be detectable as many as 20 years before problems with memory and thinking develop, scientists will report July 20, 2011, at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Paris.

21 Jul 2011

Study examines cost-effectiveness of MS drugs in the U.S.

A new study examining the cost-effectiveness of drugs to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) in the United States finds that the health gains from these drugs come at a very high cost compared to basic therapy to control the symptoms of MS and compared to treatments for other chronic diseases.

21 Jul 2011

Computer modeling to predict how peripheral nerve axon responds to electrical stimuli

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have developed a computer modeling method to accurately predict how a peripheral nerve axon responds to electrical stimuli, slashing the complex work from an inhibitory weeks-long process to just a few seconds.

21 Jul 2011

Three flutemetamol clinical abstracts to be presented at 2011 Alzheimer's Association ICAD

Recent clinical research data reported that the investigational amyloid imaging agent [18F]Flutemetamol showed highly consistent image interpretation1 and showed comparable in vitro binding to the Pittsburgh Compound-B investigational imaging agent3.

21 Jul 2011

Intense visual stimulation renders nerve cells more receptive to subsequent learning

Dr. Ed Ruthazer is a mapmaker but, his landscape is the developing brain - specifically the neuronal circuitry, which is the network of connections between nerve cells. His research at The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro at McGill University, reveals the brain as a dynamic landscape where connections between nerves are plastic, changing and adapting to the demands of the environment.

21 Jul 2011

Humans and zebrafish share mechanisms that regulate the circadian system

Circadian rhythms - the natural cycle that dictates our biological processes over a 24-hour day - does more than tell us when to sleep or wake. Disruptions in the cycle are also associated with depression, problems with weight control, jet lag and more. Now Prof. Yoav Gothilf of Tel Aviv University's Department of Neurobiology at the George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences is looking to the common zebrafish to learn more about how the human circadian system functions.

21 Jul 2011

Bristol-Myers Squibb announces results of BMS-708163 Phase II study on Alzheimer's

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company today announced the results of a Phase II study evaluating the safety and tolerability of the investigational gamma secretase inhibitor BMS-708163 in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease.

21 Jul 2011

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

FDA approves U.S. launch of Wiskott-Aldrich gene therapy clinical trial

Study finds high prevalence of prescription pain medication addiction in chronic patients

Neuroscience 2011 to explore latest advances in brain research

Microglia prune connections between neurons

Reducing variety in food choices may help lose weight

Deep brain stimulation benefits people with Parkinson's, essential tremor

Children and adults with social withdrawal due to Fragile X may benefit from STX209

Experts present new research at 2011 Alzheimer's Association ICAD

Excess brain activity in aMCI patients contributes to brain dysfunction underlying memory loss

Localized one-time gene therapy might effectively protect against atherosclerosis

Dealing with chronic pain

Essential criteria for clinical diagnosis of restless legs syndrome

Receptor GPR56 could have a critical role in cancer progression

Inherited forms of Alzheimer's could be detected long before memory problems develop

Study examines cost-effectiveness of MS drugs in the U.S.

Computer modeling to predict how peripheral nerve axon responds to electrical stimuli

Three flutemetamol clinical abstracts to be presented at 2011 Alzheimer's Association ICAD

Intense visual stimulation renders nerve cells more receptive to subsequent learning

Humans and zebrafish share mechanisms that regulate the circadian system

Bristol-Myers Squibb announces results of BMS-708163 Phase II study on Alzheimer's

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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