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Bone marrow transplant cures excessive pathological grooming behavior in mice

Scientists earlier found that mice missing one of a group of core developmental genes known as the Hox genes developed an odd and rather unexpected pathology: the mutant animals groomed themselves compulsively to the point that they were removing their own hair and leaving self-inflicted open sores on their skin. Now, they've found a surprising connection between the Hoxb8 gene and the behavior that looks an awful lot like that of people with an obsessive compulsive spectrum disorder (OCD).

28 May 2010

UCSF scientists discover new stem cell in developing human brain

UCSF scientists have discovered a new stem cell in the developing human brain. The cell produces nerve cells that help form the neocortex - the site of higher cognitive function -- and likely accounts for the dramatic expansion of the region in the lineages that lead to man, the researchers say.

26 May 2010

Stem cell research could lead to new treatment strategies for motor neuron disease

The Motor Neurone Disease Association is funding its first ever stem cell research programme to help unlock the secrets of this fatal, neurological condition.

24 May 2010

Role of neurotransmitter acetylcholine may suggest new treatment for Parkinson's disease: Researchers

Chicago and Montreal researchers studying the lowly lamprey eel have identified an overlooked nervous system pathway running parallel to known brainstem locomotor command circuitry in vertebrates such as birds, fishes and mammals.

20 May 2010

Phase II ALSTAR trial: Talampanel is safe for ALS patients

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. today announced results from the Phase II ALSTAR trial. The trial was designed to assess efficacy, safety and tolerability of Talampanel (a selective AMPA antagonist) in reducing disease-related functional deterioration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis patients.

18 May 2010

Multivitamin and mineral supplements improve mood, mental performance in healthy males: Study

The effects of multivitamins are most often researched in the elderly. This is one of very few studies to assess the relationship between supplementation with vitamins/minerals and psychological functioning in healthy groups of non-elderly adults. This study shows how a proprietary multivitamin and mineral supplement improves mood and mental performance while also reducing stress, mental tiredness and fatigue in healthy males.

14 May 2010

Imperial College London and McGill University expand scientific collaboration

Neurological research and clinical care received a significant boost today as Imperial College London and McGill University of Montreal entered an agreement enabling them to work more closely together in this field.

11 May 2010

Can familiar voices heal traumatic brain injuries?

In January 2009, Ryan, a 21-year-old college student from Huntley, Ill., was in a coma after he had been flung from his snowmobile into a tree during an ice storm. He had a traumatic brain injury; the fibers of his brain had been twisted and stretched from the impact.

11 May 2010

UT Southwestern researchers uncover core function of gene involved in Fragile X syndrome

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered how the genetic mutation that causes Fragile X syndrome, the most common form of inherited mental retardation, interferes with the "pruning" of nerve connections in the brain. Their findings appear in the April 29 issue of Neuron.

10 May 2010

Neuroscientists show how individual neurons carry significant aspects of sensory processing

Pioneering a novel microscopy method, neuroscientist Arthur Konnerth and colleagues from the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) have shown that individual neurons carry out significant aspects of sensory processing: specifically, in this case, determining which direction an object in the field of view is moving.

7 May 2010

Intellect Neurosciences signs debt settlement agreement with CARBOGEN AMCIS AG

Intellect Neurosciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on development of disease-modifying therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease, announced today that it has reached a debt settlement agreement with CARBOGEN AMCIS AG, one of Intellect's largest trade creditors, in connection with prior services rendered.

6 May 2010

Researchers discover link between sporadic and familial forms of ALS

Researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have discovered a link between sporadic and familial forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

6 May 2010

Study reveals how human brain adapts to complex situations

Scientists have long known that the brain's frontal cortex supports concrete rule learning. Less clear is how the brain processes more complex and unfamiliar knowledge. In a paper published today (Wednesday, April 28, 2010) in the journal Neuron, a team of researchers at Brown University and the University of California-Berkeley tested whether the frontal lobe has the ability to process more abstract knowledge and how this ability could help navigate new situations and stimuli.

4 May 2010

Researchers receive $250,000 to study inventive cell-transfer therapy to treat cortical dysplasia

University of Florida researchers will receive $250,000 to study an inventive cell-transfer therapy to treat cortical dysplasia, a condition where the brain develops abnormally before birth, causing severe epilepsy in children and adults.

4 May 2010

MU researcher develops test to pinpoint neurological origins of dysphagia

Muscle degeneration and confinement to a wheelchair are the hallmarks of Lou Gehrig's disease, Parkinson's, muscular dystrophy and other neurodegenerative diseases. One of the silent, and most serious, symptoms of these diseases is losing the ability to swallow.

29 Apr 2010

Mimicking human nervous system for bionic applications can become a reality: Researchers

Mimicking the human nervous system for bionic applications could become a reality with the help of a method developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to process carbon nanotubes.

26 Apr 2010

Temperature-sensing ability in proteins remain a mystery

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute and the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF) have shed new light on the molecular mechanism that enables us to sense temperature, such as the heat from a sizzling stove. In addition to contributing to our knowledge of basic biology, the findings could one day lead to new therapies for conditions such as acute or chronic inflammatory pain.

24 Apr 2010

Study describes relationship between gene expression and intelligence in WS patients

Although genetics is the most significant known determinant of human intelligence, how specific genes affect intelligence remains largely unknown. A multi-institution team led by a University of Utah USTAR researcher has found that the brain gene STX1A plays a significant role in the level of intelligence displayed by patients with Williams Syndrome.

23 Apr 2010

New self-referencing glutamate biosensor to measure glutamate flux of neural cells in living organism

A new biosensor developed at Purdue University can measure whether neurons are performing correctly when communicating with each other, giving researchers a tool to test the effectiveness of new epilepsy or seizure treatments.

21 Apr 2010

Researchers identify potential drug target for treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Researchers at the University of Illinois have identified a potential drug target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: a receptor that is embedded in the membrane of neurons and other cells.