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.

Boceprevir drug may cure hepatitis C

The outlook for patients with hepatitis C continues to improve as results from a clinical trial led by a Saint Louis University researcher found that the drug boceprevir helped cure hard-to-treat patients. The findings were reported at the 61st annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease's earlier in November.

7 Dec 2010

Drug prescribed for Parkinson's disease may also treat restless leg syndrome: MCG researchers

A drug prescribed for Parkinson's disease may also treat restless leg syndrome without the adverse side effects of current therapies, Medical College of Georgia researchers say.

7 Dec 2010

Researchers develop new drugs to prevent post-traumatic stress syndrome

Post-traumatic stress syndrome - when a severely stressful event triggers exaggerated and chronic fear - affects nearly 8 million people in the United States and is hard to treat. In a preclinical study, Northwestern Medicine scientists have for the first time identified the molecular cause of the debilitating condition and prevented it from occurring by injecting calming drugs into the brain within five hours of a traumatic event.

7 Dec 2010

No evidence of toxicity in hemophilia B patients enrolled in gene therapy trial

Investigators report no evidence of toxicity in the four hemophilia B patients enrolled to date in a gene therapy trial using a vector under development at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and UCL (University College London) to correct the inherited bleeding disorder.

7 Dec 2010

One shot, cheap meningitis vaccine now available in Africa

As a boon to millions of children who die of meningitis, a cheap new vaccine for bacterial meningitis debuted today with the launching of an immunization drive in the West African country of Burkina Faso, in the first stage of an effort that could rid sub-Saharan Africa of the primary cause of meningitis, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced.

6 Dec 2010

MenAfriVac to help health workers eliminate meningococcal A epidemics

The West African nation of Burkina Faso today became the first country to begin a nationwide campaign to introduce a new meningitis vaccine that promises to rid the entire region of the primary cause of epidemic meningitis. The first vaccine designed specifically for Africa, MenAfriVac is expected to help health workers eliminate meningococcal A epidemics in the 25 countries of the meningitis belt, stretching from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east.

6 Dec 2010

Elsevier announces title change for Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics journal

Elsevier, the world's leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information, announced today that its highly respected Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics journal is changing its title to Cancer Genetics and has named Dr. Jaclyn A. Biegel as editor-in-chief.

6 Dec 2010

Study confirms importance of EEG as diagnostic tool in ICU

Bleeding in and around the brain (cerebral hemorrhage, including intra-cerebral hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage among other forms), from whatever cause (stroke, ruptured aneurysm, stroke, tumor, trauma, etc) can be very irritating to the electrical cells of the brain and affect how these cells transmit signals. If cells become very irritated and/or hyperactive, seizures can occur.

6 Dec 2010

Genentech announces Phase II study results of RG1678 for treatment of schizophrenia

Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, today announced eight-week results from a Phase II study of RG1678, its investigational first-in-class glycine reuptake inhibitor for the treatment of schizophrenia.

6 Dec 2010

Incidence of EPTS in children with TBI more than twice the rate in adults: Study

In the first study to utilize continuous EEG monitoring to define the incidence of early post traumatic seizures in children compared to published rates in adults, investigators at the University of Colorado followed pediatric patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury admitted to Denver Children's Hospital over a nine month period.

6 Dec 2010

Scientists show how brain's architecture makes our view of world unique

Wellcome Trust scientists have shown for the first time that exactly how we see our environment depends on the size of the visual part of our brain.

6 Dec 2010

Genentech, Biogen report Phase III study data of Rituxan in patients with advanced follicular lymphoma

Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, and Biogen Idec announced today positive data from a Phase III study of Rituxan (rituximab) in patients with advanced follicular lymphoma who did not have symptoms of disease (asymptomatic disease).

6 Dec 2010

Study compares efficacy of two treatments for iron overload caused by chronic transfusion therapy

Monthly blood transfusions combined with daily medication to remove the resulting excess iron remains the best approach for reducing the risk of recurrent strokes in young patients with sickle cell anemia, according to a preliminary analysis of a multicenter trial that includes St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

6 Dec 2010

MRI scans quantifies disruptions in blood brain barrier, identifies TBI patients at risk of developing PTE

Approximately 5 - 30% of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) develop post traumatic epilepsy (PTE). The onset of seizures in patients who are susceptible to PTE can range from weeks or months to more than a decade after TBI. In a presentation today at the 64th American Epilepsy Society annual meeting, scientists report that the analysis of routine MRI scans can reliably quantify the disruptions in the blood brain barrier that are increasingly believed to be a prominent contributor to epilepsy development.

6 Dec 2010

Study: Research findings may help identify drugs to encourage myelin repair in MS patients

Damage caused by multiple sclerosis could be reversed by activating stem cells that can repair injury in the central nervous system, a study has shown.

6 Dec 2010

Oral levetiracetam may be effective in stopping neonatal seizures

Seizures that occur in the first few weeks of life are a major predictor of future adverse neurological outcomes. Currently approved antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are effective in stopping seizures in less than 50% of these neonatal cases. The approved therapies can also have undesirable side effects.

6 Dec 2010

Seasonal light cycles can affect development of babies' specific brain function: Study

The season in which babies are born can have a dramatic and persistent effect on how their biological clocks function.

6 Dec 2010

Researchers adapt gene chip microarray technology to study glycans

Sugar molecules coat every cell in our bodies and play critical roles in development and disease, yet the components of these "glycans" have been difficult for scientists to study, because of their complexity.

6 Dec 2010

Multiple sclerosis therapy breakthrough with stem cells

There seems to a glimmer of hope for tens of thousands of multiple sclerosis sufferers as researchers discover a way to repair damaged nerves with stem cells. The British team says their findings could lead to the development of drugs that repair nerves in the brain and spinal cord and potentially reverse some of the symptoms of MS.

5 Dec 2010

AANS injury prevention tips during winter holiday season

During the winter holiday season there are many warnings in the news about preventing house fires caused by Christmas trees and faulty electrical wiring. There are also warnings about too much merriment leading to alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents. A lesser known fact is the risk of head injury related to hanging and taking down Christmas decorations.

4 Dec 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Boceprevir drug may cure hepatitis C

Drug prescribed for Parkinson's disease may also treat restless leg syndrome: MCG researchers

Researchers develop new drugs to prevent post-traumatic stress syndrome

No evidence of toxicity in hemophilia B patients enrolled in gene therapy trial

One shot, cheap meningitis vaccine now available in Africa

MenAfriVac to help health workers eliminate meningococcal A epidemics

Elsevier announces title change for Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics journal

Study confirms importance of EEG as diagnostic tool in ICU

Genentech announces Phase II study results of RG1678 for treatment of schizophrenia

Incidence of EPTS in children with TBI more than twice the rate in adults: Study

Scientists show how brain's architecture makes our view of world unique

Genentech, Biogen report Phase III study data of Rituxan in patients with advanced follicular lymphoma

Study compares efficacy of two treatments for iron overload caused by chronic transfusion therapy

MRI scans quantifies disruptions in blood brain barrier, identifies TBI patients at risk of developing PTE

Study: Research findings may help identify drugs to encourage myelin repair in MS patients

Oral levetiracetam may be effective in stopping neonatal seizures

Seasonal light cycles can affect development of babies' specific brain function: Study

Researchers adapt gene chip microarray technology to study glycans

Multiple sclerosis therapy breakthrough with stem cells

AANS injury prevention tips during winter holiday season

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd 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

Latest News