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.

New system safely induces sensory, mobility disturbances experienced by astronauts after return to Earth

What does it feel like to return to Earth after a long stay in space? Until now, it has been difficult during astronaut training to realistically simulate the dizzying effects the human body can experience.

27 Aug 2010

Increase in regeneration of nerve cells can alleviate or prevent memory loss

Production of new nerve cells in the human brain is linked to learning and memory, according to a new study from the University of Florida. The research is the first to show such a link in humans. The findings, published online and in an upcoming print issue of the journal Brain, provide clues about processes involved in age- and health-related memory loss and reveal potential cellular targets for drug therapy.

27 Aug 2010

Researchers recommend traumatic brain injury reclassification for additional funding

Traumatic brain injury, currently considered a singular event by the insurance industry and many health care providers, is instead the beginning of an ongoing process that impacts multiple organ systems and may cause or accelerate other diseases and disorders that can reduce life expectancy, according to research from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

27 Aug 2010

Researchers find two high-fat diets reduce absence epilepsy in children

Two high-fat diets the classic ketogenic and a modified version of the Atkins can reduce and, in some cases, completely eliminate seizures in children with a common seizure disorder known as absence epilepsy, say researchers from Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

27 Aug 2010

Study finds moderate exercise enhances DMN connectivity in specific regions of brain

A group of "professional couch potatoes," as one researcher described them, has proven that even moderate exercise - in this case walking at one's own pace for 40 minutes three times a week - can enhance the connectivity of important brain circuits, combat declines in brain function associated with aging and increase performance on cognitive tasks.

27 Aug 2010

Disulfiram drug effective in treating cocaine addiction: Research

Doctors have used the drug disulfiram to help patients stay sober for several decades. It interferes with the body's ability to metabolize alcohol, giving a fierce hangover to someone who consumes even a small amount of alcohol.More recently, disulfiram was shown to be effective in treating cocaine addiction as well, even though alcohol and cocaine affect the nervous system in different ways.

27 Aug 2010

BrainScope technology specifically identifies triage for Computed Tomography to ED patients

BrainScope Company, Inc. today announced the publication of clinical research findings from a study in patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) following a closed head injury.

27 Aug 2010

FDA denies accelerated approval of Genentech's trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1) BLA for metastatic breast cancer

In its review of the BLA, the FDA stated the T-DM1 trials did not meet the standard for accelerated approval because all available treatment choices approved for metastatic breast cancer, regardless of HER2 status, had not been exhausted in the study population.

27 Aug 2010

Study on impact of harmful de novo gene mutations on autism, schizophrenia

An international study led by University of Montreal scientists suggests family history may not be a good predictor of the presence of mutations predisposing to autism or schizophrenia. The findings show how new or de novo gene mutations alterations of the cell's DNA play a role in these devastating conditions.

27 Aug 2010

Battery of tests for quick assessment of cognitive abilities in Down syndrome patients

Neuroscientists in the Down Syndrome Research Group at the University of Arizona have created a battery of tests that quickly aid in the assessment of the cognitive abilities of persons with Down syndrome.

27 Aug 2010

AgeneBio receives grant to develop neural stabilizer therapy for amnestic mild cognitive impairment

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) announced today that it has awarded a grant of $240,000 to AgeneBio Inc. to develop a new class of small-molecules that have promise in treating amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), a neurological condition that often progresses to Alzheimer's disease and affects more than 3 million aging Americans.

27 Aug 2010

Vanda Pharmaceuticals initiates tasimelteon Phase III clinical trial for Non-24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc., today announced it has initiated a Phase III clinical trial to evaluate tasimelteon in patients with Non-24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder (N24HSWD), a condition experienced primarily by totally blind individuals that results in abnormal night sleep patterns and chronic daytime sleepiness.

26 Aug 2010

CDC study examines cost of medical care, productivity losses associated with motor vehicle injuries

In a one-year period, the cost of medical care and productivity losses associated with injuries from motor vehicle crashes exceeded $99 billion - with the cost of direct medical care accounting for $17 billion, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The total annual cost amounts to nearly $500 for each licensed driver in the United States, said the study in the journal Traffic Injury Prevention.

26 Aug 2010

23rd European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress to be held 28 Aug - 1 Sep 2010 in Amsterdam

Mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, addiction and schizophrenia are the core challenge of most health care systems around the world. In the EU alone, each year 27% of the total adult population - this corresponds to 83 Million citizens - suffer from mental disorders. Depression alone affects almost 20 million ranking in the EU as the most disabling disorder of all diseases.

26 Aug 2010

Research on myosin II protein can lead to novel treatment for memory disorders

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a mechanism that plays a critical role in the formation of long-term memory. The findings shed substantial new light on aspects of how memory is formed, and could lead to novel treatments for memory disorders.

26 Aug 2010

SOECIC announces UK's first operation to fit single cochlear implant to give sound in both ears

The UK's first operation to fit a single cochlear implant capable of giving sound in both ears takes place this Friday (27 August), thanks to the work of the South of England Cochlear Implant Centre (SOECIC), based at the University of Southampton.

26 Aug 2010

Department of Health reports 2010's first human case of West Nile virus in Pennsylvania

The Department of Health today reported this year's first human case of West Nile virus in Pennsylvania. The individual is a 69-year-old man from Philadelphia County.

26 Aug 2010

Neuroeconomics research identifes distinct brain structures for tracking various outcomes

Scientists at Harvard University have found that humans can make difficult moral decisions using the same brain circuits as those used in more mundane choices related to money and food.

26 Aug 2010

Motor proteins play critical role in stabilization of long-term memories

Functioning much like gears in a machine, cellular motor proteins are critical to dynamic functions throughout the body, including muscle contraction, cell migration and cellular growth processes. Now, neuroscientists from UC Irvine and the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute report that motor proteins also play a critical role in the stabilization of long-term memories. The findings add an unexpected dimension to the story of how memories are encoded and suggest new targets for therapeutic interventions.

26 Aug 2010

Saint Thomas Health Services to offer program for neurosurgical patients’ better care

August is Neurosurgery Outreach Month, an effort to increase the public's knowledge about the powerful effects of neurosurgery, many of which are taking place at Saint Thomas Health Services in Tennessee.

26 Aug 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New system safely induces sensory, mobility disturbances experienced by astronauts after return to Earth

Increase in regeneration of nerve cells can alleviate or prevent memory loss

Researchers recommend traumatic brain injury reclassification for additional funding

Researchers find two high-fat diets reduce absence epilepsy in children

Study finds moderate exercise enhances DMN connectivity in specific regions of brain

Disulfiram drug effective in treating cocaine addiction: Research

BrainScope technology specifically identifies triage for Computed Tomography to ED patients

FDA denies accelerated approval of Genentech's trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1) BLA for metastatic breast cancer

Study on impact of harmful de novo gene mutations on autism, schizophrenia

Battery of tests for quick assessment of cognitive abilities in Down syndrome patients

AgeneBio receives grant to develop neural stabilizer therapy for amnestic mild cognitive impairment

Vanda Pharmaceuticals initiates tasimelteon Phase III clinical trial for Non-24-Hour Sleep Wake Disorder

CDC study examines cost of medical care, productivity losses associated with motor vehicle injuries

23rd European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress to be held 28 Aug - 1 Sep 2010 in Amsterdam

Research on myosin II protein can lead to novel treatment for memory disorders

SOECIC announces UK's first operation to fit single cochlear implant to give sound in both ears

Department of Health reports 2010's first human case of West Nile virus in Pennsylvania

Neuroeconomics research identifes distinct brain structures for tracking various outcomes

Motor proteins play critical role in stabilization of long-term memories

Saint Thomas Health Services to offer program for neurosurgical patients’ better care

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

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