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.

Saint Peter's University joins Curemark's clinical trial program for CM-AT autism treatment

Curemark, LLC , a drug research and development company focused on the treatment of neurological diseases, announced that Saint Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, is participating in the company's Phase III clinical trials for CM-AT, Curemark's autism treatment.

29 Jul 2010

NARSAD to honor five young scientists at Annual Klerman and Freedman Awards event

July 30 NARSAD will honor five outstanding researchers at the Annual Klerman and Freedman Awards event in New York City.

29 Jul 2010

Researchers find how angiotensin influences immune system

Researchers in Heidelberg and Stanford have discovered a new signalling pathway of brain cells that explains how widely used antihypertensive drugs could keep inflammation in multiple sclerosis in check. The peptide angiotensin not only raises blood pressure but also activates the immunological messenger substance TGF beta on a previously unknown communication pathway in the brain.

29 Jul 2010

SIR offers five-day course that covers all aspects of acute stroke management

Catheter Lysis of Thromboembolic Stroke -an intensive five-day course offered by the Society of Interventional Radiology Oct. 24-28 in Dallas, Texas-provides interventional radiologists, neurointerventionalists, vascular neurologists and fellows-in-training with the unique educational opportunity to review, observe and discuss all aspects of acute stroke management.

29 Jul 2010

Research to help people born with 'face blindness'

A specific area in our brains is responsible for processing information about human and animal faces, both how we recognize them and how we interpret facial expressions. Now, Tel Aviv University research is exploring what makes this highly specialized part of the brain unique, a first step to finding practical applications for that information.

29 Jul 2010

Genetic signals determine neurotransmitter use for communication

Cascades of genetic signals determine which neurotransmitter a brain cell will ultimately use to communicate with other cells. Now a pair of reports from biologists at the University of California, San Diego, have shown for the first time that electrical activity in these developing neurons can alter their chemical fate-and change an animal's behavior-by tweaking this genetic program.

29 Jul 2010

REM sleep behavior disorder may later lead to neurologic disorders

A new study shows that a sleep disorder may be a sign of dementia or Parkinson's disease up to 50 years before the disorders are diagnosed. The research is published in the July 28, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 Jul 2010

Loss of key nerve cells cause Parkinson's disease: Research

Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a molecular pathway responsible for the death of key nerve cells whose loss causes Parkinson's disease. This discovery not only may explain how a genetic mutation linked to Parkinson's causes the cells' death, but could also open the door to new therapeutic approaches for the malady.

29 Jul 2010

Scientists study mutant protein lump formation process to control brain cell death

Australian scientists have identified the behaviour of the mutant protein 'huntingtin' which leads to the fatal Huntington's disease providing potential targets to treat the disease, a University of Melbourne study reveals.

29 Jul 2010

Boston Scientific announces launch of Neuroform EZ Stent System in U.S. and Europe

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced the U.S. and European launches of the Neuroform EZ(TM) Stent System, its fourth-generation intracranial aneurysm stent system designed for use in conjunction with endovascular coiling to treat wide-necked aneurysms. The Company plans to launch the product immediately in both markets.

29 Jul 2010

NIH grants $14.85 million to complete two floors of NRI at Texas Children's Hospital

Neurological research at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital is getting a big boost in the form of a $14.85 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to complete two floors of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital.

29 Jul 2010

Increased SIRT1 protein can delay delay aging, extend lifespan

Researchers watched two groups of mice, both nearing the end of a two-day fast. One group was quietly huddled together, but the other group was active and alert. The difference? The second set of mice had been engineered so their brains produced more SIRT1, a protein known to play a role in aging and longevity.

29 Jul 2010

Inhibition of MMPs can offer therapeutic benefit in Huntington's disease: Study

A new study reveals that an enzyme linked with multiple disorders is also involved in the generation of toxic, neuron-killing protein fragments in Huntington's disease (HD). The research, published by Cell Press in the July 29 issue of Neuron, provides insight into Huntington's pathology and proposes new therapeutic strategies for this devastating incurable disease.

29 Jul 2010

Limerick to announce new results from LIM-0705 human trials at 23rd Transplantation Society congress

Limerick BioPharma, Inc., a developer of innovative therapies that help cells pump out unwanted or toxic substances, will announce new results from human trials of its lead compound, LIM-0705, at the 23rd International Congress of the Transplantation Society in Vancouver, Canada, in an oral presentation on August 19, 2010.

29 Jul 2010

The neck played major role in evolution of human brain: Study

By deciphering the genetics in humans and fish, scientists now believe that the neck - that little body part between your head and shoulders - gave humans so much freedom of movement that it played a surprising and major role in the evolution of the human brain, according to New York University and Cornell University neuroscientists in the online journal Nature Communications (July 27, 2010.)

28 Jul 2010

NCKU engineers and physical therapy experts develop rehabilitation robots

Prof. Ming-Shaung Ju of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan, Taiwan, has developed rehabilitation robots by integrating the experience of physical therapy experts at NCKU Hospital, opening a new road for stroke patients' rehabilitation.

28 Jul 2010

Research presents theoretical model that predicts HFE values of organic compounds

Drug delivery inside the body is a complicated process. Compounds travel through a maze of aqueous solutions, lipid membranes, and barriers between the blood and tissues like the brain. Research reported in the American Institute of Physics publication the Journal of Chemical Physics presents a theoretical model that accurately predicts the hydration free energy of a wide variety of organic compounds.

28 Jul 2010

New study on treating CP with HBOT is making waves in India, U.S.

A new study on treating Cerebral Palsy with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is making waves in India and the U.S. The largest sample of children studied to assess neuro-developmental improvements focuses on a combination of standard rehabilitation therapies, such as Occupational, Physical, Speech Therapies and HBOT.

28 Jul 2010

Scientists unveil nanoparticle for photoacoustic imaging

Spotting a single cancerous cell that has broken free from a tumor and is traveling through the bloodstream to colonize a new organ might seem like finding a needle in a haystack. But a new imaging technique from the University of Washington is a first step toward making this possible.UW researchers have developed a multifunctional nanoparticle that eliminates the background noise, enabling a more precise form of medical imaging - essentially erasing the haystack, so the needle shines through. A successful demonstration with photoacoustic imaging was reported today (July 27) in the journal Nature Communications.

28 Jul 2010

Research findings provide new insight into skeletal development

Too little of a protein called neogenin results in a smaller skeleton during development and sets the stage for a more fragile bone framework lifelong, Medical College of Georgia researchers report.

28 Jul 2010