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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.

National Intrepid Center of Excellence to treat veterans with traumatic brain injury

The U.S. Department of Defense and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund on June 24 officially dedicated the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, a new 72,000-square-foot medical facility in Bethesda, Md., dedicated to researching, diagnosing and treating traumatic brain injury in U.S. military personnel.

28 Jun 2010

New findings could lead to simple dietary solutions, possible therapeutics for gestational diabetes

The cause of diabetes during pregnancy is directly controlled by serotonin, a chemical produced by the body and normally known as a neurotransmitter, and is influenced by the amount of protein in the mother's diet early in pregnancy, according to new findings of an international team led by researchers at UCSF.

28 Jun 2010

ARS study finds link between vitamin D and cognitive function

At a time when consumer interest in health-enhancing foods is high, Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-funded scientists have contributed to a limited but growing body of evidence of a link between vitamin D and cognitive function.

25 Jun 2010

Athersys, CSCRM and CWRU receive $1M to advance MultiStem therapy for SCI

Athersys, Inc. and its collaborators, including the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine and Case Western Reserve University, announced today that they have been awarded $1 million through the Ohio Third Frontier Biomedical Program to support research into the treatment of spinal cord injury with MultiStem, Athersys' proprietary stem cell product candidate.

25 Jun 2010

Neuralstem signs definitive agreements to sell $10M of units in registered-direct offering

Neuralstem, Inc. announced today that it has entered into definitive agreements to sell $10 million of units at $2.80 per unit in a registered-direct offering to institutional investors. The units consist of: (i) one share of common stock, and (ii) 3/4 common stock purchase warrant. The warrants have an exercise price of $3.25 and a term of three years.

25 Jun 2010

Scientists discover characteristic amyloid plaques in retinas from Alzheimer's disease patients

The nerve cell-damaging plaque that builds up in the brain with Alzheimer's disease also builds up in the retinas of the eyes - and it shows up there earlier, leading to the prospect that noninvasive optical imaging of the eyes could lead to earlier diagnosis, intervention and monitoring of the disease, according to new research.

25 Jun 2010

CHMP adopts positive opinion on pending MAA for SYCREST sublingual tablets

Merck announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use adopted a positive opinion on the pending Marketing Authorization Application for SYCREST (asenapine) sublingual tablets. The CHMP has recommended that the European Commission grant a marketing authorization for SYCREST for the treatment of moderate to severe manic episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adults. The CHMP did not support an indication for the treatment of schizophrenia.

25 Jun 2010

First Edition: June 25, 2010

Today's headlines reflect the latest news about the House passing a temporary ban on cuts in Medicare reimbursements to doctors, while Senate Democrats failed to gain approval for their jobs bill, which included enhanced Medicaid aid to states.

25 Jun 2010

Research findings suggest possible diagnostic test for ALS

A team led by a Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute researcher developed a novel approach to efficiently identify disease relevant genes in human complex neurological disorders and demonstrated the effectiveness of this method by applying it to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, according to a new study reported online in the journal, Human Molecular Genetics.

25 Jun 2010

Scientist at Children Hospital Los Angeles receives NIH grant to research on meningitis

A white blood cell that normally removes bacteria from the bloodstream helps Escherichia coli (E. coli) accumulate in the blood and enter the brain resulting in the deadly infection known as meningitis. Prasadarao V. Nemani, PhD, a scientist at The Saban Research Institute at Children Hospital Los Angeles plans to find out how this happens with a grant of $1.65 million from the National Institutes of Health - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes.

25 Jun 2010

Neurosurgeons applaud newly-released draft standards for supervision, duty hours of medical residents

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons, American Board of Neurological Surgery, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and Society of Neurological Surgeons applaud the newly-released draft standards to revise the national requirements for the supervision and duty hours of medical residents.

25 Jun 2010

JZP-6 to be reviewed at joint meeting for treatment of fibromyalgia

Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Arthritis Advisory Committee and Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee will review JZP-6 (sodium oxybate) for the treatment of fibromyalgia at a joint meeting on August 20, 2010.

25 Jun 2010

Study on effects of resveratrol on metabolism of microcebus murinus

Resveratrol is a natural substance that is widely studied, for its anti-ageing properties among other things. For the first time, work by a team in the "Mécanismes adaptatifs : des organismes aux communautés" Laboratory (CNRS/Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle) has revealed that this compound reduces weight gain in lemurs. Such findings provide new information regarding the effects of resveratrol on energy metabolism and the control of body mass in primates. They may give a clearer understanding of the factors that govern obesity in humans. This study is published on 22 June 2010 in /BMC Physiology/.

25 Jun 2010

UH researchers analyze 'wireless connections' in brain to prevent neurological diseases

Many diseases of brain function, such as epilepsy and schizophrenia, are caused by problems in how neurons communicate with each other. A University of Houston researcher and his team are analyzing these commands and connections in an attempt to prevent those diseases.

25 Jun 2010

Quark Pharmaceuticals' siRNA drug candidates featured in two presentations at Glaucoma & Retinopathies 2010

Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a world leader in the discovery and development of RNAi-based therapeutics, today announced that two of its siRNA drug candidates were featured in the following two presentations at the Glaucoma & Retinopathies 2010 conference, which was held June 21-22, 2010 in London, UK.

25 Jun 2010

New technique predicts post-stroke recovery

A team of researchers led by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center has developed a method to predict post-stroke recovery of language by measuring the initial severity of impairment.

25 Jun 2010

Brain scanning study has implications for advertising and public health campaigns

In a study with implications for the advertising industry and public health organizations, UCLA neuroscientists have shown they can use brain scanning to predict whether people will use sunscreen during a one-week period even better than the people themselves can.

25 Jun 2010

NKI awarded Phase II SBIR grant to develop new ophthalmic screening device for diabetic retinopathy

Neuro Kinetics, Inc., manufacturers of noninvasive medical diagnostic equipment used worldwide to test for vestibular and neurological conditions, said today that it has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research grant to further the company's development of a new ophthalmic screening device and testing protocols for the detection and diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy.

25 Jun 2010

Correlation exists between synaptic plasticity and drug addiction

Why is it that only some drug users become addicts? This is the question that has been addressed by the teams of Pier Vincenzo Piazza and Olivier Manzoni, at the Neurocentre Magendie in Bordeaux (Inserm unit 862). These researchers have just discovered that the transition to addiction could result from a persistent impairment of synaptic plasticity in a key structure of the brain.

25 Jun 2010

Boston Scientific launches SCS lead splitters for use with Precision Plus Spinal Cord Stimulator System

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval and launch of two spinal cord stimulation (SCS) lead splitters for use with its Precision Plus™ Spinal Cord Stimulator System, the world's first rechargeable SCS device for the management of chronic pain of the trunk, back and/or limbs.

24 Jun 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

National Intrepid Center of Excellence to treat veterans with traumatic brain injury

New findings could lead to simple dietary solutions, possible therapeutics for gestational diabetes

ARS study finds link between vitamin D and cognitive function

Athersys, CSCRM and CWRU receive $1M to advance MultiStem therapy for SCI

Neuralstem signs definitive agreements to sell $10M of units in registered-direct offering

Scientists discover characteristic amyloid plaques in retinas from Alzheimer's disease patients

CHMP adopts positive opinion on pending MAA for SYCREST sublingual tablets

First Edition: June 25, 2010

Research findings suggest possible diagnostic test for ALS

Scientist at Children Hospital Los Angeles receives NIH grant to research on meningitis

Neurosurgeons applaud newly-released draft standards for supervision, duty hours of medical residents

JZP-6 to be reviewed at joint meeting for treatment of fibromyalgia

Study on effects of resveratrol on metabolism of microcebus murinus

UH researchers analyze 'wireless connections' in brain to prevent neurological diseases

Quark Pharmaceuticals' siRNA drug candidates featured in two presentations at Glaucoma & Retinopathies 2010

New technique predicts post-stroke recovery

Brain scanning study has implications for advertising and public health campaigns

NKI awarded Phase II SBIR grant to develop new ophthalmic screening device for diabetic retinopathy

Correlation exists between synaptic plasticity and drug addiction

Boston Scientific launches SCS lead splitters for use with Precision Plus Spinal Cord Stimulator System

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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