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.

Study shows smokers have lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease

Researchers have new insight into the relationship between Parkinson's disease and smoking. Several studies have shown that smokers have a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease. A new study published in the March 10, 2010, online issue of Neurology ®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, shows that smoking for a greater number of years may reduce the risk of the disease, but smoking a larger number of cigarettes per day may not reduce the risk.

11 Mar 2010

Scientists identify specific causative genetic mutation associated with CMT

Scientists using advanced genomic analysis technologies from Life Technologies Corporation have sequenced an individual’s genome and identified the specific causative mutation associated with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT), one of the most common inherited neurological disorders currently affecting 1 in 2,500 individuals in the United States.

11 Mar 2010

Injured nerves may cause severe pain in patients with sickle cell disease

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have discovered the pain caused by sickle cell disease may not occur solely from damaged tissues, but also from injured nerves.

11 Mar 2010

Molecular master switch plays a key role in maturation process of brain cells

About four out of every 10 cells in the brain are so-called oligodendrocytes. These cells produce the all-important myelin that coats nerve tracts, ensuring fast, energy-efficient transmission of nerve impulses.

11 Mar 2010

Clinical research trial of new treatment to restore brain cells damaged by stroke passes safety stage

A clinical research trial of a new treatment to restore brain cells damaged by stroke has passed an important safety stage, according to the UC Irvine neurologist who led the effort.

11 Mar 2010

Sleep disorders may increase risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases

Many Americans will lose an hour of sleep on March 14, the first day of daylight-saving time, when clocks are set ahead one hour at 2 a.m. local standard time—making it harder to wake up, causing difficulty in staying alert and increasing the chance of sleepy-driving car crashes.

11 Mar 2010

NeuroSearch's MermaiHD study supports potential Huntington's disease modifying properties of Huntexil

NeuroSearch today announced that further analysis of the data from the MermaiHD study with Huntexil(R) (pridopidine) for the treatment of Huntington's disease supports potential disease modifying properties of the drug.

11 Mar 2010

Positive results from Limerick BioPharma's LIM-0705 Phase 1a trial

Limerick BioPharma, Inc., a developer of innovative therapies that help cells pump unwanted or toxic substances away from vulnerable tissues, has announced positive results of a Phase 1a trial for its lead compound, LIM-0705, which has completed its first in man study.

10 Mar 2010

African-Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer's and dementias

According to the Alzheimer's Association's® 2010 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, African-Americans are about two times more likely and Hispanics are about one and one-half times more likely than their white counterparts to have Alzheimer's and other dementias.

10 Mar 2010

Risk-free psychological treatment can be better alternative to drugs in treating women with low sexual desire

According to the Journal of Sexual Medicine, people who engage in regular sexual activity gain several health benefits, such as longer lives, healthier hearts, lower blood pressure, and lower risk of breast cancer. However, approximately 33 percent of women may not receive these benefits due to low sexual desire.

10 Mar 2010

2010 Max Planck Research Award for Dr. Timothy Bromage from NYU College of Dentistry

New York University College of Dentistry's Dr. Timothy Bromage has been selected to receive the 2010 Max Planck Research Award. Dr. Bromage will collaborate with Dr. Friedemann Schrenk of Frankfurt's Senckenberg Research Institute to research the microanatomical structure of bones and teeth, and the links between metabolic states, growth rates, life spans, and biological features such as sex and body size.

10 Mar 2010

Augmentation with ketone bodies improves cognitive function in AD patients

Accera, Inc., a biotechnology company delivering breakthrough therapies in central nervous system diseases, announced data which showed that augmentation with ketone bodies significantly improved cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.

10 Mar 2010

AMT initiates dosing in Phase I/II gene therapy clinical trial for hemophilia B

Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics, a leader in the field of human gene therapy, announced today that the first patient has been dosed in the Phase I/II exploratory clinical trial with a gene therapy product for hemophilia B, a seriously debilitating and potentially lethal disease.

10 Mar 2010

Lowering levels of Coonexin46 with use of siRNA will help prevent tumor formation

What began as research into how diabetics could possibly preserve their eyesight has led to findings that could prolong the vision of children afflicted with retinoblastoma.

10 Mar 2010

Researchers to collaborate on the largest clinical trial of hypothermia for stroke

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and UTHealth's Medical School will collaborate on the largest clinical trial of hypothermia (brain cooling) for stroke to date.

10 Mar 2010

Spasticity in flexor muscles of elbow, wrist, and fingers: Botox approved for treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Botox (onabotulinumtoxin A) to treat spasticity in the flexor muscles of the elbow, wrist, and fingers in adults. Spasticity is common after stroke, traumatic brain injury, or the progression of multiple sclerosis.

10 Mar 2010

March of Dimes to receive 2010 Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award

March of Dimes will receive Research!America's 2010 Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award. The award recognizes March of Dimes' decades of successful advocacy for maternal and child health research and services.

10 Mar 2010

MIT researchers to use Elekta Neuromag system to study neural basis of brain disorders

Researchers at MIT are eagerly anticipating the summer delivery of Elekta Neuromag®, a system that uses magnetoencephalography or MEG to explore brain function. MEG can detect the very weak magnetic fields arising from electrical activity in the brain, and allows researchers to monitor the timing of brain activity with millisecond precision.

From Elekta 10 Mar 2010

Abbott announces definitive agreement to acquire Facet Biotech

Abbott and Facet Biotech Corporation announced today a definitive agreement for Abbott to acquire Facet, enhancing Abbott's early- and mid-stage pharmaceutical pipeline.

9 Mar 2010

Activity in lateral prefrontal cortex may improve emotion regulation in day-to-day life

Common wisdom tells us that for a successful relationship partners shouldn't go to bed angry. But new research from a psychologist at Harvard University suggests that brain activity-specifically in the region called the lateral prefrontal cortex-is a far better indicator of how someone will feel in the days following a fight with his or her partner.

9 Mar 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Study shows smokers have lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease

Scientists identify specific causative genetic mutation associated with CMT

Injured nerves may cause severe pain in patients with sickle cell disease

Molecular master switch plays a key role in maturation process of brain cells

Clinical research trial of new treatment to restore brain cells damaged by stroke passes safety stage

Sleep disorders may increase risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases

NeuroSearch's MermaiHD study supports potential Huntington's disease modifying properties of Huntexil

Positive results from Limerick BioPharma's LIM-0705 Phase 1a trial

African-Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer's and dementias

Risk-free psychological treatment can be better alternative to drugs in treating women with low sexual desire

2010 Max Planck Research Award for Dr. Timothy Bromage from NYU College of Dentistry

Augmentation with ketone bodies improves cognitive function in AD patients

AMT initiates dosing in Phase I/II gene therapy clinical trial for hemophilia B

Lowering levels of Coonexin46 with use of siRNA will help prevent tumor formation

Researchers to collaborate on the largest clinical trial of hypothermia for stroke

Spasticity in flexor muscles of elbow, wrist, and fingers: Botox approved for treatment

March of Dimes to receive 2010 Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award

MIT researchers to use Elekta Neuromag system to study neural basis of brain disorders

Abbott announces definitive agreement to acquire Facet Biotech

Activity in lateral prefrontal cortex may improve emotion regulation in day-to-day life

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