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Scientists identify new therapeutic targets, screening test to uncover compounds for memory disorders

In a pair of related studies, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have identified a number of new therapeutic targets for memory disorders and have developed a new screening test to uncover compounds that may one day work against those disorders.

12 Nov 2014

Mice may hold clues in development of ADHD, autism and bipolar disorder

A darting mouse may hold an important clue in the development of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism and bipolar disorder, according to a study by a Vanderbilt University-led research team recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

11 Nov 2014

Researchers use DNA sequencing to uncover genes that heighten autism risk

In the largest study of its kind to date, researchers have used DNA sequencing to uncover dozens of genes that heighten the risk for autism. Joseph Buxbaum, Ph.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, Mark Daly, Ph.D., Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, and their colleagues examined more than 14,000 DNA samples from affected children, parents and unrelated people.

29 Oct 2014

Research: MHCI protein moonlights in nervous system to regulate synapses

When it comes to the brain, "more is better" seems like an obvious assumption. But in the case of synapses, which are the connections between brain cells, too many or too few can both disrupt brain function.

21 Oct 2014

Finding could help improve treatment of hearing loss caused by noise, normal aging

Scientists have restored the hearing of mice partly deafened by noise, using advanced tools to boost the production of a key protein in their ears.

21 Oct 2014

Allen Institute for Brain Science receives $8.7 million NIH grant to explore synapses

The Allen Institute for Brain Science, in a project led by Stephen Smith, Ph.D., Senior Investigator, has been awarded an $8.7 million, five-year Transformative Research Award from the National Institutes of Health to lead the creation of a publicly accessible model of synapse populations in mouse and human brains.

6 Oct 2014

NIH announces winners of BRAIN Initiative awards

Today the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced their first round of BRAIN Initiative awards, and six teams from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are among the recipients.

1 Oct 2014

Protein that plays key role in neurological diseases regulates neuronal communication by self-association

The protein alpha-synuclein is a well-known player in Parkinson's disease and other related neurological conditions, such as dementia with Lewy bodies. Its normal functions, however, have long remained unknown.

30 Sep 2014

Synapse Biomedical completes enrollment in post-approval study of NeuRx DPS for ALS patients

Synapse Biomedical Inc. announced today it has completed the enrollment of the post-approval study of its NeuRx DPS System for ALS patients.

30 Sep 2014

Brain & Behavior Research Foundation to honor 8 scientists for achievements in psychiatric research

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation will honor eight scientists with its 2014 Outstanding Achievement Prizes for work delving into psychiatric disorders that affect one in four people. The awards, which celebrate the transformative power of neuroscience and psychiatric research to improve the lives of people with mental illness, will be presented at the Foundation's National Awards Dinner at the Pierre Hotel.

30 Sep 2014

International researchers identify novel causes for severe childhood epilepsies

In the largest collaborative study so far, an international team of researchers, including scientists from VIB and Antwerp University identified novel causes for severe childhood epilepsies.

26 Sep 2014

Understanding neuron development: an interview with Dr. Brock Grill, The Scripps Research Institute

There’s a big difference between understanding coordination and actually building connectivity. In terms of building connectivity, several molecules have been identified that control this process and a lot has been learned from both genetic and biochemical research in a variety of different systems, particularly studies in the nematode C. elegans, the fruit fly Drosophila and mice.

22 Aug 2014

Children and adolescents with autism have surplus of synapses in brain

Children and adolescents with autism have a surplus of synapses in the brain, and this excess is due to a slowdown in a normal brain "pruning" process during development, according to a study by neuroscientists at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC).

22 Aug 2014

Rare mutation in suspect gene disrupts brain circuitry in complex psychiatric disorders

Researchers have long suspected that major mental disorders are genetically-rooted diseases of synapses - the connections between neurons.

18 Aug 2014

Illness-linked genetic variation affects connections among neurons in the developing brain

A genetic variation linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression wreaks havoc on connections among neurons in the developing brain, a team of researchers reports.

16 Aug 2014

Huntingtin protein plays critical role in long-term memory development

It has been more than 20 years since scientists discovered that mutations in the gene huntingtin cause the devastating progressive neurological condition Huntington's disease, which involves involuntary movements, emotional disturbance and cognitive impairment.

13 Aug 2014

Neuroscientists shed new light on how the brain works

Neuroscientists in Bonn and Heidelberg have succeeded in providing new insights into how the brain works. Researchers at the DZNE and the German Cancer Research Center analyzed tissue samples from mice to identify how two specific proteins, ‘CKAMP44’ and ‘TARP Gamma-8’, act upon the brain’s memory center.

26 Jul 2014

Protein once seen as promising anti-cancer compound helps to stabilize neural circuits

Researchers at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have discovered that endostatin, a protein that once aroused intense interest as a possible cancer treatment, plays a key role in the stable functioning of the nervous system.

25 Jul 2014

Deleting enzyme favorably impacts behaviors associated with autistic behaviors

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic disorder that causes obsessive-compulsive and repetitive behaviors, and other behaviors on the autistic spectrum, as well as cognitive deficits. It is the most common inherited cause of mental impairment and the most common cause of autism.

24 Jul 2014

Study finds microglia increase neuronal firing and enhance brain cell survival after injury

A type of immune cell widely believed to exacerbate chronic adult brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and multiple sclerosis (MS), can actually protect the brain from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and may slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, according to Cleveland Clinic research published today in the online journal Nature Communications.

22 Jul 2014

Synapse News and Research

Scientists identify new therapeutic targets, screening test to uncover compounds for memory disorders

Mice may hold clues in development of ADHD, autism and bipolar disorder

Researchers use DNA sequencing to uncover genes that heighten autism risk

Research: MHCI protein moonlights in nervous system to regulate synapses

Finding could help improve treatment of hearing loss caused by noise, normal aging

Allen Institute for Brain Science receives $8.7 million NIH grant to explore synapses

NIH announces winners of BRAIN Initiative awards

Protein that plays key role in neurological diseases regulates neuronal communication by self-association

Synapse Biomedical completes enrollment in post-approval study of NeuRx DPS for ALS patients

Brain & Behavior Research Foundation to honor 8 scientists for achievements in psychiatric research

International researchers identify novel causes for severe childhood epilepsies

Understanding neuron development: an interview with Dr. Brock Grill, The Scripps Research Institute

Children and adolescents with autism have surplus of synapses in brain

Rare mutation in suspect gene disrupts brain circuitry in complex psychiatric disorders

Illness-linked genetic variation affects connections among neurons in the developing brain

Huntingtin protein plays critical role in long-term memory development

Neuroscientists shed new light on how the brain works

Protein once seen as promising anti-cancer compound helps to stabilize neural circuits

Deleting enzyme favorably impacts behaviors associated with autistic behaviors

Study finds microglia increase neuronal firing and enhance brain cell survival after injury

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