Nerve News and Research

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Synaptic health in the brain closely linked to cognitive decline

Age-related cognitive decline and changes in the nervous system are closely linked, but up until recently, they were thought to result from the loss of neurons in areas such as the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain important in working memory.

3 Dec 2013

Valproic acid can enhance neuronal regeneration following brachial plexus root avulsion

Brachial plexus root avulsion is the most serious type of peripheral nerve injury. Valproic acid has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects and promote neurite outgrowth in several peripheral nerve injury models. However, whether valproic acid can exert its beneficial effect on neurons after brachial plexus avulsion injury is currently unknown.

3 Dec 2013

Stroke patients report improvements in their motor function using novel rehabilitation device

Using a novel stroke rehabilitation device that converts an individual's thoughts to electrical impulses to move upper extremities, stroke patients reported improvements in their motor function and ability to perform activities of daily living. Results of the study were presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

2 Dec 2013

Scientists transform human stem cells into functional lung and airway cells

For the first time, scientists have succeeded in transforming human stem cells into functional lung and airway cells. The advance, reported by Columbia University Medical Center researchers, has significant potential for modeling lung disease, screening drugs, studying human lung development, and, ultimately, generating lung tissue for transplantation.

2 Dec 2013

Research: Modification of SUMO protein plays vital role in normal brain function

Scientists are a step closer to understanding how some of the brain's 100 billion nerve cells co-ordinate their communication.

28 Nov 2013

Certain Chinese medicines can regulate neurotrophic and apoptosis-related factors

Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly, which is pathologically characterized by selective loss of dopaminergic neurons. Compound preparations of Chinese medicines that can tonify the kidney have been reported to significantly improve symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

28 Nov 2013

Loyola dermatologist offers skin care tips for holidays

The holidays often bring freezing temperatures, limited sleep, sugary treats and cocktails. This combination can spell trouble for your skin, according to a dermatologist at Loyola University Health System.

28 Nov 2013

Mutation in alpha-synuclein gene causes increased vulnerability to pesticides, leading to Parkinson's

A team of researchers has brought new clarity to the picture of how gene-environmental interactions can kill nerve cells that make dopamine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination.

27 Nov 2013

Brain research provides new clues to Pavlovian conditioning

Do fruit flies hold the key to treating dementia? Researchers at the University of Houston have taken a significant step forward in unraveling the mechanisms of Pavlovian conditioning. Their work will help them understand how memories form and, ultimately, provide better treatments to improve memory in all ages.

27 Nov 2013

Protecting or boosting neurotrophins may slow progression of Huntington's disease

A drug that acts like a growth-promoting protein in the brain reduces degeneration and motor deficits associated with Huntington's disease in two mouse models of the disorder, according to a study appearing November 27 in the Journal of Neuroscience. The findings add to a growing body of evidence that protecting or boosting neurotrophins - the molecules that support the survival and function of nerve cells - may slow the progression of Huntington's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

27 Nov 2013

International researchers report significant findings on vascular abnormality outside the brain

Studies on Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia have long focused on what's happening inside the brain. Now an international research team studying Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment is reporting potentially significant findings on a vascular abnormality outside the brain.

27 Nov 2013

Auditory processing disorder diagnosis: an interview with Dr Doris-Eva Bamiou, UCL Ear Institute

It is a listening or hearing disorder, which is due to the brain’s defective analysis of sounds, so that individuals who are affected with this disorder cannot make sense of what they hear.

26 Nov 2013

Researchers identify new mechanism that causes neurodegeneration

As we age, our body rhythms lose time before they finally stop. Breaking the body clock by genetically disrupting a core clock gene, Bmal1, in mice has long been known to accelerate aging , causing arthritis, hair loss, cataracts, and premature death.

26 Nov 2013

Researchers receive $2.5M grant to study telephone-based approach to improve diabetes treatment outcomes

More than 25 million Americans have diabetes, yet as many as 60 percent of type 2 diabetes patients do not follow treatment plans prescribed by their healthcare provider and about 50 percent fail to meet treatment recommendations for control of blood glucose levels.

26 Nov 2013

Neuroscientists discover new role played by common but mysterious class of brain cells

Stanford University School of Medicine neuroscientists have discovered a new role played by a common but mysterious class of brain cells.

26 Nov 2013

Scientists use RNAi technology to reveal genes responsible for treating Parkinson's disease

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have used RNA interference (RNAi) technology to reveal dozens of genes which may represent new therapeutic targets for treating Parkinson's disease. The findings also may be relevant to several diseases caused by damage to mitochondria, the biological power plants found in cells throughout the body.

24 Nov 2013

Study may shed light on neural regrowth in mammals after spinal cord injury

Fish, unlike humans, can regenerate nerve connections and recover normal mobility following an injury to their spinal cord. Now, University of Missouri researchers have discovered how the sea lamprey, an eel-like fish, regrows the neurons that comprise the long nerve "highways" that link the brain to the spinal cord.

22 Nov 2013

Scientists hope to find new treatments for traumatic brain injury

In the most wide-reaching project of its kind, scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch are expanding their research on traumatic brain injury, examining its progressive, chronic effects on the body in hopes of treating its immediate and long-term consequences. The project is funded by a three-year, $9 million grant from The Moody Foundation of Galveston.

22 Nov 2013

Sugar is not direct cause of tooth decay

The effects of sugar on teeth are widely talked about. How many times have you been told that if you eat sugar, you will damage your teeth and develop cavities?

22 Nov 2013

Neurosurgeons use novel technique to visualize the brain's delicate anatomy prior to surgery

Neurosurgeons at UC San Diego Health System are using a new approach to visualize the brain's delicate anatomy prior to surgery. The novel technique allows neurosurgeons to see the brain's nerve connections thus preserving and protecting critical functions such as vision, speech and memory. No needles, dyes or chemicals are needed to create the radiology scan. The main imaging ingredient? Water.

22 Nov 2013

Nerve News and Research

Synaptic health in the brain closely linked to cognitive decline

Valproic acid can enhance neuronal regeneration following brachial plexus root avulsion

Stroke patients report improvements in their motor function using novel rehabilitation device

Scientists transform human stem cells into functional lung and airway cells

Research: Modification of SUMO protein plays vital role in normal brain function

Certain Chinese medicines can regulate neurotrophic and apoptosis-related factors

Loyola dermatologist offers skin care tips for holidays

Mutation in alpha-synuclein gene causes increased vulnerability to pesticides, leading to Parkinson's

Brain research provides new clues to Pavlovian conditioning

Protecting or boosting neurotrophins may slow progression of Huntington's disease

International researchers report significant findings on vascular abnormality outside the brain

Auditory processing disorder diagnosis: an interview with Dr Doris-Eva Bamiou, UCL Ear Institute

Researchers identify new mechanism that causes neurodegeneration

Researchers receive $2.5M grant to study telephone-based approach to improve diabetes treatment outcomes

Neuroscientists discover new role played by common but mysterious class of brain cells

Scientists use RNAi technology to reveal genes responsible for treating Parkinson's disease

Study may shed light on neural regrowth in mammals after spinal cord injury

Scientists hope to find new treatments for traumatic brain injury

Sugar is not direct cause of tooth decay

Neurosurgeons use novel technique to visualize the brain's delicate anatomy prior to surgery

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

How microplastics and bacteria interact to drive antibiotic resistance

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