Neurosurgery News and Research

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Study: The brain has a small window of opportunity to repair itself after stroke

An international study has shown, for the first time, that the capacity of the human brain to recover and rewire itself peaks around two weeks after a stroke and diminishes over time.

16 Feb 2021

Study reveals detailed map of glioblastoma in genetic, molecular detail

Glioblastoma is among the most aggressive and devastating of cancers. While rare compared with other cancers, it's the most common type of brain cancer.

12 Feb 2021

Imaging technique can differentiate Alzheimer's disease from dementia with Lewy bodies

Scientists in Portugal and the United Kingdom were able to confirm that an imaging technique that traces neuronal dopaminergic deficiency in the brain is able to differentiate, in vivo, Alzheimer's disease from lesser-known dementia with Lewy bodies.

5 Feb 2021

Researchers figure out how the immune system keeps tabs on the brain

Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, autism, schizophrenia and many other neurological and psychiatric conditions have been linked to inflammation in the brain.

27 Jan 2021

RENACER: New national hospital network aims to advance research on brain metastases

Last January 25th, the bylaws of the National Brain Metastasis Network (or RENACER, its acronym in Spanish) were signed and the network's first meeting was held.

27 Jan 2021

Sodium fluorescein may improve the safety and outcomes of vestibular schwannoma surgery

Removing a vestibular schwannoma - a slow-growing, benign tumor that develops in the nerves connecting the inner ear to the brain - is a delicate procedure. Surgeons must differentiate the tumor from nearby nerves, arteries, and other intracranial structures.

26 Jan 2021

Brain stimulation highlights ancestral brain highway system shared by humans and monkeys

Scientists have identified that the evolutionary development of human and primate brains may have been similar for communication and memory.

25 Jan 2021

Recurring glioblastomas with very few mutations are far more vulnerable to immunotherapies

Glioblastoma brain tumors are especially perplexing. Inevitably lethal, the tumors occasionally respond to new immunotherapies after they've grown back, enabling up to 20% of patients to live well beyond predicted survival times.

13 Jan 2021

Robotic device powered by patients’ own brains helps improve stroke rehabilitation

Stroke survivors who had ceased to benefit from conventional rehabilitation gained clinically significant arm movement and control by using an external robotic device powered by the patients' own brains.

12 Jan 2021

Nuclear DICER complex disrupts cytoplasmic microRNAome in glioblastoma cancer cells

Like Peter Pan, some cells never grow up. In cancer, undifferentiated stem cells may help tumors such as glioblastoma become more aggressive than other forms of the disease.

8 Jan 2021

Comprehensive review details the evolution of surgical microscopes

A clear view of anatomical structures is vital for the success of surgery--especially in microsurgery where narrow anatomical cavities or proximity to vulnerable organs and tissues can pose significant risks to patient health.

5 Jan 2021

Tissue healing after brain injury could spur tumor growth

The healing process that follows a brain injury could spur tumor growth when new cells generated to replace those lost to the injury are derailed by mutations, Toronto scientists have found.

4 Jan 2021

Researchers discover novel therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke using experimental model

Research conducted at LSU Health New Orleans Neuroscience Center of Excellence reports that a combination of an LSU Health-patented drug and selected DHA derivatives is more effective in protecting brain cells and increasing recovery after stroke than a single drug. The findings are published in Brain Circulation, available here.

4 Jan 2021

Scientists trace genetic roots of Chiari 1 malformation

About one in 100 children has a common brain disorder called Chiari 1 malformation, but most of the time such children grow up normally and no one suspects a problem.

28 Dec 2020

Study shows how human brains navigate physical space and keep track of others' location

For the first time, scientists have recorded how our brains navigate physical space and keep track of others' location. Researchers used a special backpack to wirelessly monitor the brain waves of epilepsy patients as each one walked around an empty room hunting for a hidden, two-foot spot.

24 Dec 2020

Study reveals how our brains track where we and others go

As COVID cases rise, physically distancing yourself from other people has never been more important. Now a new UCLA study reveals how your brain navigates places and monitors someone else in the same location.

23 Dec 2020

Anti-diarrhea drug triggers cell death in glioblastoma cells

In cell culture, loperamide, a drug commonly used against diarrhea, proves effective against glioblastoma cells. A research team at Goethe University has now unraveled the drug’s mechanisms of action of cell death induction and – in doing so – has shown how this compound could help attack brain tumors that otherwise are difficult to treat.

22 Dec 2020

Stem cell engineering used to identify gene signaling pathway linked to schizophrenia

Using human-induced pluripotent stem cells engineered from a single family's blood samples, a gene signaling pathway linked to a higher risk for developing schizophrenia was discovered by scientists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

21 Dec 2020

Researchers develop a technique to predict epileptic seizures

A third of epilepsy sufferers are resistant to treatment for this neurological disease that affects 1% of the population.

18 Dec 2020

Penn State engineers find link between nitric oxide expressing neurons and arterial dilation

Neurons control blood flow in tiny vessels in the brain, but researchers know little about this relationship.

16 Dec 2020