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Study shows how adolescent cannabis use can cause schizophrenia

New research from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) published in Nature's Neuropsychopharmacology has shown physical changes to exist in specific brain areas implicated in schizophrenia following the use of cannabis during adolescence. The research has shown how cannabis use during adolescence can interact with a gene, called the COMT gene, to cause physical changes in the brain.

9 May 2012

Chemically altered proteins may be key to understanding memories

Having a fat head may not be a bad thing, according to new findings at The Johns Hopkins University. As reported in the February 9 issue of Neuron, researchers have made a significant discovery as to how adding fat molecules to proteins can influence the brain circuitry controlling cognitive function, including learning and memory.

8 May 2012

Researchers find talking about ourselves triggers sensation of pleasure

According to researchers, talking about ourselves - whether in a personal conversation or through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter - can trigger the same sensation of pleasure in the brain as food, money or sex.

8 May 2012

New analysis on why some soldiers never seek PTSD care

U.S. Army researcher Maj. Gary H. Wynn, M.D., shared new analysis on why some Soldiers suffering from combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) never seek care or drop out of treatment early during a presentation today at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting. His presentation, "Epidemiology of Combat-Related PTSD in U.S. Service Members: Lessons Learned," also described the approaches the Army is using to address this issue and improve overall patient outcomes.

8 May 2012

DBS may offer hope for patients with mild Alzheimer's

A study on a handful of people with suspected mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) suggests that a device that sends continuous electrical impulses to specific "memory" regions of the brain appears to increase neuronal activity. Results of the study using deep brain stimulation, a therapy already used in some patients with Parkinson's disease and depression, may offer hope for at least some with AD, an intractable disease with no cure.

8 May 2012

Otsuka announces results from aripiprazole Phase 3 trial on schizophrenia

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and H. Lundbeck A/S today announced results from a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of once-monthly aripiprazole intramuscular (IM) depot formulation for the maintenance treatment of adults with schizophrenia.

8 May 2012

Researchers discover how diabetes affects specific brain area leading to memory loss

Badly controlled diabetes are known to affect the brain causing memory and learning problems and even an increased incidence of dementia, although how this occurs is not clear.

7 May 2012

Automated way to record electrical activity inside neurons in the living brain

Gaining access to the inner workings of a neuron in the living brain offers a wealth of useful information: its patterns of electrical activity, its shape, even a profile of which genes are turned on at a given moment. However, achieving this entry is such a painstaking task that it is considered an art form; it is so difficult to learn that only a small number of labs in the world practice it.

7 May 2012

Brain networks may avoid traffic jams by communicating on different frequencies

Brain networks may avoid traffic jams at their busiest intersections by communicating on different frequencies, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the University Medical Center at Hamburg-Eppendorf and the University of T-bingen have learned.

7 May 2012

Patterns of brain activity that play a role in recall of memories and decision-making

UCSF scientists have identified patterns of brain activity in the rat brain that play a role in the formation and recall of memories and decision-making. The discovery, which builds on the team's previous findings, offers a path for studying learning, decision-making and post-traumatic stress syndrome.

4 May 2012

Awake mental replay essential for making informed choices

Awake mental replay of past experiences is essential for making informed choices, suggests a study in rats. Without it, the animals- memory-based decision-making faltered, say scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health. The researchers blocked learning from, and acting on, past experience by selectively suppressing replay - encoded as split-second bursts of neuronal activity in the memory hubs of rats performing a maze task.

4 May 2012

IGF-axis proteins may have a role in development of type 2 diabetes

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in collaboration with Nurses' Health Study investigators have shown that levels of certain related proteins found in blood are associated with a greatly reduced risk for developing type 2 diabetes up to a decade or more later. The findings, published today in the online edition of Diabetes, could open a new front in the war against diabetes.

4 May 2012

Kessler Foundation scientists to share new findings at international multiple sclerosis congress

Kessler Foundation will be represented by four scientists at the inaugural International Congress on Cognition in Multiple Sclerosis to be held at the Congress Center in Bordeaux, France on May 11 & 12, 2012.

3 May 2012

Dopamine linked to willingness to work for a monetary reward

A new brain imaging study has shown that an individual’s willingness to work hard to earn money is strongly influenced by the chemistry in three specific areas of the brain. Researchers claim that this could have important implications for the treatment of attention-deficit disorder, depression, schizophrenia and other forms of mental illness characterized by decreased motivation.

3 May 2012

Rapamycin could help prevent autism in newborns with seizures

Early-life seizures are known to be associated with autism, and studies indicate that about 40 percent of patients with autism also have epilepsy. A study from Boston Children's Hospital finds a reason for the link, and suggests that an existing drug, already shown to be safe in children, could help prevent autism from developing in newborns who have seizures.

3 May 2012

Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation to fund $45,000 pilot internship program at TGen

The Arizona-based Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation will fund a $45,000 pilot internship program this summer and fall at the Translational Genomics Research Foundation (TGen).

3 May 2012

Biosynthetic polyphenol improves cognitive function in mice with AD

Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers have succeeded in developing a biosynthetic polyphenol that improves cognitive function in mice with Alzheimer's disease.

3 May 2012

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids linked with lower blood beta-amyloid levels

A new study suggests that eating foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, chicken, salad dressing and nuts, may be associated with lower blood levels of a protein related to Alzheimer's disease and memory problems.

3 May 2012

Hypothalamic neuropeptide changes cause obesity in low-birth-weight babies

It seems improbable that a baby born underweight would be prone to obesity, but it is well documented that these children tend to put on weight in youth if they're allowed free access to calories. Now, researchers believe they understand why this happens.

3 May 2012

Biosynthetic polyphenol may improve cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease patients

Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers have succeeded in developing a biosynthetic polyphenol that improves cognitive function in mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The findings, published in a recent issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, provide insight in determining the feasibility of biosynthetic polyphenols as a possible therapy for AD in humans, a progressive neurodegenerative disease for which there is currently no cure.

2 May 2012