Neuroscience News and Research

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Skin cells converted to brain cells without intermediate stem cell stage

Researchers from California have successfully converted mouse skin cells into cells which develop into the main components of the brain. The experiment, reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is notable because it skipped the middle “stem cell” stage in the process.

2 Feb 2012

High beta-amyloid levels may affect brain performance in healthy adults

High levels of the protein beta-amyloid in the brain that is associated with Alzheimer's disease may affect brain performance even in healthy adults, according to a study published in the February 1, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Feb 2012

Over-exposure to noise can cause more lasting changes to auditory circuitry

We all know that it can take a little while for our hearing to bounce back after listening to our iPods too loud or attending a raucous concert. But new research at the University of Michigan Health System suggests over-exposure to noise can actually cause more lasting changes to our auditory circuitry - changes that may lead to tinnitus, commonly known as ringing in the ears.

2 Feb 2012

Reduced insulin sensitivity linked to smaller brain size, deteriorated language skills in seniors

New research from Uppsala University shows that reduced insulin sensitivity is linked to smaller brain size and deteriorated language skills in seniors. The findings are now published in the scientific journal Diabetes Care.

2 Feb 2012

FDA EMDAC to discuss Arena's lorcaserin NDA resubmission in second quarter

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eisai Inc. announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has notified Arena that an Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the lorcaserin New Drug Application (NDA) resubmission will be held in the second quarter of 2012. Confirmation and details of the meeting will be published in the Federal Register.

2 Feb 2012

A mind-reading machine could be reality soon

Scientists at the University of California at Berkeley have devised a method by which they can hear thoughts. They conducted a small study in which they could predict what people were thinking based on their brain activity.

1 Feb 2012

Study reveals substantial differences in rates of follow-up surgeries after partial mastectomy

A new study reveals substantial differences - by both surgeon and institution - in the rates of follow-up surgeries for women who underwent a partial mastectomy for treatment of breast cancer.

1 Feb 2012

Decaffeinated coffee may improve brain energy metabolism linked with type 2 diabetes

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered that decaffeinated coffee may improve brain energy metabolism associated with type 2 diabetes.

1 Feb 2012

RMC first in N.J. to offer TESSYS minimally invasive surgery for patients with herniated discs

Riverview Medical Center, part of Meridian Neuroscience, today announced it is the only hospital in the state of New Jersey to offer patients the TESSYS surgery method, a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of herniated discs.

1 Feb 2012

Scientists discover different brain regions cooperate during short-term memory

Holding information within one's memory for a short while is a seemingly simple and everyday task. We use our short-term memory when remembering a new telephone number if there is nothing to write at hand, or to find the beautiful dress inside the store that we were just admiring in the shopping window. Yet, despite the apparent simplicity of these actions, short-term memory is a complex cognitive act that entails the participation of multiple brain regions. However, whether and how different brain regions cooperate during memory has remained elusive.

1 Feb 2012

Musical training can avoid age-related hearing loss

Age-related delays in neural timing are not inevitable and can be avoided or offset with musical training, according to a new study from Northwestern University. The study is the first to provide biological evidence that lifelong musical experience has an impact on the aging process.

31 Jan 2012

Constipation may be the culprit in bedwetting problems

Bedwetting isn't always due to problems with the bladder, according to new research by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Constipation is often the culprit; and if it isn't diagnosed, children and their parents must endure an unnecessarily long, costly and difficult quest to cure nighttime wetting.

30 Jan 2012

OHSU research sheds light on molecules involved in cardiorespiratory control

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have discovered that a molecule critical to the development and plasticity of nerve cells - brain-derived neurotrophic factor -- is severely lacking in brainstem neurons in mutations leading to Rett syndrome, a neurological developmental disorder.

30 Jan 2012

Breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s disease research

Researchers are closer to understanding Alzheimer’s disease using a new stem cell technique. They have successfully replicated Alzheimer’s disease neurons with stem cells for the first time.

26 Jan 2012

UH Case Medical Center initiates enrollment in Moxy Drug Coated Balloon trial for PAD

Physicians at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center enrolled their first patient in LEVANT 2, a global, multicenter, randomized clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Moxy™ Drug Coated Balloon for the treatment of peripheral arterial disease.

25 Jan 2012

Changes in endocannabinoid system may have important implications for psychiatric disorders

Changes in the endocannabinoid system may have important implications for psychiatric and addiction disorders. This brain system is responsible for making substances that have effects on brain function which resemble those of cannabis products, e.g., marijuana.

25 Jan 2012

Magic Mushroom’s compound may help in some mental disorders: Study

There has been little research on the mechanism of action of “magic mushrooms” on the brain. A growing number of studies suggested that perhaps the mushrooms' key ingredient could work magic for certain mental disorders. New research in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sheds light on why one of the mushrooms' hallucinogenic chemical compounds, psilocybin, may hold promise for the treatment of depression.

24 Jan 2012

Alzheimer’s disease may be kept at bay with regular brain stimulation: Study

A new study shows that regularly doing puzzles and reading books could be linked to a decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease. It says that these activities reduce the accumulation of harmful proteins in the brain.

24 Jan 2012

New technique can quickly measure delayed onset muscle soreness

Quantifying how sore a person is after a long workout is a challenge for doctors and researchers, but scientists from Loma Linda and Asuza Pacific Universities think they may have figured it out. Their research article describing a new technique to measure muscle soreness will be published in the Journal of Visualized Experiments.

24 Jan 2012

Small-group dynamics can alter expression of IQ in some susceptible people

In the classic film "12 Angry Men," Henry Fonda's character sways a jury with his quiet, persistent intelligence. But would he have succeeded if he had allowed himself to fall sway to the social dynamics of that jury? Research led by scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute found that small-group dynamics -- such as jury deliberations, collective bargaining sessions, and cocktail parties -- can alter the expression of IQ in some susceptible people.

23 Jan 2012