Neuroscience News and Research

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Illusion challenges human visual system and brain

A new amazing illusion proves that defying gravity may be as simple as your point of view.

20 May 2010

Adult, pediatric critical care and progressive care units named recipients of 2010 Beacon Award for Excellence

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses recently named 73 units — including 60 adult, four pediatric critical care and nine progressive care units — nationwide recipients of the spring 2010 Beacon Award for Excellence.

20 May 2010

Evotec announces compound in strategic alliance with Boehringer Ingelheim advances into clinical trials

Evotec AG today announced that a compound in its strategic alliance with Boehringer Ingelheim has advanced into clinical trials. With the initiation of the Phase I clinical studies for this compound, Evotec will receive a milestone payment of EUR 2.0 million.

19 May 2010

Causes and treatment options of mental disorders need to be reassessed: JAMA commentary

It is time to reassess mental disorders, recognizing that these are disorders of brain circuits likely caused by development processes, according to a commentary in the May 19 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on mental health.

19 May 2010

Patients who receive H-SRT for recurrent brain cancer live longer: Researchers

Patients who received hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for their recurrent brain cancers lived longer lives, according to researchers at Thomas Jefferson University.

18 May 2010

Caffeine normalizes brain function and prevents cognitive decline

Although caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive drug worldwide, its potential beneficial effect for maintenance of proper brain functioning has only recently begun to be adequately appreciated. Substantial evidence from epidemiological studies and fundamental research in animal models suggests that caffeine may be protective against the cognitive decline seen in dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

18 May 2010

Altered blood flow leads to falls in elderly people: Research

A new study shows that altered blood flow in the brain due to high blood pressure and other conditions may lead to falls in elderly people. The research will be published in the May 18, 2010, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Each year, unintentional falls in the United States account for more than 16,000 deaths and 1.8 million emergency room visits.

18 May 2010

Cortex first-quarter net income increases to $0.08 per share

Cortex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. reported net income of approximately $5,596,000, or $0.08 per share for the quarter ended March 31, 2010 compared with a net loss of $3,168,000, or $0.07 per share for the corresponding prior year period, with the difference reflecting revenues from the Company's March 2010 transaction with Biovail Laboratories International SRL (Biovail).

17 May 2010

Astellas Pharma, OSI Pharmaceuticals sign definitive merger agreement

Astellas Pharma Inc., a global pharmaceutical company, and OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company primarily focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of molecular targeted therapies addressing medical needs in oncology, diabetes and obesity, today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Astellas will acquire OSI.

17 May 2010

Mechanism in newborn's memory centre that adjusts brain maturation for information processing discovered

With their French colleagues, researchers at the University of Helsinki have found a mechanism in the memory centre of newborn that adjusts the maturation of the brain for the information processing required later in life. The study was published this week in an American science magazine The Journal of Neuroscience.

15 May 2010

Athersys presents data supporting MultiStem programs

Athersys, Inc. today presented data supporting its MultiStem® programs in cardiovascular disease, neurological disease and immune system modulation, and highlighted advancements in other areas, including progress in its drug development program in the area of obesity.

15 May 2010

World Science Festival announces 2010 Kavli Prize laureates

The World Science Festival launches its first full day with the announcement of the 2010 Kavli Prize laureates. This event will feature a keynote address by Harold Varmus, co-chair of President Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, as well as a live simulcast of the announcement of the laureates by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters from Oslo, Norway.

15 May 2010

Stanford researchers make hair-cell-like cells in a petri dish

Deep inside the ear, specialized cells called hair cells detect vibrations in the air and translate them into sound. Ten years ago, Stefan Heller, PhD, professor of otolaryngology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, came up with the idea that if you could create these cells in the laboratory from stem cells, it would go a long way toward helping scientists understand the molecular basis of hearing in order to develop better treatments for deafness.

14 May 2010

Study shows direct cellular interaction between endocannabinoids and alcohol in the brain

In findings that should finally put to rest a decade of controversy in the field of neurobiology, a team at The Scripps Research Institute has found decisive evidence that a specific neurotransmitter system-the endocannabinoid system-is active in a brain region known to play a key role in the processing of memory, emotional reactions, and addiction formation. The new study also shows that this system can dampen the effects of alcohol, suggesting an avenue for the development of drugs to combat alcohol addiction.

13 May 2010

Music enhances new learning of information in AD patients

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have shown that patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are better able to remember new verbal information when it is provided in the context of music even when compared to healthy, older adults. The findings, which currently appear on-line in Neuropsychologia, offer possible applications in treating and caring for patients with AD.

13 May 2010

Transcept Pharmaceuticals reports revenue of $3.13M for first-quarter 2010

Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of proprietary products that address important therapeutic needs in the field of neuroscience, today announced financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2010.

13 May 2010

Merck hosts R&D and Business Briefing

Merck & Co., Inc. today hosted its first R&D and Business Briefing since the completion of the Merck and Schering-Plough merger. The event included a comprehensive review of the company's late-stage pipeline, as well as the company's commercial strategy and progress made in the integration of Merck's worldwide operations.

12 May 2010