Brain News and Research

RSS

The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

UCI researchers develop new cell therapy to improve memory, prevent seizures after TBI

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine developed a breakthrough cell therapy to improve memory and prevent seizures in mice following traumatic brain injury.

15 Nov 2019

Scientists reverse learning and memory deficits with drugs in animal model of Down syndrome

In a surprising finding using the standard animal model of Down syndrome (DS), scientists were able to correct the learning and memory deficits associated with the condition -- the leading genetic cause of cognitive disability and the most frequently diagnosed chromosomal disorder in the U.S. -- with drugs that target the body's response to cellular stresses.

15 Nov 2019

Surgeon general’s marijuana warning omits crucial context

Speaking about a recent federal advisory on marijuana, Dr. Jerome Adams, the surgeon general, put a new spin on long-standing admonitions about the drug.

15 Nov 2019

Deep neural networks can be used to assess neurological disorders

Getting to the doctor’s office for a check-up can be challenging for someone with a neurological disorder that impairs their movement, such as a stroke.

15 Nov 2019

New mathematical model uses primary tumor size to predict metastasis

A new mathematical model uses the size of a cancer patient’s initial, primary tumor to predict whether undetectable secondary tumors are already present. Stefano Avanzini and Tibor Antal of the University of Edinburgh, U.K., present the model in PLOS Computational Biology.

15 Nov 2019

Study: Many patients treated for iNPH also develop Alzheimer’s disease

Up to one in five patients treated for idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, iNPH, also develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital.

15 Nov 2019

New study aims to optimize brain development in babies with congenital heart disease

An upcoming clinical trial at Children's National Hospital will harness cardiopulmonary bypass as a delivery mechanism for a novel intervention designed to stimulate brain growth and repair in children who undergo cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease.

14 Nov 2019

Woman with severe spinal cord injury recovers after treatment at Danbury Hospital

A freak accident left Katherine (Kathy) Wenning unable to move her upper body. She knew she needed medical attention, but she was at her country getaway in Washington, Connecticut - two hours by car from her home in Manhattan and the New York medical system she trusted.

14 Nov 2019

Gut microbes may alter the aging process, study finds

An international research team led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has found that microorganisms living in the gut may alter the aging process, which could lead to the development of food-based treatment to slow it down.

14 Nov 2019

Non-coding enhancer DNA may be key for identifying genetic risk in neurological conditions

One might think that the primary cause of most genetically linked diseases comes from mutations in coding DNA -- alterations in coding regions of the genome that can lead directly to changes in the expression of particular proteins important for a healthy body.

14 Nov 2019

Lithium corrects radiation damage to brain in young cancer patients

A new study on mice, published online in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, on November 14, 2019, shows that the intermittent use of lithium, which is widely used to stabilize the mood in conditions such as bipolar disorder, can correct memory and learning losses due to radiation therapy to the brain in very young animals, even when the lithium is given long after the injury.

14 Nov 2019

Terminally ill scientist replumbed as a Cyborg

A 61 year old British scientist suffering from a life threatening muscle wasting disease – motor neurone disease or MND, has managed to convert himself fully into a cyborg called Peter 2.0 making him the first to do so.

14 Nov 2019

Study sheds light on how Zika virus causes microcephaly in newborns

A new study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine revealed how in utero Zika virus infection can lead to microcephaly in newborns. The team discovered that the Zika virus protein NS4A disrupts brain growth by hijacking a pathway that regulates the generation of new neurons.

14 Nov 2019

TACC announces role as key collaborator in NIH grant to study chronic pain and opioid dependence

Pain impacts nearly every individual at some point in their lives. With more than 25 million adults in the U.S. experiencing daily pain, the U.S. is facing a crisis due to the high prevalence of chronic pain and associated opioid use disorder and overdose deaths.

14 Nov 2019

Short-term increases in sugar consumption could raise risk of inflammatory bowel disease

Short-term increases in sugar consumption could increase the risk of inflammatory bowel disease and have a significant impact on our health, a new study out of the University of Alberta suggests.

14 Nov 2019

Dopamine D2 receptor modulates Wnt expression, controls cell proliferation

The dopamine D2 receptor has a previously unobserved role in modulating Wnt expression and control of cell proliferation, according to a new study from the George Washington University and the University of Pittsburgh.

14 Nov 2019

New insights into how immune system and inflammation play a role in PD

Relatively new research findings indicating that the earliest stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) may occur in the gut have been gaining traction in recent years. In a review published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, Tomasz Brudek, PhD, evaluates evidence for the association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and PD and proposes directions for future research.

14 Nov 2019

Study on sea sponge opens up possibilities to create new antitumor drugs

Chemists from Far Eastern Federal University's School of Natural Sciences developed a new method to synthesize biologically active derivatives of fascaplysin -- cytotoxic pigment of a sea sponge. For the first time, they got a sufficient amount of 3-bromofascaplysin and 3,10-dibromofascaplysin, which were known before but were not available for study.

14 Nov 2019

Alzheimer's Association's funding enables expansion of aging study in longest running birth cohort

The Alzheimer's Association and University College London are partnering to study brain aging and dementia in 500 individuals whose health and health-related behaviors have been documented since birth.

14 Nov 2019

Good fitness linked to longer life without dementia

It is important to say that it is never too late to begin exercising. The average participant in our study was around 60 years old at baseline, and improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness was strongly linked to lower dementia risk.

14 Nov 2019

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

UCI researchers develop new cell therapy to improve memory, prevent seizures after TBI

Scientists reverse learning and memory deficits with drugs in animal model of Down syndrome

Surgeon general’s marijuana warning omits crucial context

Deep neural networks can be used to assess neurological disorders

New mathematical model uses primary tumor size to predict metastasis

Study: Many patients treated for iNPH also develop Alzheimer’s disease

New study aims to optimize brain development in babies with congenital heart disease

Woman with severe spinal cord injury recovers after treatment at Danbury Hospital

Gut microbes may alter the aging process, study finds

Non-coding enhancer DNA may be key for identifying genetic risk in neurological conditions

Lithium corrects radiation damage to brain in young cancer patients

Terminally ill scientist replumbed as a Cyborg

Study sheds light on how Zika virus causes microcephaly in newborns

TACC announces role as key collaborator in NIH grant to study chronic pain and opioid dependence

Short-term increases in sugar consumption could raise risk of inflammatory bowel disease

Dopamine D2 receptor modulates Wnt expression, controls cell proliferation

New insights into how immune system and inflammation play a role in PD

Study on sea sponge opens up possibilities to create new antitumor drugs

Alzheimer's Association's funding enables expansion of aging study in longest running birth cohort

Good fitness linked to longer life without dementia

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd edition eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Latest News