Brain News and Research

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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.

Study offers first detailed map of brain regions that contribute to emotional intelligence

A new study of 152 Vietnam veterans with combat-related brain injuries offers the first detailed map of the brain regions that contribute to emotional intelligence - the ability to process emotional information and navigate the social world.

22 Jan 2013

Anatomy of certain brain areas can predict children's language abilities at 1 year of age

Using a brain-imaging technique that examines the entire infant brain, researchers have found that the anatomy of certain brain areas - the hippocampus and cerebellum - can predict children's language abilities at 1 year of age.

22 Jan 2013

CHLA, House Research Institute receive FDA approval to begin pediatric ABI clinical trial

L.A.-based House Research Institute and Children's Hospital Los Angeles announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given final approval to begin a clinical trial of an Auditory Brainstem Implant (ABI) procedure for children.

22 Jan 2013

Neurophysiologic mechanisms of deep-brain stimulation unveiled

The beneficial effects of subthalamic nucleus stimulation in patients with Parkinson’s disease are partly down to compensatory activation of nonmotor dopamine pathways during exercise, research suggests.

22 Jan 2013

Hope for premature babies with neurologic disabilities

Damage caused by cerebral ischemia in premature babies could be reversed or prevented with early intervention, suggests research carried out in sheep and published in Science Translational Medicine.

22 Jan 2013

Neural clues found for impaired emotional response in bipolar disorder

Researchers have identified distinct trait- and state-related neural abnormalities during emotional response inhibition in patients with bipolar disorder.

22 Jan 2013

Tell tale neurologic soft signs for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Neurologic soft signs can differentiate schizophrenia from major depression but not bipolar disorder, study findings indicate.

22 Jan 2013

STN confirmed as preferred stimulation target in Parkinson’s

Subthalamic nucleus stimulation is at worst equivalent and at best superior to globus pallidus pars interna stimulation in patients with Parkinson’s disease, shows a randomized trial.

22 Jan 2013

Intelligent algorithms for programming deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s to be developed by Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies

Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies (GLNT) announced today that they are launching a study to determine the feasibility of using intelligent algorithms to assist with programming deep brain stimulation settings for Parkinson’s disease.

22 Jan 2013

Psychiatrist claims medical marijuana dangerous for treatment of psychiatric problems

Using medical marijuana to treat conditions such as anxiety and depression is dangerous and has no basis in medical science, says Dr. Timothy R. Jennings, a prominent Tennessee psychiatrist and consultant to The Center for Counseling and Health Resources in Edmonds, WA.

22 Jan 2013

Calmangafodipir protects against side effects of cancer treatments

A drug developed at Linköping University in Sweden protects against the side effects of cancer treatments while strengthening the effects on the tumour.

22 Jan 2013

Family members with rare gene mutation at high risk of developing schizophrenia

Johns Hopkins researchers have identified a rare gene mutation in a single family with a high rate of schizophrenia, adding to evidence that abnormal genes play a role in the development of the disease.

22 Jan 2013

Neuronal reprogramming may help treat neurodegenerative diseases

A new finding by Harvard stem cell biologists turns one of the basics of neurobiology on its head - demonstrating that it is possible to turn one type of already differentiated neuron into another within the brain.

22 Jan 2013

Biophysical Society Annual Meeting to highlight innovations in medicine, physics, and more

Honeybee silk-inspired materials; a deconstruction of the Ebola virus; how microbes evolve resistance to antibiotics; and a possible connection between Alzheimer's disease and type II diabetes are just some of the intriguing topics that will be presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society (BPS).

22 Jan 2013

Older adults with hearing loss more likely to develop thinking and remembering problems

Older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop problems thinking and remembering than older adults whose hearing is normal, according to a new study by hearing experts at Johns Hopkins.

22 Jan 2013

Study finds high ADHD diagnosis rates among non-Hispanic children between 2001 and 2010

The rate of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder rose dramatically between 2001 and 2010 with non-Hispanic white children having the highest diagnosis rates, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics (formerly Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine).

22 Jan 2013

Management of hospital-onset seizures lacks standards

Seizures in patients admitted to hospital for nonseizure reasons – hospital-onset seizures – largely affect those without any history of seizures, often recur, and are linked to a high mortality, according to a study in JAMA Neurology.

21 Jan 2013

Itch-specific nerve cells: an interview with Associate Professor Xinzhong Dong

Itch was actually defined by a German physician more than 350 years ago. His name was Samuel Hafenreffer. He defined itch as an unpleasant sensation that makes people want to scratch. You probably think this is a very simple definition but itch is really a very complex sensory modality.

21 Jan 2013

Scientists identify a possible lead in treatment of two childhood leukemia subtypes

Research led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists has identified a possible lead in treatment of two childhood leukemia subtypes known for their dramatic loss of chromosomes and poor treatment outcomes.

21 Jan 2013

Researchers identify and test first blood-based circulating miRNA biomarkers for Parkinson's

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurological condition. At present, it is usually diagnosed only when motor features are present. Hence, there is a need to develop objective and measurable biomarkers to improve PD diagnostics during its earlier stage, prior to its motor onset. In this pilot study, researchers identified and tested the first blood-based circulating microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers for PD.

21 Jan 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Study offers first detailed map of brain regions that contribute to emotional intelligence

Anatomy of certain brain areas can predict children's language abilities at 1 year of age

CHLA, House Research Institute receive FDA approval to begin pediatric ABI clinical trial

Neurophysiologic mechanisms of deep-brain stimulation unveiled

Hope for premature babies with neurologic disabilities

Neural clues found for impaired emotional response in bipolar disorder

Tell tale neurologic soft signs for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

STN confirmed as preferred stimulation target in Parkinson’s

Intelligent algorithms for programming deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s to be developed by Great Lakes NeuroTechnologies

Psychiatrist claims medical marijuana dangerous for treatment of psychiatric problems

Calmangafodipir protects against side effects of cancer treatments

Family members with rare gene mutation at high risk of developing schizophrenia

Neuronal reprogramming may help treat neurodegenerative diseases

Biophysical Society Annual Meeting to highlight innovations in medicine, physics, and more

Older adults with hearing loss more likely to develop thinking and remembering problems

Study finds high ADHD diagnosis rates among non-Hispanic children between 2001 and 2010

Management of hospital-onset seizures lacks standards

Itch-specific nerve cells: an interview with Associate Professor Xinzhong Dong

Scientists identify a possible lead in treatment of two childhood leukemia subtypes

Researchers identify and test first blood-based circulating miRNA biomarkers for Parkinson's

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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