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.

Suvorexant may bring help for people with insomnia

A new drug may bring help for people with insomnia, according to a study published in the November 28, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

29 Nov 2012

Microglia might play a key role in protecting brain from Alzheimer's

A new experimental study carried out in mice shows that microglia, immune cells of the brain, might play a key role in protecting the brain from Alzheimer's disease (AD).

29 Nov 2012

Answers to the questions of stem cells

Next week, more than 1,200 people from 25 countries are expected to attend the 8th Annual World Stem Cell Summit in West Palm Beach, Fla., a gathering co-sponsored by Mayo Clinic. As those close to the science explore potential stem cell applications, many patients have questions about what stem cells are and how they are being used. Timothy Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., director of Mayo Clinic's Regenerative Medicine Consult Service, answers some of the most commonly asked questions about stem cells.

29 Nov 2012

Reduction in myelin production may also play a role in development of mental illness

Reduced production of myelin, a type of protective nerve fiber that is lost in diseases like multiple sclerosis, may also play a role in the development of mental illness, according to researchers at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The study is published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

29 Nov 2012

microRNA-223 molecule plays a surprising role in protecting brain cells from stroke effects

A small molecule known to regulate white blood cells has a surprising second role in protecting brain cells from the deleterious effects of stroke, Johns Hopkins researchers report. The molecule, microRNA-223, affects how cells respond to the temporary loss of blood supply brought on by stroke - and thus the cells' likelihood of suffering permanent damage.

29 Nov 2012

Scientists discover synchronous brain activity between two guitarists

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin have shown that synchronization emerges between brains when making music together, and even when musicians play different voices. In a study published November 29th in Frontiers in Neuroscience, Johanna S-nger and her team used electrodes to record the brain waves of guitarists while they played different voices of the same duet.

29 Nov 2012

Creative art therapy combined with MBSR program shows promise for women with breast cancer

Cancer and stress go hand-in-hand, and high stress levels can lead to poorer health outcomes in cancer patients. The Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine combined creative art therapy with a Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program for women with breast cancer and showed changes in brain activity associated with lower stress and anxiety after the eight-week program.

29 Nov 2012

Musical Moments for MS honors Kessler Foundation expert with Medical Excellence Award

John DeLuca, PhD, Vice President for Research and Training at Kessler Foundation, was named this year's recipient of the Medical Excellence Award by Musical Moments for MS. Dr. DeLuca will be honored at the 10th Anniversary of Musical Moments for MS on Tuesday, December 11 at NJPAC in Newark, NJ.

29 Nov 2012

Omega-3 fatty acids can benefit women at risk of postpartum depression

The "feel-good" hormone serotonin, depleted by pregnancy, can be replenished by adding sources of omega-3 to the diets of pregnant women and new mothers - a development particularly beneficial to the 10 to 15 percent of women at risk for postpartum depression, according to a recent University of Montreal study published in the latest edition of the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.

29 Nov 2012

Brain effects of high-altitude sickness retained long term

Mountaineers who experience high-altitude cerebral edema often retain traces of the bleed in their brains for many years afterward, show study findings.

28 Nov 2012

Polydipsia linked to brain alterations in schizophrenia

Psychogenic polydipsia is associated with significantly reduced left insula volume in patients with schizophrenia, researchers report.

28 Nov 2012

Chalmers researcher develops world's first implantable robotic arm controlled by thoughts

The world's first implantable robotic arm controlled by thoughts is being developed by Chalmers researcher Max Ortiz Catalan. The first operations on patients will take place this winter.

28 Nov 2012

Engineered ICCs can improve pancreatic islet transplantation and cure diabetes mellitus

A study published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation, now freely available on-line, reports that a team of researchers in South Korea have successfully engineered islet cell clusters (ICCs) that will improve pancreatic islet transplantation and offer promise for curing diabetes mellitus.

28 Nov 2012

Diptheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine: an interview with Dr. Rudi Eggers, World Health Organisation

The Diptheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine is sometimes also called the “triple vaccine” and has been around for about 50 years, and it protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. These are serious diseases caused by bacteria.

28 Nov 2012

Hebrew University of Jerusalem develops sonar vision device for congenitally blind people

A "sonar vision" system that enables people who are blind from birth to perceive the shape of a face, a house or even words and letters, is being developed by a team at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

28 Nov 2012

French National Center for Scientific Research scientist wins American Epilepsy Society award

Richard Miles, Ph.D., Research Director, French National Center for Scientific Research, and Group Leader, Cortex and Epilepsy, Institute for the Brain and Spinal Cord, Centre Hospitalier Universtaire Pitie-Salpetriere, Paris, has been named recipient of the prestigious 2012 Epilepsy Research Recognition Award for Basic Science conferred by the American Epilepsy Society (AES).

28 Nov 2012

Florbetapir PET scans can detect brain amyloid deposits associated with Alzheimer’s

A test to detect brain amyloid deposits associated with Alzheimer disease (AD) provides doctors with useful information on treatment and further testing for patients with cognitive impairment, according to a study published online by the journal Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders.

28 Nov 2012

The Neuro clinician-scientists to further research on HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's

Clinician-scientists take a unique, integrated approach that is essential to advancing science and medicine. Problems encountered in the clinic inspire research and new findings from the labs are directly applied to patients' needs.

28 Nov 2012

Intramyocardial injection of organ-derived stem cells after AMI improves left ventricle function

A study published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation, now freely available on-line, has found that when mesenchymal cells derived from skeletal muscle (SM-MSCs) or adipose tissue (ADSCs) were injected into the heart muscle (myocardium) of separate groups of laboratory rats that had suffered a myocardial infarction, rats in both groups experienced significantly improved left ventricle function and smaller infarct size after cell therapy.

28 Nov 2012

Carnosic acid promotes eye health

Herbs widely used throughout history in Asian and early European cultures have received renewed attention by Western medicine in recent years. Scientists are now isolating the active compounds in many medicinal herbs and documenting their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In a study published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Stuart A. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D. and colleagues at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) report that carnosic acid, a component of the herb rosemary, promotes eye health.

28 Nov 2012

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Suvorexant may bring help for people with insomnia

Microglia might play a key role in protecting brain from Alzheimer's

Answers to the questions of stem cells

Reduction in myelin production may also play a role in development of mental illness

microRNA-223 molecule plays a surprising role in protecting brain cells from stroke effects

Scientists discover synchronous brain activity between two guitarists

Creative art therapy combined with MBSR program shows promise for women with breast cancer

Musical Moments for MS honors Kessler Foundation expert with Medical Excellence Award

Omega-3 fatty acids can benefit women at risk of postpartum depression

Brain effects of high-altitude sickness retained long term

Polydipsia linked to brain alterations in schizophrenia

Chalmers researcher develops world's first implantable robotic arm controlled by thoughts

Engineered ICCs can improve pancreatic islet transplantation and cure diabetes mellitus

Diptheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine: an interview with Dr. Rudi Eggers, World Health Organisation

Hebrew University of Jerusalem develops sonar vision device for congenitally blind people

French National Center for Scientific Research scientist wins American Epilepsy Society award

Florbetapir PET scans can detect brain amyloid deposits associated with Alzheimer’s

The Neuro clinician-scientists to further research on HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's

Intramyocardial injection of organ-derived stem cells after AMI improves left ventricle function

Carnosic acid promotes eye health

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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