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.

New research shows unique nature of human brain aging

Brains shrink in humans, potentially causing a number of health problems and mental illnesses as people age, but do they shrink to the same extent in the closest living relatives to humans--the chimpanzees? New research says no, making the extreme amount of brain shrinkage resulting from normal aging in humans unique.

28 Jul 2011

Noninvasive brain computer interface could turn thoughts into motion

"Brain cap" technology being developed at the University of Maryland allows users to turn their thoughts into motion. Associate Professor of Kinesiology José 'Pepe' L. Contreras-Vidal and his team have created a non-invasive, sensor-lined cap with neural interface software that soon could be used to control computers, robotic prosthetic limbs, motorized wheelchairs and even digital avatars.

28 Jul 2011

Deciding what to eat can be influenced by shifting attention towards healthy side of life

You're trying to decide what to eat for dinner. Should it be the chicken and broccoli? The super-sized fast-food burger? Skip it entirely and just get some Rocky Road?

28 Jul 2011

IRCM geneticists discover an unsuspected organization of pituitary cells

A team of geneticists at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montr-al (IRCM), directed by Dr. Jacques Drouin, made an unexpected discovery on hormone secretion. Contrary to common belief, the researchers found that pituitary cells are organized in structured networks. The scientific breakthrough was published yesterday by the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

28 Jul 2011

Invadopodia could help survival of cancer cells

Delicate, threadlike protrusions used by cancer cells when they invade other tissues in the body could also help them escape control mechanisms supposed to eliminate them, a research group led by led by Bradley Davidson in the University of Arizona's department of molecular and cellular biology reports in Nature Cell Biology.

28 Jul 2011

Brain stimulation improves learning in people with schizophrenia

Very mild electrical brain stimulation could be used as a treatment for people with schizophrenia, say researchers.

28 Jul 2011

No link between cell phone use and increased risk for brain cancer: European study

A new study that looked at cell phone users under the age of 20 found no link between cell phone use and an increased risk for brain cancer. Researchers from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel, Switzerland, studied data collected in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.

27 Jul 2011

BrainTrust Canada to launch national online contest, 'Sponsor My Head'

BrainTrust Canada, a community rehabilitation organization dedicated to being a leader in brain injury prevention, is launching a national online contest for youth 13 and older in Canada called Sponsor My Head.

27 Jul 2011

Underwater-treadmill improves mobility following spinal-cord injury

The result of research often is shown in hard and fast metrics. For Janette Rodgers, the only metric she cares about is that her wheelchair, once her prison day in and day out, now sits empty 90 percent of the time— in large part because of the hours she spent in 270 gallons of water.

27 Jul 2011

Virtual reality study to address alcohol abuse issues in veterans

The spoils of war for returning veterans may include addictions, injury and the constant images of horrific events they witnessed. Now a University of Houston joint study funded by the Veterans Health Administration Rehabilitation Research and Development service looks to address these issues through the use of virtual reality.

27 Jul 2011

Mayo Clinic releases recommendations from the ice hockey concussion summit

Mayo Clinic has released recommendations from the Ice Hockey Summit on Concussion: A Call to Action. The summit attracted top scientists, trainers, coaches, officials and equipment manufacturers from across the United States, Canada and Europe to discuss concussion-related issues, including the science of concussions, impact on children, and prevention.

27 Jul 2011

All football players do not get chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Preliminary results from the first four brains donated to the Canadian Sports Concussion Project at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre, TorontoWesternHospital, reveal that two of the four former Canadian Football League (CFL) players suffered from a brain disease known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), while two did not show signs of CTE.

27 Jul 2011

Study suggests common process for both pleasurable and anxiety-reducing effects of nicotine

Removing a protein from cells located in the brain's reward center blocks the anxiety-reducing and rewarding effects of nicotine, according to a new animal study in the July 27 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The findings may help researchers better understand how nicotine affects the brain.

27 Jul 2011

Stenting prevents recurrence of aneurysms after minimally invasive 'coiling' procedure

The addition of a simple stent can help prevent potentially lethal blood vessel bulges in the brain from recurring after they are repaired in a minimally invasive "coiling" procedure, according to new research by Johns Hopkins physicians.

27 Jul 2011

Methamphetamine users more likely to develop Parkinson's disease

People who abused methamphetamine or other amphetamine-like stimulants were more likely to develop Parkinson's disease than those who did not, in a new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

27 Jul 2011

FDA grants Orphan Drug Designation for Diffusion's TSC to treat glioblastoma multiforme

Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC announced today that trans sodium crocetinate (TSC), the company's lead drug candidate, has been granted an Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of primary brain cancer, also known as glioblastoma multiforme or GBM.

27 Jul 2011

NeurOp receives NIH grant to support research program for ischemia

NeurOp, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company developing new treatments for central nervous system disorders, today announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded the company a $3 million grant to support its research program for ischemia.

27 Jul 2011

Anavex presents data on neuroprotective evidence for lead compound for Alzheimer’s

Anavex Life Sciences Corp. is pleased to provide a summary of its second poster presentation at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) held in Paris, entitled “Preclinical development of new tetrahydrofuran derivatives targeting the sigma-1 chaperone protein as neuroprotectants in Alzheimer’s disease.”

26 Jul 2011

Abbott announces research confirming presence of lutein in key regions of the infant brain

Preliminary new research demonstrates for the first time that lutein, an important phytonutrient (plant-based nutrient) that supports eye health, is the predominant carotenoid present in key areas of the infant brain, including areas that regulate overall brain function, cognition, vision, hearing and speech. This new research, supported by Abbott, was presented by Elizabeth Johnson, PhD, a scientist in the Carotenoids and Health Laboratory at Tufts University, at the 16th International Symposium on Carotenoids, in Krakow, Poland.

26 Jul 2011

THERAPY trial to evaluate benefits of catheter-based intervention for acute ischemic stroke

During the opening session of the SNIS Annual Meeting, J Mocco, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at The University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, announced the IDE approval and initiation of THERAPY, an industry-sponsored randomized controlled trial designed to prove the clinical benefit of interventional treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

26 Jul 2011

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New research shows unique nature of human brain aging

Noninvasive brain computer interface could turn thoughts into motion

Deciding what to eat can be influenced by shifting attention towards healthy side of life

IRCM geneticists discover an unsuspected organization of pituitary cells

Invadopodia could help survival of cancer cells

Brain stimulation improves learning in people with schizophrenia

No link between cell phone use and increased risk for brain cancer: European study

BrainTrust Canada to launch national online contest, 'Sponsor My Head'

Underwater-treadmill improves mobility following spinal-cord injury

Virtual reality study to address alcohol abuse issues in veterans

Mayo Clinic releases recommendations from the ice hockey concussion summit

All football players do not get chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Study suggests common process for both pleasurable and anxiety-reducing effects of nicotine

Stenting prevents recurrence of aneurysms after minimally invasive 'coiling' procedure

Methamphetamine users more likely to develop Parkinson's disease

FDA grants Orphan Drug Designation for Diffusion's TSC to treat glioblastoma multiforme

NeurOp receives NIH grant to support research program for ischemia

Anavex presents data on neuroprotective evidence for lead compound for Alzheimer’s

Abbott announces research confirming presence of lutein in key regions of the infant brain

THERAPY trial to evaluate benefits of catheter-based intervention for acute ischemic stroke

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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