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.

Researchers receive CTSI Award for Translational Research in Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health.

Patricia Dickson, MD, and Jennifer Yee, MD, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) researchers, will be honored on Thursday as recipients of the first UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute's (CTSI) Award for Translational Research in Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health.

1 Jun 2011

E64d reduces Aβ levels and improves memory function in brains of Alzheimer's disease mice

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, the Medical University of South Carolina and American Life Science Pharmaceuticals of San Diego have demonstrated that oral administration of a cysteine protease inhibitor, E64d, not only reduces the build-up of β-amyloid in the brains of animal models for Alzheimer's disease, but also results in a substantial improvement in memory deficit.

1 Jun 2011

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid holds promise against familial frontotemporal dementia

A drug already approved for people with cancer shows early potential as a therapy for a common form of dementia, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report.

1 Jun 2011

School children with bullying behavior more likely to have sleep-disordered breathing

Children who are bullies or have conduct problems at school, are more likely to be sleepy during the day according to University of Michigan Medical School researchers.

1 Jun 2011

Rochester receives $1M FDA, BDRSA grant to begin first controlled clinical trial in Juvenile Batten disease

After years of building hope for a treatment, Rochester researchers and clinicians will begin the first controlled clinical trial for Juvenile Batten disease this summer, thanks to $1 million in grants from the Food and Drug Administration and the Batten Disease Support and Research Association.

1 Jun 2011

Groundbreaking study identifies neural system responsible for facial recognition

Each time you see a person that you know, your brain rapidly and seemingly effortlessly recognizes that person by his or her face.

1 Jun 2011

Researchers discover new drug target that may effectively prevent onset of Huntington's disease

McMaster University researchers have discovered a new drug target that may be effective at preventing the onset of Huntington's disease, working much the same way heart medications slow the progression of heart disease and reduce heart attacks.

1 Jun 2011

Cell phones and cancer – link established

In its latest announcement the World Health Organization (WHO) said that radiation from cell phones can possibly cause cancer. According to the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), radiofrequency electromagnetic fields have been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans (group 2B) on the basis of an increased risk for glioma that some studies have associated with the use of wireless phones.

1 Jun 2011

YM announces updates on nimotuzumab clinical development program

YM BioSciences Inc., today provided an update on the development program for nimotuzumab, including its North American clinical program for nimotuzumab, manufacturing scale-up activities, and data presentations anticipated for nimotuzumab at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

31 May 2011

Study finds novel site within MS4A gene cluster, confirms presence of SNP linked with Alzheimer's

Recently the number of genes known to be associated with Alzheimer's disease has increased from four to eight, including the MS4A gene cluster on chromosome 11.

31 May 2011

Functional MRI acquired during speech stimulation predicts children with autism

Functional magnetic resonance imaging may provide an early and objective indicator of autism, according to researchers at Columbia University in New York City, who used the technique to document language impairment in autistic children.

31 May 2011

Small noncoding RNA spurs Alzheimer's development

Researchers pinpoint a small RNA that spurs cells to manufacture a particular splice variant of a key neuronal protein, potentially promoting Alzheimer's disease or other types of neurodegeneration.

31 May 2011

Stress does not appear to increase risk of developing multiple sclerosis

Contrary to earlier reports, a new study finds that stress does not appear to increase a person's risk of developing multiple sclerosis. The research is published in the May 31, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

31 May 2011

Improvements to Medicare prescription drug program benefit MS patients in the 'donut hole'

As the average cost of MS in the United States is nearly $70,000 a year, with the overall annual economic cost of MS being an estimated $28 billion, people living with MS face high out-of-pocket costs even when covered by health insurance.

30 May 2011

Fraunhofer MEVIS' novel brain procedure helps minimize patient-specific surgical risks

To increase patient safety in clinical practice and minimize risks and damage that may arise during surgery, computer support and digital medical imaging are key technologies. Before brain operations, neurosurgeons can now evaluate patient-specific surgical risks, achieve increased safety, and avoid unacceptable risks.

30 May 2011

Study examines brain and behavior relationships in response to morally laden scenarios

People's moral responses to similar situations change as they age, according to a new study at the University of Chicago that combined brain scanning, eye-tracking and behavioral measures to understand how the brain responds to morally laden scenarios.

30 May 2011

Novel treatment safe and effective for patients with intracerebral hemorrhage

A new treatment that treats a subset of stroke patients by combining minimally invasive surgery, an imaging technique likened to "GPS for the brain," and the clot-busting drug t-PA appears to be safe and effective, according to a multicenter clinical trial led by Johns Hopkins researchers.

30 May 2011

Multiple exposures to anesthesia may increase risk of ADHD, learning disabilities in young children

Infants and very young children who are exposed to anesthesia may experience higher rates of learning disabilities and cognitive difficulties than children who are not exposed to anesthesia, according to research and emerging data presented during the SmartTots: Pediatric Anesthesia Neurotoxicity panel at the International Anesthesia Research Society annual meeting in Vancouver, B.C.

30 May 2011

Vitamin D levels low in African Americans with multiple sclerosis

In the first major study exploring the connection between vitamin D and multiple sclerosis in African Americans, a team of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco has discovered that vitamin D levels in the blood are lower in African Americans who have the disease, compared to African Americans who do not.

30 May 2011

Karolinska researchers study four siblings affected by early-onset Alzheimer's disease

Four siblings in a family affected by early-onset Alzheimer's have been studied by a group of researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. This has been a unique opportunity to make comparative studies and to monitor the development of the disease over a prolonged period of time.

27 May 2011

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers receive CTSI Award for Translational Research in Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health.

E64d reduces Aβ levels and improves memory function in brains of Alzheimer's disease mice

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid holds promise against familial frontotemporal dementia

School children with bullying behavior more likely to have sleep-disordered breathing

Rochester receives $1M FDA, BDRSA grant to begin first controlled clinical trial in Juvenile Batten disease

Groundbreaking study identifies neural system responsible for facial recognition

Researchers discover new drug target that may effectively prevent onset of Huntington's disease

Cell phones and cancer – link established

YM announces updates on nimotuzumab clinical development program

Study finds novel site within MS4A gene cluster, confirms presence of SNP linked with Alzheimer's

Functional MRI acquired during speech stimulation predicts children with autism

Small noncoding RNA spurs Alzheimer's development

Stress does not appear to increase risk of developing multiple sclerosis

Improvements to Medicare prescription drug program benefit MS patients in the 'donut hole'

Fraunhofer MEVIS' novel brain procedure helps minimize patient-specific surgical risks

Study examines brain and behavior relationships in response to morally laden scenarios

Novel treatment safe and effective for patients with intracerebral hemorrhage

Multiple exposures to anesthesia may increase risk of ADHD, learning disabilities in young children

Vitamin D levels low in African Americans with multiple sclerosis

Karolinska researchers study four siblings affected by early-onset Alzheimer's disease

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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