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.

Researcher launches new DBS clinical trial to pinpoint brain activity in depressed people

A top medical researcher at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, has launched a clinical trial to pinpoint brain activity in depressed people by using scientifically designed sad and heartrending photos and music.

10 Mar 2011

First recording of cortically induced neural activity of basal ganglia in Parkinson's disease, dystonia during DBS

Movement disorders such as Parkinson's diseases and dystonia are caused by abnormal neural activity of the basal ganglia located deep in the brain. The basal ganglia are connected to the cerebral cortex in the brain surface through complex neural circuits.

10 Mar 2011

ALR commits funding for new study to identify lupus susceptibility genes in multiple ethnicities

The Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR) – the world's largest private funder of lupus research – today announced funding of an important new study to identify lupus susceptibility genes in multiple ethnicities including African Americans, who are three times more likely than Caucasians to have the disease.

10 Mar 2011

New study sheds 'light' on intricate brain cell connections responsible for anxiety

A new study sheds light--both literally and figuratively--on the intricate brain cell connections responsible for anxiety.

10 Mar 2011

Study: High volume music players can cause neurophysiological changes

Growing numbers of people enjoy listening to music on portable music players or cell phones, and many tend to turn up the volume, especially in noisy surroundings. In a study published March 2, 2011 in the open-access journal PLoS ONE, researchers explore the potential effects of this behavior on hearing.

10 Mar 2011

California leaders completes much-anticipated State Plan for Alzheimer's disease

Anticipating a catastrophic increase in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, California leaders have completed the much-anticipated California State Plan for Alzheimer's disease, a disease estimated to double among Californians by the year 2030.

10 Mar 2011

CDH Proton Center expands treatment capacity

The CDH Proton Center, A ProCure Center, in suburban Chicago, is now able to treat a wider variety of cancer tumors with the opening of a treatment room with a gantry, a nearly 100-ton rotating steel wheel that allows the proton beam to be directed at the tumor from any angle.

10 Mar 2011

Mother's poor or inadequate nutrition linked to overeating later in life

Providing further understanding of the link between low birth weights and obesity later in life, researchers found nutritionally deprived newborns are "programmed" to eat more because they develop less neurons in the region of the brain that controls food intake, according to an article published today in the journal, Brain Research.

10 Mar 2011

First disease-specific biomarker for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease identified

Neena Singh, MD, PhD and colleagues at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have identified the first disease-specific biomarker for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), a universally fatal, degenerative brain disease for which there is no cure. sCJD is one of the causes of dementia and typically leads to death within a year of disease onset.

10 Mar 2011

Noninvasive MR-guided focused ultrasound successfully treats essential tremor

A new chapter in medical history opened days ago when noninvasive MR-guided focused ultrasound was used to successfully treat a patient with essential tremor (ET), a progressive neurological disorder that affects millions of people worldwide and causes involuntary shaking of the hands, head, face, eyelids, voice or other muscles.

10 Mar 2011

Stemline's SL-401 receives FDA Orphan Drug designation for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia

Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that SL-401, the Company's lead compound, has received Orphan Drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

10 Mar 2011

Study finds synapses between retinal ganglion cells and starburst amacrine cells distributed asymmetrically

The sensory cells in the retina of the mammalian eye convert light stimuli into electrical signals and transmit them via downstream interneurons to the retinal ganglion cells which, in turn, forward them to the brain. The interneurons are connected to each other in such a way that the individual ganglion cells receive visual information from a circular area of the visual field known as the receptive field.

10 Mar 2011

Vascular disorder of the brain most frequently misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis

A devastating vascular disorder of the brain called CADASIL, which strikes young adults and leads to early dementia, often is misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis, Loyola University Health System researchers report.

10 Mar 2011

Study reveals flexibility of neuronal processes underlying conscious perception

Our brains process many more stimuli than we become aware of. Often images enter our brain without being noticed: visual information is being processed, but does not reach consciousness, that is, we do not have an impression of it. Then, what is the difference between conscious and unconscious perception, and can both forms of perception be changed through practice?

10 Mar 2011

Predictability can improve multitasking

Researchers from Rice University and Georgia Institute of Technology have found support for the theory that the brain has three concentric layers of working memory where it stores readily available items. Memory researchers have long debated whether there are two or three layers and what the capacity and function of each layer is.

9 Mar 2011

KineMed extends collaboration with BMY to identify and characterize Alzheimer's biomarkers

KineMed, Inc. announced today the extension of its collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb in the area of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.

9 Mar 2011

NeuroDerm commences ND0611 Phase I/II trial to treat Parkinson's disease

NeuroDerm, Ltd. announced today the enrollment of the first group of patients in its Phase I/II clinical trial of ND0611, a new patch for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

9 Mar 2011

Human Genome Sciences receives FDA approval for Benlysta to treat lupus

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Benlysta to treat patients with active, autoantibody-positive lupus who are receiving standard therapy, including corticosteroids, antimalarials, immunosuppressives, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

9 Mar 2011

Right-handers biased to choosing their right hands

The vast majority of humans - over 90% - prefer to use their right hand for most skilled tasks. For decades, researchers have been trying to understand why this asymmetry exists. Why, with our two cerebral hemispheres and motor cortices, are we not equally skilled with both hands?

9 Mar 2011

HSL launches Retirement University program for seniors

Hebrew SeniorLife today announced the launch of Retirement University, a program designed to help make retirement an exciting time of discovery and enrichment for local retirees.

9 Mar 2011

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Researcher launches new DBS clinical trial to pinpoint brain activity in depressed people

First recording of cortically induced neural activity of basal ganglia in Parkinson's disease, dystonia during DBS

ALR commits funding for new study to identify lupus susceptibility genes in multiple ethnicities

New study sheds 'light' on intricate brain cell connections responsible for anxiety

Study: High volume music players can cause neurophysiological changes

California leaders completes much-anticipated State Plan for Alzheimer's disease

CDH Proton Center expands treatment capacity

Mother's poor or inadequate nutrition linked to overeating later in life

First disease-specific biomarker for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease identified

Noninvasive MR-guided focused ultrasound successfully treats essential tremor

Stemline's SL-401 receives FDA Orphan Drug designation for treatment of acute myeloid leukemia

Study finds synapses between retinal ganglion cells and starburst amacrine cells distributed asymmetrically

Vascular disorder of the brain most frequently misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis

Study reveals flexibility of neuronal processes underlying conscious perception

Predictability can improve multitasking

KineMed extends collaboration with BMY to identify and characterize Alzheimer's biomarkers

NeuroDerm commences ND0611 Phase I/II trial to treat Parkinson's disease

Human Genome Sciences receives FDA approval for Benlysta to treat lupus

Right-handers biased to choosing their right hands

HSL launches Retirement University program for seniors

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Latest News