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 study: Fetal surgery for spina bifida greatly improves child's mobility

Performing delicate surgery in the womb, months before birth, can substantially improve outcomes for children with a common, disabling birth defect of the spine. Experts at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia co-led a new landmark study showing that fetal surgery for spina bifida greatly reduces the need to divert fluid from the brain, improves mobility and improves the chances that a child will be able to walk independently.

9 Feb 2011

People with memory problems may face high risk of stroke

People who have memory problems or other declines in their mental abilities may be at higher risk for stroke, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 63rd Annual Meeting in Honolulu April 9 to April 16, 2011.

9 Feb 2011

Johns Hopkins funds 12 research groups to launch new BSi program on cognitive disorders

The Johns Hopkins Brain Sciences Institute has funded a total of $5 million to 12 different research groups at Hopkins to launch the new Synapses, Circuits and Cognitive Disorders Program. The new BSi program aims to understand the fundamentals of brain function by focusing on the synapse — the point of contact between two nerve cells — to better understand cognitive disorders.

9 Feb 2011

New study: Testosterone administration leads to significant reduction in mind reading

A new study from Utrecht and Cambridge Universities has for the first time found that an administration of testosterone under the tongue in volunteers negatively affects a person's ability to 'mind read', an indication of empathy. The findings are published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

9 Feb 2011

CeNeRx announces FDA approval of CXB909 IND for neuroprotection and neurodegenerative disorders

CeNeRx BioPharma, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing and commercializing innovative treatments for diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), today announced FDA approval of its IND and reported the first clinical results in humans for CXB909, a novel agent that has demonstrated utility in preclinical models of neuroprotection and neurodegenerative disorders.

9 Feb 2011

Research findings highlight potential for noninvasive MSC delivery to treat Parkinson disease

Successful intranasal delivery of stem cells to the brains of rats with Parkinson disease yielded significant improvement in motor function and reversed the dopamine deficiency characteristic of the disease.

9 Feb 2011

AcademyHealth recognizes military health research study with 2011 HSR Impact Award

AcademyHealth today recognized research that improves access to behavioral health care for returning U.S. service members with the 2011 Health Services Research Impact Award.

9 Feb 2011

Study: Parkinson’s disease undermines language processing ability in Dutch native speaker patients

It is becoming more generally known that Parkinson's disease not only influences a patient's motor functions. Patients often also suffer from depression, fear and incontinence, for example. However, the disease also undermines the language processing ability. University of Groningen researcher Katrien Colman has found clear indications of this in Dutch native speaker patients.

9 Feb 2011

Topical cream used to treat skin diseases activates two distinct neuronal signaling pathways

Scratching deep beneath the surface, a team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and three South Korean institutions have identified two distinct neuronal signaling pathways activated by a topical cream used to treat a variety of skin diseases. One pathway produces the therapeutic benefit; the other induces severe itching as a side effect.

9 Feb 2011

Men with high levels of CCP genes more likely to have fatal form of prostate cancer

A genetic pattern could predict how aggressive prostate cancer is before treatment, and whether the disease will come back in men who have already been treated, according to research published1 in the Lancet Oncology.

9 Feb 2011

Two new studies report GOT may improve health outcomes of stroke patients

Much of the devastation of stroke and head trauma is due to damage caused the overproduction of a substance in the brain called glutamate. Preventing this damage has been impossible, until now, as many drugs don't cross the so-called blood-brain barrier, and those that do often don't work as intended. But a method originally devised at the Weizmann Institute of Science may, in the future, offer a way to avert such glutamate-induced harm.

9 Feb 2011

New research provides evidence that cerebellum can also store memories for mental skills

Movements become skilled and automatic with practise, so tasks like riding a bicycle can be performed without much attention or mental effort. New research by scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London provides evidence that the cerebellum, a part of the brain used to store memories for skilled movements, could also store memories important for mental skills - such as the rules used to interpret traffic light signals.

9 Feb 2011

Life Sciences Discovery Fund announces nearly $600,000 in awards

The Life Sciences Discovery Fund (LSDF) today announced nearly $600,000 in awards to support commercial development of technologies to improve the diagnosis and management of major health conditions.

9 Feb 2011

Gates Foundation awards USF $5.45M for malaria research

The University of South Florida received $5.45 million in grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The first grant is to create advanced devices that mimic the human liver to better study the life cycle of the malaria parasite - particularly the elusive liver stage where the disease may be most vulnerable to attack.

9 Feb 2011

BeneChill, Physio-Control to launch RhinoChill IntraNasal Cooling System in Europe

Physio-Control, a global leader in emergency medical solutions and wholly-owned subsidiary of Medtronic, and BeneChill, a pioneer in portable therapeutic cooling systems, today announced a strategic partnership to launch the RhinoChill IntraNasal Cooling System in Europe.

9 Feb 2011

Specific gene variation linked to late-onset Alzheimer's

A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has found evidence suggesting that a variation of a specific gene may play a role in late-onset Alzheimer's, the disease which accounts for over 90% of Alzheimer's cases. This innovative study has combined genetics and brain imaging to determine who may be at risk for developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease long before symptoms appear.

9 Feb 2011

UW research receives Keck Foundation grant to restore lost brain function using neurochips

Tiny, implantable computers that would restore brain function lost to disease or injury is the goal of University of Washington research recently funded by a $1 million, three-year grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation.

9 Feb 2011

Researchers link brain's neural networks to specific cognitive functions

The human brain operates as a highly interconnected small-world network, not as a collection of discrete regions as previously believed, with important implications for why many of us experience cognitive declines in old age, a new study shows.

9 Feb 2011

FDA proposes new Innovation Pathway program for pioneering medical devices

Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed the Innovation Pathway, a priority review program for new, breakthrough medical devices and announced the first submission: a brain-controlled, upper-extremity prosthetic that will serve as a pilot for the program. The FDA also announced plans to seek further public comment before the Pathway can be used more broadly.

9 Feb 2011

Specific gene variation may play a role in late-onset Alzheimer's disease: New study

A new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has found evidence suggesting that a variation of a specific gene may play a role in late-onset Alzheimer's, the disease which accounts for over 90% of Alzheimer's cases. This innovative study has combined genetics and brain imaging to determine who may be at risk for developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease long before symptoms appear.

9 Feb 2011

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New study: Fetal surgery for spina bifida greatly improves child's mobility

People with memory problems may face high risk of stroke

Johns Hopkins funds 12 research groups to launch new BSi program on cognitive disorders

New study: Testosterone administration leads to significant reduction in mind reading

CeNeRx announces FDA approval of CXB909 IND for neuroprotection and neurodegenerative disorders

Research findings highlight potential for noninvasive MSC delivery to treat Parkinson disease

AcademyHealth recognizes military health research study with 2011 HSR Impact Award

Study: Parkinson’s disease undermines language processing ability in Dutch native speaker patients

Topical cream used to treat skin diseases activates two distinct neuronal signaling pathways

Men with high levels of CCP genes more likely to have fatal form of prostate cancer

Two new studies report GOT may improve health outcomes of stroke patients

New research provides evidence that cerebellum can also store memories for mental skills

Life Sciences Discovery Fund announces nearly $600,000 in awards

Gates Foundation awards USF $5.45M for malaria research

BeneChill, Physio-Control to launch RhinoChill IntraNasal Cooling System in Europe

Specific gene variation linked to late-onset Alzheimer's

UW research receives Keck Foundation grant to restore lost brain function using neurochips

Researchers link brain's neural networks to specific cognitive functions

FDA proposes new Innovation Pathway program for pioneering medical devices

Specific gene variation may play a role in late-onset Alzheimer's disease: New study

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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