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.

Nottingham researchers undertake new clinical trial on hearing loss

Researchers at The University of Nottingham are embarking on a clinical trial that will help them to further understand the debilitating condition of hearing loss.

6 Jul 2010

Mild prenatal stressors increase risk of developing neuropsychiatric illness during adulthood

Learning and memory impairments are important contributors to the disability associated with schizophrenia. These functional impairments emerge long before the onset of other symptoms associated with schizophrenia, suggesting that they are a consequence of a disturbance in brain development.

6 Jul 2010

Clusterin associated with development, severity and progression of Alzheimer's disease: Report

Higher concentrations of clusterin, a protein in the blood plasma, appears to be associated with the development, severity and progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

6 Jul 2010

Depression and dementia may go hand in hand: Study

A new study has found that depressive disorders raise the risk of dementia. The findings of this study were published in the journal Neurology. The study involved nearly 1,000 people who were studied for up to 17 years. Those who were depressed when first examined almost doubled their risk for dementia and also increased their risk for Alzheimer's disease the study authors wrote.

5 Jul 2010

EMBL scientists develop Fly Digital Embryo to film development of fruit fly, zebrafish's eyes and brain

The scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, who 'fathered' the Digital Embryo have now given it wings, creating the Fly Digital Embryo. In work published today in Nature Methods, they were able to capture fruit fly development on film, and were the first to clearly record how a zebrafish's eyes and midbrain are formed.

5 Jul 2010

Study finds structural similarities in neocortices of humans and chickens

For more than a century, neuroscientists believed that the brains of humans and other mammals differed from the brains of other animals, such as birds (and so were presumably better). This belief was based, in part, upon the readily evident physical structure of the neocortex, the region of the brain responsible for complex cognitive behaviors.

3 Jul 2010

Karolinska Institutet researchers contribute at ESOF 2010

Researchers and staff from Karolinska Institutet are contributing to Europe's largest cross-disciplinary gathering place with news of everything from neuroscience to bioentrepreneurship. Carl Johan Sundberg, university lecturer and associate professor at Karolinska Institutet, is the founder and initiator of ESOF.

3 Jul 2010

IRSF reports record turn-out at 11th Annual Rett syndrome Symposium

IRSF's 11th Annual Rett syndrome Symposium held June 27, 28, and 29 in Leesburg, Virginia brought together leading scientists and researchers in the fields of neurobiology from around the globe who are attempting to demystify Rett syndrome. About 25 presenters led a day and a half of in-depth sessions attended by nearly 150 investigators and scientists, volunteers, families affected by the disease and IRSF staff.

3 Jul 2010

64-year-old female Latin American receives Elekta VMAT radiotherapy enhanced with Monaco planning software

A 64-year-old female patient with mediastinal metastasis recently became the first in Latin America to receive Elekta VMAT radiotherapy treatment enhanced with Monaco® planning software. Using the arc-based Elekta VMAT delivery method, Monaco displays how the radiation dose should be applied — its distribution and strength on the target. The result is a therapy that not only is rapid, but also fine-tuned to treat cancer and avoid healthy tissues.

From Elekta 3 Jul 2010

Further analysis on Bcl11b gene and T-cell behaviouur from Caltech Biologists

When does a cell decide its particular identity? According to biologists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), in the case of T cells-immune system cells that help destroy invading pathogens-the answer is when the cells begin expressing a particular gene called Bcl11b.

3 Jul 2010

Studies demonstrate analgesic properties of synthetic cannabinoid

A new compound similar to the active component of marijuana (cannabis) might provide effective pain relief without the mental and physical side effects of cannabis, according to a study in the July issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

2 Jul 2010

Chelsea reports positive outcome from DMC review of droxidopa Phase II trial in fibromyalgia

Chelsea Therapeutics International, Ltd. announced the completion and favorable outcome of an independent Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) review of the safety and efficacy data from approximately half the target enrollment in Chelsea's Phase II trial of droxidopa in fibromyalgia.

2 Jul 2010

QR Pharma to present clinical data from mechanism of action study in MCI patients at ICAD 2010

QR Pharma, Inc., a developer of novel drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD), announced today that it has been accepted to present a poster on clinical data from its recent mechanism of action study in mild cognitive impaired (MCI) patients at the International Congress on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD 2010).

2 Jul 2010

Scientists examine how people and macaque monkeys recognize faces

We meet a multitude of people on a daily basis: the nice waitress in the coffee shop around the corner, the bus driver or the colleagues at the office. Without the ability to recognize faces at first glance we would not be able to distinguish between people. Monkeys also possess the remarkable ability to differentiate faces of group members and to extract the relevant information about the individual directly from the face.

2 Jul 2010

SNMTS honors contributions in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging at 57th Annual Meeting

SNM's Technologist Section (SNMTS)-an international scientific and medical organization-recognized the contributions and work to the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging during its 57th Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City. Several awards ceremonies were held to recognize the value that SNMTS members play in advancing the diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, cancer and neurological conditions.

2 Jul 2010

Genentech's second Phase III ICON7 study of Avastin in ovarian cancer meets primary endpoint

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced today that a second large, Phase III, international study showed that the combination of Avastin® (bevacizumab) and chemotherapy, followed by the continued use of Avastin alone, increased the time women with previously untreated ovarian cancer lived without the disease worsening (progression-free survival or PFS, the primary endpoint), compared to chemotherapy alone.

2 Jul 2010

Parkinson's Disease Foundation awards $1.2M for research programs

The Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) is pleased to announce awards totaling $1.2 million for research projects designed to understand the cause(s) of and find a cure for Parkinson's disease (PD).

2 Jul 2010

Heart patients with transient kidney dysfunction have no serious complications

New research led by UC Health cardiologists shows that while short-term worsening kidney function is frequent among patients with heart failure, these patients also have better outcomes than those who have persistent kidney failure

2 Jul 2010

Anti-aging supplement: A fountain of hope for would-be mothers

According to the American Pregnancy Association, six million women a year deal with infertility. Now, a Tel Aviv University study is giving new hope to women who want to conceive ― in the form of a pill they can find on their drugstore shelves right now.

2 Jul 2010

Malnutrition during childhood diminishes brain function in late life

Malnutrition early in life appears to diminish brain function in older adulthood, according to a study led by a Michigan State University researcher that has implications for many poor, developing nations.

2 Jul 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Nottingham researchers undertake new clinical trial on hearing loss

Mild prenatal stressors increase risk of developing neuropsychiatric illness during adulthood

Clusterin associated with development, severity and progression of Alzheimer's disease: Report

Depression and dementia may go hand in hand: Study

EMBL scientists develop Fly Digital Embryo to film development of fruit fly, zebrafish's eyes and brain

Study finds structural similarities in neocortices of humans and chickens

Karolinska Institutet researchers contribute at ESOF 2010

IRSF reports record turn-out at 11th Annual Rett syndrome Symposium

64-year-old female Latin American receives Elekta VMAT radiotherapy enhanced with Monaco planning software

Further analysis on Bcl11b gene and T-cell behaviouur from Caltech Biologists

Studies demonstrate analgesic properties of synthetic cannabinoid

Chelsea reports positive outcome from DMC review of droxidopa Phase II trial in fibromyalgia

QR Pharma to present clinical data from mechanism of action study in MCI patients at ICAD 2010

Scientists examine how people and macaque monkeys recognize faces

SNMTS honors contributions in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging at 57th Annual Meeting

Genentech's second Phase III ICON7 study of Avastin in ovarian cancer meets primary endpoint

Parkinson's Disease Foundation awards $1.2M for research programs

Heart patients with transient kidney dysfunction have no serious complications

Anti-aging supplement: A fountain of hope for would-be mothers

Malnutrition during childhood diminishes brain function in late life

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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