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USC Stevens INI launches a $3 million study to solve some puzzles about Parkinson's disease

The USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (USC Stevens INI), part of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, has launched a $3 million study that will unite researchers and data from 20 countries to answer some of the most pressing questions about Parkinson's disease (PD).

11 Sep 2021

Study: Epilepsy brain implant does not induce changes to patients' personalities or self-perceptions

A next-generation brain implant currently in clinical use for treating refractory epilepsy – to help prevent symptoms including seizures – does not induce changes to patients' personalities or self-perceptions, a new study of patient experiences shows.

3 Sep 2021

FDA approves drug-free stroke rehabilitation system to treat upper extremity motor deficits

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the MicroTransponder Vivistim Paired VNS System (Vivistim System), a first-of-its-kind, drug-free rehabilitation system intended to treat moderate to severe upper extremity motor deficits associated with chronic ischemic stroke—a stroke caused by a blockage of blood flow to the brain with long-lasting symptoms—using vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).

27 Aug 2021

Study: Smell regulates our eating habits

Walking past a corner bakery, you may find yourself drawn in by the fresh smell of sweets wafting from the front door. You're not alone: The knowledge that humans make decisions based on their noses has led major brands like Cinnabon and Panera Bread to pump the scents of baked goods into their restaurants, leading to big spikes in sales.

27 Aug 2021

Non-invasive brain stimulation may reduce smoking frequency in nicotine-dependent smokers

A new systematic review of randomized controlled trials has found evidence that non-invasive brain stimulation may reduce smoking frequency (number of cigarettes per day) in nicotine-dependent smokers.

4 Aug 2021

Cerebral cortex may actually be responsible for sleep control

Why we sleep, and the processes behind sleep, are amongst the most interesting questions in modern neuroscience.

4 Aug 2021

IU researchers developing noninvasive brain stimulation technique to treat neurological disorders

Indiana University School of Medicine researchers are developing a new, noninvasive brain stimulation technique to treat neurological disorders, including pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and more.

2 Jul 2021

New algorithm could be an important step toward adaptive deep brain stimulation

By delivering small electrical pulses directly to the brain, deep brain stimulation (DBS) can ease tremors associated with Parkinson's disease or help relieve chronic pain.

1 Jun 2021

New brain stimulation technique precisely controls motor activity without surgical device implantation

Neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and epilepsy have had some treatment success with deep brain stimulation, but those require surgical device implantation.

29 May 2021

University of Freiburg professor honored for groundbreaking results on the brain’s immune system

The blood-brain barrier is an impenetrable barrier between the circulating blood and the brain established before birth that prevents immune cells from entering the brain from the body's immune system. Thus, the brain has its own immune system with a key actor called microglia.

21 May 2021

Researchers use special "micro-grid" recording device to measure hippocampus activity

Researchers at UC San Francisco have observed a new feature of neural activity in the hippocampus - the brain's memory hub - that may explain how this vital brain region combines a diverse range of inputs into a multi-layered memories that can later be recalled.

17 May 2021

Neuroimaging technology used to study how brain stimulation works for treatment of depression

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, or rTMS, was FDA approved in 2008 as a safe and effective noninvasive treatment for severe depression resistant to antidepressant medications. A small coil positioned near the scalp generates repetitive, pulsed magnetic waves that pass through the skull and stimulate brain cells to relieve symptoms of depression.

4 May 2021

Pioneering neural recordings lay the groundwork for personalized Parkinson's treatments

Pioneering neural recordings in patients with Parkinson's disease by UC San Francisco scientists lays the groundwork for personalized brain stimulation to treat Parkinson's and other neurological disorders.

4 May 2021

Vagus nerve stimulation paired with rehabilitation could improve hand and arm function after stroke

Results of a study co-authored by MGH Institute of Health Professions researcher Teresa Kimberley, PhD, PT, have the potential to be one of the most impressive advances in decades to help improve the lives of patients who have had a stroke with resulting arm weakness.

27 Apr 2021

Non-invasive neuromodulation approaches can prevent invasive surgery in Parkinson's patients

From optogenetics to sonogenetics to magnetognetics, scientists around the world are investigating new techniques to treat Parkinson's disease without the need for invasive surgery.

13 Apr 2021

Researchers develop new AI-based strategy to assess beef freshness

Although beef is one of the most consumed foods around the world, eating it when it's past its prime is not only unsavory, but also poses some serious health risks.

1 Apr 2021

OCD patients with psychiatric comorbidities can benefit from deep brain stimulation

A new study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry finds that patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) as well as other psychiatric comorbidities, such as autism spectrum or tic disorders, may respond well to Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS).

31 Mar 2021

COVID-19 associated seizures may increase death risk in patients

COVID-19 can have damaging effects on multiple organs in the body, including the brain. A new study led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) indicates that some hospitalized patients with COVID-19 experience non-convulsive seizures, which may put them at a higher risk of dying. The findings are published in the Annals of Neurology.

31 Mar 2021

Researchers use new process to improve deep brain stimulation

Despite having remarkable utility in treating movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has confounded researchers, with a general lack of understanding of why it works at some frequencies and does not at others.

26 Mar 2021

Wireless neuromodulation technology could improve the lives of patients with brain disorders

Scientists make pivotal discovery of method for wireless modulation of neurons with X-rays that could improve the lives of patients with brain disorders. The X-ray source only requires a machine like that found in a dentist's office.

25 Mar 2021