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Basal ganglia and cerebellum linked together to form integrated functional network: Researchers

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have found new evidence that the basal ganglia and the cerebellum, two important areas in the central nervous system, are linked together to form an integrated functional network. The findings are available online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

20 Apr 2010

Australian study uncovers mechanisms involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease

A major Australian study has provided new insights into the loss of structure in regions of the brain and its potential association with Alzheimer's Disease. The findings recently reported in Neurology suggest a build-up of deposits of the protein amyloid-beta in a region of the brain known as the temporal inferior cortex.

17 Apr 2010

Working memory maintenance linked with synchronisation of neurons

A research project of the Neuroscience Center of the University of Helsinki sheds light on the neuronal mechanisms sustaining memory traces of visual stimuli in the human brain. The results show that the maintenance of working memory is associated with synchronisation of neurons, which facilitates communication between different parts of the brain. On the basis of interaction between the brain areas, it was even possible to predict the subject's individual working memory capacity.

15 Apr 2010

Study combines CT and VBM to provide accurate picture of autistic brain

A new study, the first of its kind, combines two complementary analytical brain imaging techniques, to provide a more comprehensive and accurate picture of the neuroanatomy of the autistic brain. The study, published in the April issue of neuroimaging journal Human Brain Mapping, was conducted by researchers at The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro, McGill University and the Universit- de Montr-al.

15 Apr 2010

MRI technology depicts women's anxiety of getting fat

A group of women in a new study seemed unlikely to have body image issues - at least their responses on a tried-and-true psychological screening presented no red flags.

15 Apr 2010

Brain regions play a fundamental role in empathetic and violent situations

"Just as our species could be considered the most violent, since we are capable of serial killings, genocide and other atrocities, we are also the most empathetic species, which would seem to be the other side of the coin", Luis Moya Albiol, lead author of the study and a researcher at the UV, tells SINC.

15 Apr 2010

First direct recording of mirror neurons in the brain

Mirror neurons, many say, are what make us human. They are the cells in the brain that fire not only when we perform a particular action but also when we watch someone else perform that same action.

13 Apr 2010

Study investigates cerebral cortical response to biliary stimulation

The cortical response to esophageal, stomach or rectal stimulation has been studied using several different modalities including evoked potentials, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and positron emission tomography. However, there is no information concerning the cerebral cortical response to sensory signals that originate in the biliary tract in humans.

13 Apr 2010

Study supports use of Fisher Wallace Cranial Stimulator for treating depression, anxiety and insomnia

Fisher Wallace Laboratories today announced the results of a brain stimulation study involving the Fisher Wallace Cranial Stimulator, a portable medical device that treats depression, anxiety and insomnia. The study, published in The Neuroscientist and authored by Dr. Felipe Fregni, assistant professor in neurology at Harvard Medical School, analyzes a decade's worth of research on the brain stimulation technology used by the Fisher Wallace Cranial Stimulator.

13 Apr 2010

Drugs that affect methylation state of genes could reverse autism's effects: The FASEB Journal

A new discovery raises hope that autism may be more easily diagnosed and that its effects may be more reversible than previously thought. In a new study appearing online in The FASEB Journal, scientists have identified a way to detect the disorder using blood and have discovered that drugs which affect the methylation state of genes could reverse autism's effects.

9 Apr 2010

Omega-3 fatty acids improve nerve regeneration, prevent psychotic disorders and reduce cellular aging

Improving nerve regeneration after corneal surgery, preventing psychotic disorders in those at high risk for them and reducing cellular aging are three emerging benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood, according to milestone research described in the April 2010 PUFA Newsletter and Fats of Life online publications for health professionals and consumers, respectively.

9 Apr 2010

Researchers identify link between genetic mutation and schizophrenia

In what may provide the most compelling evidence to date, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have illuminated how a genetic variant may lead to schizophrenia by causing a disruption in communication between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex regions of the brain, areas believed to be responsible for carrying out working memory.

2 Apr 2010

Genetic risk factor for schizophrenia can disrupt connectivity at level of single neurons

The strongest known recurrent genetic cause of schizophrenia impairs communications between the brain's decision-making and memory hubs, resulting in working memory deficits, according to a study in mice.

1 Apr 2010

Mood altering effects of Phenytoin

Phenytoin is a well known antiepileptic agent widely used throughout the world. Recent clinical studies in patients with bipolar disorder have suggested that, as for other anticonvulsant drugs commonly used in the treatment of bipolar patients including valproate and carbamazepine, phenytoin may have mood-stabilizing effects in addition to its well-known anticonvulsant properties.

30 Mar 2010

Cortex signs agreement to sell certain AMPAKINE compounds to Biovail

Cortex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement with Biovail Laboratories International SRL in which Biovail acquired certain AMPAKINE compounds and the rights to the patent filing for respiratory depression and vaso-occlusive crises associated with sickle cell disease.

29 Mar 2010

UCSF approach may one day be used to create new periods of plasticity in human brain

UCSF scientists report that they were able to prompt a new period of "plasticity," or capacity for change, in the neural circuitry of the visual cortex of juvenile mice. The approach, they say, might some day be used to create new periods of plasticity in the human brain that would allow for the repair of neural circuits following injury or disease.

27 Mar 2010

BLS acquires AMPAKINE compounds from Cortex Pharmaceuticals

Biovail Corporation today announced that its subsidiary, Biovail Laboratories International SRL, has acquired certain AMPAKINE® compounds, including associated intellectual property, from Cortex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for use in the field of respiratory depression, a brain-mediated breathing disorder.

26 Mar 2010

Cortex News and Research

Basal ganglia and cerebellum linked together to form integrated functional network: Researchers

Australian study uncovers mechanisms involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease

Working memory maintenance linked with synchronisation of neurons

Study combines CT and VBM to provide accurate picture of autistic brain

MRI technology depicts women's anxiety of getting fat

Brain regions play a fundamental role in empathetic and violent situations

First direct recording of mirror neurons in the brain

Study investigates cerebral cortical response to biliary stimulation

Study supports use of Fisher Wallace Cranial Stimulator for treating depression, anxiety and insomnia

Drugs that affect methylation state of genes could reverse autism's effects: The FASEB Journal

Omega-3 fatty acids improve nerve regeneration, prevent psychotic disorders and reduce cellular aging

Researchers identify link between genetic mutation and schizophrenia

Genetic risk factor for schizophrenia can disrupt connectivity at level of single neurons

Mood altering effects of Phenytoin

Cortex signs agreement to sell certain AMPAKINE compounds to Biovail

UCSF approach may one day be used to create new periods of plasticity in human brain

BLS acquires AMPAKINE compounds from Cortex Pharmaceuticals

Study: Cell-based strategy for treating neurodegenerative diseases

Prior knowledge of impending distraction does not improve memory performance in older adults

Study offers new insight on how human brain makes moral judgments

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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