Grey Matter News and Research

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Grey matter is a major component of the central nervous system, consisting of neuronal cell bodies, neuropil (dendrites and both unmyelinated axons and myelinated axons), glial cells (astroglia and oligodendrocytes) and capillaries.

Brain cell transplants help replace degenerated neurons, finds Swiss research team

A Swiss research team has found that using an animal's own brain cells (autologous transplant) to replace degenerated neurons in select brain areas of donor primates with simulated but asymptomatic Parkinson's disease and previously in a motor cortex lesion model, provides a degree of brain protection and may be useful in repairing brain lesions and restoring function.

29 Oct 2009

Scientists identify the first genetic mechanism that generates the cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex, the largest and most complex component of the brain, is unique to mammals and alone has evolved human specializations. Although at first all stem cells in charge of building the cerebral cortex-the outermost layer of neurons commonly referred to as gray matter-are created equal, soon they irrevocably commit to forming specific cortical regions. But how the stem cells' destiny is determined has remained an open question.

14 Oct 2009

Molecule responsible for neuronal branches identifed

The human brain consists of about 100 billion (1011) neurons, which altogether form about 100 trillion (1014) synaptic connections with each other. A crucial mechanism for the generation of this complex wiring pattern is the formation of neuronal branches. The neurobiologists Dr. Hannes Schmidt and Professor Fritz G. Rathjen at the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch, Germany, have now discovered a molecule that regulates this vital process. At the same time they have succeeded in elucidating the signaling cascade induced by this molecule (PNAS, Early Edition, 2009, doi:10.1073).

22 Sep 2009

FDA approves Neuralstem's IND for commencing a stem cell trial to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Neuralstem, Inc. (NYSE Amex: CUR) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its Investigational New Drug (IND) application to commence a Phase I trial to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) with its spinal cord stem cells.

21 Sep 2009

Prevalence of cortical gray matter atrophy may be overestimated in healthy aging brain

The belief that healthy older brains are substantially smaller than younger brains may stem from studies that did not screen out people whose undetected, slowly developing brain disease was killing off cells in key areas, according to new research. As a result, previous findings may have overestimated atrophy and underestimated normal size for the older brain.

8 Sep 2009

Playing Tetris may increase brain efficiency

Brain imaging shows playing Tetris leads to a thicker cortex and may also increase brain efficiency, according to research published in the open access journal BMC Research Notes. A research team based in New Mexico is one of the first to investigate the effects of practice in the brain using two image techniques.

2 Sep 2009

Research reveals that practicing Tetris increases brain efficiency

Researchers at the Mind Research Network today announced the findings of a scientific study that used brain imaging and Tetris to investigate whether practice makes the brain efficient because it increases gray matter. Over a three-month period, adolescent girls practiced Tetris, a computer game requiring a combination of cognitive skills. The girls who practiced showed greater brain efficiency, consistent with earlier studies. Compared to controls, the girls that practiced also had a thicker cortex, but not in the same brain areas where efficiency occurred.

1 Sep 2009

Brain research reveals that juggling practice increased gray matter in the motor areas of the brain

1 Sep 2009

Adolescents engaged in dangerous activities are associated with increased brain maturity

A new study using brain imaging to study teen behavior indicates that adolescents who engage in dangerous activities have frontal white matter tracts that are more adult in form than their more conservative peers.

26 Aug 2009

Studies reveal that obese people are at greater risk for developing Alzheimer's disease

Obesity is on a rampage, with the World Health Organization pegging the numbers at more than 300 million worldwide, with a billion more overweight. With obesity comes the increased risk for cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes, and hypertension.

25 Aug 2009

Obesity may reduce brain gray matter in postmenopausal women

Results from a small study of postmenopausal women suggest that obesity might relate to a reduced volume of gray matter in the brain. However, whether the results have relevance in a woman's day-to-day life is unclear.

18 Jun 2009

Diabetes drug pioglitazone shows potential against multiple sclerosis

A drug currently FDA-approved for use in diabetes shows some protective effects in the brains of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine report in a study currently available online in the Journal of Neuroimmunology.

26 May 2009

Vitamin D found in fish improves cognitive function

Eating fish - long considered 'brain food' - may really be good for the old grey matter, as is a healthy dose of sunshine, new research suggests.

From The University of Manchester 20 May 2009

Research shows speech recognition problems independent of hearing loss

Older adults may have difficulty understanding speech because of age-related changes in brain tissue, according to new research in the May 13 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

12 May 2009

Meditation may increase gray matter

Push-ups, crunches, gyms, personal trainers - people have many strategies for building bigger muscles and stronger bones. But what can one do to build a bigger brain?

12 May 2009

Smoking makes it harder for brain blood flow to recover from long-term heavy drinking

Alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) can damage the brain, particularly the frontal and parietal cortices, although this damage is at least partially reversible with sustained abstinence from alcohol. Chronic smoking is extremely common among individuals with AUDs.

12 May 2009

Neurodegenerative diseases target healthy brain's intrinsic networks

New research suggests that neurodegenerative diseases are neither diffuse nor random but specifically target large-scale functional networks in the human brain.

15 Apr 2009

Imaging reveals abnormalities in pathways connecting brain areas in those with writer's cramp

Abnormalities in the fibers connecting different brain areas may contribute to muscle disorders such as writer's cramp, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Neurology.

13 Apr 2009

Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oils kills cancer cells

Docosahexanoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oils, has been shown to reduce the size of tumours and enhance the positive effects of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, while limiting its harmful side effects.

1 Apr 2009

Music lessons help children improve reading skills

Children exposed to a multi-year programme of music tuition involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers, according to a study published in the journal Psychology of Music, published by SAGE.

16 Mar 2009

Grey Matter News and Research

Further Reading

Brain cell transplants help replace degenerated neurons, finds Swiss research team

Scientists identify the first genetic mechanism that generates the cerebral cortex

Molecule responsible for neuronal branches identifed

FDA approves Neuralstem's IND for commencing a stem cell trial to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Prevalence of cortical gray matter atrophy may be overestimated in healthy aging brain

Playing Tetris may increase brain efficiency

Research reveals that practicing Tetris increases brain efficiency

Brain research reveals that juggling practice increased gray matter in the motor areas of the brain

Adolescents engaged in dangerous activities are associated with increased brain maturity

Studies reveal that obese people are at greater risk for developing Alzheimer's disease

Obesity may reduce brain gray matter in postmenopausal women

Diabetes drug pioglitazone shows potential against multiple sclerosis

Vitamin D found in fish improves cognitive function

Research shows speech recognition problems independent of hearing loss

Meditation may increase gray matter

Smoking makes it harder for brain blood flow to recover from long-term heavy drinking

Neurodegenerative diseases target healthy brain's intrinsic networks

Imaging reveals abnormalities in pathways connecting brain areas in those with writer's cramp

Omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oils kills cancer cells

Music lessons help children improve reading skills

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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