Hypothalamus News and Research

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The Hypothalamus is the area of the brain that controls body temperature, hunger, and thirst.

Study finds an organic cause for patients with functional dyspepsia

How many times patients with gastrointestinal disorders have been told "There is nothing wrong, nothing organic, it's all you head". But the pain is real.

24 Jun 2015

Taranis protein could hold key to a good night's sleep

Most of us need seven to eight hours of sleep a night to function well, but some people seem to need a lot less sleep. The difference is largely due to genetic variability. In research published online June 18th in Current Biology, researchers report that two genes, originally known for their regulation of cell division, are required for normal slumber in fly models of sleep: taranis and Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1).

19 Jun 2015

GnRH infusion recommended for adolescent hypogonadotropic hypogonadodism

Pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone may be more effective than human chorionic gonadotropin for the treatment of peripubescent boys with hypogonadotropic hypogonadodism, say Chinese researchers.

27 May 2015

Orexigen Therapeutics provides update on business and financial results for Q1 2015

Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc. today announced business and financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015.

8 May 2015

New research shows how fat controls energy levels in the brain

An enzyme secreted by the body's fat tissue controls energy levels in the brain, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings, in mice, underscore a role for the body's fat tissue in controlling the brain's response to food scarcity, and suggest there is an optimal amount of body fat for maximizing health and longevity.

24 Apr 2015

Researchers discover genetic factors key to POMC cells

The little voice inside your head that tells you to eat, or stop eating, isn't a little voice - it's actually a cluster of about 10,000 specialized brain cells. And now, an international team of scientists has found tiny triggers inside those cells that give rise to this "voice", and keep it speaking throughout life.

6 Apr 2015

Anti-diabetic medication activates brain sensors, promotes weight gain

Medication used to treat patients with type II diabetes activates sensors on brain cells that increase hunger, causing people taking this drug to gain more body fat, according to researchers at Georgia State University, Oregon Health and Science University, Georgia Regents University and Charlie Norwood Veterans Administration Medical Center.

27 Mar 2015

Discovery can help stop emergence of age-related neurodegenerative diseases

As medicine has improved, increasing our ability to treat disease, so our longevity. The deterioration of the body with age, though, is a whole other matter.

23 Mar 2015

RUB biochemists gain new insights into generation, maintenance of circadian rhythms

Biochemists at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum have gained new insights into the generation and maintenance of circadian rhythms. They demonstrated that the Ras protein is important for setting the phase of such a circadian clock, as its activity determines the period length of the rhythm.

19 Mar 2015

UT Southwestern neuroscientists identify key brain cells that control circadian rhythms

UT Southwestern Medical Center neuroscientists have identified key cells within the brain that are critical for determining circadian rhythms, the 24-hour processes that control sleep and wake cycles, as well as other important body functions such as hormone production, metabolism, and blood pressure.

18 Mar 2015

Appetite-controlling neurons initiate repetitive behaviors seen in OCD, anorexia nervosa

In the absence of food, neurons that normally control appetite initiate complex, repetitive behaviors seen in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and anorexia nervosa, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers.

9 Mar 2015

Plant molecule helps female mice combat weight gain

A molecule found in some plants can combat weight gain induced by a high-fat diet, but only in female mice, not males. 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) is thought to mimic the effects of a growth factor induced by exercise.

6 Mar 2015

Researchers successfully convert adult human skin cells into neurons that control appetite

Researchers have for the first time successfully converted adult human skin cells into neurons of the type that regulate appetite, providing a patient-specific model for studying the neurophysiology of weight control and testing new therapies for obesity.

28 Feb 2015

New study could lead to better remedies for insomnia, more effective anaesthetic drugs

Scientists have discovered that switching on one area of the brain chemically can trigger a deep sleep.

24 Feb 2015

Mindfulness training can influence health via stress reduction pathways

Over the past decade, there have been many encouraging findings suggesting that mindfulness training can improve a broad range of mental and physical health problems. Yet, exactly how mindfulness positively impacts health is not clear.

15 Feb 2015

Expert panel makes new sleep-time recommendations

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine researcher Lydia DonCarlos, PhD, is a member of an expert panel that's making new recommendations on how much sleep people need.

12 Feb 2015

Newly found peptide may reduce desire for food

Researchers have identified a peptide and hormone that when administered to a specific area of the brain may reduce the desire for food. The study, which appears in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, may one day lead to medications that treat obesity and binge eating disorders.

5 Feb 2015

Study reveals how the brain can use fatty acids to control liver lipid production

Ways of keeping the heart healthy has widened, with the discovery that the brain can help fight off hardening of the arteries.

31 Jan 2015

Using antioxidant to reverse brain inflammation improves obesity, diabetes symptoms

Using an antioxidant to reverse inflammation in the brain caused by a high-fat diet greatly improves symptoms related to obesity and type II diabetes, a new study from New Zealand's University of Otago suggests.

30 Jan 2015

Research explores effect of DBS treatments in animals with brain injuries

The research, published in Behavioural Brain Research, was conducted by Pilar Segura and Ignacio Morgado (coordinators), Laura Aldavert and Marc Ramoneda, psychobiologists of the Institute of Neurosciences and the Department of Psychobiology and Health Sciences Methodology of the UAB and by Elisabet Kadar and Gemma Huguet, molecular biologists of the University of Girona, to explore the power of Deep Brain Stimulation treatments in the hypothalamus to recover the ability to learn and remember after a severe lesion of the amygdala.

28 Jan 2015