Hypothalamus News and Research

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

Poor sleep disturbs neuroendocrine control of appetite

Laboratory and epidemiological studies continue to show that sleep curtailment and/or decreased sleep quality can disturb neuroendocrine control of appetite, leading to overeating, and can decrease insulin and/or increase insulin resistance, both steps on the road to Type 2 diabetes.

22 Apr 2009

Jet lag disrupts sleep by throwing two neural centers out of sync

New research by scientists in the U.S. has revealed that the disrupted sleep which results from jet lag and shift work occurs in two separate but linked groups of neurons below the hypothalamus at the base of the brain.

19 Apr 2009

Jet lag disturbs sleep by upsetting internal clocks in 2 neural centers

Jet lag is the bane of many travelers, and similar fatigue can plague people who work in rotating shifts.

16 Apr 2009

Fructose metabolism by the brain increases food intake and obesity

The journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications (BBRC), published by Elsevier, will publish an important review this week online, by M. Daniel Lane and colleagues at Johns Hopkins, building on the suggested link between the consumption of fructose and increased food intake, which may contribute to a high incidence of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

25 Mar 2009

Experimental Parkinson's therapy may have robust weight-loss effect

A growth factor used in clinical experiments to rescue dying brain cells in Parkinson patients may cause unwanted weight loss if delivered to specific areas of the brain, according to University of Florida researchers in the March online edition of Molecular Therapy.

24 Mar 2009

New perspective on what part of the brain controls fear

Mice lose their fear of territorial rivals when a tiny piece of their brain is neutralized, a new study reports.

10 Mar 2009

BDNF gene shows promise as target for treating obesity

With obesity reaching epidemic levels, researchers at the Ohio State University Medical Center are studying a potentially long-term treatment that involves injecting a gene directly into one of the critical feeding and weight control centers of the brain.

10 Mar 2009

New mechanistic explanation of how the brain interprets stress signals

Chronic stress takes a physical and emotional toll on our bodies and scientists are working on piecing together a medical puzzle to understand how we respond to stress at the cellular level in the brain.

2 Mar 2009

Understanding human smell at the neural level

A new Rice University study published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that socioemotional meanings, including sexual ones, are conveyed in human sweat.

9 Jan 2009

New hope for leptin as a solution to obesity

The discovery more than a decade ago of leptin, an appetite-suppressing hormone secreted by fat tissue, generated headlines and great hopes for an effective treatment for obesity.

6 Jan 2009

Novel treatment option for obesity

A new study in the January 7th issue of Cell Metabolism , a Cell Press publication, helps to explain why obese people and animals fail to respond to leptin, a hormone produced by fat that signals the brain to stop eating.

6 Jan 2009

Schering-Plough announces European submission of fertility medicine Corifollitropin Alfa

Schering-Plough Corp. has announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has validated (accepted for review) its Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for corifollitropin alfa, the company's experimental, sustained follicle stimulant (SFS).

1 Jan 2009

Overactive brain enzyme may play role in preventing weight gain and obesity

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have found that overactivity of a brain enzyme may play a role in preventing weight gain and obesity.

14 Dec 2008

Six new gene variations linked to increased BMI

A genetic study of more than 90,000 people has identified six new genetic variants that are associated with increased Body Mass Index (BMI), the most commonly used measure of obesity.

14 Dec 2008

New understanding on how the brain controls onset of puberty

A team of scientists from the University of Cambridge and the University of Cukurova in Turkey have taken a major step to understanding how the brain controls the onset of puberty.

12 Dec 2008

EGFR inhibitors show promise for obesity

Once-promising drugs that were abandoned in the fight against breast cancer still could be effective in obese patients, new research suggests.

1 Dec 2008

Discovery of mechanism linking serotonin with regulation of food intake

Genetic mouse models have provided surprising insight into mechanisms linking serotoninergic compounds with the regulation of feeding behavior and body weight.

26 Nov 2008

Researchers identify molecule that tells your brain your stomach is full

In studies with mice and rats, researchers have found that a chemical messenger called NAPE is made in the small intestine after the animals ate a greasy meal. After eating, NAPE - N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine, a mouthful in itself -- enters the blood and travels to the brain, where it quashes hunger signals.

26 Nov 2008

Researchers discover that a lipid produced in the gut rises after eating fatty foods

As you gorge on food this holiday season, you might not want to think about the fat content of all the goodies you've indulged in.

26 Nov 2008

Researchers find clue to safer obesity drugs

Once hailed as a miracle weight-loss drug, Fen-phen was removed from the market more than a decade ago for inducing life-threatening side effects, including heart valve lesions. Scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center are trying to understand how Fen-phen behaves in the brain in order to develop safer anti-obesity drugs with fewer side effects.

25 Nov 2008