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Kessler Foundation scientist awarded five-year grant to study predictors of memory decline in MS

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society awarded Victoria Leavitt, PhD, a $619,618 grant to study predictors of memory decline in MS. Dr. Leavitt, a scientist in Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research at Kessler Foundation, will use functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate a brain marker with predictive value for memory decline.

28 Mar 2013

Migraines are related to brain abnormalities, new study suggests

A new study suggests that migraines are related to brain abnormalities present at birth and others that develop over time.

26 Mar 2013

Parkinson's Disease drug can help reverse age-related impairments in decision making: Study

A drug widely used to treat Parkinson's Disease can help to reverse age-related impairments in decision making in some older people, a study from researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging has shown.

25 Mar 2013

UNC study shows brain activity associated with mental illness in young children

Research from the University of North Carolina has shown that children at risk of developing schizophrenia have brains that function differently than those not at risk.

25 Mar 2013

Atrophy of thalamus is important predictor of clinically definite MS, study shows

A growing body of research by multiple sclerosis investigators at the University at Buffalo and international partners is providing powerful new evidence that the brain's gray matter reflects important changes in the disease that could allow clinicians to diagnose earlier and to better monitor and predict how the disease will progress.

22 Mar 2013

Neuroscientists explain why some people with autism cannot recognize faces

Neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center have discovered a brain anomaly that explains why some people diagnosed with autism cannot easily recognize faces - a deficit linked to the impairments in social interactions considered to be the hallmark of the disorder.

19 Mar 2013

Study shows improved detection of dementia paves the way for refined clinical trials testing

A series of studies demonstrate improved detection of the second most common form of dementia, providing diagnostic specificity that clears the way for refined clinical trials testing targeted treatments.

18 Mar 2013

Interventional endovascular therapy is safe but does not improve MS outcomes: Study

The first controlled clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of interventional endovascular therapy on the symptoms and progression of multiple sclerosis has found that the intervention, sometimes called the "liberation treatment," which has attracted intense interest in the global MS community, does not improve patient outcomes. In a few cases, the treatment made symptoms worse.

16 Mar 2013

Scientists develop pig brain model to study human brain development

A mutual curiosity about patterns of growth and development in pig brains has brought two University of Illinois research groups together. Animal scientists Rod Johnson and Ryan Dilger have developed a model of the pig brain that they plan to use to answer important questions about human brain development.

16 Mar 2013

Weill Cornell receives NIMH grant to discover novel biomarkers for chronic fatigue syndrome

Weill Cornell Medical College has been awarded more than $1.9 million by the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health to lead an innovative research study using advanced neuroimaging and clinical evaluations of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

8 Mar 2013

DBS helps anorexia patients achieve and maintain improvements in body weight, mood and anxiety

In a world first, a team of researchers at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre and the University Health Network have shown that Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) in patients with chronic, severe and treatment-resistant Anorexia Nervosa (anorexia) helps some patients achieve and maintain improvements in body weight, mood, and anxiety.

6 Mar 2013

Brain functional connectivity differs between unipolar and bipolar depression

Patients with bipolar depression differ from their peers with unipolar depression in having stronger functional connectivity in the right posterior cingulate cortex, US study findings indicate.

28 Feb 2013

Individuals with psychogenic disease do have brains that function differently

Psychogenic diseases, formerly known as 'hysterical' illnesses, can have many severe symptoms such as painful cramps or paralysis but without any physical explanation. However, new research from the University of Cambridge and UCL (University College London) suggests that individuals with psychogenic disease, that is to say physical illness that stems from emotional or mental stresses, do have brains that function differently.

25 Feb 2013

BCHE gene variant predicts extent of plaque deposits in Alzheimer's

A study combining genetic data with brain imaging, designed to identify genes associated with the amyloid plaque deposits found in Alzheimer's disease patients, has not only identified the APOE gene -- long associated with development of Alzheimer's -- but has uncovered an association with a second gene, called BCHE.

21 Feb 2013

Aerobic exercise can increase brain size and improve cognition in children, older adults

Exercise doesn't only strengthen your heart and muscles - it also beefs up your brain. Dozens of studies now show that aerobic exercise can increase the size of critical brain structures and improve cognition in children and older adults.

18 Feb 2013

Brain health just as important as physical health

We all know the importance of keeping healthy and are familiar with the refrains of 'exercise more', 'eat better' and 'get regular physicals'. But what about our mental health? Professor Barbara Sahakian, best known for her expertise on cognitive enhancers, challenges society (and government) to prioritise mental health in the same way as we do physical health.

17 Feb 2013

Intra-arterial therapy no more effective than IV t-PA in treating acute ischemic stroke

A stroke survivor's chances of living independently after 90 days are not improved by the use of devices inserted into the artery to dissolve or remove a stroke-causing clot shortly after the onset of symptoms, according to a randomized controlled trial involving 656 patients.

11 Feb 2013

Scientists identify two areas of brain responsible for perception of orientation and shape

A new study led by scientists at the Universities of York and Bradford has identified the two areas of the brain responsible for our perception of orientation and shape.

4 Feb 2013

UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine to develop blood test that can diagnose MCI

The Biomarker Discovery Center at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-School of Osteopathic Medicine has been awarded a three-year, $799,800 grant from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation to develop a blood test that can diagnose mild cognitive impairment (MCI) caused by early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

28 Jan 2013

Researchers discover unique hairpin-like structure that facilitates Abeta clumping

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of late-life dementia. The disorder is thought to be caused by a protein known as the amyloid-beta protein, or Abeta, which clumps together in the brain, forming plaques that are thought to destroy neurons. This destruction starts early, too, and can presage clinical signs of the disease by up to 20 years.

24 Jan 2013