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Auditory neurons accept first sound, ignore subsequent reverberations: Study

Voices carry, reflect off objects and create echoes. Most people rarely hear the echoes; instead they only process the first sound received. For the hard of hearing, though, being in an acoustically challenging room can be a problem. For them, echoes carry.

27 Aug 2010

Research on myosin II protein can lead to novel treatment for memory disorders

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a mechanism that plays a critical role in the formation of long-term memory. The findings shed substantial new light on aspects of how memory is formed, and could lead to novel treatments for memory disorders.

26 Aug 2010

Neuroeconomics research identifes distinct brain structures for tracking various outcomes

Scientists at Harvard University have found that humans can make difficult moral decisions using the same brain circuits as those used in more mundane choices related to money and food.

26 Aug 2010

Motor proteins play critical role in stabilization of long-term memories

Functioning much like gears in a machine, cellular motor proteins are critical to dynamic functions throughout the body, including muscle contraction, cell migration and cellular growth processes. Now, neuroscientists from UC Irvine and the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute report that motor proteins also play a critical role in the stabilization of long-term memories. The findings add an unexpected dimension to the story of how memories are encoded and suggest new targets for therapeutic interventions.

26 Aug 2010

Specific type of neurons determine frightening stimulus reaction: Research

Fear can make you run, it can make you fight, and it can glue you to the spot. Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo, Italy and GlaxoSmithKline in Verona, Italy, have identified not only the part of the brain but the specific type of neurons that determine how mice react to a frightening stimulus.

26 Aug 2010

Critical mechanistic link between mutant protein and disease pathogenesis in ALS uncovered

New research uncovers what may be a primary neuron-damaging insult that occurs in an inherited form of a devastating neurodegenerative disorder. The study, published by Cell Press in the August 26th issue of the journal Neuron, describes a critical mechanistic link between a mutant protein and disease pathogenesis in an animal model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

26 Aug 2010

Neuralstem files IND with FDA for spinal cord stem cell Phase I clinical trial for chronic spinal cord injury

Neuralstem, Inc. announced that it has filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin a Phase I safety clinical trial for chronic spinal cord injury with its spinal cord stem cells. This multicenter Phase I safety trial will enroll a total of 16 long-term, or chronic, spinal cord injury patients, with an American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Grade A level of impairment, one-to-two years post-injury.

26 Aug 2010

Study on current insect repellants confirms need for better insect repellants

Fire up the citronella-scented tiki torches, and slather on the DEET: Everybody knows these simple precautions repel insects, notably mosquitoes, whose bites not only itch and irritate, but also transmit diseases such as West Nile virus, malaria and dengue. Now, Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered what it is in the bugs' molecular makeup that enables citronellal (the aromatic liquid used in lotions, sprays and candles) and DEET, to deter insects from landing and feeding on you. A better understanding of these molecular-behavioral links already is aiding the team's search for more effective repellants.

26 Aug 2010

APC dysfunction prevents synapse function required for learning, memory: Study

A clue to the causes of autism and mental retardation lies in the synapse, the tiny intercellular junction that rapidly transfers information from one neuron to the next. According to neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine, with students from the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts, a protein called APC plays a key role in synapse maturation, and APC dysfunction prevents the synapse function required for typical learning and memory.

23 Aug 2010

First pathological evidence of link between repeated head injuries and chronic traumatic Encephalomyopathy

Researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CSTE) at Boston University School of Medicine have provided the first pathological evidence of a link between repeated head injuries—such as those experienced by athletes in contact sports such as boxing, football, and hockey—and a disease (chronic traumatic Encephalomyopathy) that resembles amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

20 Aug 2010

Intellect Neurosciences locks database of OXIGON Phase 1b clinical trial for Alzheimer's disease

Intellect Neurosciences, Inc. a biopharmaceutical company with an internal preclinical and clinical-stage pipeline and licenses with major pharmaceutical companies covering products in late-stage clinical trials, announced that it has locked the database of the Company's Phase 1b clinical trial for its lead Alzheimer's candidate, OXIGON™ (OX1).

18 Aug 2010

Biogen Idec, Knopp Neurosciences enter license agreement for KNS-760704 ALS drug candidate

Biogen Idec and Knopp Neurosciences today announced they have entered into an exclusive, worldwide license agreement under which Biogen Idec will develop and commercialize KNS-760704 (dexpramipexole) for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and potentially other indications.

18 Aug 2010

Brain trauma in sports associated with motor neuron disease, researchers find

The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University School of Medicine and Department of Veterans Affairs announced today that they have provided the first pathological evidence that repetitive head trauma experienced in collision sports is associated with motor neuron disease, a neurological condition that affects voluntary muscle movements.

18 Aug 2010

Specific brain abnormalities linked to motor neuron disease in athletes with head trauma

Professional athletes with repetitive head trauma and possibly others with a history of head injuries many years previously may be prone the development of a motor neuron disease similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or "Lou Gehrig's disease"), reports a study in the September Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology, official journal of the American Association of Neuropathologists, Inc.

18 Aug 2010

Neuroscience scientist unveils leverage mirror neuron theory to promote sales

The Buying Brain, Secrets for Selling to the Subconscious, a researcher in Professor Giancomo Rizzolati's neuroscience laboratory at the University of Parma in Italy was enjoying a frozen treat while a monkey sat nearby, connected to equipment that monitored his brainwave activity. Upon seeing the lab assistant enjoying the gelato, neurons in the monkey's own brain instantly fired, matching the activity the primate was observing. In effect, in his own subconscious, that monkey was going through all the motions that the lab assistant was actually performing and enjoying. Thus was launched what Dr. Pradeep explains in "The Empathic Brain" chapter as mirror neuron theory.

17 Aug 2010

US WorldMeds announces acquisition of Solstice Neurosciences for $35M

US WorldMeds, LLC, a Kentucky-based specialty pharmaceutical company that develops unique products to address unmet medical needs, today announced it has acquired Solstice Neurosciences, Inc. for $35 million. The acquisition expands US WorldMeds' operations, adds to the company's growing portfolio of products and enhances the company's ability to create and deliver high-quality specialty pharmaceutical products to its targeted global markets.

16 Aug 2010

Research finds genetic roots of alcoholism in humans

A novel mutation found in a mouse gene might provide new insights into the genetic roots of alcoholism in humans, according to a study led by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center and the University of California, San Francisco. The study is published August 12th in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

13 Aug 2010

Research reveals link between perception of intentions and evaluation of behavior

People generally like to see generous people rewarded and selfish people punished. Now, new research reveals a critical link between how we perceive another's intentions and our evaluation of their behavior. The study, published by Cell Press in the August 12 issue of the journal Neuron, makes some intriguing observations about how a description of the impact of an individual's actions on a group can alter the neural representation of their observed behavior.

12 Aug 2010

Research identifies abnormal huntingtin protein critical for mitosis and cell fate determination

New research finds that a protein that is often mutated in Huntington's disease (HD) plays an unexpected role in the process of neurogenesis. The research, published by Cell Press in the August 12 issue of the journal Neuron, provides new insight into HD pathology and has even broader implications for human health and disease.

12 Aug 2010

Dr. Hastings receives grant for Spinal Muscular Atrophy research

Michelle Hastings, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, in the Chicago Medical School of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, has been awarded a five-year $1.68 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to support her research aimed at investigating treatments for the fatal children's disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

11 Aug 2010

Neuron News and Research

Auditory neurons accept first sound, ignore subsequent reverberations: Study

Research on myosin II protein can lead to novel treatment for memory disorders

Neuroeconomics research identifes distinct brain structures for tracking various outcomes

Motor proteins play critical role in stabilization of long-term memories

Specific type of neurons determine frightening stimulus reaction: Research

Critical mechanistic link between mutant protein and disease pathogenesis in ALS uncovered

Neuralstem files IND with FDA for spinal cord stem cell Phase I clinical trial for chronic spinal cord injury

Study on current insect repellants confirms need for better insect repellants

APC dysfunction prevents synapse function required for learning, memory: Study

First pathological evidence of link between repeated head injuries and chronic traumatic Encephalomyopathy

Intellect Neurosciences locks database of OXIGON Phase 1b clinical trial for Alzheimer's disease

Biogen Idec, Knopp Neurosciences enter license agreement for KNS-760704 ALS drug candidate

Brain trauma in sports associated with motor neuron disease, researchers find

Specific brain abnormalities linked to motor neuron disease in athletes with head trauma

Neuroscience scientist unveils leverage mirror neuron theory to promote sales

US WorldMeds announces acquisition of Solstice Neurosciences for $35M

Research finds genetic roots of alcoholism in humans

Research reveals link between perception of intentions and evaluation of behavior

Research identifies abnormal huntingtin protein critical for mitosis and cell fate determination

Dr. Hastings receives grant for Spinal Muscular Atrophy research

Neuroscience - Second Edition eBook

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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