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Philanthropist pledges $5M to fund new endowed chair in Alzheimer's disease research at Keck School

Los Angeles residents Selim Zilkha and Mary Hayley are raising the stakes in the fight against Alzheimer's disease, the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States that cannot currently be prevented, cured or slowed.

4 Dec 2013

Western University research points to promising avenue for PTSD treatment

Pioneering research conducted at Western University (London, Canada) points to a promising avenue for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: utilising neurofeedback training to alter the plasticity of brain networks linked to the condition.

4 Dec 2013

Scientists identify enzyme that could lead to better treatment of Alzheimer's disease

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have identified an enzyme that can halt or possibly even reverse the build-up of toxic protein fragments known as plaques in the brains of mice with Alzheimer's disease. The research appeared in a recent edition of the scientific journal Nature Communications.

3 Dec 2013

Computer models of neuronal sound processing in brain lead to cochlear implant improvements

Intact hearing is a prerequisite for learning to speak. This is why children who are born deaf are fitted with so-called cochlear implants as early as possible. Cochlear implants consist of a speech processor and a transmitter coil worn behind the ear, together with the actual implant, an encapsulated microprocessor placed under the skin to directly stimulate the auditory nerve via an electrode with up to 22 contacts.

3 Dec 2013

Synaptic health in the brain closely linked to cognitive decline

Age-related cognitive decline and changes in the nervous system are closely linked, but up until recently, they were thought to result from the loss of neurons in areas such as the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain important in working memory.

3 Dec 2013

Certain hormones which are increased during exercise may help improve memory

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found further evidence that exercise may be beneficial for brain health and cognition. The findings, which are currently available online in Behavioural Brain Research, suggest that certain hormones, which are increased during exercise, may help improve memory.

3 Dec 2013

Valproic acid can enhance neuronal regeneration following brachial plexus root avulsion

Brachial plexus root avulsion is the most serious type of peripheral nerve injury. Valproic acid has been shown to exert neuroprotective effects and promote neurite outgrowth in several peripheral nerve injury models. However, whether valproic acid can exert its beneficial effect on neurons after brachial plexus avulsion injury is currently unknown.

3 Dec 2013

Fruit fly study shows how sex may be one of the secrets to good health and longer life

Sex may in fact be one of the secrets to good health, youth and a longer life - at least for fruit flies - suggests a new University of Michigan study that appears in the journal Science.

30 Nov 2013

Male roundworms shorten the lifespan of females, say Stanford researchers

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered that males of the laboratory roundworm secrete signaling molecules that significantly shorten the lifespan of the opposite sex.

29 Nov 2013

Neuroscientists discover how brain cells form "geotags" for specific memories

Using a video game in which people navigate through a virtual town delivering objects to specific locations, a team of neuroscientists from the University of Pennsylvania and Freiburg University has discovered how brain cells that encode spatial information form "geotags" for specific memories and are activated immediately before those memories are recalled.

29 Nov 2013

Research: Modification of SUMO protein plays vital role in normal brain function

Scientists are a step closer to understanding how some of the brain's 100 billion nerve cells co-ordinate their communication.

28 Nov 2013

Certain Chinese medicines can regulate neurotrophic and apoptosis-related factors

Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly, which is pathologically characterized by selective loss of dopaminergic neurons. Compound preparations of Chinese medicines that can tonify the kidney have been reported to significantly improve symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

28 Nov 2013

Compound extracted from wine-processed Fructus corni protects hippocampal neurons from damage

Studies have shown that Fructus corni has a protective effect on hepatocytes, and has anticancer, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, a compound extracted from wine-processed Fructus corni, has a protective effect on hippocampal neurons damaged by H2O2.

28 Nov 2013

Mutation in alpha-synuclein gene causes increased vulnerability to pesticides, leading to Parkinson's

A team of researchers has brought new clarity to the picture of how gene-environmental interactions can kill nerve cells that make dopamine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination.

27 Nov 2013

Brain research provides new clues to Pavlovian conditioning

Do fruit flies hold the key to treating dementia? Researchers at the University of Houston have taken a significant step forward in unraveling the mechanisms of Pavlovian conditioning. Their work will help them understand how memories form and, ultimately, provide better treatments to improve memory in all ages.

27 Nov 2013

Study reveals how brain and olfactory system operate to process scent, odor signals

Our sense of smell is often the first response to environmental stimuli. Odors trigger neurons in the brain that alert us to take action.

27 Nov 2013

Inhibitor compounds could form basis of new treatments for such diseases as MRSA, anthrax

Inhibitor compounds developed by UC Irvine structural biologists and Northwestern University chemists have been shown to bolster the ability of antibiotics to treat deadly bacterial diseases such as MRSA and anthrax.

27 Nov 2013

Researchers reveal why some breast cancer cells are resistant to chemotherapy

Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine, working with cell lines in a lab, have discovered why some of the most aggressive and fatal breast cancer cells are resistant to chemotherapy, and UNC scientists are developing ways to overcome such resistance.

26 Nov 2013

Asparagine found in meat, eggs and dairy products is important for normal brain development

Asparagine, found in foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy products, was until now considered non-essential because it is produced naturally by the body. Researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital found that the amino acid is essential for normal brain development.

26 Nov 2013

Researchers identify new mechanism that causes neurodegeneration

As we age, our body rhythms lose time before they finally stop. Breaking the body clock by genetically disrupting a core clock gene, Bmal1, in mice has long been known to accelerate aging , causing arthritis, hair loss, cataracts, and premature death.

26 Nov 2013

Neurons News and Research

Philanthropist pledges $5M to fund new endowed chair in Alzheimer's disease research at Keck School

Western University research points to promising avenue for PTSD treatment

Scientists identify enzyme that could lead to better treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Computer models of neuronal sound processing in brain lead to cochlear implant improvements

Synaptic health in the brain closely linked to cognitive decline

Certain hormones which are increased during exercise may help improve memory

Valproic acid can enhance neuronal regeneration following brachial plexus root avulsion

Fruit fly study shows how sex may be one of the secrets to good health and longer life

Male roundworms shorten the lifespan of females, say Stanford researchers

Neuroscientists discover how brain cells form "geotags" for specific memories

Research: Modification of SUMO protein plays vital role in normal brain function

Certain Chinese medicines can regulate neurotrophic and apoptosis-related factors

Compound extracted from wine-processed Fructus corni protects hippocampal neurons from damage

Mutation in alpha-synuclein gene causes increased vulnerability to pesticides, leading to Parkinson's

Brain research provides new clues to Pavlovian conditioning

Study reveals how brain and olfactory system operate to process scent, odor signals

Inhibitor compounds could form basis of new treatments for such diseases as MRSA, anthrax

Researchers reveal why some breast cancer cells are resistant to chemotherapy

Asparagine found in meat, eggs and dairy products is important for normal brain development

Researchers identify new mechanism that causes neurodegeneration

Neuroscience - Second Edition eBook

Achieving and maintaining ISO 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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