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Two more genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease discovered

An international team of scientists has identified two more genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. The findings are reported in the online edition of the journal Nature Genetics.

7 Sep 2009

CIHR funds for Alzheimer's and stroke research

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has announced a grant totaling more than a million dollars for John F. MacDonald's research on Alzheimer's disease.

7 Sep 2009

Cancer drug could restore memory deficits in Alzheimer's patients

A drug now used to treat cancer may also be able to restore memory deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study conducted by scientists at Columbia University Medical Center, which appeared in the September issue of The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease: Volume 18:1.

7 Sep 2009

MRF announces winners of six 2009 research grants

The Migraine Research Foundation (MRF), the only nonprofit organization devoted solely to funding migraine research, today announced the winners of the 2009 research grants. This year's grantees will explore such important areas as pediatric migraine, the genetic association between migraine and cardiovascular events, and why opioids enhance migraine pain.

5 Sep 2009

Brain protein srGAP2 capable of forming filopodia

When the process goes awry, neurodevelopmental disorders such as mental retardation, dyslexia or autism may result. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have now discovered that establishing the neural wiring necessary to function normally depends on the ability of neurons to make finger-like projections of their membrane called filopodia.

5 Sep 2009

Researchers study the brain's posterior cingulate cortex

Using brain scans in monkeys, Duke University Medical Center researchers are now able to predict when monkeys will switch from exploiting a known resource to exploring their options.

5 Sep 2009

nSR100 protein plays a key role in neuron development

Researchers at the University of Toronto have identified a protein which plays a key role in the development of neurons, which could enhance our understanding of how the brain works, and how diseases such as Alzheimer's occur.

5 Sep 2009

Finance is the only hurdle for replication of the human brain, says researcher

A model that replicates the functions of the human brain is feasible in 10 years according to neuroscientist Professor Henry Markram of the Brain Mind Institute in Switzerland. 'I absolutely believe it is technically and biologically possible. The only uncertainty is financial. It is an extremely expensive project and not all is yet secured.'

4 Sep 2009

StemCells’ novel neuroprotective approach for treating neurodegenerative diseases

StemCells, Inc. today announced the publication of preclinical data demonstrating for the first time that transplantation of its proprietary, purified human neural stem cells delays the loss of motor function in a mouse model of infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL).

4 Sep 2009

Genetic cause of progressive hearing loss discovered

A team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute has discovered a genetic cause of progressive hearing loss. The findings will help scientists better understand the nature of age-related decline in hearing and may lead to new therapies to prevent or treat the condition.

4 Sep 2009

New study shows striking similarity in the evolution of cities and human brains

Cities are organized like brains, and the evolution of cities mirrors the evolution of human and animal brains, according to a new study by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

3 Sep 2009

Yale University awarded $36 million ARRA funds for over 100 research projects

Faculty at Yale University have been awarded over 100 research grants totaling $36 million since February 2009, when the federal stimulus package was signed into law. Known as the American Recovery and Revitalization Act of 2009 (ARRA), the law aims to reinvigorate the economy and lay the foundation for long-term economic recovery by increasing investments in infrastructure, education, the environment and scientific research.

3 Sep 2009

Vitamin C deficiency may impair mental development in newborn babies

New research at LIFE - Faculty of Life Sciences at University of Copenhagen shows that vitamin C deficiency may impair the mental development of new-born babies.

3 Sep 2009

Players’ fencing response yields visual clues on brain injury

Brain injury researchers at the University of Kentucky have spent hundreds of hours watching YouTube videos of people getting smacked, punched and knocked in the head during sporting events and recreational activities. But those researchers weren't goofing off on the Internet; they were doing hard science.

3 Sep 2009

New compound discovered by Scripps scientists offers a novel template for drug development

Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego and their colleagues at Creighton University have deciphered the highly unusual molecular structure of a naturally produced, ocean-based compound that is giving new understanding of the function of mammalian nerve cells.

29 Aug 2009

Antibiotic functioning as an off switch being developed for gene therapy of Parkinson's disease

A common antibiotic can function as an "off switch" for a gene therapy being developed for Parkinson's disease, according to University of Florida researchers writing online in advance of September's Molecular Therapy.

29 Aug 2009

Carbon nanotubes may help regrow nerve tissue according to a research study

Carbon nanotubes hold many exciting possibilities, some of them in the realm of the human nervous system. Recent research has shown that carbon nanotubes may help regrow nerve tissue or ferry drugs used to repair damaged neurons associated with disorders such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and perhaps even paralysis.

28 Aug 2009

Comprehensive review on the pharmacology of sigma receptors published in Journal of Pharmacology Therapeutics

Anavex Life Sciences Corp. ("ANAVEX" or the "Company") reports the publication of a comprehensive review of the pharmacology of sigma receptors and their possible clinical application in the peer-reviewed Journal of Pharmacology Therapeutics.

28 Aug 2009

Rutgers University Professor receives $3.5 million MERIT Award from NIH

Rutgers University Professor Dipak Sarkar has received a $3.5 million MERIT Award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue researching the damaging effects of alcohol on the nervous systems of the unborn.

27 Aug 2009

Two-photon microscopy technique tracks calcium levels in mice neurons

For over a century, scientists have been using electrical stimulation to explore and treat the human brain. The technique has helped identify regions responsible for specific neural functions-for instance, the motor cortex and pleasure center-and has been used to treat a variety of conditions from Parkinson's disease to depression.

27 Aug 2009