Neurons News and Research

RSS

Lynx2 gene linked to nervous behavior in mice

To measure anxiety in a mouse and suggest it's similar to anxiety in a person may seem like a stretch, but the metrics sound uncannily familiar.

20 Feb 2009

Forgotten and lost -- when proteins 'shut down' our brain

Which modules of the tau protein, in neurons of Alzheimer disease patients, may act in a destructive manner were investigated by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry (Göttingen) and the Max Planck Unit for Structural Molecular Biology (Hamburg) with the help of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ( PLoS Biology , February 17, 2009).

18 Feb 2009

Neural wiring hints at nervous system gene limits

Genetics may play a surprisingly small role in determining the precise wiring of the mammalian nervous system, according to painstaking mapping of every neuron projecting to a small muscle mice use to move their ears.

16 Feb 2009

Cellular changes in the sleeping brain promote the formation of memories

If you ever argued with your mother when she told you to get some sleep after studying for an exam instead of pulling an all-nighter, you owe her an apology, because it turns out she's right.

15 Feb 2009

New method to stimulate immune system may be effective at reducing amyloid burden in Alzheimer?s

Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center have discovered a novel way to stimulate the innate immune system of mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD) - leading to reduced amyloid deposits and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease related pathology - without causing toxic side effects.

15 Feb 2009

Bristol Neuroscientists host brain workshops

Around 100 local pupils will have the chance to take part in some really ‘brainy' activities this week at a series of interactive workshops, hosted by Bristol University neuroscientists, to help them discover more about the science of the brain.

11 Feb 2009

Low cholesterol, depression in men linked to early death

New Geisinger research shows that men with a combination of low total cholesterol and depression were seven times more likely to die prematurely from unnatural causes, such as suicide and accidents.

10 Feb 2009

Endo Pharmaceuticals announces research collaborations on novel pain treatments and potential cancer treatments

Endo Pharmaceuticals has announced that it has signed two research collaboration agreements to develop novel treatments for pain and to discover potential treatments for cancer.

10 Feb 2009

Discovery of potential treatment for Rett syndrome

A molecule that promotes brain development could serve as a possible treatment for Rett syndrome, the most common form of autism in girls, according to researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research.

9 Feb 2009

Expert warns that an unhealthy lifestyle can lead to vision loss

A leading Australian eye expert has warned that people who do not adopt a healthy life style can expect a loss of vision in later life.

9 Feb 2009

New understanding of blinding degenerative eye conditions

Though based on mouse studies, the research bolsters the idea that humans suffering from these and other eye conditions may be able to help preserve function by adding antioxidants to their diet, and explains why this would work.

8 Feb 2009

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor protects key brain cells in Alzheimer's models

Memory loss, cognitive impairment, brain cell degeneration and cell death were prevented or reversed in several animal models after treatment with a naturally occurring protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

8 Feb 2009

Growth factor protects key brain cells in Alzheimer's models

8 Feb 2009

Extra copies of LIS1 gene carry extra risk

Is more of a good thing better? A gene known as LIS1 is crucial for ensuring the proper placement of neurons in the developing brain.

5 Feb 2009

Ritalin may change brain in same way cocaine does

A common treatment for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, prescribed millions of times a year, may change the brain in the same ways that cocaine does, a new study in mice suggests.

5 Feb 2009

Safinamide significantly improved motor function in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, and its partner Newron Pharmaceuticals SpA has announced that the first Phase III trial of investigational agent safinamide as adjunctive therapy to levodopa (study 016) met its primary endpoint by increasing daily "ON" time in mid- to late-stage Parkinson's disease patients with motor fluctuations by 1.3 hours.

5 Feb 2009