Neurophysiology News and Research

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Neurophysiology is a discipline within the health sciences which deals with the measurement and assessment of nervous system function rather than the anatomy of the nervous system. It helps to diagnose and monitor the progress of nervous disorders.

Scientists optimize imaging and behavior techniques to monitor activity of neurons

The cerebellum is a region of the brain that plays an important role in motor control. The Purkinje cells, a class of neurons located in this region, are a major site of information integration that regulate changes in neural connections caused by varying factors such as behavior, environment, and emotions. Thus Purkinje cells provide an ideal location for studying the mechanisms necessary for cerebellum dependent motor learning.

11 Mar 2016

Heart rate variability may increase epilepsy risk

Doctors have long characterized epilepsy as a brain disorder, but researchers at Case Western Reserve University have found that part of the autonomic nervous system functions differently in epilepsy during the absence of seizures.This connection to the involuntary division of the nervous system may have implications for diagnosing and treating the disease and understanding sudden unexpected death in epilepsy

10 Mar 2016

Ballet training optimizes muscle coordination

A new article in Journal of Neurophysiology reports that professional ballet dancers have more control over their muscles than individuals with no dance training. Researchers from Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology found that ballet training optimized muscle coordination not only for dancing but also everyday movements.

5 Jan 2016

Vagus nerve stimulation prevents hemorrhagic complications following surgery

Stimulating the vagus nerve is a potentially efficacious and safe way to stop the flow of blood and prevent hemorrhagic complications following surgery and other invasive procedures, according to a researcher in the Center for Bioelectronic Medicine at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research.

11 Dec 2015

Could statins treat muscular dystrophy? An interview with Dr. Nick Whitehead and Dr Stan Froehner

In addition to their well established cholesterol lowering benefits, statins also have potent anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and antioxidant effects, which continue to be identified in a wide range of diseases.

30 Nov 2015

Neurodata Without Borders provides common format for brain data

An alliance of brain researchers and funders has announced a common data format to facilitate the free and open exchange of complex information about the brain--information that scientists can then use to accelerate progress in understanding the brain and developing new treatments for brain disorders.

23 Nov 2015

Researchers find how different neurons work together to reduce responses to frequent sounds

Being able to understand speech is essential to our evolution as humans. Hearing lets us perceive the same word even when spoken at different speeds or pitches, and also gives us extra sensitivity to unexpected sounds. Now, new studies from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania clarify how these two crucial features of audition are managed by the brain.

12 Oct 2015

Roy D. Patterson selected to receive ASA's Silver Medal in Psychological and Physiological Acoustics

Roy D. Patterson, Emeritus Professor at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, has been named recipient of the Acoustical Society of America's Silver Medal in Psychological and Physiological Acoustics for contributions to understanding pitch and timbre perception, and for computational modeling of auditory representations.

9 Oct 2015

Ups and downs of incorporating new treatment to reduce oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy

In this age of the 24-hour news cycle, instant access to all information everywhere, PubMed, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and hundreds of other ways to glean and share knowledge beyond the traditional stack of printed journals delivered to their door, physicians continue to struggle to arm themselves with the most effective therapies.

21 Sep 2015

CPAP treatment restores brain stem function, reverses health changes linked to heart disease

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines are a commonly prescribed treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder in which muscles in the airways collapse during sleep, blocking breathing.

2 Sep 2015

FDA approves MagVenture MagVita TMS Therapy system for treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

On July 31, 2015 the US Food and Drug Administration cleared the MagVita TMS Therapy system for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in adult patients who have failed to receive satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant medication in the current episode.

28 Aug 2015

Powerful explosive devices of 21st century warfare prompt urgent calls to re-engineer protective gear

Battle-inflicted head injuries are as old as war itself, evidenced by the copper helmets worn by Bronze Age soldiers to deflect blows from spears and axes. Over the ensuing millennia, as weapons evolved, so did armor. Today, the powerful explosive devices of 21st century warfare have once again raised the stakes, prompting urgent calls to re-engineer protective gear.

28 Aug 2015

Seizures are common but not clinically apparent in newborns after cardiac surgery

In 2011, the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society issued a guideline recommending that neonates undergoing cardiac surgery for repair of congenital heart disease be placed on continuous encephalographic (EEG) monitoring after surgery to detect seizures. These recommendations followed reports that seizures are common in this population, may not be detected clinically, and are associated with adverse neurocognitive outcomes.

20 Aug 2015

Researchers find potential targets to improve sleep in patients with fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic pain from no clear source. Patients with fibromyalgia frequently have sleep problems: Their deep sleep brain wave patterns are often disrupted by brain waves that correspond to wakefulness.

20 Aug 2015

MIT researchers reveal key brainwave changes among patients receiving nitrous oxide

Nitrous oxide, commonly known as "laughing gas," has been used in anesthesiology practice since the 1800s, but the way it works to create altered states is not well understood. In a study published this week in Clinical Neurophysiology, MIT researchers reveal some key brainwave changes among patients receiving the drug.

7 Jul 2015

Study: Peripheral nerve stimulation therapy can reverse SCI-associated nerve deterioration

Approximately 12,000 spinal cord injuries (SCI) happen every year in the U.S., the majority caused by car accidents, falls, sporting accidents and gunshot wounds.

2 Jul 2015

Neuromodulator norepinephrine has direct action on auditory processing of complex signals

For neuroscientists studying the intricate mechanisms of hearing in the brain's auditory cortex, a major question has been how a listener can focus in a noisy environment, and how neurochemicals help neurons convey as much embedded information as possible for the rest of the brain to act on.

25 Jun 2015

EEG-measurements better predict outcome of postanoxic coma

EEG-measurements enable better prediction of the outcome of a coma that was caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. This became clear from research of the University of Twente (MIRA) in cooperation with Rijnstate hospital and Medisch Spectrum Twente.

23 Jun 2015

New Cedars-Sinai study identifies unique set of neurons involved in memory-based decision making

The witness on the stand says he saw the accused at the scene of the crime. Is he sure? How sure? The jury's verdict could hinge on that level of certainty. Many decisions we make every day are influenced by our memories and the confidence we have in them. But very little is known about how we decide whether we can trust a memory or not.

10 Jun 2015

Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil can restore nerves damaged from diabetes

Approximately 50 percent of patients with diabetes suffer from nerve damage, or neuropathy. No cure exists, and the most effective treatment, keeping blood sugar in control, only slows neuropathy.

7 May 2015