Neuroscience News and Research

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Improving outcomes for children with acquired brain injuries a significant challenge

Outcomes for children with brain injury acquired during childhood are difficult to predict and vary significantly, states an analysis of evidence on the topic published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

19 Jun 2012

Difficult childhood affects brain development and can increase risk of adolescent crimes

The legal system needs to take greater account of new discoveries in neuroscience that show how a difficult childhood can affect the development of a young person's brain which can increase the risk adolescent crimes, according to researchers. The research will be presented as part of an Economic and Social Research Council seminar series in conjunction with the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology.

19 Jun 2012

Implanted device delivers genetically engineered neurotrophic factor directly to the brain

Studies suggest that neurotrophic factors, which play a role in the development and survival of neurons, have significant therapeutic and restorative potential for neurologic diseases such as Huntington's disease. However, clinical applications are limited because these proteins cannot easily cross the blood brain barrier, have a short half-life, and cause serious side effects.

19 Jun 2012

Five abstracts evaluating Abbott's LCIG presented at Parkinson's disease congress

Today Abbott announced results from five abstracts evaluating levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG), its investigational compound for advanced Parkinson's disease.

19 Jun 2012

MRI images of the brain when a person loses self-control

New pictures from the University of Iowa show what it looks like when a person runs out of patience and loses self-control.

19 Jun 2012

Penumbra adds MAX System of Reperfusion Catheters to family of aspiration thrombectomy devices

The Penumbra System family of aspiration thrombectomy devices now includes the MAX System of Reperfusion Catheters for removal of clots in patients experiencing acute ischemic stroke. The MAX System neuro-interventional devices offer a fast, simplified cerebral thrombectomy procedure with single-operator, over-the-wire delivery without the need for a large proximal balloon guide.

18 Jun 2012

Link between unconscious conflicts and conscious anxiety disorder symptoms

An experiment that Sigmund Freud could never have imagined 100 years ago may help lend scientific support for one of his key theories, and help connect it with current neuroscience.

18 Jun 2012

Study finds no evidence to support an effect of THC on MS progression

The first large non-commercial study to investigate whether the main active constituent of cannabis (tetrahydrocannabinol or THC) is effective in slowing the course of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) shows that there is no evidence to suggest this; although benefits were noted for those at the lower end of the disability scale.

16 Jun 2012

Research examines link between metabolic syndrome and cognitive disorders

No effective treatments are currently available for the prevention or cure of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most frequent form of dementia in the elderly. The most recognized risk factors, advancing age and having the apolipoprotein E Ɛ4 gene, cannot be modified or treated. Increasingly, scientists are looking toward other risk factors to identify preventive and therapeutic strategies.

15 Jun 2012

People can train their brains to become less impulsive

New research from psychologists at the Universities of Exeter and Cardiff shows that people can train their brains to become less impulsive, resulting in less risk-taking during gambling. The research could pave the way for new treatments for people with addictions to gambling, drugs or alcohol as well as impulse-control disorders, such as ADHD.

15 Jun 2012

Relationship between obesity prevalence and growth of supermarket economy

An international team of researchers' study of the spatial patterns of the spread of obesity suggests America's bulging waistlines may have more to do with collective behavior than genetics or individual choices. The team, led by City College of New York physicist Hern-n Makse, found correlations between the epidemic's geography and food marketing and distribution patterns.

15 Jun 2012

Folic acid taken during first month of pregnancy reduces risk of autism in children

A new study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute suggests that women who consume the recommended daily dosage of folic acid, the synthetic form of folate or vitamin B-9, during the first month of pregnancy may have a reduced risk of having a child with autism.

15 Jun 2012

IBMT linked with positive structural changes in brain connectivity

A Texas Tech University scientist studying the Chinese mindfulness meditation known as integrative body-mind training (IBMT) said he and other researchers have confirmed and expanded on changes in structural efficiency of white matter in the brain that can be related to positive behavioral changes in subjects practicing the technique for a month and a minimum of 11 hours total.

14 Jun 2012

Research into alcohol's effect on juvenile rats

Research into alcohol's effect on juvenile rats shows they have an ability to build up a physical, but not cognitive, tolerance over the short term - a finding that could have implications for adolescent humans, according to Baylor University psychologists.

14 Jun 2012

Embryonic stem cells hold great promise for biomedical science

With their potential to treat a wide range of diseases and uncover fundamental processes that lead to those diseases, embryonic stem (ES) cells hold great promise for biomedical science.

14 Jun 2012

Ten young researchers named Pew Latin American Fellows in the Biomedical Sciences

Ten young researchers were named Pew Latin American Fellows in the Biomedical Sciences today by The Pew Charitable Trusts. For these scientists, who have dedicated their careers to finding solutions for some of the world's most troubling health problems, this fellowship will provide support that will further their research, enable them to work with colleagues in the United States, and increase scientific knowledge throughout their home region.

14 Jun 2012

Researchers use brain imaging to uncover susceptibility to psychological stress and trauma

Most people have intense emotional reactions to traumatizing events like road accidents or combat. But some suffer far longer, caught in the grip of long-term debilitating disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Because doctors cannot predict who will develop these disorders, however, early or preventive intervention is not available. Now, a new project led by researchers at Tel Aviv University seeks to identify pre-traumatic subjects - those who are more susceptible to long-standing disorders if exposed to a traumatic incident.

14 Jun 2012

RNA-binding proteins accumulate in the brains of patients with AD

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified a novel group of proteins that accumulate in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. These findings, which appear online in the Journal of Neuroscience, may open up novel approaches to diagnose and stage the progression likelihood of the disease in Alzheimer patients.

14 Jun 2012

Investigational Insomnia Medicine from Merck improved patients’ ability to fall and stay asleep according to new phase III Data

Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced new data from two pivotal Phase III efficacy trials for suvorexant, the investigational medicine Merck is developing for the treatment of insomnia. In the studies, suvorexant significantly reduced the time it took patients to fall asleep and increased the time that patients stayed asleep as early as the first night and at the three-month time point compared to placebo. The investigational medicine met statistical significance for all primary endpoints except for one measurement at Month 3 in one of the trials. These late-breaking data were presented here today at SLEEP 2012, the 26th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

13 Jun 2012

A father's love contributes more to a child's development

A father's love contributes as much - and sometimes more - to a child's development as does a mother's love. That is one of many findings in a new large-scale analysis of research about the power of parental rejection and acceptance in shaping our personalities as children and into adulthood.

13 Jun 2012

Neuroscience News and Research

Improving outcomes for children with acquired brain injuries a significant challenge

Difficult childhood affects brain development and can increase risk of adolescent crimes

Implanted device delivers genetically engineered neurotrophic factor directly to the brain

Five abstracts evaluating Abbott's LCIG presented at Parkinson's disease congress

MRI images of the brain when a person loses self-control

Penumbra adds MAX System of Reperfusion Catheters to family of aspiration thrombectomy devices

Link between unconscious conflicts and conscious anxiety disorder symptoms

Study finds no evidence to support an effect of THC on MS progression

Research examines link between metabolic syndrome and cognitive disorders

People can train their brains to become less impulsive

Relationship between obesity prevalence and growth of supermarket economy

Folic acid taken during first month of pregnancy reduces risk of autism in children

IBMT linked with positive structural changes in brain connectivity

Research into alcohol's effect on juvenile rats

Embryonic stem cells hold great promise for biomedical science

Ten young researchers named Pew Latin American Fellows in the Biomedical Sciences

Researchers use brain imaging to uncover susceptibility to psychological stress and trauma

RNA-binding proteins accumulate in the brains of patients with AD

Investigational Insomnia Medicine from Merck improved patients’ ability to fall and stay asleep according to new phase III Data

A father's love contributes more to a child's development

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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