Neuroscience News and Research

RSS

Tobacco smoking leads to less activity in the 'executive center' of brain

Tobacco smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the U.S., with more than 400,000 deaths each year attributable to smoking or its consequences. And yet teens still smoke. Indeed, smoking usually begins in the teen years, and approximately 80 percent of adult smokers became hooked by the time they were 18. Meanwhile, teens who don't take up smoking usually never do.

3 Mar 2011

Ibuprofen may protect against development of Parkinson's disease

New research suggests that ibuprofen may offer protection against developing Parkinson's disease, according to one of the largest studies to date investigating the possible benefits of the over-the-counter drug on the disease. The study is published in the March 2, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Mar 2011

Viruses that are natural part of human genome may retrovirus culprit

A retrovirus that inserted itself into the human genome thousands of years ago may be responsible for some cases of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gherig’s disease. The finding, made by Johns Hopkins scientists, may eventually give researchers a new way to attack this universally fatal condition.

2 Mar 2011

UH Ahuja Medical Center officially opens its doors to patients on March 2

University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center – the first new stand-alone hospital in Cuyahoga County in 30 years –officially opens its doors to patients on March 2.

2 Mar 2011

BRF funded projects generate over 8 times of the initial investment in additional funding

The Brain Research Foundation today announced that a recent analysis of its seed grant program indicates that BRF funded projects generate over 8 times the initial investment in additional funding. The findings were based on a sample of 47 projects over a three-year period that received $1.4 million in BRF funding and subsequently generated approximately $12 million in additional funding.

2 Mar 2011

Scientists discover signaling pathway in brain to induce cellular leptin resistance

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified a signaling pathway in the brain that's sufficient to induce cellular leptin resistance, a problem that decreases the body's ability to "hear" that it is full and should stop eating.

2 Mar 2011

Genetic switch increases blood vessels in skeletal muscle of non-exercising mice

Many people suffer from a devastating condition known as critical limb ischemia (CLI) that can lead to muscle wasting and even amputation. The disease is linked to the blockage of blood flow to the skeletal muscle and current treatment options include rehabilitative exercise and surgical bypass of blood vessels. New preclinical research suggests there may be a way to restore blood supply in skeletal muscle without traditional intervention.

2 Mar 2011

Experimental drug may help preserve neurological function in survivors of sudden cardiac arrest

An experimental drug that targets a brain system that controls inflammation might help preserve neurological function in people who survive sudden cardiac arrest, new research suggests.

2 Mar 2011

New study: Alzheimer's disease can be inherited from your mother than father

Results from a new study contribute to growing evidence that if one of your parents has Alzheimer's disease, the chances of inheriting it from your mother are higher than from your father.

1 Mar 2011

Protein pathway may hold a clue for understanding Parkinson's disease

A protein pathway that may hold the secret to understanding Parkinson's disease has been discovered and explained by Iowa State University researchers.

1 Mar 2011

Two genes linked to binge drinking

University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers have identified two genes associated with binge drinking that may open doors to new, more effective treatments for excessive alcohol drinking. The scientists found that manipulating two receptors in the brain, GABA receptors and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), "caused profound reduction" of binge drinking for two weeks in rodents that had been bred and trained to drink excessively. The study was published online the week of Feb. 28 in the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

1 Mar 2011

Acupressure improves cognitive function in patients with mild traumatic brain injury

A new University of Colorado Boulder study indicates an ancient form of complementary medicine may be effective in helping to treat people with mild traumatic brain injury, a finding that may have implications for some U.S. war veterans returning home.

1 Mar 2011

BrainStorm raises $3.6 million through private placement financing

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, announced today that it has entered into securities purchase agreements with certain institutional and other investors in connection with a private placement financing in reliance upon Regulation S. BrainStorm received gross proceeds of approximately $3.6 million resulting from the sale of shares at a purchase price of $0.28 per share at the closing of the transaction.

28 Feb 2011

Scientific Learning introduces new series of Virtual Brain Seminars for students

In today's economy, traveling to see renowned educators and authors speak at national conferences and seminars is no longer an option for many K-12 educators. Beginning this month, however, educators will have the opportunity to hear from nationally recognized experts in education, technology and neuroscience with the launch of a new series of Virtual Brain Seminars presented by Scientific Learning, makers of the Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant family of products.

28 Feb 2011

New study: Immune molecules can regulate synaptic connections in brain

The number of connections between nerve cells in the brain can be regulated by an immune system molecule, according to a new study from UC Davis. The research, published Feb. 27 in the journal Nature Neuroscience, reveals a potential link between immunity, infectious disease and conditions such as schizophrenia or autism.

27 Feb 2011

fMRI reveals complexity of consciousness

Using a sophisticated imaging test to probe for higher-level cognitive functioning in severely brain-injured patients provides a window into consciousness -- but the view it presents is one that is blurred in fascinating ways, say researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in the Feb. 25 online edition of the journal Brain.

25 Feb 2011

Swedish brain scientists create illusion of owning three arms

How we experience our own bodies is a classical question in psychology and neuroscience. It has long been believed that our body image is limited by our innate body plan - in other words that we cannot experience having more than one head, two arms and two legs. However, brain scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have now shown that it is possible to make healthy volunteers experience having three arms at the same time.

25 Feb 2011

Study: Low Vitamin D levels can cause allergies in children

A study of more than 3,000 children shows that low vitamin D levels are associated with increased likelihood that children will develop allergies, according to a paper published in the February 17 online edition of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

25 Feb 2011

Celgene, Elan enter settlement and license agreement for ABRAXANE

Elan Corporation plc and Celgene Corporation, today announced that Elan subsidiary Elan PharmaInternational Limited has entered into a settlement and license agreement with Celgene Corporation resolving the patent infringement litigation involving ABRAXANE.

24 Feb 2011

Erik Parens to speak on behavioral genetics at Presidential Commission meeting

Hastings Center Scholar Erik Parens, PhD, will speak about behavioral genetics to the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues on Monday, February 28. The meeting kicks off the Commission’s examination of the ethical and policy issues raised by genetics and neuroscience. Topics will include the use of genetics, neuroscience, and neuroimaging for testing, research, diagnosis, risk identification, and health promotion. Parens was invited to discuss what he considers the most pressing ethical and social issues that behavioral genetics research raises.

24 Feb 2011