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Dopamine vital for rhythmic expression in specific brain regions: Research

Daily sleeping and eating patterns are critical to human well-being and health. Now, a new study from Concordia University has demonstrated how the brain chemical dopamine regulates these cycles by altering the activity of the "clock-protein" PER2. Published in the Journal of Neuroscience, these findings may have implications for individuals with Parkinson's Disease with disrupted 24-hour rhythms of activity and sleep.

21 Oct 2010

Overweight dads may pass on diabetes to their daughters: Study

According to a latest study fathers on a high-fat diet are more likely to produce daughters with a higher diabetes risk. The study was published in the journal Nature and it involved laboratory rats.

20 Oct 2010

Abbott third quarter worldwide sales increase 11.8% to $8.7 billion

Abbott today announced financial results for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2010.

20 Oct 2010

A new way of seeing the world

Scientists at The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital - The Neuro, McGill University have discovered that our brains have the ability to determine the shape of an object simply by processing specially-coded sounds, without any visual or tactile input. Not only does this new research tell us about the plasticity of the brain and how it perceives the world around us, it also provides important new possibilities for aiding those who are blind or with impaired vision.

20 Oct 2010

Research offers important insight into symptoms of Parkinson's disease

An international collaboration led by academics at the University of Sheffield, has shed new light into Parkinson's disease, which could help with the development of cures or treatments in the future.

20 Oct 2010

Study shows impaired insulin sensitivity may serve as mediator between obesity and cognitive decline

Because of impairments in their insulin sensitivity, obese individuals demonstrate different brain responses than their normal-weight peers while completing a challenging cognitive task, according to new research by psychologists at The University of Texas at Austin.

20 Oct 2010

Scientists probe functional connectivity among neurons in auditory cortex gives rise to map of acoustic space

Just as we visually map a room by spatially identifying the objects in it, we map our aural world based on the frequencies of sounds. The neurons within the brain's "hearing center"-the auditory cortex-are organized into modules that each respond to sounds within a specific frequency band. But how responses actually emanate from this complex network of neurons is still a mystery.

19 Oct 2010

'Sister' mitral cells may broadcast 2 distinct channels of information on odors to cortex

A team co-led by neuroscientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has shed light -- literally -- on circuitry underlying the olfactory system in mammals, giving us a new view of how that system may pull off some of its most amazing feats.

19 Oct 2010

6th Decade of the Mind Conference to be held in Singapore

A total of 15 world renowned cognitive scientists have been invited to share recent advances in their respective fields at the 6th Decade of the Mind Conference to be held at Fusionopolis from 18 - 20 October 2010. Jointly organised by A*STAR's Institute of High Performance Computing (IHPC), MINDEF's Defence Research & Technology Office (DRTech) and NUS's Temasek Laboratories, it is the first such conference in Asia to promote awareness of Cognitive Science research done in Asia and from around the world.

19 Oct 2010

UC awarded $2.1 million technology award to develop next generation brain monitors

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) a $2.1 million Advanced Technology/Therapeutic Development Award to develop the next generation of brain monitors.

19 Oct 2010

Researchers discover how cocaine corrupts brains' reward center

Mount Sinai researchers have discovered how cocaine corrupts the brain and becomes addictive. These findings-the first to connect activation of specific neurons to alterations in cocaine reward-were published in Science on October 15. The results may help researchers in developing new ways of treating those addicted to the drug.

19 Oct 2010

Study suggests epoD; microtubule-stabilizing drugs may treat neurodegenerative diseases

Finding a drug that can cross the blood-brain barrier is the bane of drug development for Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders of the brain. A new Penn study, published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience, has found and tested in an animal model of Alzheimer's disease a class of drug that is able to enter the brain, where it stabilizes degenerating neurons and improves memory and learning.

19 Oct 2010

Transcept announces Intermezzo tablet preliminary data for insomnia

Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced its preliminary analysis of data from the recently completed Intermezzo 3.5 mg (zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablet) highway driving study.

19 Oct 2010

Vitamin B12 may help protect against Alzheimer's disease

A new study shows that vitamin B12 may protect against Alzheimer's disease, adding more evidence to the scientific debate about whether the vitamin is effective in reducing the risk of memory loss. The research will be published in the October 19, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Oct 2010

UCSF professor receives National Medal of Science

UCSF Nobel laureate Stanley B. Prusiner, MD, UCSF professor of neurology and director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, today (Oct. 15, 2010) was named to receive the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest honor for science and technology.

18 Oct 2010

New tool could help researchers understand the neural basis of olfaction

Harvard University neurobiologists have created mice that can "smell" light, providing a potent new tool that could help researchers better understand the neural basis of olfaction.

18 Oct 2010

UT Dallas researcher receives NIH grant

For the second time this year, a postdoctoral fellow in UT Dallas' Center for Vital Longevity has earned a prestigious, highly competitive career-development grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

18 Oct 2010

Biogen, Elan announce clinical utility data of two-step ELISA to detect anti-JCV antibodies

Biogen Idec and Elan Corporation, plc today announced data further supporting the potential clinical utility of an investigational assay that detects anti-JC virus (JCV) antibodies in human plasma or serum.

18 Oct 2010

Genetic link to depression: New avenues for therapy

Yale University scientists have found a gene that appears to play a key role in the onset of depression. This could mean new avenues of therapy for the disease. The gene in question is called MKP-1 and was identified after comparing the genetic codes of 21 deceased people who had been diagnosed with depression with those of 18 otherwise healthy individuals. The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine on 17th of October.

18 Oct 2010

Teva Pharmaceutical announces new data from PreCISe study

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. today announced new data from the five-year extension of the PreCISe study demonstrating that earlier initiation of treatment with Copaxone (glatiramer acetate injection) in patients presenting with first signs of multiple sclerosis (MS), provided greater effects in delaying conversion to clinically definite MS (CDMS) compared to later treatment initiation after diagnosis of CDMS or after three years on the study.

18 Oct 2010