 |
|
|
|
|
 |
Last Updated: Sep 8, 2007 - 1:21:03 PM |
Latest Research
'Holy Grail' of hearing: True identity of pivotal hearing structure is revealed
Our ability to hear is made possible by way of a Rube Goldberg-style process in which sound vibrations entering the ear shake and jostle a successive chain of structures until, lo and behold, they are converted into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain. Exactly how the electrical signal is generated has been the subject of ongoing research interest.
Sep 5, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Low level of neuronal receptor linked to mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease
Results of a new study indicate a strong link between the loss of the neuronal receptor LR11and onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), often a harbinger of Alzheimer's disease.
Sep 4, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Neural stem cell study reveals mechanism that may play role in cancer
In the dynamic world of the developing brain, neural stem cells give rise to neurons deep within the brain’s fluid-filled ventricles. These newborn neurons then migrate along the stem cell fibers up to the neocortex, the seat of higher cognitive functions. Now, scientists have discovered a key mechanism of this migration – one that may also play an important role in other developmental processes and diseases, including cancer.
Sep 4, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Novel 3-D cell culture model shows selective tumour uptake of nanoparticles
A nanoparticle drug delivery system designed for brain tumour therapy has shown promising tumour cell selectivity in a novel cell culture model devised by scientists at The University of Nottingham. The project, conducted jointly by the Schools of Pharmacy, Biomedical Sciences and Human Development, will be featured in the September issue of the Experimental Biology and Medicine.
Aug 31, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Researchers find new taste in fruit flies: carbonated water
That fruit fly hovering over your kitchen counter may be attracted to more than the bananas that are going brown; it may also want a sip of your carbonated water. Fruit flies detect and are attracted to the taste of carbon dioxide dissolved in water, such as water found on rotting fruits containing yeast, concludes a study appearing in the August 30 issue of the journal Nature. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, who conducted the study, suggest that the ability to taste carbon dioxide may help a fruit fly scout for food that is nutritious over that which is too ripe and potentially toxic. The research is partly funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), one of the National Institutes of Health.
Aug 29, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Emory scientists use NIH grant to develop biomarkers for ALS tracking and prevention
The National Institutes of Health has awarded Emory University researchers a $275,000 grant aimed at developing protein biomarkers to diagnose, monitor and prevent amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Aug 16, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Scientists link fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome to binding protein in RNA
Scientists have discovered a key protein in the toxic brain pathway that leads to fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), an inherited neurodegenerative disorder. The finding, in a Drosophila (fly) model of FXTAS, could help unravel the complex mechanisms of FXTAS and lead scientists to develop therapies to target the protein. The research will be published in the Aug. 16 issue of the journal Neuron.
Aug 15, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Study suggests loss of 2 types of neurons -- not just 1 -- triggers Parkinson's symptoms
New evidence indicates that the loss of two types of brain cells--not just one as previously thought--may trigger the onset of symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease.
Aug 13, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
UCLA scientists produce functioning neurons from human embryonic stem cells
Scientists with the Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Medicine at UCLA were able to produce from human embryonic stem cells a highly pure, large quantity of functioning neurons that will allow them to create models of and study diseases such as AlzheimerÂ’s, ParkinsonÂ’s, prefrontal dementia and schizophrenia.
Aug 7, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Researchers link metal ions to neurodegenerative disease
A multi-institutional team of researchers led by Emory University has defined for the first time how metal ions bind to amyloid fibrils in the brain in a way that appears toxic to neurons. Amyloid fibrils are linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Creutzfeldt-Jakob. Although metal ions, most notably copper, can bind to amyloid in several specific ways, the researchers found that only one way appears toxic.
Aug 6, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Study identifies source of fever
BOSTON – With the finding that fever is produced by the action of a hormone on a specific site in the brain, scientists have answered a key question as to how this adaptive function helps to protect the body during bacterial infection and other types of illness.
Aug 5, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Stem cell therapy rescues motor neurons in ALS model
MADISON -- In a study that demonstrates the promise of cell-based therapies for diseases that have proved intractable to modern medicine, a team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has shown it is possible to rescue the dying neurons characteristic of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neuromuscular disorder also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Jul 31, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Geisinger scientist seeks cure for Lou Gehrig's disease, creating device to find treatment
DANVILLE- A small tropical fish, the curiosity of a Geisinger research scientist and some college students have created the perfect storm of sorts in an attempt to find a cure for one of the worldÂ’s most devastating neurological diseases.
Jul 30, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Research shows NPD1 protects a key component of vision
Two papers to be published in the Early Edition online of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) the week of July 30-August 3, 2007 report findings that demonstrate that neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1) protects against damage to retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and identifies an important trigger for its production and novel molecular mechanisms that support vision. The research was conducted at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans and the papers are entitled Neurotrophins enhance retinal pigment epithelial cell survival through neuroprotectin D1 signaling and Photoreceptor outer segment phagocytosis attenuates oxidative stress-induced apoptosis with concomitant neuroprotectin D1 synthesis. RPE cells are responsible for the renewal of the tips of photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) crucial to vision.
Jul 30, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
New protein synthesis not essential to memory formation
New research from the University of Illinois challenges the premise that the brain must build new proteins in response to an experience for that experience to be recorded in long-term memory.
Jul 26, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Discoverer of Sly Syndrome finds way of delivering medicine to fight rare genetic disorder
ST. LOUIS -- The scientist who discovered “Sly Syndrome” nearly four decades ago and a team of colleagues at Saint Louis University are a step closer to finding an approach to treat the rare genetic disease. Sly Syndrome causes bone defects, mental retardation, vision and hearing problems, heart disease and premature death.
Jul 25, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
'Preconditioning' helps protect brain's blood vessels from stroke
NEW YORK (July 17, 2007) -- Challenging brain tissue with a small noxious stimulus beforehand gives it a resilience that can lessen damage to blood vessels during a stroke, report researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.
Jul 19, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Pediatric ritalin use may affect developing brain, new study suggests
NEW YORK (July 17, 2007) -- Use of the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug Ritalin by young children may cause long-term changes in the developing brain, suggests a new study of very young rats by a research team at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.
Jul 19, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Brain region central to placebo effect identified
Researchers have pinpointed a brain region central to the machinery of the placebo effect—the often controversial phenomenon in which a person’s belief in the efficacy of a treatment such as a painkilling drug influences its effect.
Jul 18, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Research study describes the role part of the brain plays in memory
A research with experimental rats carried out by the Institute of Neuroscience of the UAB describes the brain region connected to how our declarative memory functions. According to this experiment, part of the prefrontal cortex plays a key role in the social transmission of food preference. This research has helped learn more about how this type of memory functions. In the future, this information could be useful to find new treatment for diseases that affect the memory, such as Alzheimer's disease.
Jul 17, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
M. D. Anderson team identifies new oncogene for brain cancer
HOUSTON -- An overexpressed gene found at the scene of a variety of tumors is implicated in the development of two types of malignant brain cancer in a paper by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The paper will be posted online at the PNAS web site the week of July 2.
Jul 2, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Weizmann scientists discover a new line of communication between nervous system cells
In a host of neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and several neuropathies, the protective covering surrounding the nerves – an insulating material called myelin – is damaged. Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science have now discovered an important new line of communication between nervous system cells that is crucial to the development of myelinated nerves – a discovery that may aid in restoring the normal function of the affected nerve fibers.
Jun 26, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Does stimulant treatment for ADHD increase risk of drug abuse?
UPTON, NY -- Parents, doctors, and others have wondered whether common treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) inadvertently predispose adolescents to future drug abuse. The answer may depend on the age at which treatment is started and how long it lasts, say the authors of a new brain-imaging and behavioral study conducted in animals at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory. The results appear in the June 5, 2007 online issue of the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior.
Jun 18, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Paying taxes, according to the brain, can bring satisfaction
Jun 14, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Penn researchers link cell's protein recycling systems
PHILADELPHIA –- Many age-related neurological diseases are associated with defective proteins accumulating in nerve cells, suggesting that the cell’s normal disposal mechanisms are not operating correctly. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered a molecular link between the cell’s two major pathways for breaking down proteins and have succeeded in using this link to rescue neurodegenerative diseases in a simple animal model. The study appears this week in Nature.
Jun 13, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Early results from Alzheimer's neuroimaging studies could speed research
AlzheimerÂ’s disease researchers may be able to reduce the time and expense associated with clinical trials, according to early results from the AlzheimerÂ’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a public-private research partnership organized by the National Institutes of Health. Preliminary results from ADNI show how it might yield improved methods and uniform standards for imaging and biomarker analysis, so these techniques can be employed in the fight against AlzheimerÂ’s disease.
Jun 12, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Drug slows and may halt Parkinson's disease
CHICAGO --- Northwestern University researchers have discovered a drug that slows – and may even halt – the progression of Parkinson’s disease. The drug rejuvenates aging dopamine cells, whose death in the brain causes the symptoms of this devastating and widespread disease.
Jun 10, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Drug slows and may halt Parkinson's disease
CHICAGO -- Northwestern University researchers have discovered a drug that slows – and may even halt – the progression of Parkinson’s disease. The drug rejuvenates aging dopamine cells, whose death in the brain causes the symptoms of this devastating and widespread disease.
Jun 10, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
AMPAKINE compounds a new potential treatment for respiratory depression
Drug-induced respiratory depression is a life-threatening condition caused by analgesic, hypnotic, and anesthesia medications. Although it is a leading cause of death from the overdose of some classes of abused drugs, respiratory depression also arises during normal, physician-supervised procedures such as surgical anesthesia, post-operative analgesia, and as a result of normal out-patient management of pain from cancer, accidents, or illnesses.
Jun 4, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Every moment counts: Predicting treatment responses earlier for brain tumor patients
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Using metabolic or molecular imaging to measure brain tumor patients' response to treatment is a powerful predictor of survival, notes a first-of-its-kind study presented at the 54th Annual Meeting of SNM, the world's largest society for molecular imaging and nuclear medicine professionals.
Jun 3, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Detecting cold, feeling pain: Study reveals why menthol feels fresh
Scientists have identified the receptor in cells of the peripheral nervous system that is most responsible for the body's ability to sense cold.
May 30, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Limiting stroke damage is focus of study
Brain damage that occurs even days after a stroke, increasing stroke size and devastation, is the focus of researchers trying to identify new treatments.
May 30, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Check and balance for neuron activity provides insight into schizophrenia, seizures
Two genes important for human development and implicated in cancer and schizophrenia also help keep a healthy balance between excitation and inhibition of brain cells, researchers say.
May 23, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Brain research poised to dramatically advance global society
FAIRFAX, Va., May 21, 2007 -- World-renowned scientists will convene at George Mason University on May 21 and 22 to call for a 10-year intellectual revolution – the decade of the mind. The proceedings that will be published after this historic gathering will make the case for a $4 billion public research initiative dedicated to reaching the next level of understanding the human brain--the yet-to-be-discovered inner workings of the mind. The symposium also will outline the dramatic implications the decade will have on the global economy and health care.
May 21, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
MIT reports key pathway in synaptic plasticity
Cambridge, Mass. -- Scientists are keenly studying how neurons form synapses--the physical and chemical connections between neurons--and the pruning of neural circuits during development, not least because synaptic abnormalities may partially underlie many developmental and neurodegenerative diseases.
May 21, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Nanomedicine opens the way for nerve cell regeneration
The ability to regenerate nerve cells in the body could reduce the effects of trauma and disease in a dramatic way. In two presentations at the NSTI Nanotech 2007 Conference, researchers describe the use of nanotechnology to enhance the regeneration of nerve cells. In the first method, developed at the University of Miami, researchers show how magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) may be used to create mechanical tension that stimulates the growth and elongation of axons of the central nervous system neurons. The second method from the University of California, Berkeley uses aligned nanofibers containing one or more growth factors to provide a bioactive matrix where nerve cells can regrow.
May 20, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Inexpensive 'nanoglue' can bond nearly anything together
Troy, N.Y. -- Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new method to bond materials that donÂ’t normally stick together. The teamÂ’s adhesive, which is based on self-assembling nanoscale chains, could impact everything from next-generation computer chip manufacturing to energy production.
May 16, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
UCSF-led team receives $15 million to study genetics of epilepsy
A team led by UCSF scientists has received a grant of $15 million, provided over five years, to study the complex genetic factors that underlie some of the most common forms of epilepsy.
May 3, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Researcher receives $1.8M AIDS-related grant
Edward M. Johnson, Ph.D., professor and chairman of microbiology and molecular cell biology at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS), received a grant totaling more than $1.8 million over five years to study the molecular mechanics of a brain disease that kills four percent of AIDS patients worldwide.
May 2, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Higher calcium and vitamin D intakes positively associated with brain lesions in older men and women
Elderly men and women who consumed higher levels of calcium and vitamin D are significantly more likely to have greater volumes of brain lesions, regions of damage that can increase risk of cognitive impairment, dementia, depression and stroke.
May 1, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Estrogen fluctuation affects epileptic seizures
In more than a third of women with epilepsy, seizures fluctuate across the menstrual cycle, due in part to continually fluctuating effects of estrogen on the neural circuitry in the hippocampus, a region of the brain involved in learning and memory - and in epileptic seizures.
Apr 30, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Scientists identify key to integrating transplanted nerve cells into injured tissue
Boston, MA -- Scientists at the Schepens Eye Research Institute, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, have identified a key mechanism for successfully transplanting tissue into the adult central nervous system. The study found that a molecule known as MMP-2 (which is induced by stem cells) has the ability to break down barriers on the outer surface of a damaged retina and allow healthy donor cells to integrate and wire themselves into remaining recipient tissue. The finding, reported in the current issue (April 25, 2007) of the Journal of Neuroscience, holds great promise not only for patients with retinal disease, but for those suffering from spinal cord injuries and neurodegenerative disorders such as ParkinsonÂ’s and AlzheimerÂ’s Diseases.
Apr 26, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Depression may trigger diabetes in older adults
CHICAGO -- Chronic depression or depression that worsens over time may cause diabetes in older adults, according to new Northwestern University research.
Apr 23, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Did drug reps encourage doctors to prescribe gabapentin for nonapproved uses?
A new study published in PLoS Medicine suggests that so-called detail visits to doctors made by drug company representatives can involve promotion of drugs for non-approved, off-label uses. This may subsequently result in increased prescribing of the drugs for such purposes. Michael Steinman and colleagues from the University of California, San Francisco based their study on visits to doctors made by representatives of the company Parke-Davis between 1995 and 1998 to promote the drug gabapentin.
Apr 23, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Study links faulty DNA repair to Huntington's disease onset
HuntingtonÂ’s disease, an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that affects roughly 30,000 Americans, is incurable and fatal. But a new discovery about how cells repair their DNA points to a possible way to stop or slow the onset of the disease. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Apr 22, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Brain networks strengthened by closing ion channels
New Haven, Conn. -- Yale School of Medicine and University of Crete School of Medicine researchers report in Cell April 20 the first evidence of a molecular mechanism that dynamically alters the strength of higher brain network connections.
Apr 20, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Research could lead to treatment for Alzheimer's disease
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- A molecule designed by a Purdue University researcher could lead to the first drug treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
Apr 17, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Networking around the clock
Waltham, MA —A Brandeis University study published in Cell this week shows for the first time experimentally that the circadian cells in fruit flies function as a network that enables the insects to adapt their behavior according to seasonal changes. This discovery leads the way to understanding how mammals, and presumably humans, adjust physiology and behavior to environmental changes such as short winter days and long summer ones.
Apr 5, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Energy supplement under study for Parkinson's disease
Whether a supplement used by athletes to boost energy levels and build muscle can slow progression of ParkinsonÂ’s disease is the focus of a North American study.
Mar 22, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
Latest Research
Research finds music training 'tunes' human auditory system
EVANSTON, Ill. -- A newly published study by Northwestern University researchers suggests that Mom was right when she insisted that you continue music lessons -- even after it was clear that a professional music career was not in your future.
Mar 12, 2007 - 4:00:00 AM
|
|
|
|
|
