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23-Jan-2012 12:15 PM EST
Alzheimers Neurons Created from Pluripotent Stem Cells
UC San Diego Health

Led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, scientists have, for the first time, created stem cell-derived, in vitro models of sporadic and hereditary Alzheimer’s disease (AD), using induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with the much-dreaded neurodegenerative disorder.

Released: 25-Jan-2012 11:45 AM EST
New Fluorescent Dyes Highlight Neuronal Activity
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have created a new generation of fast-acting fluorescent dyes that optically highlight electrical activity in neuronal membranes. The work is published in this week’s online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Released: 25-Jan-2012 10:15 AM EST
Protein in the Brain Could Be a Key Target in Controlling Alzheimer’s
Temple University

A protein recently discovered in the brain could play a key role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Released: 25-Jan-2012 9:00 AM EST
Riverview Medical Center Is the First Hospital in the Region to Offer Patients Groundbreaking Deep Brain Stimulation Device
Hackensack Meridian Health

Riverview Medical Center, part of Meridian Neuroscience, today announced it is one of the first hospitals in the state to offer patients deep brain stimulation (DBS), a breakthrough procedure for treating essential tremors and Parkinson’s disease.

Released: 24-Jan-2012 1:00 PM EST
Seeking the Neurological Roots of Empathy
McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

MIT neuroscientists explore how longstanding conflict influences empathy for others.

Released: 23-Jan-2012 4:55 PM EST
Neuropathy Patients More Likely to Receive High-Cost, Low-Yield Screening Instead of More Effective Tests
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

U-M researchers found more efficient diagnostic tools are not always used, results reported in Archives of Internal Medicine.

Released: 23-Jan-2012 2:00 PM EST
Stroke Neurologist Expert Immediately Available to Discuss Condition and Treatment After Illinois Senator Mark Kirk Experiences Stroke
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

Expert neurologist immediately available to discuss stroke after news that Illinois Senator Mark Kirk has experienced a stroke.

20-Jan-2012 7:00 AM EST
Researchers Investigate How Well Protective Headgear Works for Small Children Participating in Winter Activities
American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)

Researchers find surprising results regarding how much protection helmets afford children participating in winter sports activities.

Released: 19-Jan-2012 10:00 AM EST
No Link between Steroids and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Study Suggests
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

Anabolic steroids don't appear to contribute to degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma in athletes, according to a study in the January issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

10-Jan-2012 3:25 PM EST
Broken Arm? Brain Shifts Quickly When Using a Sling or Cast
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

Using a sling or cast after injuring an arm may cause your brain to shift quickly to adjust, according to a study published in the January 17, 2012, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study found increases in the size of brain areas that were compensating for the injured side, and decreases in areas that were not being used due to the cast or sling.

Released: 13-Jan-2012 10:55 AM EST
Brain Glia Cells Increase Their DNA Content to Preserve Vital Blood-Brain Barrier
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

Whitehead Institute scientists report that the growing fruit fly brain instructs glia cells that form the blood-brain barrier to enlarge by creating multiple copies of their genomes in a process known as polyploidization. Cell layers in other organs such as the human placenta and skin may employ a similar strategy.

9-Jan-2012 6:00 PM EST
Study Offers Clue As To Why Alcohol Is Addicting
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Drinking alcohol leads to the release of endorphins in areas of the brain that produce feelings of pleasure and reward, according to a study led by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco.

Released: 11-Jan-2012 9:00 AM EST
Touching a Nerve
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Neuroscientists at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have discovered how the sense of touch is wired in the skin and nervous system. The new findings, published Dec. 22 in Cell, open new doors for understanding how the brain collects and processes information from hairy skin.

Released: 9-Jan-2012 11:00 AM EST
Concussion in Young Athletes: Know the Symptoms and Risks
Neurological Surgery, P.C.

Experts at The Long Island Concussion Center at Neurological Surgery, P.C. want parents, school sports officials, educators and young athletes to become aware of the warning signs of concussion, and of what they should do if concussion symptoms are present. Neuropsychologist Dr. Gad Klein and colleagues are available for interviews on this topic.

Released: 9-Jan-2012 10:00 AM EST
Neurology Today® for the iPad is Now Available
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and Wolters Kluwer Health today announced the launch of Neurology Today® for the iPad®, a digital app of the most widely read newspaper for neurologists. The app release coincides with the publication of the January 5, 2012, print and online edition of Neurology Today, an official publication of the AAN. Neurology Today is the newspaper of the AAN and published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW), part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

Released: 9-Jan-2012 10:00 AM EST
Heading in Soccer—Could It Lead to Brain Injury?
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

Could heading the ball in soccer lead to degenerative brain disease, like that seen in athletes in other sports? That's the question addressed by a review in the January issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

Released: 6-Jan-2012 3:00 PM EST
Patterns of Connections Reveal Brain Functions
McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

MIT neuroscientists identify face-recognition areas based on what parts of the brain they link to.

Released: 6-Jan-2012 12:55 PM EST
Salk Scientists Map the Frontiers of Vision
Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Pioneering vision study in mice will help revolutionize the study of brain function and mental disease.

Released: 5-Jan-2012 11:30 AM EST
Chinese Herbal Medicine May Provide Novel Treatment for Alcohol Abuse
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

UCLA researchers have identified how a component of an ancient Chinese herbal anti-hangover medicine called dihydromyricetin, isolated from the plant Hovenia, counteracts acute alcohol intoxication and withdrawal symptoms.The research team determined that dihydromyricetin may provide a molecular target and cellular mechanism to counteract alcohol intoxication and dependence, leading to new therapeutic treatments.

   
27-Dec-2011 1:00 PM EST
New Guideline: Caution Needed When Choosing Seizure Drugs for People with HIV/AIDS
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

A new guideline issued by the American Academy of Neurology recommends doctors use caution when choosing seizure drugs for people with HIV/AIDS to avoid potential drug interactions. The guideline, which was co-developed with the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), is published in the January 4, 2012, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology and in Epilepsia, the journal of the ILAE.

Released: 4-Jan-2012 2:55 PM EST
Songbird Brain Synapses and Glial Cells Can Make Estrogen
American University

Findings may present important implications for brain degeneration in humans.

Released: 3-Jan-2012 11:00 AM EST
Bingo Helps Researchers Study Perception Deficits
Case Western Reserve University

Bingo, a popular activity in nursing homes, senior centers and assisted-living facilities, has benefits that extend well beyond socializing. Researchers found high-contrast, large bingo cards boost thinking and playing skills for people with cognitive difficulties and visual perception problems produced by Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD).

20-Dec-2011 12:15 PM EST
Diet Patterns May Keep Brain from Shrinking
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

People with diets high in several vitamins or in omega 3 fatty acids are less likely to have the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer’s disease than people whose diets are not high in those nutrients, according to a new study published in the December 28, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27-Dec-2011 1:00 PM EST
New Clues as to Why Some Older People May Be Losing Their Memory
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

New research links ‘silent strokes,’ or small spots of dead brain cells, found in about one out of four older adults to memory loss in the elderly. The study is published in the January 3, 2012, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19-Dec-2011 1:00 PM EST
‘Rare’ Brain Disorder May Be More Common Than Thought
Mayo Clinic

A global team of neuroscientists, led by researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida, have found the gene responsible for a brain disorder that may be much more common than once believed.

Released: 25-Dec-2011 1:00 PM EST
Sea Snails Help Scientists Explore a Possible Way to Enhance Memory
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Efforts to help people with learning impairments are being aided by a species of sea snail known as Aplysia californica. The mollusk, which is used by researchers to study the brain, has much in common with other species including humans. Research involving the snail has contributed to the understanding of learning and memory. At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), neuroscientists used this animal model to test an innovative learning strategy designed to help improve the brain’s memory and the results were encouraging.

21-Dec-2011 9:00 AM EST
Long Intervening Non-Coding RNAs Play Pivotal Roles in Brain Development
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

Whitehead Institute scientists have identified conserved, long intervening non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) that play key roles during brain development in zebrafish, and went on to show that the human versions of these RNAs can substitute for the zebrafish lincRNAs.

13-Dec-2011 1:00 PM EST
Brain Size May Predict Risk for Early Alzheimer’s Disease
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

New research suggests that, in people who don’t currently have memory problems, those with smaller regions of the brain’s cortex may be more likely to develop symptoms consistent with very early Alzheimer’s disease. The study is published in the December 21, 2011, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20-Dec-2011 11:30 AM EST
Study Could Lead to a Treatment for Angelman Syndrome
University of North Carolina Health Care System

An interdisciplinary team of UNC scientists say they have found a way to “awaken” the paternal allele of Ube3a, which could lead to a potential treatment strategy for AS. Their results were published online by the journal Nature.

14-Dec-2011 11:45 AM EST
Innovative New Strategy to Treat Parkinson’s Disease
The Rockefeller University Press

Stabilizing the cell’s power-generating center protects against Parkinson’s disease (PD) in a rat model, according to a report published online this week in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

14-Dec-2011 9:00 AM EST
Researchers Slow Progression of Huntington’s Disease in Mouse Models
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Working with genetically engineered mice, Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that a gene (SIRT1) linked to slowing the aging process in cells also appears to dramatically delay the onset of Huntington’s disease (HD) and slow the progression of the relentless neurodegenerative disorder.

Released: 16-Dec-2011 12:20 PM EST
Team Discovers Cause of Rare Disease Childhood Disorder Called PKD Linked to Genetic Mutations
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

A large, international team of researchers led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco has identified the gene that causes a rare childhood neurological disorder called PKD/IC, or “paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia with infantile convulsions,” a cause of epilepsy in babies and movement disorders in older children.

6-Dec-2011 2:25 PM EST
Magnetic Stimulation of Brain May Help Some Stroke Patients Recover
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

Imagine waking up and being unable to see or recognize anything on the left side of your body. This condition, called hemispatial neglect, is common after a stroke that occurs on the right side of the brain. The current treatment of attention and concentration training using computer and pencil-and-paper tasks is inadequate.

Released: 14-Dec-2011 4:00 PM EST
When Standard Treatment Fails: Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience to Start Unique Immunotherapy for Brain Tumor Patients
Thomas Jefferson University

Physicians at the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience are tackling a particularly aggressive brain cancer that even surgery, chemotherapy and radiation often fail to treat with a promising new immunotherapy to attack a patient’s tumor with their own cancer cells.

9-Dec-2011 1:15 PM EST
A Novel Mechanism Regulating Stress is Identified
Tufts University

A new study from Tufts researchers reports that the action of neurosteroids on a specific type of receptor is responsible for the physiological response to stress. Further, stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice can be prevented by blocking the synthesis of these neurosteroids.

Released: 13-Dec-2011 3:50 PM EST
High Levels of Tau Protein Linked to Poor Recovery After Brain Injury
Washington University in St. Louis

High levels of tau protein in fluid bathing the brain are linked to poor recovery after head trauma, according to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Fondazione IRCCS Ca Granda-Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico in Milan, Italy.

Released: 13-Dec-2011 10:00 AM EST
Study Looks at Complications of Invasive EEG in Children with Epilepsy
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

Some type of adverse event occurs in nearly half of children with severe epilepsy undergoing invasive electroencephalography (EEG) recordings, reports a study in the December issue of Operative Neurosurgery, a quarterly supplement to Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

12-Dec-2011 10:30 AM EST
Structural Pattern Uncovers Brain Atrophy in Parkinson’s
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Atrophy in the hippocampus, the region of the brain known for memory formation and storage, is evident in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients with cognitive impairment, including early decline known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a study by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The study is published in the December issue of the Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12-Dec-2011 12:30 PM EST
More Research Needed before Experimental Intervention for Multiple Sclerosis Should Be Considered as Standard of Patient Care
LifeBridge Health

A popular treatment for multiple sclerosis needs to have proven results before it can be used as a standard of care, said LifeBridge Health neurologist Michael A. Williams.

7-Dec-2011 4:40 PM EST
Decision Making in Bee Swarms Mimic Neurons in Human Brains
Cornell University

Swarms of bees and brain neurons make decisions using strikingly similar mechanisms, reports a new study in the journal Science (Dec. 9, 2011), which finds scout bees use inhibitory stop signals to inhibit the "waggle dances" produced by bees advertising competing homes for the swarm.

6-Dec-2011 2:15 PM EST
From the Outside In: Mayo Clinic Collaboration Finds Multiple Sclerosis Often Starts in Brain’s Outer Layers
Mayo Clinic

Multiple sclerosis (MS) may progress from the outermost layers of the brain to its deep parts, and isn’t always an “inside-out” process as previously thought, reported a new collaborative study from researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic. The traditional understanding is that the disease begins in the white matter that forms the bulk of the brain’s inside, and extends to involve the brain’s superficial layers, the cortex. Study findings support an opposite, outside-in process: from the cerebrospinal fluid-filled subarachnoid space, that cushions the outside of the brain and the cortex, into the white matter. The new findings will guide researchers as they seek to further understand and treat the disease. The study was published in the December issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Released: 7-Dec-2011 9:00 AM EST
Scientists Create First Realistic 3D Reconstruction of Brain Circuit
Max Planck Florida Institute

Researchers from the lab of Nobel laureate Bert Sakmann, MD, PhD at the Max Planck Florida Institute report that, using a conceptually new approach and state-of-the-art research tools, they have created the first realistic three-dimensional diagram of a thalamocortical column in the rodent brain. This is the first step toward creating a complete computer model of the brain.

Released: 7-Dec-2011 8:00 AM EST
A Mother's Touch May Protect Against Drug Cravings
University of Adelaide

An attentive, nurturing mother may be able to help her children better resist the temptations of drug use later in life, according to a study involving the University of Adelaide.

Released: 6-Dec-2011 8:25 AM EST
Changes in Sleep-Wake Cycles and Level of Daily Activity Can Increase Chances of Dementia
California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute

Older women with weaker circadian rhythms, who are less physically active or are more active later in the day are more likely to develop dementia or mild cognitive impairment than women who have a more robust circadian rhythm or are more physically active earlier in the day.

29-Nov-2011 3:00 PM EST
Memory and Attention Problems May Follow Preemies into Adulthood
American Academy of Neurology (AAN)

Babies born at a very low birth weight are more likely to have memory and attention problems when they become adults than babies born at a low to normal weight, according to a study published in the December 6, 2011, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Released: 5-Dec-2011 3:30 PM EST
Researchers Use Stem Cells to Gain New Insight Into Severe Childhood Form of Epilepsy
Michigan Medicine - University of Michigan

Team investigating causes of Dravet syndrome presents new approach to understanding the syndrome to American Epilepsy Society.

28-Nov-2011 11:35 AM EST
Autism Risk Linked to Prenatal Drug Exposure
American Epilepsy Society (AES)

The relative risk of autism spectrum disorder in children of mothers on valproate monotherapy was found to be 2.6 times that of children not exposed to antiepileptic medication in utero. The risk of childhood autism was almost five-fold increased compared to children without prenatal exposure to valproate.

28-Nov-2011 12:50 PM EST
Adverse Cognitive Effects of Epilepsy Drug Persist
American Epilepsy Society (AES)

Researchers in the U.S. and U.K. are conducting an ongoing investigation of the cognitive effect of fetal exposure across four commonly used antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as part of an NIH-funded Neurodevelopmental Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs (NEAD) Study. An early NEAD analysis found that fetal exposure to valproate impairs IQ at age three.

28-Nov-2011 12:40 PM EST
Gamma Knife Surgery Benefits Epilepsy PatientsBeyond Seizure Reduction
American Epilepsy Society (AES)

Neurosurgeons continue to explore minimally invasive surgery with gamma radiation (gamma knife surgery / GKS) in the treatment of brain lesions causing seizures and epilepsy. Studies of the procedure are showing it to be an effective alternative to invasive microsurgery for hypothalamic hamartomas and other lesions that lie deep within the brain.



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