Just 11 hours of learning a meditation technique induces positive structural changes in brain connectivity by boosting efficiency in a part of the brain that helps a person regulate behavior in accordance with their goals, researchers report.
Scientists have discovered how the cancer drug Gleevec attacks beta-amyloid, the primary component of senile plaques in Alzheimer's disease. The finding suggests that drugs modeled on Gleevec could provide new treatments for this disease.
New research shows that multiple sclerosis (MS) activity can increase during spring and summer months. The research is published in the August 31, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Two high-fat diets — the classic ketogenic and a modified version of the Atkins — can reduce and, in some cases, completely eliminate seizures in children with a common seizure disorder known as absence epilepsy, say researchers from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center
People with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes appear to be at an increased risk of developing plaques in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research published in the August 25, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have shown that using specific drugs can protect nerve cells in mice from the lethal effects of Parkinson’s disease. The researchers’ findings are published in the August 22 issue of Nature Medicine.
A clue to the causes of autism and mental retardation lies in the synapse, the tiny intercellular junction that rapidly transfers information from one neuron to the next. Neuroscientists report that a protein called APC (adenomatous polyposis coli) plays a key role in synapse maturation, and APC dysfunction prevents the synapse function required for typical learning and memory.
Whether it’s sports, poker or the high-stakes world of business, there are those who always find a way to win when there’s money on the table. Now, for the first time, psychology researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are unraveling the workings of a novel brain network that may explain how these “money players” manage to keep their heads in the game.
At the University of Michigan, researchers and physicians are taking a new approach to diagnosing, preventing and researching concussion at a new clinic dedicated to a neurological strategy: the Michigan NeuroSport Concussion Program.
$14.1 million awarded to 38 physicians and researchers in the U.S. and abroad to continue the battle against neuromuscular diseases. The Muscular Dystrophy Association has approved the research grants for ALS, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy and other muscles diseases.
Teens who are overweight, get little exercise or who smoke may be more likely to have frequent headaches and migraines than teens with none of these factors, according to a study published in the August 18, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Sanford-Burnham scientists uncover new clues to the molecular action of memantine, a drug used to treat Alzheimer’s disease, that show why side effects are rare.
Professional athletes with repetitive head trauma—and possibly others with a history of head injuries many years previously—may be prone the development of a motor neuron disease similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or "Lou Gehrig's disease"), reports a study in the September Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology, official journal of the American Association of Neuropathologists, Inc.
A new study has found that the drug lithium is not effective in treating people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. The research is published in the August 11, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Computerized brain fitness programs are known to help seniors improve their memory and focus. Now, a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has found preliminary evidence that such programs may help frail seniors walk faster, potentially preventing disability and improving quality of life.
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a chemical system in the brain that reacts differently in cocaine addicts, findings that could result in new treatment options for individuals addicted to the drug.
In study to appear online this week in PNAS, USC neuroscientists trace circuits in part of the rat brain and find no sign of a top-down hierarchy; the distributed network of the Internet may be a better model, they say.
Nina Brown, 68, and millions of others with a debilitating neurological condition called Parkinson’s disease are counting on researchers for a cure. At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), protein chemists are working to develop a therapeutic vaccine.
In a world first, Dr. Andres M. Lozano and his team at Toronto Western Hospital has shown using Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) on patients with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease is safe and may help improve memory.
A new study shows a gene variant may increase the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms. The research will be published in the August 3, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Individuals with Parkinson’s disease were more likely to have a neurochemical response to a placebo medication if they were told they had higher odds of receiving an active drug, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Results from a new study suggest that oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may yield additional benefit of protecting against the formation and rupture of brain aneurysms in women. The findings from this first-of-its-kind study by a neurointerventional expert from Rush University Medical Center were presented at the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery (SNIS) 7th annual meeting.
Sanford-Burnham researchers uncover new clues about the cause of brain cell death in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s diseases
A new study shows that a sleep disorder may be a sign of dementia or Parkinson’s disease up to 50 years before the disorders are diagnosed. The research is published in the July 28, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The protein SIRT1 in the brain is tied into a mechanism that allows animals to survive when food is scarce, according to a new study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The research suggests that SIRT1 may be involved with the life span-increasing effect of low-calorie diets, they report.
Research reveals that an enzyme linked with many disorders - including cancer, stroke and rheumatoid arthritis - is also involved in the generation of the toxic fragments in Huntington's disease.
Michelangelo, the 16th century master painter and accomplished anatomist, appears to have hidden an image of the brainstem and spinal cord in a depiction of God in the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers reports. These findings by a neurosurgeon and a medical illustrator, published in the May Neurosurgery, may explain long controversial and unusual features of one of the frescoes’ figures.
While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a warning of an increased risk of suicide for all epilepsy drugs, a new study shows that only certain drugs may increase the risk. The study is published in the July 27, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Much-studied protein involved in aging, and tied to red wine ingredient resveratrol, is required for recall in mice; but over-expression fails to improve performance, according to a new study in Journal of Neuroscience.
A large academic study has demonstrated structural changes in specific brain regions in female patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition that causes pain and discomfort in the abdomen, along with diarrhea, constipation or both. According to researchers, the finding removes the idea once and for all that IBS symptoms are not real and are 'only psychological.'
Detailed analysis of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel frescoes reveals a secret that's been hidden for 500 years: an image of the human brainstem in a panel showing God at the beginning of Creation, according to an article in the May 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, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.
Soldiers who receive traumatic brain injuries during war may be at a higher risk of epilepsy even decades after the brain injury occurred. The new research is published in the July 20, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
A compelling article details the experiences of a group of pediatric neurosurgeons over the course of a 2-year mission at Bagram Airfield/Heathe N. Craig Joint Theater Hospital (CJTH), 27 miles north of Kabul. While there, they performed lifesaving procedures on innocent young bystanders of the military conflict in Afghanistan. The authors provide more than a glimpse into the types of injuries incurred by innocent children – they include statistics on the types of injuries and neurosurgical procedures performed, including four illustrative case studies.
Bioengineers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are developing a volume sensor designed to better regulate the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in hydrocephalus.
Research finds that mice without working rods and cones can still see -- and not just light, but also patterns and images -- thanks to other photosensitive cells in the retina.
Doctors should use a diffusion MRI scan to diagnose stroke instead of a CT scan, according to a new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology. The guideline is published in the July 13, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
New research shows that people with Alzheimer’s disease who have large heads have better memory and thinking skills than those with the disease who have smaller heads, even when they have the same amount of brain cell death due to the disease. The research is published in the July 13, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
A study undertaken to help scientists concerned with abnormal brain development in premature babies has serendipitously revealed evolution’s imprint on the human brain.
Study in Nature Neuroscience (embargo lifted July 11, 2010) finds neural basis for observation that practicing several skills in single session works better than narrow drills on one skill. Study also helps define time window for brain's learning of new skills.
Of the three main types of oral drugs commonly added to levodopa therapy for patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease, one might be the most effective, according to a new review.
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found a compound that preserves newly created brain cells and boosts learning and memory in an animal study.
Researchers have linked rejection by a romantic partner to brain activity associated with motivation, reward and addiction cravings, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of Neurophysiology.
The pain and anguish of rejection by a romantic partner may be the result of activity in parts of the brain associated with motivation, reward and addiction cravings, according to a study published in the Journal of Neurophysiology.
Severe trauma to the head and spine resulting from all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents are increasing dramatically, with an estimated cost of $3.24 billion, according to research released today from the University of Utah Department of Neurosurgery.
A new study shows that having depression may nearly double your risk of developing dementia later in life. The research will be published in the July 6, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Researchers at Rush University Medical found that depressive symptoms show little change during the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The study suggests depression is a true risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and not just an early sign of the disease.