A paralyzed patient implanted with a brain-computer interface device has allowed scientists to determine the relationship between brain waves and attention. The experiments, published this week in the journal Neuron, reveal the intricate dynamics of the attentive brain.
Researchers from the Center for Research in Biological Systems (CRBS) at the University of California, San Diego have rolled out beta version 0.7.5 of the Whole Brain Catalog™. In this beta version, developers have improved features to enhance the Catalog's usability as a free, open access environment in which neuroscientists can contribute, share and analyze data.
When a gene implicated in human autism is disabled in mice, the rodents show learning problems and obsessive, repetitive behaviors, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.
Researchers at NYU School of Medicine have found that elevated cerebrospinal fluid levels of phosphorylated tau231 (P-tau231), a damaged tau protein found in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, may be an early diagnostic biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease in healthy adults.
A new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology recommends that the drug quinine, although effective, should be avoided for treatment of routine muscle cramps due to uncommon but serious side effects. The guideline is published in the February 23, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is awarding its 2010 Potamkin Prize to two researchers for their work in Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), a common type of dementia. Bruce L. Miller, MD, and Lennart Mucke, MD, both of the University of California San Francisco will receive the Award during the AAN’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto, April 10 – 17, 2010. The AAN Annual Meeting is the world’s largest gathering of neurologists with more than 2,000 presentations made on the latest advances in neurologic research.
MIT researchers have discovered new molecular changes in the brains of individuals with Huntington’s disease, a genetic disorder that leads to neuronal loss accompanied by unwanted movements, psychiatric symptoms, and eventual death.
New research shows people who regularly take ibuprofen may reduce their risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.
Ardiem Medical Inc. has obtained a non-exclusive license to make and sell neuromodulation devices based on intellectual property developed at Case Western Reserve University’s Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Center in Cleveland.
The video entries for the 2010 Neuro Film Festival are in and the public can now begin voting on its “Fan Favorite” video through March 17, 2010. Neuro Film Festival is a new contest by the American Academy of Neurology Foundation to help raise awareness through video about brain disorders and the need to support research into preventions, treatments and cures. To view and vote for your favorite video in the Neuro Film Festival contest, visit http://www.neurofilmfestival.com.
Migraine is seen more frequently in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) than those without, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.
Current and former patients treated with the high-fat ketogenic diet to control multiple, daily and severe seizures can be reassured by the news that not only is the diet effective, but it also appears to have no long-lasting side effects, say scientists at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
The first field study on the impact of light on teenagers’ sleeping habits finds that insufficient daily morning light exposure contributes to teenagers not getting enough sleep.
A simple test of reaction time may help determine whether athletes have sustained a concussion (also known as mild traumatic brain injury) and when they are ready to play again, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.
New research finds that one out of 12 people who have a stroke will likely soon have another stroke, and one out of four will likely die within one year. Researchers say the findings highlight the vital need for better secondary stroke prevention. The study is published in the February 16, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Watching TV medical shows might not be the best way to learn what to do when someone has a seizure. Researchers screened the most popular medical dramas and found that doctors and nurses on the shows responded inappropriately to seizures almost half the time, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.
The McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT announced today that Lily Jan and Yuh-Nung Jan of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the University of California San Francisco will be the joint winners of the 2010 Edward M. Scolnick Prize in Neuroscience.
A study conducted by scientists at Brunel University and at the University of Hong Kong has found that expert sportsmen are quicker to observe and react to their opponents’ moves than novice players, exhibiting enhanced activation of the cortical regions of the brain. The results of the study, which appear in the most recent issue of NeuroReport (www.neuroreport.com), show that more experienced sports players are better able to detect early anticipatory clues from opposing players’ body movements, giving them a split second advantage in preparing an appropriate response.
Eating chocolate may lower your risk of having a stroke, according to an analysis of available research that will be released today and presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010. Another study found that eating chocolate may lower the risk of death after suffering a stroke.
Workers and residents exposed to dust and fumes caused by the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 frequently reported headache years later, according to research released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.
People with migraine may be at an increased risk of heart attack and other risk factors for heart disease, according to a study published in the February 10, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Migraine sufferers are twice as likely to have heart attacks as people without migraine, according to a new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.
A study of the effects of sleep deprivation on executive functioning challenges an existing theory stating that sleep deprivation affects executive functions more than non-executive cognitive processes. WSU researchers found that working memory was unaffected by as much as 51 hours of sleep deprivation. The sleep deprived brain appears to be able of processing information, but this information may be distorted before it can be processed.
Drinking milk during pregnancy may help reduce your baby’s chances of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) as an adult, according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.
A Mediterranean diet may help people avoid the small areas of brain damage that can lead to problems with thinking and memory, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.
High blood pressure appears to predict the progression to dementia in older adults with impaired executive functions (ability to organize thoughts and make decisions) but not in those with memory dysfunction, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
A medication previously studied in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (latrepirdine) appears well tolerated and may improve thinking, learning and memory skills among individuals with Huntington’s disease, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Deep Brain Stimulation, a new treatment being offered at Geisinger Medical Center and Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, can dramatically reduce symptoms of movement disorders.
Workers exposed to tricholorethylene (TCE), a chemical widely used to clean metal such as auto parts, may be at a significantly higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.
New immigrants to North America may be less likely to have a stroke at a young age than long-time residents, according to a study published in the February 3, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Researchers have found that three different degenerative brain disorders are linked by a toxic form of the same protein. Elk-1 was found in clumps of misshaped proteins that are the hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. This suggests a molecular link between the presence of inclusions and neuronal loss that is shared across a spectrum of neurodegenerative disease. Identifying these links could open up novel avenues for therapeutic intervention.
Registration is now open to journalists planning to attend the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) in Toronto, April 10–17, 2010. The AAN Annual Meeting is the world’s largest gathering of neurologists who come together to share the latest advances in neurologic research.
People with Parkinson’s disease suffer social difficulties simply because of the way they talk, a McGill University researcher has discovered. Marc Pell, at McGill’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, has learned that many people develop negative impressions about individuals with Parkinson’s disease, based solely on how they communicate. These perceptions limit opportunities for social interaction and full participation in society for those with the disease, reducing their quality of life.
People who experience memory loss or a decline in their thinking abilities may be at higher risk of stroke, regardless of whether they have been diagnosed with dementia, according to a new study published in the February 2, 2010, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Investigators at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, the Karolinska Institutet, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School and Université Libre de Bruxelles have demonstrated in mouse models that transplanted stems cells, when in direct contact with diseased neurons, send signals through specialized channels that rescue the neurons from death.
The brain’s innate interest in the new and different may help trump the power of addictive drugs, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. In controlled experiments, novelty drew cocaine-treated rats away from the place they got cocaine.
New research shows our brains are a lot more chaotic than previously thought, and that this might be a good thing. Neurobiologists at the University of Maryland have discovered information about how the brain processes sound that challenges previous understandings of the auditory cortex, which had suggested an organization based on precise neuronal maps. In the first study of the auditory cortex conducted using advanced imaging techniques, Patrick Kanold, assistant professor of biology, Shihab Shamma, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Sharba Bandyopadhyay, post-doctoral associate, describe a much more complex picture of neuronal activity.
Researchers at UCLA were able to predict a brain’s progression to Alzheimer’s long before the symptoms of AD can be seen, hopefully allowing for early intervention.
A study by researchers with UCLA's Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Program has found that an alternative, non-invasive approach to pre-surgical testing, along with earlier consideration for surgery, is associated with the best seizure-free surgical outcome in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex.
A study published January 28 in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives suggests that women with higher exposure to phthalates during their pregnancy report more disruptive and problem behaviors in their children, using standardized measures. The study included 188 children whose mothers enrolled in Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s New York Children’s Environmental Health Study during their third trimester of pregnancy.
The largest epidemiological study of Parkinson's disease in the United States has found that the disease is more common in the Midwest and the Northeast and is twice as likely to strike whites and Hispanics as blacks and Asians. The study is based on data from 36 million Medicare recipients.
The brains of people under anesthesia respond to stimuli as they do in the deepest part of sleep – lending credence to a developing theory of consciousness and suggesting a new method to assess loss of consciousness in conditions such as coma.
Keith L. Black, M.D., has been named the recipient of the 2010 BET Honors Award in Public Service. In addition, he has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Literary Work/Non-fiction category for his book, “BRAIN SURGEON: A Doctor’s Inspiring Encounters with Mortality and Miracles.”
Only a few anti-spasticity medications used for children with cerebral palsy are backed by sufficient research to justify their use, according to a new review of scientific literature headed by a UT Southwestern Medical Center neurologist and conducted by a national panel of interdisciplinary experts nationwide.
Columbia University and Ascent Scientific announced that they have entered into a license agreement for FFN511, a novel fluorescent probe for optical imaging and measurement of synaptic activity in the brain.
Brain circuits involved in prosody seem to operate on a mirror neuron system, according to USC neuroscientists. PLoS ONE study also finds correlation between empathy and prosodic ability, meaning the ability to produce and perceive the music of speech.