Newsline — Thursday, August 14, 2014 9:00
Scientists Uncover New Clues to Repairing an Injured Spinal Cord
Link Between Vitamin D and Dementia Confirmed
Wednesday, August 13, 2014 13:00
In a recent study published in the journal Neurology, researchers found that older people who do not get enough vitamin D may double their risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The study looked at blood levels of vitamin D, which includes vitamin D from food, supplements and sun exposure. “We expected to find an association between low vitamin D levels and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, but the results were surprising — we actually found that the association was twice as strong as we anticipated,” said a lead author of the study. Results of the study found that people with low levels of vitamin D had a 53-percent increased risk of developing dementia, and those who were severely deficient had a 125-percent increased risk compared to participants with normal levels of the vitamin. Additionally, people with lower levels of vitamin D were nearly 70 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and those who had severe deficiency were over 120-percent more likely to develop the disease. To read more about this study,…
Read More…
Study Reveals One Reason Brain Tumors are More Common in Men
Wednesday, August 13, 2014 9:00
In a recent study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found reasons indicating why brain tumors occur more often in males and are frequently more harmful compared to similar tumors in females. The researchers found that retinoblastoma protein (RB), a protein known to reduce cancer risk, is significantly less active in male brain cells than in female brain cells. “This is the first time anyone has ever identified a sex-linked difference that affects tumor risk and is intrinsic to cells, and that’s very exciting,” said a senior author of the study. The results of the study suggest that sex-based differences at the level of the cell may not only influence cancer risk, but also the effectiveness of the treatment. RB is the target of drugs currently being evaluated in clinical trials. To read more about this study, click here.
Study Finds Key Brain Region’s Role in Facial Recognition
Tuesday, August 12, 2014 13:00
Neurons in the amygdala region of the brain respond to the visual stimulation processed by the retina and a network of interconnected brain structures. A recent study conducted by the California Institute of Technology has found that some of the brain cells that specialize in recognizing emotions may represent judgments based on the viewer’s preconceptions rather than the true emotion being expressed. Although the amygdala’s importance in facial recognition and emotional assessment is well-known, little is understood about how these processes work. During the study, researchers used electrodes placed deep in the brains of volunteers to record activity of individual neurons while they viewed pictures of faces whose emotions were difficult to recognize. Researchers found a subset of neurons that were “emotion-selective” because their responses distinguished between happy and fearful faces. The results of the study showed when a fear face was incorrectly judged as happy, the neurons responded as if a happy face was correctly judged as happy by the volunteer — even though they had chosen incorrectly. Additionally, when a happy face was…
Read More…
Pediatric Neurologist Offers Hope to Patients with Genetic Tumor Disorder
Tuesday, August 12, 2014 9:00
Although there is no cure for tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a genetic disorder that causes non-malignant tumors to form in many different organs, a pediatric neurologist at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine is one of only a few physicians to start using a new drug treatment similar to chemotherapy. If a child’s brain is affected by the disease, it can be especially debilitating since it can cause seizures, developmental delays, intellectual disability and autism. TSC is found in one is every 25,000 children and is not easily diagnosed. The new treatment gives patients and their families another option if response to anti-seizure medications is poor, or the child is not a candidate for surgery. To read more about this, click here.
Flight Simulation Technology Gives Neurosurgeons a Peek Inside Before Brain Surgery
Monday, August 11, 2014 13:00
NYU Langone Medical Center is now using a novel technology that serves as a “flight simulator” for neurosurgeons, allowing them to rehearse brain surgeries before making an actual incision into a patient. The new simulation technology, called the Surgical Rehearsal Platform (SRP), creates an individualized experience based on 3D imaging taken from the patient’s CT and MRI scans. Surgeons are able to then plan and rehearse the surgeries using the software, which combines life-like tissue reaction with accurate modeling of surgical tools and clamps, enabling them to navigate multiple-angled models of a patient’s brain and vasculature. For example, when rehearsing for an aneurysm surgery, the SRP reacts realistically when the surgeon virtually applies a clip to the blood vessel. This allows for an assessment of the tissue’s mechanical characteristics including shadowing and texture. To read more about this, click here.
Researchers Discover Switch Preventing the Generation and Survival of Neurons
Monday, August 11, 2014 9:00
A recent study published in the journal Cell Reports identified a chemical “switch” that controls both the generation of new neurons from neural stem cells and the survival of existing nerve cells in the brain. The switch that shuts off the signals that promote neuron production and survival is in abundance in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients and stroke victims. The chemical switch, known as MEF2, may be a potential therapeutic target to protect against neuronal loss in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and autism. To read more about this study, click here.
Synchronized Brain Waves Enable Rapid Learning
Friday, August 8, 2014 13:00
According to a new study published in the journal Neuron, MIT neuroscientists found that quickly changing brain states may be encoded by synchronization of brain waves across different brain regions. The two areas involved in learning—the prefrontal cortex and the striatum—synchronize their brain waves to form new communication circuits. “We’re seeing direct evidence for the interactions between these two systems during learning, which hasn’t been seen before. Category-learning results in new functional circuits between these two areas, and these functional circuits are rhythm-based, which is key because that’s a relatively new concept in systems neuroscience,” said the senior author of the study. To read more about this study, click here.
Retina Cells Pass Off Worn Out Neurons for Disposal
Friday, August 8, 2014 9:51
Recent research led by scientists at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine challenges the basic principle that cells function like self-cleaning ovens, chewing up and recycling their worn out parts as needed; and found that some nerve cells in the eye pass off their old energy producing factories to a neighboring support cells to be “eaten.” The findings have implications for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, amytrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other diseases that involve a buildup of waste in the brain cells. During the study, researchers used cutting-edge electron microscopy technology to reconstruct 3D images of activity in the optic nerve head, and found astrocytes breaking down large numbers of mitochondria from neighboring retinal ganglion cells. “This was a very surprising study for us, because the findings go against the common understanding that each cell takes cares of its own trash,” said a lead author of the study. The implications of the study reach beyond the optic nerve head because buildup of “garbage” inside cells causes neurodegenerative diseases, and can open up…
Read More…
Possible Link to Developmental Brain Disorders Found
Thursday, August 7, 2014 17:00
Research recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience identified a mechanism in brain development that, when disrupted, may play a role in cerebral cortex circuit disorders, including autism, schizophrenia, and childhood epilepsy. The research lab identified the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway to be a critical regulator of the directed movement of cortical interneurons in a mouse’s developing brain, acting as a type of traffic cop. When JNK signaling is hampered, migratory interneurons lose their ability to successfully make their way through the cerebral cortex and the cells get lost, ending up in the wrong places. Researchers are expanding this research to determine which molecular mechanisms of the JNK pathway affect the migration of interneurons, as well as their effects on the cerebral cortex. Expanding the findings will be essential for turning basic research into new diagnostic tools and treatment strategies for neurological and psychiatric diseases. To read more about this study, click here.