Newsline — Monday, June 16, 2014 13:00
Researchers Move Small-molecule Drugs Through Blood-brain Barrier
Researchers Decode How the Brain Miswires, Possibly Causing ADHD
Monday, June 16, 2014 9:00
Findings from a recent study published in the journal Neuron have shed light on why neurons in the brain’s reward system can be miswired, potentially contributing to disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The results from the study may increase the understanding of underlying causes of ADHD, facilitating the development of more individualized treatments. During the study, researchers uncovered a receptor system that plays a critical role during embryonic development for correct wiring of the dopaminergic brain area. However, they also discovered that after brain maturation, a cut in the same receptor, SorCS2, produces a two-chain receptor that induces cell death following damage to the peripheral nervous system. In a mouse study, researchers found that the miswiring of dopaminergic neurons in mice results in hyperactivity and attention deficits. To read more about this study, click here.
Is Glaucoma a Brain Disease?
Friday, June 13, 2014 15:21
Findings from a recent study published in Translational Vision Science & Technology show that the brain — not the eye — controls the cellular process that leads to glaucoma. The results may help develop potential treatments for one of the world’s leading causes of irreversible blindness. During the study, vision specialists and ophthalmologists describe how they performed data and symmetry analysis of 47 patients with moderate to severe glaucoma in both eyes. “As age and other insults to ocular health take their toll on each eye, discrete bundles of the small axons within the larger optic nerve are sacrificed so the rest of the axons can continue to carry sight information to the brain,” said one author of the study, “This quiet intentional sacrifice of some wires to save the rest, when there are decreasing resources to support them all (apoptosis), is analogous to pruning some of the limbs on a stressed fruit tree so the other branches can continue to bear healthy fruit.” The research is the first evidence found in humans that the…
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A Tool to Better Screen, Treat Aneurysm Patients
Friday, June 13, 2014 9:12
New research by an international consortium may help physicians better understand the chronological development of a brain aneurysm. Using radiocarbon dating to date samples of ruptured and unruptured cerebral aneurysm (CA) tissue, the team found that the main structural constituent and protein — collagen type I — in cerebral aneurysms is distinctly younger than once thought. The new findings, recently reported in the journal Stroke, challenge the concept that CAs are present for decades and that they undergo only sporadic episodes of structural change. In view of these findings, it seems more likely that they alternate between periods of stability and instability during which they are prone to rupture. For patients with CAs, who are more likely to undergo an aneurysm rupture due to risk factors such as smoking or hypertension, the research team found that the age of collagen type I was significantly younger than those samples taken from people with no risk factors. To learn more about the study, click here.
Older Migraine Sufferers May Have More Silent Brain Injury
Thursday, June 12, 2014 13:00
According to research recently published in the journal Stroke, older migraine sufferers may be more likely to have silent brain injury. In a new study, people with a history of migraine headaches had double the odds of ischemic silent brain infarction compared to people who said they did not have migraines. High blood pressure was more common in those with migraine, but the association between migraine and silent brain infarction was also found in participants with normal blood pressure. The research raises the question of whether preventive treatment to reduce the severity and number of migraines could reduce the risk of stroke or silent cerebral infarction. To learn more about the study, click here.
Longer Telomeres Linked to Brain Cancer Risk
Wednesday, June 11, 2014 13:00
Recent genomic research led by University of California San Francisco scientists revealed that two common gene variants that lead to longer telomeres — the caps on chromosome ends thought by many scientists to confer health by protecting cells from aging — also significantly increase the risk of developing brain cancers, such as gliomas. The genetic variants in two telomere-related genes are known as TERT and TERC and are carried by 51 percent and 72 percent of the general population, respectively. Although high-grade gliomas are relatively rare cancers, longer telomeres may cause some cells to live longer than they’re supposed to, which is a hallmark of cancer. The research has the potential to extend beyond the scope of gliomas, since TERT variants have also been implicated in lung, prostate, testicular and breast cancers. TERC variants have been associated with leukemia, colon cancer, and multiple myeloma. To read more about this study, click here.
Risks to Baby’s Brain Development from Wireless Radiation
Wednesday, June 11, 2014 9:00
A national public-awareness campaign, called the BabySafe Project is being coordinated to urge pregnant women to limit their exposure to wireless radiation from cell phones and other devices by taking simple steps to protect themselves and their unborn children. The effort is based on research that links exposure to wireless radiation from cell phones during pregnancy to neurological and behavioral problems in children. Although more research is needed to determine how the developing brain is affected, evidence suggests potential harm. Researchers recommend taking simple precautions, such as avoiding carrying your cell phone on your body or avoiding prolonged or direct exposure to nearby Wi-Fi routers. To read more about this study, click here.
Nicotine Withdrawal Weakens Brain Connections Tied to Self Control
Tuesday, June 10, 2014 13:00
A recent brain imaging study led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Brain and Behavior Change Program shows how smokers suffering from nicotine withdrawal may have more trouble shifting from a key brain network — known as default mode —into an executive control network that could help exert more self-control over cravings and focus on quitting for good. During the study, researchers found that smokers who abstained from cigarettes showed weakened interconnectivity between certain large-scale networks in their brains — the default mode network, the executive control network, and the salience network. The findings help validate a neurobiological basis behind why so many people who try to quit end up relapsing, and may lead to new ways to identify smokers at high risk for relapse who need more intensive smoking cessation therapy. To read more about this study, click here.
Possible Benefits of Brain Stimulation Following Stroke
Tuesday, June 10, 2014 9:00
Researchers participating in a clinical trial are evaluating whether stimulating the brain before rehabilitation could yield greater gains in motor function for people recovering from stroke. Experts say this approach could potentially unlock a totally new, non-invasive treatment to promote recovery and function. Shepherd Center is testing a navigated brain stimulation system that uses transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to apply a mild electromagnetic current to excite the brain, a technique that can be used to both investigate the brain’s functions and change them. The goal is to improve a patient’s range of motion, coordination, flexibility, strength, and use of the weak arm and hand. At the end of study, researchers are interested to see whether patients are better able to perform daily activities. To read more about this study, click here.
Researchers Demonstrate How to Erase and Restore Memories
Monday, June 9, 2014 13:00
In a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, scientists were able to erase and reactivate memories in rats, altering the animals’ reaction to past events. By stimulating nerves in the brain at frequencies that are known to weaken and strengthen the connections between nerve cells, scientists were able to selectively remove a memory and predictably reactivate it. Scientists optically stimulated a group of nerves in a rat’s brain that had been genetically modified to make them sensitive to light, and simultaneously delivered an electrical shock to the animal’s foot. The rats learned to associate the optical nerve stimulation with pain, displaying fear behaviors. In the next stage of the study, the research team demonstrated the ability to weaken this circuitry by stimulating the same nerves with a memory-erasing, low-frequency train of optical pulses. The rats subsequently no longer responded to the original nerve stimulation with fear, suggesting the pain-association memory had been erased. To read more about this study, click here.