Newsline — Friday, May 8, 2015 9:00
Deconstructing Brain Systems Involved in Memory and Spatial Skills
Pattern of Protein Deposits in Brains of Retired NFL Players Who Suffered Concussions
Thursday, May 7, 2015 9:00
A new study conducted by researchers from UCLA takes another step toward understanding the degenerative brain condition, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, which affects athletes in contact sports who are exposed to repetitive brain injuries. By using a new imaging tool, researchers found a strikingly similar pattern of abnormal protein deposits in the brains of retired NFL players who suffered concussions. The innovative imaging technique uses a chemical marker combined with positron emission tomography, or PET scan, and was initially tested in five retired NFL players and described in an article published in 2013. Building on their previous work, the UCLA researchers found the same characteristic pattern in a larger number of retired players who had sustained concussions. The most recent study also shows that the brain-imaging pattern of people who have suffered concussions is markedly different from the scans of healthy people and from those with Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers say the findings could help lead to better identification of brain disorders in athletes, and would allow doctors and scientists to test treatments that might…
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Broken Cellular Communication Contributes to Huntington’s Disease Symptoms
Wednesday, May 6, 2015 9:00
Researchers from Indiana University recently found that broken communication in a specific region of the brain plays a role in the involuntary physical movements that affect individuals with Huntington’s disease. The study suggests a “cell-interaction model” of Huntington’s disease, in which this genetic mutation causes erroneous communication between the brain’s cerebral cortex and the striatum — a portion of the forebrain most affected by the disease. To conduct their study, researchers used three mouse-models: one that had the mutant huntingtin gene in the striatum (but suppressed in the cerebral cortex), a second with Huntington’s disease where the mutant huntingtin gene was not suppressed and a third healthy control group. To assess function and communication between brain regions, scientists measured the electrical firing patterns in the cortex and striatum of the three types of mice as they moved freely. The differences in electrical activity were observable in behavior. The mice that had the mutant huntingtin gene suppressed in the cerebral cortex exhibited fewer motor control problems compared to the other mice with Huntington’s disease. “These results strongly…
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More DNA Mutations May Mean Better Cancer Prognosis for Some
Tuesday, May 5, 2015 9:00
Findings recently published in the journal Neuro-Oncology suggest it may be possible to develop personalized treatments for more aggressive forms of brain cancer, including immunotherapy for hyper- or ultra- mutated tumors. A Yale Cancer Center-led comprehensive genomic analysis of more than 700 brain tumors revealed a subtype of the most malignant brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). This subtype possesses thousands of tumor-specific DNA errors or mutations — instead of dozens — observed in most GBM cases, associated with longer survival. “We have been able to translate various complementary cutting-edge genomic technologies, which were once solely research tools, to our clinical programs to analyze individual cancers,” said the study’s lead author. “We can now gain comprehensive understanding of the molecular make-up of a cancer to pinpoint specific vulnerabilities and leverage these weak spots for precision treatments in our Recurrent Brain Tumor Treatment Program.” While as many as 10,000 mutations were found in the newly described subset of glioblastomas, a more typical tumor contains less than 100. This counterintuitive pattern has also been observed in gynecological and…
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BigNeuron: Unlocking the Secrets of the Human Brain
Monday, May 4, 2015 9:00
Thousands of detailed neuron images, from different organisms, currently sit in individual data collections across the world, comprising several petabytes of data altogether. Despite this plethora of data, made possible with advancements in cellular brain imaging, data standardization is still a major hurdle to gaining an accurate understanding of how neurons work. Over the years, dozens of imaging paradigms and algorithms have been created for visualizing the 3D structure of neurons — leading to a variety of unequal datasets in the field. However, neuroscientists widely agree that to solve the mysteries of the brain, they need to cross-compare these datasets. That’s why many of the field’s brightest minds are participating in BigNeuron, a community effort to define and advance the state of single-neuron reconstruction, analysis and create a common platform for analyzing 3D neuronal structures. In an attempt to find a standard neuron reconstruction algorithm, BigNeuron will sponsor a series of international hackathons and workshops where contending algorithms will be ported onto a common software platform in order to analyze neuronal physical structures using the…
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PTSD Common in ICU Survivors
Friday, May 1, 2015 9:00
In findings recently published in the journal Critical Care Medicine, researchers from Johns Hopkins University found that nearly one-quarter of intensive-care unit (ICU) survivors suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The research term also identified possible triggers for PTSD and indicated a preventative strategy; having patients keep ICU diaries. Existing psychological problems, large amounts of sedation and reports of frightening ICU memories appear to contribute to the increased risk of PTSD. “PTSD can drastically impact a person’s ability to communicate and connect with others, truly interpreting their lives and preventing experiences of joy,” said an associate professor of psychiatry and behavior sciences from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “This is why our findings are important and why it’s so critical that we continue to research ways to prevent PTSD.” Through a systematic literature review, the research team looked at 40 studies of 36 unique patient cohorts with a total of more than 3,000 patients who survived a critical illness and ICU stay. The researchers excluded patients who had suffered a trauma, such as a…
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Higher-level Occupations May Increase Survival in Patients with Common Form of Dementia
Thursday, April 30, 2015 13:00
New research conducted by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania reveals that former “high-level” professionals appeared to have a longer survival rate when faced with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) compared to those with a background in service or manufacturing roles. The study, published in the journal Neurology, provides autopsy-report analyses of those suffering from FTD and Alzheimer’s disease. Results showed that subjects with a professional career such as an executive, doctor or lawyer displayed an average survival rate of nine years following diagnosis, while those who were unemployed or performed physical labor averaged only six years. Researchers noted that education level had no visible impact on survival rates, rather it was the ultimate career type that appeared to impact the durability of the brain under neurodegenerative duress. “These results provide support for the protective effects of occupation in FTD,” said the author of the study. “There may be other factors at work here such socioeconomic factors tied to occupational status that contributes to the longevity of this group. Further studies might also want…
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Autism, Epilepsy Connection Explored in Four Studies
Thursday, April 30, 2015 9:03
Four studies recently presented at the American Epilepsy Society’s Annual Meeting explored the relationship between epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Epilepsy affects nearly 30 percent of all people with ASD; conversely, many people with epilepsy display ASD-like behavior. In the first study, researchers examined video EEG findings and clinical records of 53 children and adults diagnosed with both epilepsy and ASD. During this study, the authors uncovered abnormal video EEG findings in 50 of the 53 records studied. In the second study, researchers investigated the relationship between autism-like behavior and epilepsy associated with maternal infection; previous animal studies have linked epilepsy and autism by showing that immune activation in a pregnant mouse can trigger two immune molecules, exacerbating faulty signal transmission in the hippocampus. In the third study, researchers explored the neurological, physical and behavioral characteristics of patients diagnosed with both ASD, epilepsy and a rare condition known as electrical status epilepticus of slow wave sleep (ESES) that develops in childhood. ESES is marked by neurological/psychological impairment, motor delays, epilepsy and finding electrical status…
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High-tech Method Allows Rapid Imaging of Functions in Living Brain
Wednesday, April 29, 2015 11:16
Researchers studying cancer and other invasive diseases rely on high-resolution imaging to see tumors and other activity deep within the body’s tissues. Using a new, high-speed, high-resolution imaging method, researchers from Washington University in St. Louis were able to see blood flow, blood oxygenation, oxygen metabolism and other functions inside a living mouse brain at faster rates than ever before in a recent study published in the journal Nature Methods. Using photoacoustic microscopy (PAM), a single-wavelength, pulse-width-based technique, researchers were able to take images of blood oxygenation 50-times faster than their previous results using fast-scanning PAM; 100-times faster than their acoustic-resolution system and more than 500-times faster than phosphorescence-lifetime-based two-photon microscopy (TPM). However, those methods have speed and resolution limits, according to the lead researcher of the study. To make up for these limitations, researchers implemented fast-functional PAM, which allowed them to get high-resolution, high-speed images of a living mouse brain through an intact skull. This method achieved a lateral-spatial resolution of five-times finer than the lab’s previous fast-scanning system; 25-times finer than its previous…
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Key Genetic Triggers in Weight Regulating Brain Cells Found
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 9:00
In a recent study published in the journal PLoS Genetics, a team of researchers from the University of Michigan found that the “little voice” inside our heads that tells us to eat, or stop eating, is comprised of about 10,000 specialized brain cells, and there are tiny triggers inside those cells that give rise to this “voice.” The neurons, called POMC cells, are located inside the hypothalamus, and act as a control center for feelings of fullness or hunger, and they take in signals from the body, sending out chemical signals to regulate appetite. When POMC neurons are absent, or not working correctly, humans grow dangerously obese. The results of the study found that in animals, when certain genetic triggers inside the POMC cells aren’t working, the same thing happens. During the study, researchers also reported on a protein called a transcription factor, and two small stretches of DNA, called enhancers, which act as triggers for the POMC gene. All three regulate how often, and when, the POMC cells use the gene to create the…
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