Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Report shows relationship between sensation seeking, reward sensitivity and cannabis use

Sensation seeking is a personality trait that describes a person's tendency to seek out novel and exciting experiences, and a high level of sensation seeking has been implicated as a risk factor for addiction.

11 Dec 2015

Apigenin improves neuron formation, strengthens connections between brain cells

Brazilian researchers from D'Or Institute for Research and Education, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Federal University of Bahia have demonstrated in laboratory that apigenin, a substance found in parsley, thyme, chamomile and red pepper, improves neuron formation and strengthens the connections between brain cells.

11 Dec 2015

LSD reduces connectivity within human brain networks

LSD is known to cause changes in consciousness, including "ego-dissolution", or a loss of the sense of self. Despite a detailed knowledge of the action of LSD at specific serotonin receptors, it has not been understood how this these pharmacological effects can translate into such a profound effect on consciousness.

11 Dec 2015

Neuroscientists find link between neurotransmitter GABA and tactile learning

In an international collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD, USA), neuroscientists at the Ruhr-University Bochum have determined a link between brain levels of the neurotransmitter GABA, the main source of inhibition in the brain, and tactile learning. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, they were able to show that success in learning can be predicted by baseline GABA levels.

11 Dec 2015

Circuit awarded contract to pursue optogenetic therapies for peripheral nervous system indications

Circuit Therapeutics today announced that it has been awarded a 2.7 million dollar contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to pursue optogenetic therapies for peripheral nervous system indications. The award, part of DARPA's Electrical Prescriptions (ElectRX) program, will enable Circuit to pursue research and development projects related to its treatment for neuropathic pain.

10 Dec 2015

New heart failure drug may increase patients' risk of Alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration

Patients with mild heart failure stand to benefit from a new drug that can halt the progression of their disease and reduce their risk of cardiovascular-related death. But the drug -- a tablet that combines the agents valsartan and sacubitril, sold under the trade name Entresto by drugmaker Novartis -- may be too good to be true, according to Arthur M. Feldman, MD, PhD, Executive Dean of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Chief Academic Officer of the Temple University Health System, and Laura H. Carnell Professor of Medicine at LKSOM.

10 Dec 2015

Surgery and manual physical therapies similarly effective in improving pain for CTS patients

Results of a randomized clinical trial, published in The Journal of Pain, showed that surgery and manual physical therapies were similarly effective in improving pain and function for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

9 Dec 2015

Bionomics plans to launch BNC210 Phase 2 trial for treatment of PTSD

Australian drug development company Bionomics Limited will launch a key Phase 2 trial of its novel anxiety drug BNC210 as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), following a US$12 million private placement to US institutional investors.

8 Dec 2015

Children born to mothers with PCOS at increased risk of developing autism

Children born to mothers with polycystic ovarian syndrome, PCOS, are at an increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorders, according to a new epidemiological study from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet. The findings, which are published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, support the notion that exposure to sex hormones early in life may be important for the development of autism in both sexes.

8 Dec 2015

New algorithm helps analyze microscope images of cells growing in petri dishes

Scientists looking for ways to stimulate the growth of neurons can spend hours painstakingly analyzing microscope images of cells growing in petri dishes. A new algorithm developed by Brown University researchers automates that process and analyzes images more accurately than previous automated approaches.

8 Dec 2015

Existing compound offers hope for slowing Huntington's disease progression

Currently, there is no treatment to halt the progression of Huntington's disease (HD), a fatal genetic disorder that slowly robs sufferers of their physical and mental abilities. Now, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that an existing compound, previously tested for diabetes, offers hope for slowing HD and its symptoms.

8 Dec 2015

Pediatric chemotherapy regimen improves outcomes in young adults with ALL

Using a pediatric chemotherapy regimen to treat young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) significantly improved their outcomes compared to what has historically been achieved with 'adult' treatment protocols, report Dana-Farber Cancer Institute scientists.

8 Dec 2015

Children suffering from neuroblastoma may benefit from potential new treatment

Children suffering from a cancer of the nervous system could benefit from a potential new treatment, thanks to an international team led by researchers at the University of Kent and at the Institute of Medical Virology at the Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

7 Dec 2015

Taking estriol along with conventional medications helps RRMS patients avoid relapses

Taking the pregnancy hormone estriol along with their conventional medications helped patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) avoid relapses, according to results of a Phase II randomized, placebo-controlled study led by UCLA researchers.

1 Dec 2015

Low levels of BRCA1 protein in the brain linked to dementia

Mutant forms of breast cancer factor 1 (BRCA1) are associated with breast and ovarian cancers but according to new findings, in the brain the normal BRCA1 gene product may also be linked to Alzheimer's disease. The results, published in Nature Communications, suggest that low levels of BRCA1 protein in the brain may contribute to dementia.

1 Dec 2015

Medical professionals compare different treatment methods for Neuromyelitis optica

In the course of a study conducted throughout Germany, medical professionals have compared different treatment methods for Neuromyelitis optica, an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. It turned out that the best results were not achieved with conventional steroid therapy. Under the auspices of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum and the Hannover Medical School, the team published their findings in the journal Annals of Neurology.

30 Nov 2015