Nervous System News and Research

Latest Nervous System News and Research

Findings may lay foundation for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

This story starts in 1955, upon the death of Albert Einstein, when the pathologist charged with performing the famous scientist's autopsy stole his brain.

3 Feb 2015

Bionomics initiates BNC210 Phase 1b clinical trial in healthy volunteers

Bionomics Limited has initiated a Phase 1b clinical trial in healthy volunteers of BNC210, the Company's drug candidate in development for the treatment of anxiety and depression.

2 Feb 2015

New research on dopamine-containing neurons could pave way for treating neurological disorders

Scientists studying hatchling fish have made a new advance in studying a chemical in the brain that impacts on movement.

2 Feb 2015

Scientists identify how 'mini-brain' in spinal cord helps keep our body balanced

Walking across an icy parking lot in winter--and remaining upright--takes intense concentration. But a new discovery suggests that much of the balancing act that our bodies perform when faced with such a task happens unconsciously, thanks to a cluster of neurons in our spinal cord that function as a "mini-brain" to integrate sensory information and make the necessary adjustments to our muscles so that we don't slip and fall.

2 Feb 2015

People's perceptions of cost of drug may affect how much they benefit from it

People's perceptions of the cost of a drug may affect how much they benefit from the drug, even when they are receiving only a placebo, according to a new study of people with Parkinson's disease published in the January 28, 2015 online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Feb 2015

Exploring better treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) affects 2-3% of children aged between 10 and 16. It is more common in girls than in boys (with a ratio of 10-1). Besides the obvious physical signs derived from the visible spinal deformity, AIS can cause psychological and emotional problems (low self-esteem, poor self-image body, etc.) that significantly reduces patients' quality of life.

31 Jan 2015

Project Spark to advance neuroprotective drug for schizophrenia-associated cognitive impairment

A public-private consortium led by the biotech Iproteos -based at Parc Científic de Barcelona (PCB)-, and comprised by the biopharmaceutical company Ascil-Biopharma, the Institute for Biomedical Research (IRB Barcelona), the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) has launched a project to advance the development of a new neuroprotective drug for the treatment of the cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia and other mental disorders.

31 Jan 2015

Researchers identify molecular mechanisms that can prevent blindness, promote recovery from stroke

Research led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor, Ernest C. and Yvette C. Villere Chair of Retinal Degeneration Research, and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans, has discovered gene interactions that determine whether cells live or die in such conditions as age-related macular degeneration and ischemic stroke.

31 Jan 2015

Study helps develop better understanding of how dopamine influences behaviour

Scientists studying hatchling fish have made a new advance in studying a chemical in the brain that impacts on movement.

29 Jan 2015

Promising results for stem cell therapy in MS

Preliminary findings suggest that nonmyeloablative haematopoietic stem cell transplantation may arrest, or even reverse, the progress of disease among patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis.

28 Jan 2015

Alectinib active against leptomeningeal metastases in ALK-positive NSCLC

Patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer who have leptomeningeal metastases may benefit from treatment with the second-generation ALK inhibitor alectinib, a case series suggests.

28 Jan 2015

SRS fails to improve survival for NSCLC brain metastases patients

Phase III trial findings suggest that carrying out stereotactic radiosurgery before chemotherapy does not improve overall survival for non-small-cell lung cancer patients with asymptomatic brain metastases compared with chemotherapy alone.

28 Jan 2015

Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientists identify the brain's on-off thirst switch

Howard Hughes Medical Institute scientists have identified a circuit in the brains of mice that regulates thirst. When a subset of cells in the circuit is switched on, mice immediately begin drinking water, even if they are fully hydrated. A second set of cells suppresses the urge to drink.

28 Jan 2015

Researchers probe possibility of reversing medications' adverse cognitive effects

Whether the adverse cognitive effects of medications can be reversed is of significant importance to an aging population, their caregivers and their families, as well as to an overburdened health care system.

28 Jan 2015

Novel technique could help identify cancerous tissue during brain tumor surgery

A novel radioguided surgery technique could quickly and effectively identify residual cancer cells during brain tumor surgery, with low radiation exposure for both patients and surgeons. The study, featured in the January 2015 issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, reports that Y-90 DOTATOC, a beta-minus-emitting tracer, can effectively delineate the margins of meningiomas and high-grade gliomas.

28 Jan 2015

Kaleo, CHMI partner to reduce prescription drug-related deaths

Kaleo, a privately-held pharmaceutical company, today announced a national strategic partnership with the Clinton Health Matters Initiative, an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, that will help support its goal of cutting prescription drug-related deaths in half, saving approximately 10,000 lives over five years.

27 Jan 2015

Study shows how gut bacteria can affect normal brain activity

The hundred trillion bacteria living in an adult human--mostly in the intestines, making up the gut microbiome--have a significant impact on behavior and brain health. The many ways gut bacteria can impact normal brain activity and development, affect sleep and stress responses, play a role in a variety of diseases, and be modified through diet for therapeutic use are described in a comprehensive Review article in Journal of Medicinal Food, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

23 Jan 2015