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NINDS Grantees in the News


See news releases about NINDS-supported research from across the U.S.

Accused of complicity in Alzheimer’s, amyloid proteins may be getting a bad rap, Stanford study finds
April 3 | Stanford
Amyloids — clumps of misfolded proteins found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders — are the quintessential bad boys of neurobiology. They’re thought to muck up the seamless workings of the neurons responsible for memory and movement, and researchers around the world have devoted themselves to devising ways of blocking their production or accumulation in humans.

Astrocyte signaling sheds light on stroke tufts
March 18 | Tufts
New research published in The Journal of Neuroscience suggests that modifying signals sent by astrocytes, our star-shaped brain cells, may help to limit the spread of damage after an ischemic brain stroke. The study in mice, by neuroscientists at Tufts University School of Medicine, determined that astrocytes play a critical role in the spread of damage following stroke.

Using fat to fight brain cancer
March 13 | Johns Hopkins
In laboratory studies, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have found that stem cells from a patient’s own fat may have the potential to deliver new treatments directly into the brain after the surgical removal of a glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of brain tumor.

Sleep loss precedes Alzheimer's symptoms
March 11 | Washington University
Sleep is disrupted in people who likely have early Alzheimer’s disease but do not yet have the memory loss or other cognitive problems characteristic of full-blown disease, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report March 11 in JAMA Neurology.

Neural synchrony may be key to understanding how the human OK
March 11 | Georgia Tech
Despite many remarkable discoveries in the field of neuroscience during the past several decades, researchers have not been able to fully crack the brain’s “neural code.” The neural code details how the brain’s roughly 100 billion neurons turn raw sensory inputs into information we can use to see, hear and feel things in our environment.

New clues to causes of peripheral nerve damage
March 11 | Washington University
Anyone whose hand or foot has “fallen asleep” has an idea of the numbness and tingling often experienced by people with peripheral nerve damage. The condition also can cause a range of other symptoms, including unrelenting pain, stinging, burning, itching and sensitivity to touch.

Researchers discover workings of brain’s ‘GPS system’
March 7 | Princeton
Just as a global posi­tion­ing sys­tem (GPS) helps find your loca­tion, the brain has an inter­nal sys­tem for help­ing deter­mine the body’s loca­tion as it moves through its surroundings.

Parkinson’s Disease Brain Rhythms Detected
March 5 | UC San Francisco
A team of scientists and clinicians at UC San Francisco has discovered how to detect abnormal brain rhythms associated with Parkinson’s by implanting electrodes within the brains of people with the disease.

Adding to the List of Disease-Causing Proteins in Brain Disorders
March 3 | Penn Medicine
A multi-institution group of researchers has found new candidate disease proteins for neurodegenerative disorders. James Shorter, Ph.D., assistant professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Paul Taylor, M.D., PhD, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and colleagues describe in an advanced online publication of Nature that mutations in prion-like segments of two RNA-binding proteins are associated with a rare inherited degeneration disorder affecting muscle, brain, motor neurons and bone (called multisystem proteinopathy) and one case of the familial form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Scientists Identify ‘Clean-Up’ Snafu that Kills Brain Cells in Parkinson’s
March 3 | Einstein College of Medicine
Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered how the most common genetic mutations in familial Parkinson's disease damage brain cells. The study, which published online today in the journal Nature Neuroscience, could also open up treatment possibilities for both familial Parkinson's and the more common form of Parkinson's that is not inherited.

Right target, but missing the bulls-eye for Alzheimer's
February 23 | UCLA
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of late-life dementia. The disorder is thought to be caused by a protein known as amyloid-beta, or Abeta, which clumps together in the brain, forming plaques that are thought to destroy neurons. This destruction starts early, too, and can presage clinical signs of the disease by up to 20 years.

Shedding New Light on Infant Brain Development
February 20 | Columbia University
A new study by Columbia Engineering researchers finds that the infant brain does not control its blood flow in the same way as the adult brain. The findings, which the scientists say could change the way researchers study brain development in infants and children, are published in the February 18 Early Online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Fragile X makes brain cells talk too much
February 20 | Washington University
The most common inherited form of mental retardation and autism, fragile X syndrome, turns some brain cells into chatterboxes, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report.

Some autism behaviors linked to altered gene
February 12 | Washington University
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a genetic mutation that may underlie common behaviors seen in some people with autism, such as difficulty communicating and resistance to change.

Potential treatment prevents damage from prolonged seizures
February 11 | Emory
A new type of prophylactic treatment for brain injury following prolonged epileptic seizures has been developed by Emory University School of Medicine investigators.

Pitt/UPMC Team Describes Technology that Lets Spinal Cord-Injured Man Control Robot Arm with Thoughts
February 8 | University of Pittsburgh
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC describe in PLoS ONE how an electrode array sitting on top of the brain enabled a 30-year-old paralyzed man to control the movement of a character on a computer screen in three dimensions with just his thoughts. It also enabled him to move a robot arm to touch a friend’s hand for the first time in the seven years since he was injured in a motorcycle accident.

Cells Forged from Human Skin Show Promise in Treating MS, Myelin Disorders
February 7 | University of Rochester
A study out today in the journal Cell Stem Cell shows that human brain cells created by reprogramming skin cells have the potential to be highly effective in treating myelin disorders, a family of diseases that includes multiple sclerosis and rare childhood disorders called pediatric leukodystrophies.

Study Points to Possible Cause of, and Treatment for, Non-familial Parkinson’s
February 7 | Columbia University
Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have identified a protein trafficking defect within brain cells that may underlie common non-familial forms of Parkinson’s disease. The defect is at a point of convergence for the action of at least three different genes that had been implicated in prior studies of Parkinson’s disease. Whereas most molecular studies focus on mutations associated with rare familial forms of the disease, these findings relate directly to the common non-familial form of Parkinson’s. The study was published today in the online edition of the journal Neuron.

Brain research provides clues to what makes people think and behave differently
February 6 | Massachusetts General Hospital
Differences in the physical connections of the brain are at the root of what make people think and behave differently from one another. Researchers reporting in the February 6 issue of the Cell Press journal Neuron shed new light on the details of this phenomenon, mapping the exact brain regions where individual differences occur. Their findings reveal that individuals' brain connectivity varies more in areas that relate to integrating information than in areas for initial perception of the world.

Study findings suggest physical and pharmacological solutions for human stroke victims
February 5 | Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins researchers have found that mice can recover from physically debilitating strokes that damage the primary motor cortex, the region of the brain that controls most movement in the body, if the rodents are quickly subjected to physical conditioning that rapidly “rewires” a different part of the brain to take over lost function.

Human brain is divided on fear and panic: New study contends different areas of brain responsible for external versus internal threats
February 5 | University of Iowa
When doctors at the University of Iowa prepared a patient to inhale a panic-inducing dose of carbon dioxide, she was fearless. But within seconds of breathing in the mixture, she cried for help, overwhelmed by the sensation that she was suffocating.

Damaged Blood Vessels Loaded with Amyloid Worsen Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease
February 4 | Weil Cornell Medical College
A team of researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College has discovered that amyloid peptides are harmful to the blood vessels that supply the brain with blood in Alzheimer's disease — thus accelerating cognitive decline by limiting oxygen-rich blood and nutrients. In their animal studies, the investigators reveal how amyloid-ß accumulates in blood vessels and how such accumulation and damage might be ultimately prevented.

Genome-wide atlas of gene enhancers in the brain on-line
January 31 | University of California Berkley

Scripps Research Institute Scientists Uncover a Previously Unknown Mechanism of Memory Formation
January 30 | Scripps Research Institute

In-brain monitoring shows memory network
January 29 | University of California Davis
Working with patients with electrodes implanted in their brains, researchers at the University of California, Davis, and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have shown for the first time that areas of the brain work together at the same time to recall memories.

New Brain Circuit Sheds Light on Development of Voluntary Movements
January 24 | Duke

UCI neuroscientists create fiber-optic method of arresting epileptic seizures
January 24 | University of California Irvine
UC Irvine neuroscientists have developed a way to stop epileptic seizures with fiber-optic light signals, heralding a novel opportunity to treat the most severe manifestations of the brain disorder.

Astrocytes Identified as Target for New Depression Therapy
January 23 | Tufts University
Neuroscience researchers from Tufts University have found that our star-shaped brain cells, called astrocytes, may be responsible for the rapid improvement in mood in depressed patients after acute sleep deprivation.

Study findings have potential to prevent, reverse serious disabilities affecting children born prematurely
January 16 | Oregon Health and Sciences University
Physician-scientists at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital are challenging the way pediatric neurologists think about brain injury in the pre-term infant. In a study published online in the Jan. 16 issue of Science Translational Medicine, the OHSU Doernbecher researchers report for the first time that low blood and oxygen flow to the developing brain does not, as previously thought, cause an irreversible loss of brain cells, but rather disrupts the cells’ ability to fully mature. This discovery opens up new avenues for potential therapies to promote regeneration and repair of the premature brain.

Study finds a new culprit for epileptic seizures
January 15 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Epileptic seizures occur when neurons in the brain become excessively active. However, a new study from MIT neuroscientists suggests that some seizures may originate in non-neuronal cells known as glia, which were long believed to play a mere supporting role in brain function.

New Discovery in Autism-Related Disorder Reveals Key Mechanism in Brain Development and Disease
January 14 | Stanford
A new finding in neuroscience for the first time points to a developmental mechanism linking the disease-causing mutation in an autism-related disorder, Timothy syndrome, and observed defects in brain wiring, according to a study led by scientist Ricardo Dolmetsch and published online yesterday in Nature Neuroscience. These findings may be at the heart of the mechanisms underlying intellectual disability and many other brain disorders.

Scripps Research Institute Scientists Discover Structure of Protein Essential for Quality Control, Nerve Function
January 14 | Scripps Research
Using an innovative approach, scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have determined the structure of Ltn1, a recently discovered “quality-control” protein that is found in the cells of all plants, fungi and animals.

Study: Model for Brain Signaling Flawed
January 10 | University of Rochester
A new study out today in the journal Science turns two decades of understanding about how brain cells communicate on its head. The study demonstrates that the tripartite synapse – a model long accepted by the scientific community and one in which multiple cells collaborate to move signals in the central nervous system – does not exist in the adult brain.

Scripps Florida Scientists Uncover Potential Drug Target to Block Cell Death in Parkinson’s Disease
January 10 | Scripps Research
Oxidative stress is a primary villain in a host of diseases that range from cancer and heart failure to Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Now, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found that blocking the interaction of a critical enzyme may counteract the destruction of neurons associated with these neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting a potential new target for drug development.

Newly Found "Volume Control" in the Brain Promotes Learning, Memory
January 9 | Georgetown University
Scientists have long wondered how nerve cell activity in the brain’s hippocampus, the epicenter for learning and memory, is controlled — too much synaptic communication between neurons can trigger a seizure, and too little impairs information processing, promoting neurodegeneration. Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center say they now have an answer. In the January 10 issue of Neuron, they report that synapses that link two different groups of nerve cells in the hippocampus serve as a kind of "volume control," keeping neuronal activity throughout that region at a steady, optimal level.

First Oral Drug for Spinal Cord Injury Improves Movement in Mice, Study Shows
January 8 | Ohio State University
An experimental oral drug given to mice after a spinal cord injury was effective at improving limb movement after the injury, a new study shows.

USF and VA researchers find long-term consequences for those suffering traumatic brain injury
January 4 | University of South Florida
USF and VA researchers find long-term consequences for those suffering traumatic brain injury University of South Florida Researchers from the University of South Florida and colleagues at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital studying the long-term consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI) using rat models, have found that, overtime, TBI results in progressive brain deterioration characterized by elevated inflammation and suppressed cell regeneration. However, therapeutic intervention, even in the chronic stage of TBI, may still help prevent cell death.

Study Refutes Accepted Model of Memory Formation
January 2 | Johns Hopkins
A study by Johns Hopkins researchers has shown that a widely accepted model of long-term memory formation — that it hinges on a single enzyme in the brain — is flawed. The new study, published in the Jan. 2 issue of Nature, found that mice lacking the enzyme that purportedly builds memory were in fact still able to form long-term memories as well as normal mice could.

Itchy Wool Sweaters Explained
January 2 | Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins researchers have uncovered strong evidence that mice have a specific set of nerve cells that signal itch but not pain, a finding that may settle a decades-long debate about these sensations, and, if confirmed in humans, help in developing treatments for chronic itch, including itch caused by life-saving medications.

MRI Can Screen Patients for Alzheimer's Disease or Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration, Using Penn-designed Model
December 26 | University of Pennsylvania
When trying to determine the root cause of a person's dementia, using an MRI can effectively and non-invasively screen patients for Alzheimer's disease or Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD), according to a new study by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Using an MRI-based algorithm effectively differentiated cases 75 percent of the time, according to the study, published in the December 26th, 2012, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The non-invasive approach reported in this study can track disease progression over time more easily and cost-effectively than other tests, particularly in clinical trials testing new therapies.

Brake on nerve cell activity after seizures discovered
December 19 | University of Texas Health Science Center
Given that epilepsy impacts more than 2 million Americans, there is a pressing need for new therapies to prevent this disabling neurological disorder. New findings from the neuroscience laboratory of Mark S. Shapiro, Ph.D., at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, published Dec. 20 in the high-impact scientific journal, Neuron, may provide hope.

Protein Creates Paths For Growing Nerve Cells
December 18 | Johns Hopkins
Working with mice, Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered that a particular protein helps nerve cells extend themselves along the spinal cord during mammalian development. Their results shed light on the subset of muscular dystrophies that result from mutations in the gene that holds the code for the protein, called dystroglycan, and also show how the nerve and muscle failings of the degenerative diseases are related.

Even the Smallest Possible Stroke Can Damage Brain Tissue and Impair Cognitive Function
December 17 | University of California San Diego
Blocking a single tiny blood vessel in the brain can harm neural tissue and even alter behavior, a new study from the University of California, San Diego has shown. But these consequences can be mitigated by a drug already in use, suggesting treatment that could slow the progress of dementia associated with cumulative damage to minuscule blood vessels that feed brain cells.

Intracranial pressure monitoring for traumatic brain injury questioned
December 12 | University of Washington

First measurements made of key brain links
December 4 | Brown University
Until now, brain scientists have been almost completely in the dark about how most of the nonspecific thalamus interacts with the prefrontal cortex, a relationship believed to be key in such fundamental functions as maintaining consciousness and mental arousal. Brown University researchers performed a set of experiments, described in the Journal of Neuroscience, to explore and measure those circuits for the first time.

Buck Scientists Publish Genome-Scale Study Identifying Hundreds of Potential Drug Targets for Huntington's Disease
November 30 | Buck Institute
Scientists searching for ways to develop treatments for Huntington’s disease (HD) just got a roadmap that could dramatically speed their discovery process. Researchers at the Buck Institute have used RNA interference (RNAi) technology to identify hundreds of “druggable” molecular targets linked to the toxicity associated with the devastating, ultimately fatal disease.

Enzyme inhibition protects against Huntington's disease damage in two animal models
November 29 | Massachusetts General Hospital
Treatment with a novel agent that inhibits the activity of SIRT2, an enzyme that regulates many important cellular functions, reduced neurological damage, slowed the loss of motor function and extended survival in two animal models of Huntington's disease. The study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers will appear in the Dec. 27 issue of Cell Reports and is receiving advance online release.

Myelination Exhibits Plasticity, Links to Behavior in Adult Brain
November 29 | Virginia Common Wealth
Multiple sclerosis is perhaps the best known of the demyelinating disorders, where loss of the insulating sheath surrounding neurons makes high-speed communication impossible

An antidote for hypersomnia
November 21 | Emory University
Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine have discovered that dozens of adults with an elevated need for sleep have a substance in their cerebrospinal fluid that acts like a sleeping pill.

Stanford researchers advance the performance of thought-controlled computer cursors
November 18 | Stanford
When a paralyzed person imagines moving a limb, cells in the part of the brain that controls movement activate, as if trying to make the immobile limb work again.

Parkinson's Disease Protein Causes Disease Spread and Neuron Death in Healthy Animals
November 16 | University of Pennsylvania
Understanding how any disease progresses is one of the first and most important steps towards finding treatments to stop it. This has been the case for such brain-degenerating conditions as Alzheimer's disease. Now, after several years of incremental study, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania have been able to piece together important steps in how Parkinson’s disease (PD) spreads from cell to cell and leads to nerve cell death.

Parkinson's Disease Protein Causes Disease Spread and Neuron Death in Healthy Animals
November 15 | University of Pennsylvania
Understanding how any disease progresses is one of the first and most important steps towards finding treatments to stop it. This has been the case for such brain-degenerating conditions as Alzheimer's disease. Now, after several years of incremental study, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania have been able to piece together important steps in how Parkinson’s disease (PD) spreads from cell to cell and leads to nerve cell death.

New Form of Brain Plasticity: Study Shows How Social Isolation Disrupts Myelin Production
November 12 | University of Buffalo
Animals that are socially isolated for prolonged periods make less myelin in the region of the brain responsible for complex emotional and cognitive behavior, researchers at the University at Buffalo and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine report in Nature Neuroscience online.

Stem cells + nanofibers = promising nerve research
November 7 | University of Michigan

Scientists stop rats' stroke-induced seizures with pulse of light
November 7 | Stanford University
Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have shown that a structure deep within the brain is a crucial component of recurring seizures that can arise as a delayed consequence of a cerebral stroke. This structure, called the thalamus, is known as a relay station routing inputs from the senses to the brain’s higher cognitive processing centers in the cerebral cortex. But the thalamus has never before been implicated in post-stroke seizures.

Scientists Create “Endless Supply” of Myelin-Forming Cells
November 1 | University of Rochester
In a new study appearing this month in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers have unlocked the complex cellular mechanics that instruct specific brain cells to continue to divide. This discovery overcomes a significant technical hurdle to potential human stem cell therapies; ensuring that an abundant supply of cells is available to study and ultimately treat people with diseases.

Researchers identify gene required for nerve regeneration
November 1 | Penn State

High blood pressure damages the brain in early middle age
October 31 | University of California, Davis
Uncontrolled high blood pressure damages the brain's structure and function as early as young middle-age, and even the brains of middle-aged people who clinically would not be considered to have hypertension have evidence of silent structural brain damage, a study led by researchers at UC Davis has found.

Sensory Neurons Identified as Critical to Sense of Touch
October 25 | Duke University
While studying the sense of touch, scientists at Duke Medicine have pinpointed specific neurons that appear to regulate perception. The sensory neurons are characterized by thin spikes, and based on their volume, these protrusions determine the cells' sensitivity to force.

Scientists collaborate to block toxic protein that plays key role in Lou Gehrig’s Disease
October 23 | Gladstone Institutes
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes and the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered how modifying a gene halts the toxic buildup of a protein found in nerve cells. These findings point to a potential new tactic for treating a variety of neurodegenerative conditions, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease)—a fatal disease for which there is no cure.

Clue to Alzheimer's cause found in brain samples
October 22 | Washington University
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found a key difference in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease and those who are cognitively normal but still have brain plaques that characterize this type of dementia.

Neuroscientists propose a revolutionary DNA-based approach to map wiring of the whole brain
October 22 | Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
A team of neuroscientists have proposed a new and potentially revolutionary way of obtaining a neuronal connectivity map (the “connectome”) of the whole brain of the mouse. The details are set forth in an essay published October 23 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.

New fruit fly model of epilepsy reveals mechanisms behind fever induced seizures
October 17 | UC Irvine
UC Irvine and Brown University researchers have created a new fruit fly model of inherited epilepsy that’s providing insights into the mechanisms underlying temperature-dependent seizures while establishing a platform from which to develop therapies for these disorders.

Engineered flies spill secret of seizures
October 11 | Brown University
Scientists have observed the neurological mechanism behind temperature-dependent — febrile — seizures by genetically engineering fruit flies to harbor a mutation analogous to one that causes epileptic seizures in people. In addition to contributing the insight on epilepsy, their new study highlights the first use of genetic engineering to swap a human genetic disease mutation into a directly analogous gene in a fly.

Human neural stem cells study offers new hope for children with fatal brain diseases
October 10 | Oregon Health and Science University
Physician-scientists at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children’s Hospital have demonstrated for the first time that banked human neural stem cells — HuCNS-SCs, a proprietary product of StemCells Inc. — can survive and make functional myelin in mice with severe symptoms of myelin loss. Myelin is the critical fatty insulation, or sheath, surrounding new nerve fibers and is essential for normal brain function.

Benjamin Warf earns MacArthur award for Hydrocephalus Research
October 2 | YouTube
Dr. Benjamin Warf has received a MacArthur Award for his contributions to hydrocephalus research. Hydrocephalus is caused by a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in brain spaces called ventricles. It is commonly treated with a shunt – a device to drain the CSF – but over time, the shunt can fail. Dr. Warf has developed an alternative procedure that involves threading a tube into the ventricles; the tube is then used to create a small drainage hole and to cauterize some of the tissue that produces CSF.

Common RNA Pathway Found in ALS and Dementia
October 1 | University of California San Diego
Two proteins previously found to contribute to ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, have divergent roles. But a new study, led by researchers at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, shows that a common pathway links them.

Research Suggests Shared Genetic Link in Psychiatric and Movement Disorders
September 26 | Wake Forest University

Scientists Show Biological Mechanism Can Trigger Epileptic Seizures
September 19 | Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Scientists have discovered the first direct evidence that a biological mechanism long suspected in epilepsy is capable of triggering the brain seizures – opening the door for studies to seek improved treatments or even preventative therapies.

Songbirds Shed Light on Brain Circuits & Learning
September 17 | Duke University
By studying how birds master songs of courtship, scientists at Duke University have found that regions of the brain involved in planning and controlling complex vocal sequences may also be necessary for memorizing sounds that serve as models for vocal imitation.

Alzheimer's breaks brain networks' coordination
September 17 | University of Washington
Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have taken one of the first detailed looks into how Alzheimer’s disease disrupts coordination among several of the brain’s networks. The results, reported in The Journal of Neuroscience, include some of the earliest assessments of Alzheimer’s effects on networks that are active when the brain is at rest.

Neural stem cells regenerate axons in severe spinal cord injury
September 13 | UC San Diego
In a study at the University of California, San Diego and VA San Diego Healthcare, researchers were able to regenerate “an astonishing degree” of axonal growth at the site of severe spinal cord injury in rats. Their research revealed that early stage neurons have the ability to survive and extend axons to form new, functional neuronal relays across an injury site in the adult central nervous system (CNS).

How early social deprivation impairs long-term cognitive function
September 13 | Children’s Hospital Boston
A growing body of research shows that children who suffer severe neglect and social isolation have cognitive and social impairments as adults. A study from Boston Children’s Hospital shows, for the first time, how these functional impairments arise: Social isolation during early life prevents the cells that make up the brain’s white matter from maturing and producing the right amount of myelin, the fatty “insulation” on nerve fibers that helps them transmit long-distance messages within the brain.

Nutritional Supplement Offers Promise in Treatment of Unique Form of Autism
September 6 | University of California San Diego
An international team of researchers, led by scientists at the University of California, San Diego and Yale University schools of medicine, have identified a form of autism with epilepsy that may potentially be treatable with a common nutritional supplement.

Storm of 'awakened' transposons may cause brain-cell pathologies in ALS, other illnesses
September 6 | Cold Spring Harbor University
A team of neuroscientists and informatics experts at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) reports important progress in an effort to understand the relationship between transposons – sequences of DNA that can jump around within the genome, potentially causing great damage – and mechanisms involved in serious neurodegenerative disorders including ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease), FTLD (frontotemporal lobar degeneration) and Alzheimer’s disease.

Scientists Dramatically Reduce Plaque-Forming Substances in Mice with Alzheimer’s Disease
September 5 | Ohio State University
Scientists have found that eliminating an enzyme from mice with symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease leads to a 90 percent reduction in the compounds responsible for formation of the plaques linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

Sleep loss linked to increase in Alzheimer’s plaques
September 5 | Washington University
Chronic sleep deprivation in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease makes Alzheimer’s brain plaques appear earlier and more often, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report online this week in Science Express.

University of Minnesota engineering researchers discover new non-invasive method for diagnosing epilepsy
September 3 | University of Minnesota
A team of University of Minnesota biomedical engineers and researchers from Mayo Clinic published a groundbreaking study today that outlines how a new type of non-invasive brain scan taken immediately after a seizure gives additional insight into possible causes and treatments for epilepsy patients. The new findings could specifically benefit millions of people who are unable to control their epilepsy with medication.

Leg compression may enhance stroke recovery
August 28 | Medical College of Georgia
Successive, vigorous bouts of leg compressions following a stroke appear to trigger natural protective mechanisms that reduce damage, researchers report.

Discovery points to new pathways, potential treatment for ALS
August 28 | UMass Medical School
A team of scientists, including faculty at UMass Medical School, have discovered a gene that influences survival time in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).

Low Oxygen Levels May Decrease Life-Saving Protein in Spinal Muscular Atrophy
August 21 | Children's Research Institute
Investigators at Nationwide Children’s Hospital may have discovered a biological explanation for why low levels of oxygen advance spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) symptoms and why breathing treatments help SMA patients live longer. The findings appear in Human Molecular Genetics.

Thinking and Choosing in the Brain
August 21 | California Institute of Technology

Sleep improves memory in people with Parkinson's disease
August 20 | Emory University
People with Parkinson's disease performed markedly better on a test of working memory after a night's sleep, and sleep disorders can interfere with that benefit, researchers have shown.

Black stroke survivors face greater risk from high blood pressure
August 15 | Georgetown
Black people who survived strokes caused by bleeding in the brain were more likely than whites to have high blood pressure a year later – increasing their risk of another stroke, according to a study in the American Heart Association journal Stroke.

First genome-wide association studies of obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome published
August 14 | Massachusetts General

New Study Finds External Stimulation Impacts White Matter Development in the Postnatal Brain
August 13 | Children's Research Institute
A team at Children’s National Medical Center has found that external stimulation has an impact on the postnatal development of a specific region of the brain. Published in Nature Neuroscience, the study used sensory deprivation to look at the growth and collection of NG2-expressing oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (NG2 cells) in the sensory cortex of the brain. This type of research is part of the Center for Neuroscience Research focus on understanding the development and treatment of white matter diseases.

Scripps Research Neuroscientists Find Brain Stem Cells that May Be Responsible for Higher Functions, Bigger Brains
August 9 | Scripps Research Institute
Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have identified a new stem cell population that may be responsible for giving birth to the neurons responsible for higher thinking. The finding also paves the way for scientists to produce these neurons in culture—a first step in developing better treatments for cognitive disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism, which result from disrupted connections among these brain cells.

Beating the Seizure Countdown
August 9 | University of Michigan

Epilepsy Drug Could Help with Alzheimer's-Related Memory Loss
August 6 | Gladstone Institutes
Scientists at the UCSF-affiliated Gladstone Institutes have discovered that an FDA-approved anti-epileptic drug reverses memory loss and alleviates other Alzheimer’s-related impairments in an animal model of the disease.

A Promising Step Forward Toward Muscular Dystrophy Treatment
August 1 | University of Rochester
Scientists have reversed symptoms of myotonic muscular dystrophy in mice by eliminating a buildup of toxic RNA in muscle cells. The work, carried out by scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Isis Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Genzyme, is published in the August 2 issue of Nature.

Gene Discovery Set to Help with Mysterious Paralysis of Childhood
July 31 | Duke
Alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) is a very rare disorder that causes paralysis that freezes one side of the body and then the other in devastating bouts that arise at unpredictable intervals. Seizures, learning disabilities and difficulty walking are common among patients with this diagnosis.

New Drug Could Treat Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis and Brain Injury
July 24 | Northwestern University
A new class of drug developed at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine shows early promise of being a one-size-fits-all therapy for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury by reducing inflammation in the brain.

Key mutations discovered for most common childhood brain cancer
July 22 | Boston Children’s Hospital
Researchers at Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center (DF/CHCC) and several collaborating institutions have linked mutations in specific genes to each of the four recognized subtypes of medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor of children.

Scientists read monkeys’ inner thoughts
July 19 | Washington University
Using a two-photon microscope capable of peering deep within living tissue, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have found new evidence that alpha-synuclein protein build-up inside neurons causes them to not only become “leaky,” but also to misfire due to calcium fluxes.

Protein Build-Up Leads to Neurons Misfiring
July 18 | University of California San Diego

OHSU discovery may lead to new treatment for ALS
July 17 | Oregon Health & Science University
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry have discovered that TDP-43, a protein strongly linked to ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and other neurodegenerative diseases, appears to activate a variety of different molecular pathways when genetically manipulated.

Roots of childhood brain tumors
July 14 | Vanderbilt
Identifying the cellular origins of medulloblastoma – the most common malignant brain tumor in children – may help focus treatment on cell types responsible for tumor initiation. Previous research has linked Sonic hedgehog signaling in neuronal cell precursors within the developing cerebellum to medulloblastoma.

Early-career neuroscientists sought for new UW-based diversity program
July 12 | University of Washington
Neuroscientists from around the country are invited to apply to the program, called BRAINS (Broadening the Representation of Academic Investigators in NeuroScience). The program is for underrepresented minorities in neuroscience who have their doctorate and are in postdoctoral research positions or in the first few years of a faculty job. Applications are due Aug. 15.

Blood-Brain Barrier Less Permeable in Newborns than Adults after Acute Stroke
July 10 | University of San Francisco
The ability for substances to pass through the blood-brain barrier is increased after adult stroke, but not after neonatal stroke, according to a new study the UCSF that will be published July 11 in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Pediatric tumors traced to stem cells in developing brain
July 9 | Washington University
Stem cells that come from a specific part of the developing brain help fuel the growth of brain tumors caused by an inherited condition, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report.

Why chronic pain is all in your head
July 1 | Northwestern
When people have similar injuries, why do some end up with chronic pain while others recover and are pain free? The first longitudinal brain imaging study to track participants with a new back injury has found the chronic pain is all in their heads –- quite literally.

Gene Mutations Cause Massive Brain Asymmetry
June 24 | University of San Diego

Penn Study Describes Molecular Machinery that Pulls Apart Protein Clumps
June 18 | University of Pennsylvania
Amyloid fibers are protein aggregates associated with numerous neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, for which there are no effective treatments.

Researchers Identify New Group of Proteins in the Brains of Alzheimer’s Patients
June 13 | Boston University

Study by UC Santa Barbara Psychologists Reveals How Brain Performs ‘Motor Chunking' Tasks
June 12 | University of California Santa Barbara

Fruit Flies Reveal Mechanism Behind ALS-Like Disease
June 11 | Johns Hopkins
Studying how nerve cells send and receive messages, Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered new ways that genetic mutations can disrupt functions in neurons and lead to neurodegenerative disease, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Sleep debt hikes risk of stroke symptoms despite healthy BMI
June 11 | University of Alabama Birmingham
Getting a good night’s rest continues to be of utmost importance to your health. New data from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows too little sleep can increase the risk for stroke symptoms in people with a healthy body-mass index who are at low risk for obstructive sleep apnea and have no history of stroke.

Gladstone Scientists Reprogram Skin Cells into Brain Cells
June 7 | University of California San Francisco
Scientists at the UCSF-affiliated Gladstone Institutes have for the first time transformed skin cells — with a single genetic factor — into cells that develop on their own into an interconnected, functional network of brain cells.

New Brain Target for Appetite Control Identified
June 7 | Columbia
Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have identified a brain receptor that appears to play a central role in regulating appetite.

Brain Cell Activity Imbalance May Account for Seizure Susceptibility in Angelman Syndrome
June 6 | University of North Carolina
New research by scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine may have pinpointed an underlying cause of the seizures that affect 90 percent of people with Angelman syndrome (AS), a neurodevelopmental disorder.

Blocking LRRK2 activity is not a simple answer to Parkinson’s disease
May 30 | Mayo Clinic
Mutations in the LRRK2 gene are the most common cause of genetic Parkinson’s disease (PD). New research published in BioMed Central’s open access journal Molecular Neurodegeneration demonstrates that loss of function of LRRK2 (by deletion of the kinase domain) leads to changes in motor co-ordination and causes anxiety-like behaviors and kidney degeneration in mice without affecting dopamine-mediated brain activity.

Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Shown to Impact Walking Patterns
May 30 | Kennedy Krieger Institute
In a step towards improving rehabilitation for patients with walking impairments, researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute found that non-invasive stimulation of the cerebellum, an area of the brain known to be essential in adaptive learning, helped healthy individuals learn a new walking pattern more rapidly.

A different drummer: Stanford engineers discover neural rhythms drive physical movement
May 23 | Stanford
The neurons that control movement are not a predictable bunch. Scientists working to decode how such neurons convey information to muscles have been stymied when trying to establish a one-to-one relationship between a neuron’s behavior and factors such as muscle activity or movement velocity.

Chronic Pain is Relieved by Cell Transplantation in Lab Study
May 23 | University of California, San Francisco
Chronic pain, by definition, is difficult to manage, but a new study by UCSF scientists shows how a cell therapy might one day be used not only to quell some common types of persistent and difficult-to-treat pain, but also to cure the conditions that give rise to them.

Study supports urate protection against Parkinson's disease, hints at novel mechanism
May 23 | Massachusettes General
Chronic Pain is Relieved by Cell Transplantation in Lab Study.

Reverse Engineering Epilepsy's 'Miracle' Diet
May 23 | Harvard
Study links seizure resistance to BAD protein, shedding light on the ketogenic diet and possible new therapies.

Weight Struggles? Blame New Neurons in Your Hypothalamus
May 21 | Johns Hopkins
New nerve cells formed in a select part of the brain could hold considerable sway over how much you eat and consequently weigh, new animal research by Johns Hopkins scientists suggests in a study published in the May issue of Nature Neuroscience.

UCLA researchers ID gene variants that speed progression of Parkinson's disease
May 15 | UCLA
UCLA researchers may have found a key to determining which Parkinson's disease patients will experience a more rapid decline in motor function, sparking hopes for the development of new therapies and helping identify those who could benefit most from early intervention.

Robot Reveals the Inner Workings of Brain Cells
May 6 | Georgia Tech
Gaining access to the inner workings of a neuron in the living brain offers a wealth of useful information: its patterns of electrical activity, its shape, even a profile of which genes are turned on at a given moment.

Aspirin and Warfarin Equally Effective for Most Heart Failure Patients
May 3 | Columbia University Medical Center
Neither aspirin nor warfarin is superior for preventing a combined risk of death, stroke, and cerebral hemorrhage inheart failure patients with normal heart rhythm, according to a landmark clinical trial published in the May 3, 2012, New England Journal of Medicine.

How human cells 'hold hands'
April 30 | University of Iowa
UI researchers explore how one cell binds itself to another, shedding light on neurodevelopmental disorders.

How does the immune system fight off threats to the brain?
April 30 | University of Michigan
New U-M research yields fresh insight.

Growing up a neural stem cell: The importance of clinging together and then letting go
April 24 | UCLA

Study points to potential treatment for stroke
April 24 | Stanford University
Stanford University School of Medicine neuroscientists have demonstrated, in a study published online April 24 in Stroke, that a compound mimicking a key activity of a hefty, brain-based protein is capable of increasing the generation of new nerve cells, or neurons, in the brains of mice that have had strokes. The mice also exhibited a speedier recovery of their athletic ability.

How Selective Hearing Works In the Brain
April 18 | University of California, San Francisco
The longstanding mystery of how selective hearing works — how people can tune in to a single speaker while tuning out their crowded, noisy environs — is solved this week in the journal Nature by two scientists from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Parkinson's Protein Causes Disease Spread in Animal Model, Suggesting Way Disorder Progresses Over Time in Humans
April 17 | University of Pennsylvania
Last year, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that small amounts of a misfolded brain protein can be taken up by healthy neurons, replicating within them to cause neurodegeneration.

New MRI Technique May Predict Progress of Dementias
April 10 | University of California, San Francisco
 

Scientists find neural stem cell regulator
University of Colorado
Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have found that lack of a specific gene interrupts neural tube closure, a condition that can cause death or paralysis.

Light switch added to gene tool opens new view of cell development in zebra fish
April 4 | University of Oregon
University of Oregon scientists collaborating with an Oregon company that synthesizes antisense Morpholinos for genetic research have developed a UV light-activated on-off switch for the vital gene-blocking molecule.

Gladstone Scientists Find Increased ApoE Protein Levels May Promote Alzheimer's Disease
April 3 | Gladstone Institute
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have enhanced our understanding of how a protein linked to Alzheimer's disease keeps young brains healthy, but can damage them later in life—suggesting new research avenues for treating this devastating disease.

Penn Biologists Identify a Key Enzyme Involved in Protecting Nerves From Degeneration
March 30 | University of Pennsylvania
A new animal model of nerve injury has brought to light a critical role of an enzyme called Nmnat in nerve fiber maintenance and neuroprotection.

How Genes Organize the Surface of the Brain
March 29 | University of California, San Diego
The first atlas of the surface of the human brain based upon genetic information has been produced by a national team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the VA San Diego Healthcare System.

Once Considered Mainly ‘Brain Glue,’ Astrocytes’ Power Revealed
University of Rochester
A type of cell plentiful in the brain, long considered mainly the stuff that holds the brain together and oft-overlooked by scientists more interested in flashier cells known as neurons, wields more power in the brain than has been realized, according to new research published today in Science Signaling.

USF study finds immediate skull reconstruction after traumatic brain injury worsens brain damage
March 22 | University of South Florida
Immediate skull reconstruction following trauma that penetrates or creates an indentation in the skull can aggravate brain damage inflicted by the initial injury, a study by a University of South Florida research team reports. Using a rat model for moderate and severe traumatic brain injury, the researchers also showed that a delay of just two days in the surgical repair of skull defects resulted in significantly less brain swelling and damage.

Alzheimer’s Disease Spreads Through Linked Nerve Cells, Brain Imaging Studies Suggest
March 21 | University of California, San Francisco
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia may spread within nerve networks in the brain by moving directly between connected neurons, instead of in other ways proposed by scientists, such as by propagating in all directions, according to researchers who report the finding in the March 22 edition of the journal Neuron.

Combination treatment in mice shows promise for fatal neurological disorder in kids
March 15 | Washington University

Researchers ID Gene Behind Primary Cervical Dystonia, a Neck-Twisting Disorder
March 5 | University of Tennessee
Researchers have identified a gene that causes adult-onset primary cervical dystonia, an often-painful condition in which patients' necks twist involuntarily. The discovery by a team from the Jacksonville, Fla., campus of Mayo Clinic and the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center sheds light on a movement disorder that physicians previously could seldom explain. Their research appears in the Annals of Neurology.

New Alzheimer’s marker strongly predicts mental decline
March 5 | University of Washington
A new marker of Alzheimer’s disease can predict how rapidly a patient’s memory and other mental abilities will decline after the disorder is diagnosed, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found.

MGH researchers find desflurane may be safer anesthetic option for patients with Alzheimer's disease
March 1 | Massachusetts General Hospital
The association of the inhaled anesthetic isoflurane with Alzheimer's-disease-like changes in mammalian brains may be caused by the drug's effects on mitochondria, the structures in which most cellular energy is produced. In a study that will appear in Annals of Neurology and has received early online release, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report that administration of isoflurane impaired the performance of mice on a standard test of learning and memory – a result not seen when another anesthetic, desflurane, was administered. They also found evidence that the two drugs have significantly different effects on mitochondrial function.

Study Finds New Genes that Cause Baraitser-Winter Syndrome, a Brain Malformation
February 27 | Seattle Children’s Hospital
Scientists from Seattle Children’s Research Institute and the University of Washington, in collaboration with the Genomic Disorders Group Nijmegen in the Netherlands, have identified two new genes that cause Baraitser-Winter syndrome, a rare brain malformation that is characterized by droopy eyelids and intellectual disabilities.

Cocaine and the teen brain: Yale research offers insights into addiction
February 21 | Yale
When first exposed to cocaine, the adolescent brain launches a strong defensive reaction designed to minimize the drug’s effects, Yale and other scientists have found.

UCLA scientists report link between traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder
February 15 | UCLA
UCLA life scientists and their colleagues have provided the first evidence of a causal link between traumatic brain injury and an increased susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder.

Complex wiring of the nervous system may rely on just a handful of genes and proteins
February 10 | Salk Institute
Researchers at the Salk Institute have discovered a startling feature of early brain development that helps to explain how complex neuron wiring patterns are programmed using just a handful of critical genes.

New class of potential drugs inhibits inflammation in brain
February 9 | Emory University
Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have identified a new group of compounds that may protect brain cells from inflammation linked to seizures and neurodegenerative diseases.

High Triglyceride Levels Found to Independently Predict Stroke Risk in Older Women
February 2 | Albert Einstein College of Medicine
In a surprising finding with significant implications for older women, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and NYU School of Medicine have found that high levels of triglycerides (blood fats) are the strongest risk factor for the most common type of stroke in older women – more of a risk factor than elevated levels of total cholesterol or of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (known as “bad” cholesterol). The study appears online today in Stroke.

Study Shows Alzheimer’s Disease May Spread by ‘Jumping’ from One Brain Region to Another
February 1 | Columbia University
For decades, researchers have debated whether Alzheimer’s disease starts independently in vulnerable brain regions at different times, or if it begins in one region and then spreads to neuroanatomically connected areas. A new study by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers strongly supports the latter, demonstrating that abnormal tau protein, a key feature of the neurofibrillary tangles seen in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s, propagates along linked brain circuits, “jumping” from neuron to neuron.

Scientists decode brain waves to eavesdrop on what we hear
January 31 | UC Berkley
Neuroscientists may one day be able to hear the imagined speech of a patient unable to speak due to stroke or paralysis, according to University of California, Berkeley, researchers.

Disruption of biological clocks causes neurodegeneration, early death
January 10 | Oregon State University
New research at Oregon State University provides evidence for the first time that disruption of circadian rhythms – the biological “clocks” found in many animals – can clearly cause accelerated neurodegeneration, loss of motor function and premature death.

Study reveals enzyme function, could help find muscular dystrophy therapies
January 9 | University of Iowa
Researchers at the University of Iowa have worked out the exact function of an enzyme that is critical for normal muscle structure and is involved in several muscular dystrophies. The findings, which were published Jan. 6 in the journal Science, could be used to develop rapid, large-scale testing of potential muscular dystrophy therapies.

UNC Study Could Lead to a Treatment for Angelman Syndrome
December 21 | University of North Carolina
Results of a new study funded in part by the North Carolina Translational and Clinical Sciences (NC TraCS) Institute may help pave the way to a treatment for a neurogenetic disorder often misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy or autism.

UCSF-Led Team Discovers Cause of Rare Disease
December 16 | UC San Francisco
A large, international team of researchers led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has identified the gene that causes a rare childhood neurological disorder called PKD/IC, or “paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia with infantile convulsions,” a cause of epilepsy in babies and movement disorders in older children.

Alzheimer's drug candidate may be first to prevent disease progression
December 14 | Salk Institute
A new drug candidate may be the first capable of halting the devastating mental decline of Alzheimer's disease, based on the findings of a study published in PLoS ONE.

High levels of tau protein linked to poor recovery after brain injury
December 13 | Washington University
High levels of tau protein in fluid bathing the brain are linked to poor recovery after head trauma, according to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Fondazione IRCCS Ca Granda-Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico in Milan, Italy.

A Novel Mechanism Regulating Stress is Identified
December 13 |Tufts University
Neuroscience researchers from Tufts have demonstrated, for the first time, that the physiological response to stress depends on neurosteroids acting on specific receptors in the brain, and they have been able to block that response in mice. This breakthrough suggests that these critical receptors may be drug therapy targets for control of the stress-response pathway. This finding may pave the way for new approaches to manage a wide range of neurological disorders involving stress.

More Widespread Brain Atrophy Detected in Parkinson's Disease with Newly Developed Structural Pattern
December 12 | University of Pennsylvania
Atrophy in the hippocampus, the region of the brain known for memory formation and storage, is evident in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients with cognitive impairment, including early decline known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), according to a study by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The study is published in the December issue of the Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

New Addressing pain and disease on the fly
December 6 | Brandeis University
Studies of a protein that fruit flies use to sense heat and chemicals may someday provide solutions to human pain and the control of disease-spreading mosquitoes.

Watching Life Develop From a Single Cell
December 5 | Yale School of Medicine
In this video, Yale neuroscientist Daniel Colon-Ramos, Ph.D., describes how he is using a new microscopy technique to watch as neurons arise, migrate and form circuits during embryonic development of the worm C. elegans.

Rebuilding the Brain’s Circuitry
November 28 | Harvard Medical School
Neuron transplants have repaired brain circuitry and substantially normalized function in mice with a brain disorder, an advance indicating that key areas of the mammalian brain are more reparable than was widely believed.

How the Brain Strings Words Into Sentences
November 23 | University of Arizona
Distinct neural pathways are important for different aspects of language processing, researchers have discovered, studying patients with language impairments caused by neurodegenerative diseases.

New 'Culprit' Found in Lou Gehrig's Disease
November 22 | Northwestern University
Following a major Northwestern Medicine breakthrough that identified a common converging point for all forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS and Lou Gehrig’s disease), a new finding from the same scientists further broadens the understanding of why cells in the brain and spinal cord degenerate in the fatal disease.

Implanted Neurons, grown in the lab, take charge of brain circuitry
November 21 | University of Wisconsin-Madison
Among the many hurdles to be cleared before human embryonic stem cells can achieve their therapeutic potential is determining whether or not transplanted cells can functionally integrate into target organs or tissues.

Form and Function: New MRI Technique Measures Brain Structure and Function to Diagnose or Rule Out Alzheimer's Disease
November 16 | University of Pennsylvania
On the quest for safe, reliable and accessible tools to accurately diagnose Alzheimer's disease, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found a new way of diagnosing and tracking Alzheimer's disease, using an innovative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique called Arterial spin labeling (ASL) to measure changes in brain function.

Neurological Disorder Impacts Brain Cells Differently
November 9 | UC San Diego
In a paper published in the November 9 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and University of Washington describe in deeper detail the pathology of a devastating neurological disorder, but also reveal new cellular targets for possibly slowing its development.

First Use of High-Field MRI in Developing Brain Reveals Previously Undetectable Injuries
November 7 | Oregon Health and Science University
New research raises the bar on what can been seen in the brain, supports the potential of high-field MRI for early identification of tiny brain injuries in the preterm infant.

Exercise provides clue to deadly ataxia
November 3 | Baylor College of Medicine

Patterns of New DNA Letter in Brain Suggest Distinct Function
October 31 | Emory

Gladstone Scientists Identify Protein Form Linked to Huntington's Disease
October 31 | Gladstone Institute
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have discovered how a form of the protein linked to Huntington's disease influences the timing and severity of its symptoms, offering new avenues for treating not only this disease, but also a variety of similar conditions.

Yeast model connects Alzheimer's disease risk and amyloid beta toxicity
October 27 | Whitehead Institute
In a development that sheds new light on the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a team of Whitehead Institute scientists has identified connections between genetic risk factors for the disease and the effects of a peptide toxic to nerve cells in the brains of AD patients.

Pre-Term Babies' Exposure to Steroids Associated with Impaired Brain Growth New Network Will Advance Neurological Care
October 27, 2011 | University of Rochester
The University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) has been tapped by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to play a critical role in a new national initiative to accelerate the process of turning promising discoveries into new ways to treat neurological diseases.

Pre-Term Babies' Exposure to Steroids Associated with Impaired Brain Growth
October 19 | UCSF
Premature infants exposed after birth to drugs known as glucocorticoids are at increased risk for having impaired growth of the cerebellum, according to findings from a new UCSF-led study.

Nourishing Protein Slows Brain Disease
October 17, 2011 | Northwestern University
A protein that promotes the growth of neurons and blood vessels appears to stop the progression of a genetic disease that causes degeneration of the cerebellum, according to new preclinical Northwestern Medicine research published in Nature Medicine.

Precision with Stem Cells a Step Forward for Treating M.S., Other Diseases
October 13, 2011 | University of Rochester
Scientists have improved upon their own previous world-best efforts to pluck out just the right stem cells to address the brain problem at the core of multiple sclerosis and a large number of rare, fatal children’s diseases.

New Drug Target for Alzheimer's, Stroke Is Discovered by UB Scientists
October 11, 2011 | University of Buffalo
A tiny piece of a critical receptor that fuels the brain and without which sentient beings cannot live has been discovered by University at Buffalo scientists as a promising new drug target for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Abnormal Parkinson's Disease Protein Induces Degeneration in Healthy Nerve Cells, Penn Study Finds
October 6, 2011 | University of Pennsylvania
Research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has found that small amounts of misshapened brain proteins can be taken up by healthy neurons and replicated within them to cause neurodegeneration.

Biomarker for Huntington’s Disease Identified
October 4, 2011 | Massachusetts General Hospital
In a new research paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition online, researchers identify a transcriptional biomarker that may assist in the monitoring of disease activity and in the evaluation of new medications.

Zinc regulates communication between brain cells
September 21, 2011 | Duke University Medical Center
Zinc has been found to play a critical role in regulating communication between cells in the brain, possibly governing the formation of memories and controlling the occurrence of epileptic seizures.

Genomic catastrophe causes developmental delay, cognitive disorders
September 15, 2011 | Baylor College of Medicine
Using a diversity of DNA sequencing and human genome analytic techniques, researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine have identified some cases of developmental delay or cognitive disorders associated with a sudden chromosomal catastrophe that occurred early in development, perhaps during cell division when DNA is replicated.

USC Scientists Generate First Detailed Map of Human Neuroreceptor
September 11, 2011 | University of Southern California
For the first time, USC scientists have mapped out a neuroreceptor. This scientific breakthrough promises to revolutionize the engineering of drugs used to treat ailments such as Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.

Gladstone Scientist Finds New Target For Treating Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease
September 8, 2011 | Gladstone Institute
A scientist at the Gladstone Institutes has identified how the lack of a brain chemical known as dopamine can rewire the interaction between two groups of brain cells and lead to symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This discovery offers new hope for treating those suffering from this devastating neurodegenerative disease.

Word association: Princeton study matches brain scans with complex thought
August 31, 2011 | Princeton
In an effort to understand what happens in the brain when a person reads or considers such abstract ideas as love or justice, Princeton researchers have for the first time matched images of brain activity with categories of words related to the concepts a person is thinking about. The results could lead to a better understanding of how people consider meaning and context when reading or thinking.

Health reports bone marrow stem cell therapy safe for acute stroke
August 31, 2011 | University of Texas-Houston
Using a patient’s own bone marrow stem cells to treat acute stroke is feasible and safe, according to the results of a ground-breaking Phase I trial at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).

Major ALS Breakthrough
August 22, 2011 | Northwestern
Researchers discover common cause of all forms of ALS. The underlying disease process of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS and Lou Gehrig’s disease), a fatal neurodegenerative disease that paralyzes its victims, has long eluded scientists and prevented development of effective therapies. Scientists weren’t even sure all its forms actually converged into a common disease process. But a new Northwestern Medicine study for the first time has identified a common cause of all forms of ALS.

Researchers identify possible trigger point of epileptic seizures
August 21, 2011 | Standford University
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a brain-circuit defect that triggers absence seizures, the most common form of childhood epilepsy.

Long periods of estrogen deprivation jeopardizes brain receptors, stroke protection
August 2, 2011 | Georgia Health Sciences University
Prolonged estrogen deprivation in aging rats dramatically reduces the number of brain receptors for the hormone as well as its ability to prevent strokes, researchers report.

Scientists discover potential stroke treatment that may extend time to prevent brain damage
July 25, 2011 | Standford
A naturally occurring substance shrank the size of stroke-induced lesions in the brains of experimental mice — even when administered as much as 12 hours after the event, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have shown.

MS Research: Myelin Influences How Brain Cells Send Signals
July 21, 2011 | Ohio State
The development of a new cell-culture system that mimics how specific nerve cell fibers in the brain become coated with protective myelin opens up new avenues of research about multiple sclerosis. Initial findings suggest that myelin regulates a key protein involved in sending long-distance signals.

A Single Traumatic Brain Injury May Prompt Long-Term Neurodegeneration
July 19, 2011 | University of Pennsylvania
Penn Study Shows Years after a single traumatic brain injury (TBI), survivors still show changes in their brains. In a new study, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania suggest that Alzheimer's disease-like neurodegeneration may be initiated or accelerated following a single traumatic brain injury, even in young adults.

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Restores Breathing After Spinal Cord Injury in Rodent Model
July 14, 2011 | Case Western
Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine bridged a spinal cord injury and biologically regenerated lost nerve connections to the diaphragm, restoring breathing in an adult rodent model of spinal cord injury.

Behavioral treatment for migraines a cost-effective alternative to meds, study finds
July 1, 2011 | Wake Forest Health Systems

Rare genetic disorder provides unique insight into Parkinson’s disease
Genetic “Conductor” Involved With New Brain Cell Production in Adults
June 29, 2011 | North Carolina State University
A team of North Carolina State University researchers has discovered more about how a gene connected to the production of new brain cells in adults does its job. Their findings could pave the way to new therapies for brain injury or disease.

Gladstone Scientist Converts Human Skin Cells into Functional Brain Cells
June 28, 2011 | Gladstone Institute
A scientist at the Gladstone Institutes has discovered a novel way to convert human skin cells into brain cells, advancing medicine and human health by offering new hope for regenerative medicine and personalized drug discovery and development.

Rare genetic disorder provides unique insight into Parkinson’s disease
June 23, 2011 | Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital investigators appear to have found the mechanism behind a previously reported link between the rare genetic condition Gaucher disease and the common neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson's disease.

Researchers identify compound that may provide drug therapy approach for Huntington's disease
June 23, 2011 | University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified compounds that appear to inhibit a signaling pathway in Huntington’s disease, a finding that may eventually lead to a potential drug therapy to help slow the progression of degenerative nerve disorders.

New Genes for Risk and Progression of Rare Brain Disease Identified in Penn-led Study
June 19, 2011 | University of Pennsylvania
PennsylvaniaThere are new genetic clues on risk factors and biological causes of a rare neurodegenerative disease called progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), according to a new study from an international genetics team led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Johns Hopkins Researchers Create New Mouse Model of Autism
June 18, 2011 | Johns Hopkins
In an effort to unravel the tangled biology of autism, Johns Hopkins scientists have created a mouse model that mimics a human mutation of a gene known to be associated with autism spectrum disorders.

Mother's determination, next-generation sequencing, art of medicine provide solutions for twins
June 15, 2011 | Baylor College of Medicine
In a report in the current issue of Science Translational Medicine, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, experts in San Diego and at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor describe how the sequencing of the children's whole genome along with that of their older brother and their parents zeroed in on the gene that caused the children's genetic disorder, which enabled physicians to fine-tune the treatment of their disorder.

BWH Researchers Identify Gene Variation Linked to Migraines
June 12, 2011 | Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) have, for the first time, identified three genes, in which genetic variation is associated with an increased risk for migraine headache at the population level. They found that inheritance of any of the three genetic variants altered risk for migraines by 10 – 15 percent.

Gladstone Scientists Discover Drug Candidate for Alzheimer's, Huntington's disease
June 2, 2011 | Gladstone Institute
Precision-tinted glasses seem to help prevent migraines in people whose pain is triggered by certain visual patterns, new research indicates.

Special tinted glasses may stymie migraines
May 13, 2011 | Michigan State

Two Defective Proteins Conspire to Impair the Nerve Cell’s ‘Powerhouse’ in Alzheimer Disease
May 13, 2011 | University of Rochester

What Doesn't Kill The Brain Makes It Stronger
May 12, 2011 | Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins scientists say that a newly discovered "survival protein" protects the brain against the effects of stroke in rodent brain tissue by interfering with a particular kind of cell death that's also implicated in complications from diabetes and heart attack.

Mayo Clinic Finds New Genetic Cause of Neurodegeneration
May 1, 2011 | Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic researchers have discovered two mutations responsible for a devastating neurological condition they first identified 15 years ago.

Cells talk more in areas Alzheimer’s hits first, boosting plaque component
May 1, 2011 | Washington University
Higher levels of cell chatter boost amyloid beta in the brain regions that Alzheimer’s hits first, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report. Amyloid beta is the main ingredient of the plaque lesions that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.

Cholesterol drugs may improve blood flow after stroke
April 25, 2011 | Washington University
Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins may help clot-busting drugs treat strokes, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Why does brain development diverge from normal in autism spectrum disorders
April 13, 2011 | Children’s Hospital

Experimental Alzheimer’s Disease Drugs Might Help Patients With Nerve Injuries
April 13, 2011 | John's Hopkins University

Potassium channel gene modifies epilepsy risk
April 4, 2011 | Vanderbilt University
The findings, reported in the March 29 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could improve molecular diagnostic tools and point to novel therapeutic targets for epilepsy.

Drug screen points the way to potential new Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatments
March 18, 2011 | Children’s Hospital
Armed with a zebrafish model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and a library of 1,200 chemicals already approved for human use, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have identified a compound that reverses the loss of muscle structure and function associated with DMD, seemingly by compensating for the loss of a critical protein.

Drug screen points the way to potential new Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatments
March 18, 2011 | Children’s Hospital
Armed with a zebrafish model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and a library of 1,200 chemicals already approved for human use, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have identified a compound that reverses the loss of muscle structure and function associated with DMD, seemingly by compensating for the loss of a critical protein.

Johns Hopkins team explores PARIS; finds a key to Parkinson’s
March 3, 2011 | Johns Hopkins

New study suggests ALS could be caused by a retrovirus
March 2, 2011 | Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered that PARIS — the protein — facilitates the most common form of Parkinson’s disease (PD), which affects about 1 million older Americans. The findings of their study, published March 4 in Cell, could lead to important new targets for treatment.

Researchers focus on human cells for spinal cord injury repair
March 2, 2011 | University of Rochester
For the first time, scientists discovered that a specific type of human cell, generated from stem cells and transplanted into spinal cord injured rats, provide tremendous benefit, not only repairing damage to the nervous system but helping the animals regain locomotor function as well.

Answers to a rare and tragic form of epilepsy
March 1, 2011 | Stanford
A new study offers critical insight into the biochemistry of a rare and fatal form of epilepsy known as Lafora disease, a genetic condition that typically strikes children in their teens.

ISU research raises hope for solving hope for Parkinson’s disease puzzle
February 28, 2011 | Iowa State
A protein pathway that may hold the secret to understanding Parkinson's disease has been discovered and explained by Iowa State University researchers.

Wayne State University researches publish results settling multiple sclerosis debate
February 23, 2011 | Wayne State
In an effort to develop therapeutic remedies for multiple sclerosis, scientists debate two possible interventional approaches - but they're on opposite sides of the spectrum. Researchers at Wayne State University's School of Medicine, however, have reached a definitive conclusion as to which approach is correct, putting an end to a long-disputed issue.

Communication breakdown: Early defects in sensory synapses in motor neuron disease
February 9, 2011 | Johns Hopkins
New research using a mouse model of the motor neuron disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) reveals an abnormality in the way that sensory information is relayed to motor neurons in the spinal cord.

Scientists link protein to the insulation of the nervous system’s wiring
January 27, 2011 | University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have pinpointed a crucial function for a key player in the development of the nervous system.

Unzipping zinc protects hippocampal neurons
January 4, 2011 | Baylor College
Zinc ions released at the junction between two neurons (called a synapse) are important signals, but when too much zinc accumulates, cells become dysfunctional or die.

University of Maryland researchers lead international effort to identify genetic factors for stroke
December 29, 2010 | University of Maryland

When the brain knows no fear
December 16, 2010 | UCLA

Robot arm improves performances brain-controlled device
December 16, 2010 | University of Chicago
The performance of a brain-machine interface designed to help paralyzed subjects move objects with their thoughts is improved with the addition of a robotic arm providing sensory feedback, a new study from the University of Chicago finds.

Where unconscious memories form
December 15, 2010 | UC Davis
A small area deep in the brain called the perirhinal cortex is critical for forming unconscious conceptual memories, researchers at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain have found.

Researchers offer new hope for stroke patients
December 7, 2010 | Loyola University

Stem Cell Advance a Step Forward for Treatment of Brain Diseases
December 7, 2010 | University of Rochester

Brain Scans Show Effects of Parkinson's drug
November 30, 2010 | Washington University

Study Reveals Neural Basis of Rapid Brain Adaptation
November 22, 2010 | Georgia Tech

Gene Therapy Prevents Memory Problems in Mice with Alzheimer's Disease
November 21, 2010 | Gladstone Institute

First Blood Test to Determine Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson’s Disease Developed by Penn Researchers
November 29, 2010 | University of Pennsylvania

Researchers say stability is step toward treating ALS
November 22, 2010 | Brandeis University

The Pericyte Becomes a Player in Alzheimer’s, Other Neurodegenerative Diseases
November 17, 2010 | University of Rochester
Cells in the brain called pericytes that have not been high on the list of targets for treating diseases like Alzheimer’s may play a more crucial role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases than has been realized.

Natural compound shows promise against Huntington’s disease
November 15, 2010 | Salk Institute
Fisetin, a naturally occurring compound found in strawberries and other fruits and vegetables, slows the onset of motor problems and delays death in three models of Huntington's disease, according to researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Low vitamin D while pregnant or breastfeeding may not be associated with multiple sclerosis relapse
November 8, 2010 | Stanford University
A small study suggests women with multiple sclerosis have lower vitamin D levels during pregnancy and breastfeeding, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the March 2011 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Brain bleeding is common with again, UCI study finds
November 8, 2010 | UC Irvine

Link Between Two Forms of ALS Suggests Drug Target
October 20, 2010 | Massachusetts General Hospital
For the first time, researchers have discovered a disease mechanism that links hereditary amyotrophic lateral sclerosis to the more common "sporadic" form of ALS -- and points to a possible therapeutic target.

GUMC Researchers Find the Blind Use Visual Brain Area to Improve Other Senses
October 6, 2010 | Georgetown University Medical Center
People who have been blind from birth make use of the visual parts of their brain to refine their sensation of sound and touch, according to an international team of researchers led by neuroscientists at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC).

Researchers find possible biomarker to identify seizure-related stress
October 4, 2010 | Brown University
New research from Rhode Island Hospital found that reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein in the brain that encourages growth of neurons, may be a trait marker for individuals with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) (seizures that are psychological in origin).

Parkinson's disease: Excess of special protein identified as key to symptoms and possible new target for treatment with widely used anti-cancer drug imatinib
October 1, 2010 | Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins scientists have discovered that the over-activation of a single protein may shut down the brain-protecting effects of a molecule and facilitate the most common form of Parkinson's disease.

New Gene Associated with Increased Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease
September 23, 2010 | University of Miami
Researchers have identified a gene that appears to increase a person’s risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common type of the disease.

St. Jude Research Study links normal function of protein, not its build up inside cells, to death of neurons
September 22, 2010 | St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
A study led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital investigators links the muscle weakness and other symptoms of a rare neurodegenerative disease to a misstep in functioning of a normal protein, rather than its build-up inside cells.

Gene Limits Learning and Memory in Mice
September 17, 2010 | Emory University
Deleting a certain gene in mice can make them smarter by unlocking a mysterious region of the brain considered to be relatively inflexible, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have found.

Scientists Glimpse Dance of Skeletons Inside Neurons
September 13, 2010 | Emory University
Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have uncovered how a structural component inside neurons performs two coordinated dance moves when the connections between neurons are strengthened.

New Pathway Identified in Parkinson's Through Brain Imaging
September 13, 2010 | Columbia University
A new study led by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center has identified a novel molecular pathway underlying Parkinson’s disease and points to existing drugs which may be able to slow progression of the disease.

New Migraine Gene Discovered
August 30, 2010 | Yale
Having a particular variation of a gene on chromosome 8 may raise the risk of getting migraines, new research shows.

Neuron-damaging mechanism discovered in mouse model of inherited ALS
August 25, 2010 | UC San Diego
New research uncovers what may be a primary neuron-damaging insult that occurs in an inherited form of a devastating neurodegenerative disorder.

Double-therapy approach effectively inhibited brain cancer recurrence
August 24, 2010 | University of Massachusetts
Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School have identified a novel approach of combining chemotherapy with a targeted therapy to decrease the recurrence of glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and aggressive brain tumor.

Researchers Connect APC Protein to Autism and Mental Retardation, Tufts University
August 23, 2010 | Tufts University
A clue to the causes of autism and mental retardation lies in the synapse, the tiny intercellular junction that rapidly transfers information from one neuron to the next.

In breakthrough, nerve connections are regenerated after spinal cord injury
August 8, 2010 | UC Irvine
Researchers for the first time have induced robust regeneration of nerve connections that control voluntary movement after spinal cord injury, showing the potential for new therapeutic approaches to paralysis and other motor function impairments.

New Pathway to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Diseases
July 29, 2010 | Sandford-Burnham Institute
Sanford-Burnham researchers uncover new clues about the cause of brain cell death in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Huntington’s diseases.

Sleep disorder may signal dementia, Parkinson's disease up to 50 years early
July 28, 2010 | Mayo Clinic
A new study shows that a sleep disorder may be a sign of dementia or Parkinson's disease up to 50 years before the disorders are diagnosed. The research is published in the July 28, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Molecular mechanism triggering Parkinson's disease identified in study
July 28, 2010 | Stanford University School of Medicine
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a molecular pathway responsible for the death of key nerve cells whose loss causes Parkinson’s disease.

Johns Hopkins Scientists Discover Brain's Guardian Protein
July 22, 2010 | Johns Hopkins
Hopkins scientists who have spent years killing off brain cells to figure out why and how they die now say their investigations have also shed light on how the brain defends itself.

Traumatic brain injury: A leading cause of death without a champion
July 8, 2010 | University of Washington

Our Brains Are More Like Birds Than We Thought
July 2, 2010 | UC San Diego
A new study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine finds that a comparable region in the brains of chickens concerned with analyzing auditory inputs is constructed similarly to that of mammals.

Gene regulating human brain development identified
July 1, 2010 | Washington University

New model suggests feared side effect of Alzheimer's drugs is unlikely
June 24, 2010 | Washington University
The first trial of a new model for testing Alzheimer's treatments has reassured researchers that a promising class of drugs does not exacerbate the disease if treatment is interrupted.

Study evaluates association of genetic factors and brain imaging findings in Alzheimer's disease
June 14, 2010 | Massachusetts General Hospital

Improving recovery from spinal cord injury
June 9, 2010 | Johns Hopkins

Researchers find gene linked to birth defects
May 30, 2010 | UC San Diego

American Heart Association Rapid Access Journal Report: Blood Clot-related Strokes Decrease Among Whites, But Not Blacks, In Long-term Study
May 29, 2010 | University of Cincinnati
The incidence of blood clot-related strokes fell among whites in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area for the first time, according to long-term surveillance study representative of strokes in blacks and whites nationwide reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Children with Epilepsy Feel Equal to Siblings without Epilepsy
May 24, 2010 | UCLA

People Who Recognize Stroke Symptoms Still May Not Call 9-1-1
May 13, 2010 | University of Michigan
People who realize that stroke symptoms are occurring in a family member or friend still may not call 9-1-1 — delaying vital treatment, according to research published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Discarded Data May be Gateway to New Brain Insights
May 12, 2010 | University of Washington
Scientists regularly discard up to 90 percent of the signals from monitoring of brain waves, one of the oldest techniques for observing changes in brain activity.

Rare Disease in Amish Children Sheds Light on Common Neurological Disorders, Penn Study Shows
May 10, 2010 | University of Pennsylvania
So often the rare informs the common. Penn researchers investigating a regulatory protein involved in a rare genetic disease have shown that it may be related to epileptic and autistic symptoms in other more common neurological disorders.

Mayo Researchers Find Candidate Gene Culprits for Chronic Pain
May 6, 2010 | Mayo Clinic Rochester
Chronic pain severely limits patients' quality of life and is among the cost drivers in U.S. health care. Patients can suffer pain without an apparent cause and often fail to respond to available treatments.

Researchers Discover Genetic Link Between Both Types of ALS
May 5, 2010 | Northwestern
Researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have discovered a link between sporadic and familial forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Discovery of Rare Genetic Mutation Could Help Battle Tourette Syndrome
May 5, 2010 | Yale University
A single, very unusual family with Tourette syndrome (TS) has led Yale School of Medicine researchers to identify a rare mutation in a gene that is required to produce histamine.

Brain May Use Clot-Busting Drug Naturally as Protection Against Stroke
May 4, 2010 | Emory
New research on the properties of the clot-busting stroke drug tPA (tissue-type plasminogen activator) suggests that tPA can act as a neuroprotectant and may form the keystone of an adaptive response to a reduction in blood flow.

Complex Brain Functions Help Adapt to New Situations and Stimuli
April 28, 2010 | Brown University

Key Brain Regions Talk Directly with Each Other, Say Pitt Scientists
April 19, 2010 | University of Pittsburgh
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have found new evidence that the basal ganglia and the cerebellum, two important areas in the central nervous system, are linked together to form an integrated functional network.

Newly Discovered RNA Steers Brain Development
April 14, 2010 | Harvard University

Buck Institute Study Suggests New Strategy for Treatment of Stroke
April 12, 2010 | Buck Institute for Age Research

Massive Yale-Led Genome Analysis Reveals New Genetic Risks for Aneurysms
April 4, 2010 | Yale University
In the largest genome-wide study of brain aneurysms ever conducted, an international team led by researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine have identified three new genetic variants that increase a person’s risk for developing this deadly disease.

New "Mouse Models" Give Insight to Gene Mutation That Is Potential Cause Of Parkinson's Disease
March 31, 2010 | Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Using new one-of-a-kind "mouse models" that promise to have a significant impact on future Parkinson's disease research, Mount Sinai School of Medicine researchers are among the first to discover how mutations in a gene called LRRK2 may cause inherited (or "familial") Parkinson's disease, the most common form of the disease.

Mexican Americans less likely than whites to call 9-1-1 for stroke
March 25, 2010 | University of Michigan
Mexican Americans are 40 percent less likely than non-Hispanic whites to call 9-1-1 and be taken to the hospital via ambulance for stroke — resulting in medical treatment delays — according to a new study reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Key Enzyme Discovered to Be Master Regulator in Protein-Protein Reactions
March 24, 2010 | Brown University
New research at Brown University explains how a key enzyme, PP1, functions in protein-protein interactions.

New Tissue-Hugging Implant Maps Heart Electrical Activity in Unprecedented Detail
March 24, 2010 | The University of Pennsylvania
A team of cardiologists, materials scientists, and bioengineers have created and tested a new type of implantable device for measuring the heart's electrical output that they say is a vast improvement over current devices.

Warfarin Users Appear More Likely to Develop Brain Bleeding Following Stroke Treatment
March 8, 2010 | Rush University
Patients already taking warfarin who develop an acute stroke appear more likely to experience a brain hemorrhage following treatment with tPA, an intravenous clot-dissolving medication, even if their blood-clotting function appears normal, according to a study by researchers at Rush University Medical Center.

Loss of enzyme reduces neural activity in Angelman Syndrome
March 4, 2010 | Harvard University
Angelman Syndrome is a rare but serious genetic disorder that causes a constellation of developmental problems in affected children, including mental retardation, lack of speech, and in some cases, autism.

Gene therapy reverses effects of lethal childhood muscle disorder in mice
February 28, 2010 | Ohio State University
Reversing a protein deficiency through gene therapy can correct motor function, restore nerve signals and improve survival in mice that serve as a model for the lethal childhood disorder spinal muscular atrophy, new research shows.

Blacks Much Less Likely to Know They Have Heart Condition or to Use Treatment for It, Says Mayo Clinic Researcher
February 3, 2010 | Mayo Clinic

Melatonin Precursor Stimulates Growth Factor Circuits in Brain
February 3, 2010 | Emory University
Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have discovered unexpected properties for a precursor to melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep cycles.

Brain Responses During Anesthesia Mimic Those During Natural Deep Sleep
January 27, 2010 | University of Wisconsin-Madison
The brains of people under anesthesia respond to stimuli as they do in the deepest part of sleep - lending credence to a developing theory of consciousness and suggesting a new method to assess loss of consciousness in conditions such as coma.

U.S. Parkinson's rates highest in whites, Hispanics, and Midwest, Northeast
January 27, 2010 | Washington University
The largest epidemiological study of Parkinson's disease in the United States has found that the disease is more common in the Midwest and the Northeast and is twice as likely to strike whites and Hispanics as blacks and Asians.

New Class of Brain-Protecting Drugs Emerging
January 25, 2010 | Emory University
Researchers have identified a compound that mimics one of the brain's own growth factors and can protect brain cells against damage in several animal models of neurological disease.

A Novel Brain-based Computational Model of how Parkinson's Disease and Dopamine Medications Affect Learning and Attention
January 20, 2010 | Rutgers
A new brain-based computational model is helping to understand how Parkinson's disease and dopamine medications-used to treat motor symptoms caused by the disease- can affect learning and attention.

New compound improves cognitive decline, symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in rodents
January 12, 2010 | Wake Forest University
A fast-acting compound that appears to improve cognitive function impairments in mice similar to those found in patients with progressive Alzheimer's disease has been identified by scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Program in Drug Discovery.

Gladstone Scientists Identify Role of Key Protein in ALS and Frontotemporal Dementia
January 12, 2010 | Gladstone Institute
Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND) have identified the reason a key protein plays a major role in two neurodegenerative diseases.

Johns Hopkins scientists discover a controller of brain circuitry
December 28, 2009 | Johns Hopkins
By combining a research technique that dates back 136 years with modern molecular genetics, a Johns Hopkins neuroscientist has been able to see how a mammal's brain shrewdly revisits and reuses the same molecular cues to control the complex design of its circuits.

Columbia Scientists Discover Two Genes That Drive Aggressive Brain Cancers
December 23, 2009 | Columbia University
A team of Columbia scientists have discovered two genes that, when simultaneously activated, are responsible for the most aggressive forms of human brain cancer.

New Web Tool May Help Predict Risk of Second Stroke
December 16, 2009 | Massachusetts General Hospital
Scientists have developed a new web-based tool that may better predict whether a person will suffer a second stroke within 90 days of a first stroke, according to research published in the December 16, 2009, online issue of Neurology the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Boosting Kids' Stroke IQ May Save Lives
December 15, 2009 | University of Michigan
Stroke-related disability could be reduced by teaching children how to spot the signs of stroke in relatives and to call 911 immediately, a new study shows.

Irregular arm swing may point to Parkinson's disease
December 10, 2009 | Penn State
Irregular arm swings while walking could be an early sign of Parkinson's disease, according to neurologists who believe early detection may help physicians apply treatments to slow further brain cell damage until strategies to slow disease progression are available.

Tiny molecule slows progression of Lou Gehrig's disease in mice, researchers find
December 10, 2009 | University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that a molecule produced naturally by muscles in response to nerve damage can reduce symptoms and prolong life in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Heart disease fighter may also help block Alzheimer's
December 9, 2009 | Washington University
A receptor that removes cholesterol from the blood also may reduce the formation of brain plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease, suggest researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Coaxing injured nerve fibers to regenerate by disabling 'brakes' in the system
December 9, 2009 | Children's Hospital of Boston
Brain and spinal-cord injuries typically leave people with permanent impairment because the injured nerve fibers (axons) cannot regrow.

HIV-related memory loss linked to Alzheimer's protein
December 8, 2009 | Washington University
More than half of HIV patients experience memory problems and other cognitive impairments as they age, and doctors know little about the underlying causes.

Parasite evades death by promoting host cell survival
December 8, 2009 | Tufts University
The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (or T. cruzi), which causes Chagas' disease, will go to great lengths to evade death once it has infected human host cells,researchers have discovered.

With Amino Acid Diet, Improvement After Brain Injury
December 7, 2009 | University of Pennsylvania
Neurology researchers have shown that feeding amino acids to brain-injured animals restores their cognitive abilities and may set the stage for the first effective treatment for cognitive impairments suffered by people with traumatic brain injuries.

Lifelong memories linked to stable nerve connections
December 3, 2009 | New York University
Our ability to learn new information and adapt to changes in our daily environment, as well as to retain lifelong memories, appears to lie in the minute junctions where nerve cells communicate, according to a new study by NYU Langone Medicine Center researchers.

Gladstone scientists identify strategies to protect new brain cells against Alzheimer's disease
December 3, 2009 | Gladstone Inst.

Discovery makes brain tumor cells more responsive to radiation
December 2, 2009 | Duke University

Preventing repeat strokes - are survivors taking their medicine?
December 1, 2009 | Sepulveda Research

Tumor-Attacking Virus Strikes With One-Two Punch
December 1, 2009 | Ohio State University
Ohio State University cancer researchers have developed a tumor-attacking virus that both kills brain-tumor cells and blocks the growth of new tumor blood vessels.

Nervy research: Researchers take initial look at ion channels in a model system
December 1, 2009 | UC Irvine

Glial cells can cross from the central to the peripheral nervous system
December 1, 2009 | Vanderbilt

Brain's fear center is equipped with a built-in suffocation sensor
November 25, 2009 | University of Iowa

Moderate-to-Heavy Exercise May Reduce Risk of Stroke for Men
November 23, 2009 | Columbia University

Sounds During Sleep May Aid Memory, Study Says
November 20, 2009 | Northwestern University

Schizophrenia gene's role may be broader, more potent, than thought
November 19, 2009 | University of California, San Francisco

Cognitive Dysfunction Reversed in Mouse Model of Down Syndrome
November 18, 2009 | University of California, San Diego
A study by neuroscientist William C. Mobley, MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and colleagues at Stanford University Medical School has demonstrated a possible new approach to slowing the inevitable progression of cognitive decline found in Down syndrome.

In new study, BMC researcher firms up links between smoking, ALS
November 17, 2009 | Baystate Medical Center

Researchers Find Potential Treatment for Huntington's Disease
November 15, 2009 | Burnham Institute

Novel mouse gene reduces major pathologies associated with Alzheimer's disease
November 11, 2009 | Burnham Institute for Medical Research
A new study reveals that a previously undiscovered mouse gene reduces the two major pathological perturbations commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Eliminating Scar Tissue: Researchers Stabilize and Improve Delivery of Enzyme that Digests Scar Tissue, Enables Spinal Cord Regeneration
November 2, 2009 | Georgia Tech
Researchers have developed an improved version of an enzyme that degrades the dense scar tissue that forms when the central nervous system is damaged.

Combinatorial therapy elicits spinal cord regeneration more than a year after injury
October 28, 2009 | University of California, San Diego
Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report that regeneration of central nervous system axons can be achieved in rats even when treatment delayed is more than a year after the original spinal cord injury.

Compound Shows Potential for Slowing Progression of ALS
October 19, 2009 | University of Rochester
A chemical cousin of a drug currently used to treat sepsis dramatically slows the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, in mice.

Protein may predict heart attack and early death, not stroke
October 19, 2009 | Columbia University

Researchers reveal mechanism for neuron self-preservation
October 19, 2009 | Rockefeller University

Study Conclusively Ties Rare Disease Gene to Parkinson's
October 19, 2009 | The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
An international team led by a National Institutes of Health researcher has found that carriers of a rare, genetic condition called Gaucher's disease face a risk of developing Parkinson's disease more than five times greater than the general public.

Rare Procedure Documents How the Human Brain Computes Language
October 15, 2009 | University of California, San Diego
A study by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine reports a significant breakthrough in explaining gaps in scientists' understanding of human brain function.

BCM scientists find 'molecular trigger' for sudden death in epilepsy
October 14, 2009 | Baylor College of Medicine

A balancing act in Parkinson's disease: Phosphorylation of alpha-synuclein
October 12, 2009 | Brigham & Women's Hospital

Scientists encouraged by new mouse model's similarities to human ALS
October 12, 2009 | Washington University

Study pinpoints key mechanism in brain development, raising questions about use of antiseizure drug
October 8, 2009 | Stanford University

Researchers identify genes associated with onset age of Parkinson's disease
October 7, 2009 | Boston University

Parkinson's disease may increase crash risk in low visibility
October 6, 2009 | University of Iowa

UNC Study Pinpoints Gene Controlling Number of Brain Cells
October 4, 2009 | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Using Synthetic Evolution to Study the Brain: Researchers Model Key Part of Neurons
October 2, 2009 | Northwestern University

Estrogen Plays Key Role in Male Brain Development
October 1, 2009 | University of California, San Francisco

Sleep loss linked to increase in Alzheimer's plaques
September 24, 2009 | Washington University in St. Louis
Chronic sleep deprivation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease makes Alzheimer's brain plaques appear earlier and more often, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report online this week in Science Express.

Mechanism for Potential Friedreich's Ataxia Drug
September 23, 2009 | The Scripps Research Institute
Using clever chemistry, a Scripps Research team has pinpointed the enzyme target of a drug group that stops the progression of the devastating disease Friedreich's ataxia in mice and may do the same for humans.

UI scientists use blood brain barrier as therapy delivery system
September 21, 2009 | The University of Iowa

UCLA scientists make paralyzed rats walk again after spinal-cord injury
September 20, 2009 | University of California, Los Angeles
UCLA researchers have discovered that a combination of drugs, electrical stimulation and regular exercise can enable paralyzed rats to walk and even run while supporting their full weight on a treadmill.

Pediatric strokes more than twice as common as previously reported
September 17, 2009 | University of California, San Francisco

Photoswitches shed light on “burst swimming” in zebrafish
September 16, 2009 | University of California, San Francisco
A new way to select and switch on one cell type in an organism using light has helped answer a long-standing question about the function of one class of enigmatic nerve cells in the spinal cord.

Gene mutation causes severe epilepsy, febrile seizures in thousands of infants worldwide
September 16, 2009 | University of Utah

Neurons found to be similar to Electoral College
September 14, 2009 | Northwestern

MassGeneral Hospital for Children study explains some mysteries of neonatal seizures
September 9, 2009 | Massachusetts General Hospital
A study led by MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) investigators is providing new insight into the mechanism of neonatal seizures, which have features very different from seizures in older children and adults.

Nicotine creates stronger memories, cues to drug use
September 9, 2009 | Baylor College of Medicine
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine say nicotine, the addictive component in cigarettes, "tricks" the brain into creating memory associations between environmental cues and smoking behavior.

Cancer drug may improve memory in Alzheimer’s patients
September 6, 2009 | Columbia University
A drug belonging to a class of compounds now used to treat cancer may also be able to restore memory deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

MSU researchers use newborn blood data to study cerebral palsy
September 1, 2009 | Michigan State University

Gene mutation alone causes transmissible prion disease
August 26, 2009 | Whitehead Institute
For the first time, Whitehead Institute researchers have shown definitively that mutations associated with prion diseases are sufficient to cause a transmissible neurodegenerative disease.

Scientists get first close look at stimulated brain
August 26, 2009 | Harvard Medical School
With the aid of optical imaging technology, researchers have for the first time been able to see how neurons react to electrical stimulation.

High blood pressure linked to memory problems in middle age
August 24, 2009 | University of Alabama

Fragile period of childhood brain development could underlie epilepsy
August 24, 2009 | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
A form of partial epilepsy associated with auditory and other sensory hallucinations has been linked to the disruption of brain development during early childhood.

Some brain tumors may be mediated by tiny filament on cells
August 24, 2009 | University of California San Francisco
UCSF scientists have discovered that a tiny filament extending from cells, until recently regarded as a remnant of evolution, may play a role in the most common malignant brain tumor in children.

Mighty mice: Treatment targeted to muscle improves motor neuron disease
August 12, 2009 | University of Pennsylvania
New research with transgenic mice reveals that a therapy directed at the muscle significantly improves disease symptoms of a genetic disorder characterized by destruction of the neurons that control movement.

Avian influenza strain primes brain for Parkinson's disease
August 10, 2009 | St. Jude's Research Hospital
At least one strain of the H5N1 avian influenza virus leaves survivors at significantly increased risk for Parkinson's disease and possibly other neurological problems later in life, according to new research from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

New class of compounds discovered for potential Alzheimer's disease drug
August 10, 2009 | University of of California, San Diego
A new class of molecules capable of blocking the formation of specific protein clumps that are believed to contribute to Alzheimer's disease pathology has been discovered by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Researchers identify itch-specific neurons in mice, hope for better treatments
August 6, 2009 | Washington University School of Medicine

Abnormal brain circuits may prevent movement disorder
August 4, 2009 | N. Shore Long Island Jewish Research Institute

Is there long-term brain damage after bypass surgery? More evidence puts the blame on heart disease
August 3, 2009 | Johns Hopkins University
Brain scientists and cardiac surgeons at Johns Hopkins have evidence from 227 heart bypass surgery patients that long-term memory losses and cognitive problems they experience are due to the underlying coronary artery disease itself and not ill after-effects from having used a heart-lung machine.

Finding the right connection after spinal cord injury
August 2, 2009 | University of California, San Diego
In a major step in spinal cord injury research, scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have demonstrated that regenerating axons can be guided to their correct targets and re-form connections after spinal cord injury.

Timing is everything: Growth factor keeps brain development on track
July 17, 2009 | Salk Institute

Mayo Clinic researchers find previous exercise helps stroke patients recover faster
July 16, 2009 | Mayo Clinic
A person who has exercised regularly prior to the onset of a stroke appears to recover more quickly, say researchers from Mayo Clinic in Florida, who led a national study.

St. Jude scientists discover mechanism controlling neuronal migration
July 15, 2009 | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Understanding how neurons migrate to their proper place during brain development will offer insights into how malfunctions in the machinery cause epilepsy and mental retardation.

New method may accelerate drug discovery for difficult diseases like Parkinson's
July 13, 2009 | Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

New study pinpoints difference in the way children with autism learn new behaviors
July 06, 2009 | Kennedy Krieger Institute
Researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have collaborated to uncover important new insights into the neurological basis of autism.

Measuring brain atrophy in patients with mild cognitive impairment
June 16, 2009 | UC San Diego Medical Center
New, automated way of measuring brain structures appears effective in predicting progression to Alzheimer's Disease

Most common brain cancer may originate in neural stem cells
June 01, 2009 | University of Michigan Health System
Findings in mice suggest greater hope for targeting brain cancer, but also greater caution in pursuing stem cell treatments for degenerative diseases

Should I stay or should I go? Neural mechanisms of strategic decision making
May 27, 2009 | Cell Press
A new study demonstrates that when faced with a difficult decision, the human brain calls upon multiple neural systems that code for different sorts of behaviors and strategies.

Brain activation predicts risky decisions strategies
May 27, 2009 | Duke Institute for Brain Sciences
Watching people's brains in real time as they handle a set of decision-making problems can reveal how different each person's strategy can be, according to Duke brain scientists.

Some neural tube defects in mice linked to enzyme deficiency
May 25, 2009 | Washington University in St. Louis
Women of childbearing age can reduce the risk of having a child born with a neural tube defect such as spina bifida by eating enough folate or folic acid.

Last updated April 16, 2013