http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. The motor neuron disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, progresses in a stepwise, sequential pattern which can be classified into four distinct stages, report pathologists with the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in the Annals of Neurology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-staging-als-potential-tracks-disease.html Neuroscience Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:58:16 EST news290858240 Changes in the pattern of connections in the resting brain predict the extent to which stroke patients will recover following rehabilitation, according to new research led by Cuntai Guan of the A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research, Singapore and Karen Chua of the Tan Tock Sen Hospital, Singapore, in collaboration with Bálint Várkuti of the University of Tübingen, Germany. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-based-brain-computer-interfaces-superior-robot-assisted.html Neuroscience Wed, 05 Jun 2013 07:23:46 EST news289635816 Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques aimed at mental and neurological conditions include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for depression, and transcranial direct current (electrical) stimulation (tDCS), shown to improve memory. Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) has also shown promise. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-brain-ultrasound-mood.html Neuroscience Thu, 16 May 2013 10:32:06 EST news287919117 (HealthDay)—A brain-machine interface can be used to control an anthropomorphic prosthetic arm with 10 degrees-of-freedom, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, held from April 27 to May 1 in New Orleans. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-aans-brain-machine-interface-prosthetic.html Neuroscience Thu, 02 May 2013 06:20:01 EST news286690401 Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is being increasingly explored as a therapeutic tool for movement disorders associated with deficient inhibition throughout the central nervous system. This includes treatment of focal hand dystonia (FHD), characterized by involuntary movement of the fingers either curling into the palm or extending outward. A new study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience reports short-term changes in behavioral, physiologic, and clinical measures that support further research into the therapeutic potential of rTMS. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-short-term-benefits-repetitive-transcranial-magnetic.html Neuroscience Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:28:25 EST news284732815 (Medical Xpress)—Neuroscientists face a multitude of challenges in their efforts to better understand the human brain. If not for model organisms such as the rat, they might never know what really goes on inside our heads. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-rats-brains-scientists-previously-thought.html Neuroscience Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:31:55 EST news283595506 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. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-mice-rewires-brain-centers.html Neuroscience Tue, 05 Feb 2013 09:50:26 EST news279280216 (Medical Xpress)—A Queen's University study is giving new insight into how the neurons in our brains control our limbs. The research might one day help with the design of more functional artificial limbs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-brains-limbs.html Neuroscience Wed, 16 Jan 2013 08:34:28 EST news277547643 (Medical Xpress)—Neurobiologists at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI) are the first to show that directional migration of neurons during brain development is controlled through epigenetic processes. In an elaborate study bridging epigenetics and neurobiology, the scientists found that the migratory pattern is orchestrated through epigenetic regulation of genes within neurons and spatial signals in the environment. Their study has been published in Science. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-epigenetic-orchestrate-neuronal-migration.html Neuroscience Fri, 11 Jan 2013 06:44:23 EST news277109054 Pentagon-backed scientists on Monday announced they had created a robot hand that was the most advanced brain-controlled prosthetic limb ever made. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-mind-controlled-paralysed.html Neuroscience Mon, 17 Dec 2012 05:13:41 EST news274943613 (HealthDay)—Adolescents who were born prematurely have reduced neuroplasticity, which may explain their motor, learning, and memory difficulties, according to a study published in the Nov. 14 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-neuroplasticity-teens-born-prematurely.html Neuroscience Mon, 10 Dec 2012 04:30:01 EST news274333507 The cortical mechanisms governing speech are not well understood because it is extremely challenging to measure the activity of the brain in action, that is, during speech production. Researchers in Japan have found modulation of mu-rhythms in the cortex related to speech production. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-mu-rhythm-brain-neural-mechanism-speech.html Neuroscience Wed, 05 Dec 2012 06:51:20 EST news273912667 By using noninvasive stimulation, researchers were able to temporarily improve the ability of people with spinal cord injuries to use their hands. The findings, reported on November 29th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, hold promise in treating thousands of people in the United States alone who are partially paralyzed due to spinal cord injury. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-spinal-cord-injury-noninvasive.html Neuroscience Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:59:22 EST news273416324 Kangaroo Mother Care—a technique in which a breastfed premature infant remains in skin-to-skin contact with the parent's chest rather than being placed in an incubator—has lasting positive impact on brain development, revealed Université Laval researchers in the October issue of Acta Paediatrica. Very premature infants who benefited from this technique had better brain functioning in adolescence—comparable to that of adolescents born at term—than did premature infants placed in incubators. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-preemies-brains-reap-long-term-benefits.html Pediatrics Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:11:15 EST news267271836 Researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute have developed a new method of statistical analysis that can estimate the extent to which the activity of multiple neurons is group-wise synchronized. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-statistical-method-synchronized-neural-animals.html Neuroscience Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:41:37 EST news263212884 UT Dallas researchers recently demonstrated how nerve stimulation paired with specific experiences, such as movements or sounds, can reorganize the brain. This technology could lead to new treatments for stroke, tinnitus, autism and other disorders. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-brain-tinnitus-treatments.html Neuroscience Thu, 19 Jul 2012 11:02:31 EST news261914544 After stroke, patients often suffer from dysphagia, a swallowing disorder that results in greater healthcare costs and higher rates of complications such as dehydration, malnutrition, and pneumonia. In a new study published in the July issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, researchers have found that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which applies weak electrical currents to the affected area of the brain, can enhance the outcome of swallowing therapy for post-stroke dysphagia. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-electrical-brain-alleviate-swallowing-disorders.html Neuroscience Mon, 02 Jul 2012 11:05:42 EST news260445914 Unlike their visual cousins, 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 external factors such as muscle activity or movement velocity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-drummer-neural-rhythms-physical-movement.html Neuroscience Sun, 03 Jun 2012 13:00:04 EST news257923024 What happens at the level of individual neurons while we learn? This question intrigued the neuroscientist Daniel Huber, who recently arrived at the Department of Basic Neuroscience at the University of Geneva. During his stay in the United States, he and his team tried to unravel the network mechanisms underlying learning and memory at the level of the cerebral cortex. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-neurons.html Neuroscience Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:29:48 EST news254577648 Chronic migraine sufferers saw significant pain relief after four weeks of electrical brain stimulation in the part of the brain responsible for voluntary movement, the motor cortex, according to a new study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-migraine-patients-pain-relief-electrical.html Medical research Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:50:22 EST news254134191 Impaired social function is a cardinal symptom of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). One of the brain circuits that enable us to relate to other people is the "mirror neuron" system. This brain circuit is activated when we watch other people, and allows our brains to represent the actions of others, influencing our ability to learn new tasks and to understand the intentions and experiences of other people. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-mirror-brain-autism.html Autism spectrum disorders Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:06:37 EST news249912274 A new drug is showing promise in shielding against the harmful effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats, according to a study that was released today and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans April 21 to April 28, 2012. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-treatment-traumatic-brain-injury-animals.html Neuroscience Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:54:33 EST news248892860 New connections between brain cells emerge in clusters in the brain as animals learn to perform a new task, according to a study published in Nature on February 19 (advance online publication). Led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, the study reveals details of how brain circuits are rewired during the formation of new motor memories. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-brain-cells-clusters.html Neuroscience Sun, 19 Feb 2012 13:00:15 EST news248869230 Spinal degeneration is an unavoidable part of aging. For some, it leads to compression of the spinal cord which can cause problems with dexterity, numbness in the hands, the ability to walk, and in some cases, bladder and bowel function. Now, new research from The University of Western Ontario looks beyond the spinal cord injury in these patients to better understand what is happening in the brain. Researchers Robert Bartha, Dr. Neil Duggal and Izabela Kowalczyk found patients with spinal cord compression also had changes in the motor cortex of the brain. The findings are published in Brain. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-brain-patients-spinal-cord-compression.html Neuroscience Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:57:53 EST news243230264 A team of physicians and scientists at Barrow Neurological Institute, in collaboration with colleagues in the Ukraine, have written a first-of-its-kind biography of Ukranian anatomist and histologist Vladimir Betz. The article, "The Discovery of the Pyramidal Neurons: Vladimir Betz and a New Era of Neuroscience," appears in the November 2011 issue of the medical journal, Brain. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-barrow-physicians-chronicle-vladimir-betz.html Other Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:01:53 EST news242560480 New research shows that you can reduce racial prejudice simply by having a person mimic the movements of a member of the race he or she is prejudiced against. The method may work by activating brain mechanisms that contribute to feelings of empathy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-prejudice-imitation.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:25:46 EST news236859936 The research team led by Prof. Samuel Lo, Associate Head of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, recently discovered that chronic exposure to low-dose methyl-mercury, an environmental contaminant commonly found in seafood, may increase the risk of developing neurodegenerative disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-chronic-exposure-methyl-mercury-neurodegenerative-disease.html Health Thu, 04 Aug 2011 07:00:01 EST news231658411 Scientists tried creating a laboratory model of idiopathic torsion dystonia, a neurological condition marked by uncontrolled movements, particularly twisting and abnormal postures. But the genetic defect that causes dystonia in humans didn't seem to work in the laboratory models that showed no symptoms whatsoever. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-scientists-abnormal-disease-pathway-dystonia.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:17:19 EST news221840214