Brain

New estrogen-based compound suppresses binge-like eating behavior in female mice

HOUSTON – (Aug. 26, 2014) – Binge eating, an eating disorder in which a person frequently consumes unusually large amounts of food in a short period of time, affects about 5 to 10 percent of U.S. adults and is more common in women than men. Researchers at the USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital found that the hormone estrogen can specifically trigger brain serotonin neurons to inhibit binge eating in female mice in a report today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Researchers discover fever's origin

Fever is a response to inflammation, and is triggered by an onset of the signaling substance prostaglandin. Researchers at Linköping University in Sweden can now see precisely where these substances are produced – a discovery that paves the way for smarter drugs.

When you take an aspirin, all production of prostaglandins in the body is suppressed. All symptoms of inflammation are eased simultaneously, including fever, pain and loss of appetite. But it might not always be desirable to get rid of all symptoms – there is a reason why they appear.

Young children's sipping/tasting of alcohol reflects parental modeling

  • A new study examines antecedent predictors of childhood initiation of sipping or tasting alcohol.
  • Findings indicate that initiation of sipping/tasting was less related to psychosocial proneness for problem behavior and more related to perceived parental approval for child sipping.

EPO may help reduce risk of brain abnormalities in preterm infants

High-dose erythropoietin (EPO; a hormone) administered within 42 hours of birth to preterm infants was associated with a reduced risk of brain injury, as indicated by magnetic resonance imaging, according to a study in the August 27 issue of JAMA.

EPO: Protecting the brains of very preterm infants

Premature babies are far more at risk than infants born at term of developing brain damage resulting in neurodevelopmental delay that may persist throughout their lives. A team of specialists in infant brain imaging from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the University Hospital of Geneva (HUG) has demonstrated the following: administering three doses of erythropoietin – a hormone that stimulates the formation of red blood cells – immediately after birth significantly reduces brain damage in babies.

Attacking a rare disease at its source with gene therapy

PHILADELPHIA — Treating the rare disease MPS I is a challenge. MPS I, caused by the deficiency of a key enzyme called IDUA, eventually leads to the abnormal accumulation of certain molecules and cell death.

Unprecedented detail of intact neuronal receptor offers blueprint for drug developers

Argonne, Ill.– Scientists succeeded in obtaining an unprecedented view of a type of brain-cell receptor that is implicated in a range of neurological illnesses, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, depression, schizophrenia, autism, and ischemic injuries associated with stroke.

Lack of naturally occuring protein linked to dementia

Scientists at the University of Warwick have provided the first evidence that the lack of a naturally occurring protein is linked to early signs of dementia.

Published in Nature Communications, the research found that the absence of the protein MK2/3 promotes structural and physiological changes to cells in the nervous system. These changes were shown to have a significant correlation with early signs of dementia, including restricted learning and memory formation capabilities.

Brain benefits from weight loss following bariatric surgery

Washington, DC—Weight loss surgery can curb alterations in brain activity associated with obesity and improve cognitive function involved in planning, strategizing and organizing, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

Obesity can tax the brain as well as other organs. Obese individuals face a 35 percent higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to normal weight people.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia reports on 100 recent fetal surgeries for spina bifida

Philadelphia, Aug. 25, 2014 – Reporting on 100 recent cases of fetal surgery for spina bifida, specialists at a premier fetal surgery program achieved results similar to those published three years previously in a landmark clinical trial that established a new standard of care for prenatal repair of this birth defect.

Study finds less domestic violence among married couples who smoke pot

BUFFALO, N.Y. – New research findings from a study of 634 couples found that the more often they smoked marijuana, the less likely they were to engage in domestic violence.

The study, conducted by researchers in the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions and Research Institute on Addictions (RIA), appeared in the online edition of Psychology of Addictive Behaviors in August.

Fiber-based satiety ingredient shown to make you eat less

Scientists from the University of Liverpool have demonstrated the effectiveness of a fibre-based dietary ingredient that makes people feel less hungry and consume less food.

Study calls into question link between prenatal antidepressant exposure and autism risk

Previous studies that have suggested an increased risk of autism among children of women who took antidepressants during pregnancy may actually reflect the known increased risk associated with severe maternal depression.

Unusual neural connection between injured cingulum and brainstem in a SAH patients

The cingulum is an important pathway for cholinergic innervation for the cerebral cortex. Many studies have reported connections between the cholinergic nuclei, especially between the cholinergic nuclei in the basal forebrain and those in the brainstem via the fornix and thalamus. However, little is known about the connection between cholinergic nuclei in the basal forebrain and cholinergic nuclei in the brainstem via the cingulum. Even no study on this phenomenon after cerebral hemorrhage has been reported. Dr.

Molecular regulation of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage

Oligodendrocyte lineage gene 1 (Olig1) plays a key role in hypoxic-ischemic brain damage and myelin repair. miRNA-9 is involved in the occurrence of many related neurological disorders. Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that miRNA-9 complementarily, but incompletely, bound oligodendrocyte lineage gene 1, but whether miRNA-9 regulates oligodendrocyte lineage gene 1 remains poorly understood. Dr.