Thursday, April 2, 2015

Brain Research: New stent devices fight strokes ♦ Antioxidant therapy promising in concussion treatment ♦ New way of analyzing brain data

Sea slug provides new way of analyzing brain data Scientists say our brains may not be as complicated as we once thought -- and they're using sea slugs to prove it. “This research introduces new methods for pulling apart neural circuits to expose their inner building blocks. Our methods could be used to help understand how brain networks change in disease states and how drugs act to restore normal brain function,” authors say.
New stent devices fight strokes In certain stroke patients, a new device called a stent retriever can reverse symptoms and limit stroke damage. The "stentriever," deployed with a catheter, restores blood flow and retrieves a blood clot from the brain.
Migrating immune cells promote nerve cell demise in the brain The death of dopamine-producing nerve cells in a certain region of the brain is the principal cause underlying Parkinson's disease. In mice, it is possible to simulate the Parkinson's symptoms using a substance that selectively kills dopamine-producing neurons. Scientists have now shown that after this treatment, cells of the peripheral immune system migrate into the brain, where they play a major role in the death of neurons.
Antioxidant therapy may have promising potential in concussion treatment Antioxidants may play a key role in reducing the long-term effects of concussions and could potentially offer a unique new approach for treatment, a new study suggests. Common among athletes and soldiers, it is estimated that 3.4 million concussions occur each year in the United States. The development of a readily available oral supplement would have the potential to improve brain function in a percentage of concussion sufferers.

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