Childhood trauma has lasting effect on brain connectivity in patients with depression

A study found that childhood trauma is linked to abnormal connectivity in the brain in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD). The paper shows symptom-specific, system-level changes in brain network connectivity in MDD.  Click here to read further.

Brains of young people with severe behavioral problems are 'wired differently'

Psychologists and neuroscientists point to subtle differences in brain connectivity impacting young people with conduct disorder.  Click here for further details.

Attention deficit disorders could stem from impaired brain coordination

Researchers have discovered how two brain regions work together to maintain attention, and how discordance between the regions could lead to attention deficit disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression.  Click here for further details.

Brain Stimulation May Aid Cognition in Parkinson’s

New research suggests that low frequency stimulation of a deep brain region may be able to improve cognitive function in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD).  If true, the findings set the stage for the potential of brain stimulation for treating other cognitive diseases.  Click here for article.

Boosting Brain Activity May Buffer Against Anxiety

A new study at Duke University finds that boosting brain activity in regions related to thinking and problem-solving may help buffer against anxiety. Click here to read PsychCentral article

Extracranial to intracranial bypass for intracranial atherosclerosis [IPG596]

New interventional procedures guidance from NICE:

Evidence-based recommendations on extracranial to intracranial bypass for intracranial atherosclerosis. This involves joining a blood vessel from outside the skull to one inside the skull to bypass a narrowed or partially blocked vessel.

Current evidence on the safety and efficacy of extracranial to intracranial bypass for intracranial atherosclerosis shows that there is no benefit to the patient from the intervention. There are major concerns around its safety, therefore this procedure should not be used to treat this condition.

Scientists identify mechanism that helps us inhibit unwanted thoughts

Scientists have identified a key chemical within the 'memory' region of the brain that allows us to suppress unwanted thoughts, helping explain why people who suffer from disorders such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and schizophrenia often experience persistent intrusive thoughts when these circuits go awry. Click here to read article

Zika virus may be useful in treating brain tumours

"Zika virus used to treat aggressive brain cancer," BBC News reports. Animal and laboratory research suggests a modified version of the virus could possibly be used to target and destroy cancerous cells.

The virus has the ability to cross from the blood into the brain, so researchers wanted to see if it could be used to treat a very aggressive type of brain cancer called glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is hard to eradicate with conventional treatments because the stem cells that drive the growth of the cancer tend to recur after the more developed cancer cells are killed by chemotherapy or removed surgically. Average survival is only two years after diagnosis.

So far, using Zika virus to treat glioblastoma has only been researched in cultured cells and tissue in the laboratory, as well as in mice.

Results have been encouraging, but we don't know if the treatment would work in humans. And more work is needed to find out if the virus can be engineered so it's safe to use.

Increased brain acidity in psychiatric disorders

Decreased brain pH in the patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder has been considered to be the result of secondary factors associated with the diseases, such as medication and agonal state. However, the researchers of the present study suggest that decreased brain pH is a primary feature of the diseases themselves, based on the current findings from systematic investigation using five animal models, which are devoid of such secondary factors.Read more HERE

Different Bacteria Profile Found in Alzheimer’s Brains

The brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease appear to show both increased bacterial populations and different proportions of specific bacteria compared to healthy brains, according to a new U.K. study which used DNA sequencing to evaluate the postmortem brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

The new findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, support growing evidence that bacterial infection and inflammation in the brain may play a role in Alzheimer’s disease, a severe neurodegenerative condition that leads to cognitive decline, and eventually death.

Green Spaces May Benefit Aging Brain

Walking between busy urban environments and green spaces triggers changes in levels of excitement, engagement and frustration in the brain, according to a new study of older people. It is the latest study to document the psychological benefits of natural environments.

Researchers at the Universities of York and Edinburgh in the U.K. say the findings have important implications for architects, planners and health professionals as we deal with an ageing population.

Many Anorexics Need Extended Care for Brain Function

New research discovers that even after weeks of treatment and weight gain, anorexic teenagers need additional time to regain normal brain function.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus said persistent brain alteration puts teen at risk for possible relapse.

In the study, investigators examined 21 female adolescents before and after treatment for anorexia and found that their brains still had an elevated reward system compared to 21 participants without the eating disorder.

Brain differences in ADHD

Largest imaging study of ADHD to date identifies differences in five regions of the brain, with greatest differences seen in children rather than adults.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with the delayed development of five brain regions and should be considered a brain disorder, according to a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Whole brain radiotherapy provides little benefit for lung cancer that has spread

Radiotherapy to the whole brain makes little difference to people with the commonest type of lung cancer that has spread to the brain and cannot be operated on.
From the NIHR Dissemination Centre

Running May Enhance Brain Connections

While the cardiovascular benefits of running are widely acknowledged, new research discovers it may also improve brain connections.

University of Arizona (UA) researchers compared MRI brain scans of young adult cross country runners to young adults who don’t engage in regular physical activity. They discovered the endurance runners’ brains have greater functional connectivity than the brains of more sedentary individuals.