Month: December 2013
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Preterm babies with slower brain growth more likely to have slower cognitive, language and motor development as toddlers
New research shows that preterm babies with slower brain development as they reach their due dates are more likely to have delayed cognitive, language and motor development at 18 months of age. The researchers also found that preterm babies with significant injury to the brain’s white matter were more likely to have slower motor development…
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Boosting the immune system to treat brain cancer
Researchers identify mechanism implicated in brain cancer and a drug that decreases brain tumour growth Researchers at the University of Calgary’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) have made a discovery that could lead to better treatment for patients suffering from brain cancer. Despite current treatment strategies, the median survival for patients with the most aggressive brain…
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IRCM researchers discover a protein’s critical role in the brain
A team of Montréal researchers at the IRCM led by Dr. Nabil G. Seidah, in collaboration with Dr. William C. Wetsel’s team at Duke University in the United States, discovered that the protein PC7 plays a critical role in the brain by affecting certain types of cognitive performance such as anxiety, learning and emotional memory.…
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Discovery of the gene defective in a rare developmental disorder of the brain
In April 2009, a Quebec family experienced the worst tragedy for parents: before the age of one, one of their sons died of a rare genetic disease causing congenital microcephaly, intellectual disability, cerebral atrophy, and refractory seizures. The event was even more tragic because it was the third infant to die in this family from…
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Scientists find brain region that helps you make up your mind
One of the smallest parts of the brain is getting a second look after new research suggests it plays a crucial role in decision making. A University of British Columbia study published today in Nature Neuroscience says the lateral habenula, a region of the brain linked to depression and avoidance behaviours, has been largely misunderstood…