“Anti-Choke Mug” – Chula Innovation for Neuro Patients to Drink Water Confidently

Chula Medicine has designed an anti-choke mug with calculated angle, amount, and time of water flow from the mug to the patient’s lips hoping to reduce choking that may lead to lung infection, bring peace of mind to caregivers, and make it safer for patients who will have a better quality of life.

JMIR Neurotechnology Invites Submissions on Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)

JMIR Publications is pleased to announce a new theme issue in JMIR Neurotechnology exploring brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that represent the transformative convergence of neuroscience, engineering, and technology.

First-in-humans discovery reveals brain chemicals working behind the scenes during decision-making

The idea that people make decisions based on social context is not a new one in neural economic games. But now, for the first time, researchers publishing in Nature Human Behavior show the impact of the social context may spring from the dynamic interactions of dopamine and serotonin. Researchers built carbon-fiber electrodes that were implanted in patients receiving Deep Brain Stimulation surgery. The method allows researchers to measure more than one neurotransmitter at a time, revealing a dance that has never been seen before

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine launches Institute for Glial Sciences

Case Western Reserve University has established an Institute for Glial Sciences to advance research of glial cells and their critical role in the health and diseases of the nervous systems, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, pediatric leukodystrophies, Autism spectrum disorders, Parkinson’s disease and cancer.

Researchers identify a potential new therapeutic target in Parkinson’s disease

In a study published in Nature Communications, a team led by Krembil Brain Institute at UHN Senior Scientists, Drs. Lorraine Kalia and Suneil Kalia, and University of Toronto (U of T) Professor, Dr. Philip M. Kim, identified a protein-protein interaction that contributes to Parkinson’s disease. In the disease, a protein called α-synuclein (a-syn) accumulates in the brain and leads to cell death.

Chula Launches the Latest Parkinson’s Gloves to Reduce Tremors

Doctors at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital have developed lightweight and easy-to-use Parkinson’s gloves that can automatically reduce tremors, allowing Parkinson’s Disease patients to enjoy social life and reducing side effects from medication and risk from brain surgery.

Weight Change in Early Parkinson’s May Be Tied to Changes in Thinking Skills

People who gain or lose weight soon after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease may be more likely to have changes in their thinking skills than people who maintain their weight, according to a study published in the October 19, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Parkinson’s Disease: Uncovering Why Nicotine May Be Protective (for Some)

Parkinson’s disease is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, one curious example being that people who smoke appear to be less likely to develop Parkinson’s. This may be due to interactions between nicotine and genetic variations in…

Multiple System Atrophy: Identifying Cells that Accelerate Disease Progression

There is currently no cure for the rare neurodegenerative disorder multiple system atrophy (MSA), and its rarity has made it difficult to understand how the disease progresses. Now a research team has created a successful mouse model of aggressive cerebellar-type…

Chula’s Innovations for the Aging Society

As one of the countries with a rapidly increasing aging population, especially this 2022, Thailand is now becoming an ‘aging’ society and will likely become a ‘super-aging society’ by 2031. To better meet the needs and provide services to the nation’s aging society, experts from various fields at Chulalongkorn University have conducted research to produce and develop innovations for the elderly.

Old Habit-Controlling Neurons May Also Help the Brain Learn New Tricks

In a study of rodents, scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai discovered that a part of the brain traditionally thought to control typing the old habits may also play a critical role in learning the new actions. The results, published on August 25th in Nature Communications, suggest that this process involves a delicate balance in the activity of two neighboring neural circuits: one dedicated to new actions and the other to old habits

Ohio State Among First In Nation To Implant New Deep-Brain Stimulation Device

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The team of neurologists and neurosurgeons at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and its Neurological Institute are among the first in the nation to implant a new deep-brain stimulation (DBS) device that will help improve the quality of life of patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Research Highlights from 2021 ACSM Virtual Annual Meeting: Exercise in Regenerative Medicine

The 2021 Virtual ACSM Basic Science World Congress focuses on regenerative medicine. Chaired by Marcas M. Bamman, Ph.D., FACSM, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, this world congress brings together researchers to discuss cutting-edge science in this rapidly developing field.

Henry Ford Health System First in the U.S. to Offer Next Generation Deep Brain Stimulation System For Parkinson’s Disease

The Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Center at Henry Ford Health System was the first in the United States to offer a new FDA-approved device to help treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Neurosurgeon Jason Schwalb, M.D. surgically implanted the Vercise Genus™ Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System, which stimulates a targeted region of the brain through implanted leads that are placed in the brain.

Routine eye scans may give clues to cognitive decline in diabetes

In older people with type 1 diabetes, damage to the retina may be linked to memory problems and other cognitive conditions.BOSTON – (December 31, 2020) – As they age, people with diabetes are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive disorders than are people without diabetes. Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center now have shown that routine eye imaging can identify changes in the retina that may be associated with cognitive disorders in older people with type 1 diabetes.

Novel pathology could improve diagnosis and treatment of Huntington’s and other diseases

Bristol scientists have discovered a novel pathology that occurs in several human neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington’s disease.

The article, published in Brain Pathology, describes how SAFB1 expression occurs in both spinocerebellar ataxias and Huntington’s disease and may be a common marker of these conditions, which have a similar genetic background.

Parkinson’s Disease May Start Before Birth

People who develop Parkinson’s disease before age 50 may have been born with disordered brain cells that went undetected for decades, according to EMBARGOED Cedars-Sinai research that will publish Jan. 27 in the journal Nature Medicine. The research points to a drug that potentially might help correct these disease processes.

NINDS Awards Coriell Institute for Medical Research $7.7 Million Contract

The five-year award will support the NINDS Human Genetics Resource Center, a collection of biological samples and corresponding demographic, clinical, and genetic data made available to qualified researchers around the world. This repository includes samples from subjects with various diseases – such as cerebrovascular disease, dystonia, epilepsy, motor neuron disease, parkinsonism, and Tourette Syndrome.