Even mild head injuries can cause significant abnormalities in brain function that last for several days, which may explain the neurological symptoms experienced by some individuals who have experienced a head injury associated with sports, accidents or combat, according to a study by Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers…

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The Brain’s Neuronal Circuit Excitability May Be Altered By Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Lead To Brain Network Dysfunction

These findings are not about the classic story of gift-giving, although the MAGI genes (officially named membrane associated guanylate kinase, WW and PDZ domain containing proteins) do influence brain function in important ways. MAGI1 and MAGI2 are genes that code for the MAGI proteins. These proteins influence the development and function of synapses in the brain, the junctions where communication between nerve cells occurs. Because they perform many important functions at brain synapses, researchers have made several attempts to tie these genes to psychiatric disease…

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New Genetic Findings: Gifts Of The MAGI In Schizophrenia And Bipolar Disorder

Researchers in the University of Leicester’s Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology have identified a cellular mechanism that could underlie the development of tinnitus following exposure to loud noises. The discovery could lead to novel tinnitus treatments, and investigations into potential drugs to prevent tinnitus are currently underway. Tinnitus is a sensation of phantom sounds, usually ringing or buzzing, heard in the ears when no external noise is present…

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Study Identifies Key Cellular Mechanisms Behind The Onset Of Tinnitus

Scientists have identified a protein which regulates the activation of brown fat in both the brain and the body’s tissues. Their research, which was conducted in mice, was published in the journal Cell. Unlike white fat, which functions primarily to store up fat, brown fat (also known as brown adipose tissue) burns fats to generate heat in a process known as thermogenesis…

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Protein Identified That Stimulates Brown Fat To Burn Calories

Patients with mitral regurgitation, a type of valvular heart disease common in the elderly, are living longer after surgery, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Surgery that replaces or repairs the mitral valve remains the definitive therapy for symptomatic mitral regurgitation, but surgery carries considerable risks of mortality and complications such as infection and renal failure. Led by John A. Dodson, M.D…

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Cardiac Surgery To Repair Mitral Valve Sees Improved Survival Rates