Our brains adapt whenever we learn a new skill, such as juggling and they also adapt after damage such as stroke. In this Oxford Biomedical Research Centre public talk, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience Heidi Johansen-Berg shows how brain imaging allows us to watch the brain remodel, reorganise and rewire. Prof Johansen-Berg, a Wellcome Trust Senior … Read more
News for Neurological Conditions
Treating sleep problems may be important in schizophrenia
A study of schizophrenia patients has found profound disruptions in their sleep patterns, with half also having irregular body clocks that are out of synch with the pattern of night and day. The Oxford researchers argue that the extent and severe nature of these long-term sleep problems should be considered for treatment along with the … Read more
Stroke feature: restructuring the brain
A Wellcome Trust article highlights the work of Professor Heidi Johansen-Berg at the University of Oxford and her research exploring the structural changes in the brain’s white and grey matter that underlie learning. Understanding the precise cellular nature of those changes may improve diagnosis of brain damage and therapeutic interventions in stroke. Modern neuroscience supports the notion that our … Read more
Joint funding for multiple sclerosis research
The Oxford Biomedical Research Centre and the MS Society have joined forces to fund a three year Clinical Research Fellowship to carry out translational research into basic or clinical aspects of multiple sclerosis (MS). The collaboration will support the research of Dr Oliver Leach, based within the Department of Clinical Neurology in the University of … Read more
Do you dance like your Dad?
A brain chemical called GABA is the reason why “some people dance like Fred Astaire – while others have the natural rhythm of Ann Widdecombe”, the Daily Mail has reported. The news is based on a study involving 12 healthy young adults who had their brains stimulated with electrodes to alter levels of GABA, one … Read more
Expert joins Experimental Neurology Team
Peter Brown has recently been appointed as Professor of Experimental Neurology, Department of Clinical Neurology and as an Honorary Consultant Neurologist within the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust. Professor Brown was attracted from UCL in London to Oxford by the range and volume of innovative work being done here by Professor Tipu Aziz, Head of … Read more
Oxford Ataxia Centre launch
Patients with neurological disorders affecting speech, balance and coordination will get greater access to specialist services and research. The new Oxford Ataxia Centre, launched at the John Radcliffe Hospital in December 2009, is one of only three specialist centres in the UK. It has been granted formal accreditation by Ataxia UK, the national charity for … Read more