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Predicting the winner of a sporting event with accuracy close to that of a statistical computer programme could be possible with proper training, according to researchers.

Up to 10 per cent of the population are affected by specific learning disabilities (SLDs), such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and autism, translating to 2 or 3 pupils in every classroom according to a new study.

Researchers at the UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging (CABI) have embarked on a rather unique Easter egg hunt and have been scanning chicken eggs for a new Channel 4 programme called Easter Eggs Live.

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New research, published in Neuron, gives insight into how single mutations in the VCP gene cause a range of neurological conditions including a form of dementia called Inclusion Body Myopathy, Paget’s Disease of the Bone and Frontotemporal Dementia (IBMPFD), and the motor neuron disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

UCL guidelines on open access and a publishing guide are available to UCL researchers.

The RCUK Policy on Open Access introduces, with effect from 1 April 2013, new open access requirements for research papers funded by the Research Councils.

A new mobile app developed by UCL scientists at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging will enable the team to carry out on an unprecedented scale experiments that previously could only be conducted on small groups of volunteers in the lab.

The UCL News podcast gives you the opportunity to listen to the latest news and research from around UCL every fortnight. Split up into three parts, you can either listen to the podcast all in one go, or save features for later listening.

Individuals with psychogenic disease (i.e. physical illness stemming from emotional or mental stresses) have brains that function differently to people with organic diseases, according to new research from UCL and the University of Cambridge.

People with disabilities are at a greater risk of being the victims of violence and of suffering mental ill health when victimised, according to research published today in the open access journal PLOS ONE.

The Human Brain Project has been officially selected as one of the European Commission’s two FET Flagship projects. The new project will unite European efforts to address one of the greatest challenges of modern science: understanding the human brain.

A Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association funded research project at UCL has given new insights into the structure and function of an MND gene called C9ORF72. The work is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

23 postdoctoral researchers from 14 different countries have been awarded Marie Curie Individual Fellowships. The awards will enable researchers to spend up to two years working with research teams across all schools at UCL.

UCL and the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai, have entered into a new agreement to establish a major drug discovery and development collaboration today.

Source: Press release from the Wellcome Trust

Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL researchers have discovered how the brain assesses confidence in its decisions. The findings explain why some people have better insight into their choices than others.

Congratulations to Professors Dmitri Rusakov (UCL Institute of Neurology), Robin Ali (UCL Institute of Ophthalmology) and Patrick Haggard (UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience), who have all recently been awarded European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grants. These highly competitive research grants are among the most sought after Principal Investigator awards offered from the ERC, and as stated on the ERC’s website: “allow exceptional established research leaders of any nationality and any age to pursue ground-breaking, high-risk projects that open new directions in their respective research fields or other domains.”

Training human volunteers to control their own brain activity in precise areas of the brain can enhance fundamental aspects of their visual sensitivity, according to a new study in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Scientists have found that low-level exposure to organophosphates (OPs) produces lasting decrements in neurological and cognitive function. Memory and information processing speed are affected to a greater degree than other cognitive functions such as language.

Professor Alan Thompson, Dean of the Faculty of Brain Sciences, has recently been elected Chair of the Steering Committee of the International Progressive MS (multiple sclerosis) Collaborative. The Collaborative aims to expedite the development of effective disease modifying and symptom management therapies for progressive forms of MS and is an initiative of a number of MS International Federation (MSIF) member organisations and includes the MS Societies of Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Professor Thompson commented: “This is a unique opportunity to bring together researchers from around the world to tackle what is the most challenging area in MS – both for researchers and those affected by the condition. I am delighted to be invited to chair this expert group but don’t underestimate how difficult it is going to be to make a real impact on progression.”

 Professor Dimitri Kullmann (UCL Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy) and Dr Laura Mantoan (UCL Institute of Neurology) talk about a new technique known as optogenetics, which involves using light to stimulate neural activity in the brain. Listen: BBC R4 Today (from 1hr 22m) More: BBC News

Scientists have revealed the minutely detailed pain map of the hand that is contained within our brains, shedding light on how the brain makes us feel discomfort and potentially increasing our understanding of the processes involved in chronic pain. 

Thousands of stroke survivors with visual problems could improve their sight from the comfort of their own home using two new web-based therapies.

The UCL Grand Challenges Small Grants Scheme invites applications to fund cross-disciplinary projects in Global Health, Sustainable Cities, Intercultural Interaction and Human Wellbeing.

Researchers at the UCL Institute of Neurology have made a breakthrough in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy.  The researchers used gene therapy in an experimental model of epilepsy to allow over-excitable neurons to be inhibited by light. When they shone a laser via an optical fibre into the epileptic brain region where the gene therapy was delivered, the seizures were rapidly suppressed. For long-term treatment they used a different gene therapy to make neurons in the epileptic brain regions less excitable. This treatment both prevented the development of epilepsy, and also progressively stopped seizures when delivered after epilepsy was already established. These treatments had no detectable effects on normal behaviour. 

New drugs derived from components of a specific diet used by children with severe, drug-resistant epilepsy could offer a new treatment, according to research published today in the journal Neuropharmacology.