Review: Transcranial direct current stimulation in ADHD shows clinical effects

If children are constantly fidgeting, impulsive and unfocused, this may in some cases be due to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This disorder is particularly problematic in everyday school life and impairs the development of the affected children and adolescents. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could be helpful here. In a review, IfADo PhD student Ali Salehinejad and neuroscientists from Iran, Netherlands and Italy critically analyzed already published studies. The review is currently published in the journal „Neuroscience Bulletin“.

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Immune response against corona infection

Immunologists at the Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), in collaboration with local partners, are currently developing methods to detect antibodies against the novel coronavirus. Their aim is not only to determine whether antibodies are present in a person’s blood, but also to identify the actual role of these antibodies. Thus, the team is investigating how well certain antibodies can mediate immunity against SARS-CoV-2.

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Awarded: IfADo research on chronotypes and their effects on brain physiology and behavior

The “NYC Neuromodulation 2020” was also held this year as an online conference with more than 3600 attendees and 250 speakers worldwide. In one session, Prof. Dr. Michael Nitsche, head of the IfADo-research department “Psychology & Neurosiences” and his team presented their research activites on modulators of transcranial brain stimulation (tDCS) at IfADo.

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Silvia Capellino: Adjunct Professor

The University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) has awarded PD Dr. Silvia Capellino the title „Adjunct Professor“ (in German: “Außerplanmäßige Professorin”). Silvia Capellino joined IfADo 2016 as head of the research group „Neuroimmunology“ in the immunology department.

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There isn’t just one way of doing it: Different parameters of brain stimulation

Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to constantly change and thereby learn something new or adapt to different conditions. This is not only essential for memory, but also for the recovery after brain injuries. Pathological changes in neuroplasticity also play a role in neurological and psychiatric diseases. This is why research into processes of neuroplasticity is so important.

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Animal Welfare Research Prize 2019 for IfADo toxicologists

Wiebke Albrecht, a PhD student at the Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo) receives the “Animal Welfare Research Prize 2019” by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (23.10.2019). Together with an international team of scientists, Albrecht’s work introduces novel test performance metrics to systematically assess and optimize in vitro systems, which in the future could be used to predict drug-induced liver injury and define the acceptable daily intake of drugs. The methods established by Albrecht and co-authors serve to minimize or even eradicate the need for animal experiments in the area of toxicological risk assessment in the long term.

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The influence of nicotine on the brain

„Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times,“ is a famous quote of the author Mark Twain. For many people it is difficult to quit smoking, since nicotine stimulates the brain and increases processes of perception, attention and memory formation, at least in the short term. The last point in particular is interesting for research and will now be examined in more detail in a project at IfADo, that is funded by the German Research Foundation.

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How breast cancer cells use fat to protect themselves

Breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer in women in Germany. Why cancer cells are so viable is a central research question. Dr. Cristina Cadenas, a researcher at the Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), and her team have discovered a mechanism by which breast cancer cells use fat to improve their survival. The stronger this survival mechanism, the higher the risk of a negative patient outcome.

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GASL award 2019 for Ahmed Ghallab

The German Association for the Study of the Liver (GASL) has honored Dr. Ahmed Ghallab with the GASL award of the YAEL foundation 2019. The award is donated annually with 3.000 euro. The best scientific publication of the previous year is chosen by the board and programme committee of the GASL. Ahmed Ghallab is working as a scientific junior group leader at Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo).

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13th International Conference on Complex Medical Engineering in Dortmund

The 13th ICME International Conference on Complex Medical Engineering will take place in Dortmund, on September 23-25, 2019. The objective of the conference is to provide a forum for researchers, educators, engineers, neurologists, medical staff and government officials involved in the general areas of biomedical engineering to disseminate their latest research results and exchange views on future research directions of these fields.

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