The National Brain Research Centre, (NBRC) Delhi and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) Bangalore, are to collaborate in finding rationale therapies and potential cures for Brain-related disorders. The NBRC, a Centre of excellence in basic neuro science belonging to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the NIMHANS, a Centre of excellence in clinical neuro science of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has signed a memorandum of understanding in this regard.

The two Centres will also strive to strengthen and expand inter-disciplinary research cooperation in a mission mode. NBRC is already having collaboration with world-class brain research organizations in the US and Japan.

The functioning of human brain and its ill functioning has been a matter of research for ages now. Of late, the problem has been assuming alarming proportions with the increase in stress and strain of human life. The Challenge is so enormous that it is referred to as the last frontier in biology. Brain-related disorders are said to contribute up to one third of the total disease burden in both the developed and developing countries.

Among the brain-related disorders, both neurological and psychiatric illnesses, childhood disorders, mental illnesses and age-related degenerative disorders, are of serious concern. The demographic profile of the country is rapidly changing with increasing longevity and a significant proportion of our population will comprise aged people who are vulnerable to neuro-degenerative disorders. No better health-care system can help reduce this disease burden, unless the mechanisms underlying Brain-disorders and develop effective treatment modalities is understood.

Traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda also offers a knowledge base that can be utilized for the development of therapeutic intervention strategies for the treatment of brain-disorders. The two Centers of Excellence will also look into this aspect in their collaborative effort.