Brain News and Research

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The human brain is the center of the human nervous system and is a highly complex organ. Enclosed in the cranium, it has the same general structure as the brains of other mammals, but is over three times as large as the brain of a typical mammal with an equivalent body size.

Having a good time can strengthen different centres in the brain and help it grow healthy brain cells

Dr Ian Reid, professor of mental health at the University of Aberdeen, told delegates that for many years psychiatrists believed that poor mental health was just caused by imbalances in various brain chemicals.

10 Jul 2004

Role of environmental risks in the development of autism

Funding for a new study to find out more about the role of environmental risks in the development of autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), has been announced by The Medical Research Council.

10 Jul 2004

Natural hormone called melatonin may guide our sleep patterns

Our general sleep patterns – being sleepy at night and awake during the day – are guided to a great extent by our exposure to light and darkness.

10 Jul 2004

HHS strengthen safeguards against mad cow disease

HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman has announced three actions being taken to further strengthen existing safeguards that protect consumers against the agent that causes bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as “mad cow disease”).

10 Jul 2004

The structure of AGT shows how one human protein reduces the potency of chemotherapy

The fine details of this x-ray structure may help scientists find ways to fight certain cancers, such as brain tumors, which express high levels of AGT making them resistant to chemotherapy.

9 Jul 2004

In-depth study into how heavy metals exposure at the Tar Creek Superfund Site in Oklahoma may affect the health of children

Unlike many studies that investigate the health effects of a single chemical, the new center will study how exposure to mixtures of metals affects health—reflecting more accurately the nature of toxic waste dumps where multiple chemicals may be present.

9 Jul 2004

Identification of a naturally occurring genetic difference that controls the production of serotonin in the brain

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have provided the first direct evidence in mice for the role of an enzyme that specifically controls the production of serotonin in the brain.

8 Jul 2004

Prosthetic devices operated by brain activity

In the July 9 issue of the journal Science, California Institute of Technology neuroscientists Sam Musallam, Brian Corneil, Bradley Greger, Hans Scherberger, and Richard Andersen report on the Andersen lab's success in getting monkeys to move the cursor on a computer screen by merely thinking about a goal they would like to achieve, and assigning a value to the goal.

8 Jul 2004

Researchers shed new light on the function of huntingtin, the protein whose mutation underlies Huntington’s disease

CNRS and Inserm research scientists at the Institut Curie have shed new light on the function of huntingtin, the protein whose mutation underlies Huntington’s disease.

8 Jul 2004

New guidelines for treating heart attacks

If your chest pain worsens and lasts more than five minutes, especially if you’re short of breath, feel weak, nauseated or lightheaded, call 9-1-1—you could be having a heart attack.

8 Jul 2004

Diagnosing depression in people with intellectual disabilities

Monash University researchers are developing checklists to help general practitioners and support workers recognise depression in people with an intellectual disability.

7 Jul 2004

Chiron has received a license for its new meningococcal B vaccine for New Zealand

Chiron developed the vaccine, in close collaboration with the New Zealand Ministry of Health and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, to protect against the specific meningococcal B strain responsible for a 13-year epidemic in the country.

7 Jul 2004

The McGuinty government is investing $29.2 million for community support and supportive housing services

The McGuinty government is investing $29.2 million for community support and supportive housing services to help keep Ontarians in the community for as long as possible instead of admitting them to hospitals or institutions.

7 Jul 2004

Research to unravel exactly what is going on chemically, when Alzheimer's sets in

Science understands Alzheimer's disease as the progressive decline of a particular region of the brain. But the underlying mechanisms leading to this decline are still very much a mystery.

7 Jul 2004

UV exposure from sun tanning beds leads to pain relief and euphoric feelings

Frequent tanning bed users may be getting more out of the experience than darker skin. Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center say exposure to ultraviolet light may produce a “relaxing” effect that lures tanners back to the beds.

7 Jul 2004

Renowned Chinese surgeon who revealed the SARS cover-up last year is reported to be undergoing brainwashing

Jiang Yanyong a renowned Chinese surgeon who revealed the enormity of the Chinese SARS cover-up last year is reported to be undergoing brainwashing enforced upon him by Chinese Government officials.

6 Jul 2004

Brain enzyme known to affect mood may be decreased in teens who commit suicide

The activity of a brain enzyme known to affect mood may be decreased in teens who commit suicide, according to an article in the July issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry.

6 Jul 2004

Protein controls acid in cells by direct detection of volume changes

A protein responsible for regulating acid levels within cells - and pumping out acid accumulated in cardiac cells after a heart attack - activates in direct response to changes in a cell's volume, according to a new study by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

5 Jul 2004

NovoSeven may prove to be the first effective treatment for brain hemorrhage caused by stroke

Scientists from the UC Medical Center played a key role in developing what may prove to be the first effective treatment for brain hemorrhage caused by stroke.

5 Jul 2004

Gene therapy may provide a treatment for a group of incurable, progressive neurological diseases called polyglutamine-repeat diseases

Researchers from the University of Iowa have have shown for the first time that gene therapy delivered to the brains of living mice can prevent the physical symptoms and neurological damage caused by an inherited neurodegenerative disease that is similar to Huntington's disease (HD).

5 Jul 2004

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Having a good time can strengthen different centres in the brain and help it grow healthy brain cells

Role of environmental risks in the development of autism

Natural hormone called melatonin may guide our sleep patterns

HHS strengthen safeguards against mad cow disease

The structure of AGT shows how one human protein reduces the potency of chemotherapy

In-depth study into how heavy metals exposure at the Tar Creek Superfund Site in Oklahoma may affect the health of children

Identification of a naturally occurring genetic difference that controls the production of serotonin in the brain

Prosthetic devices operated by brain activity

Researchers shed new light on the function of huntingtin, the protein whose mutation underlies Huntington’s disease

New guidelines for treating heart attacks

Diagnosing depression in people with intellectual disabilities

Chiron has received a license for its new meningococcal B vaccine for New Zealand

The McGuinty government is investing $29.2 million for community support and supportive housing services

Research to unravel exactly what is going on chemically, when Alzheimer's sets in

UV exposure from sun tanning beds leads to pain relief and euphoric feelings

Renowned Chinese surgeon who revealed the SARS cover-up last year is reported to be undergoing brainwashing

Brain enzyme known to affect mood may be decreased in teens who commit suicide

Protein controls acid in cells by direct detection of volume changes

NovoSeven may prove to be the first effective treatment for brain hemorrhage caused by stroke

Gene therapy may provide a treatment for a group of incurable, progressive neurological diseases called polyglutamine-repeat diseases

Discover how SciY empowers scientists

Why use light scattering to analyze proteins and viral vectors?

Changing the landscape of R&D to build clinical success from the ground up

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