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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.

Teens who suffered iron deficiency as infants are likely to score lower on cognitive and motor tests

Teens who suffered iron deficiency as infants are likely to score lower on cognitive and motor tests, even if that iron deficiency was identified and treated in infancy, a new University of Michigan study shows.

4 May 2004

Australian Schizophrenia study dispels myths

Male migrants living in cities are most likely to develop schizophrenia – a disorder which no longer affects equal numbers of men and women.

3 May 2004

Human brain makes much more extensive use of highly complex statistics when learning a language than scientists ever realized

A team at the University of Rochester has found that the human brain makes much more extensive use of highly complex statistics when learning a language than scientists ever realized.

3 May 2004

Chemical thumbprint can help determine if tumor is returning or dying

Brain tumor survivors live with the constant worry that their cancer might come back. And even if they have a brain scan every few months to check, doctors often can't tell the difference between new cancer growth and tissue changes related to their treatment with radiation or chemotherapy.

3 May 2004

Iraqi Freedom low casualty rates compared with other recent conflicts

Military neurosurgeons serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom have recently reported a significant decrease in casualty rates compared with other recent conflicts.

3 May 2004

Early postpartum visits with pediatricians may help prevent a dangerous complication associated with jaundice

Early postpartum visits with pediatricians may help prevent a dangerous complication associated with jaundice, according to the presentation, “Inadequate Attention Given to Jaundice in Healthy Term Infants during the First Postpartum Week.”

3 May 2004

Botox helps children with cerebral palsy

Botox, or botulinum toxin, offers a new, non-surgical option for improving the upper extremity function of children with cerebral palsy (CP), report researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. L. Andrew Koman, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at Brenner Children’s Hospital, and his team recently completed a study using Botox to treat muscle spasticity of the arm and hand in children with CP.

1 May 2004

New research could reduce risk of strokes in younger people

The study published in this month's edition of the international journal Stroke is the first to provide evidence that blood vessels elsewhere in the body, apart from the brain, in CADASIL sufferers are abnormal in over-constricting in response to the hormone Angiotensin II.

1 May 2004

Males and females respond differently to brain injury

Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh have found that males and females respond differently to brain injury and therefore, boys with brain injuries may require different life-saving treatments than girls.

1 May 2004

Counseling eases the depression of people caring for a loved one with the devastating brain disease

The spouses of Alzheimer's patients often experience extraordinary psychological stress, but a new study by NYU School of Medicine researchers shows that a six-session counseling and long-term support program substantially eases the depression of people caring for a loved one with the devastating brain disease, and that the mental health benefits apparently are long lasting.

1 May 2004

First imaging-based diagnostic test for living Alzheimer’s

Mayo Clinic researchers have devised a way to produce enhanced MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) pictures of the destructive brain lesions that cause Alzheimer’s disease. This advance using laboratory mice lays the foundation for the first imaging-based diagnostic test for living Alzheimer’s disease patients.

30 Apr 2004

Stroke warning signs and risk factor recognition

May is American Stroke Month, but strokes happen year-round. Each year 700,000 people have a new or recurrent stroke. On average every three minutes someone dies of a stroke. Could you or a loved one be next?

30 Apr 2004

Gene therapy may delay Alzheimer progression

Results from a preliminary eight-patient study of gene therapy for Alzheimer’s disease are positive enough to justify a larger clinical trial, Mark H. Tuszynski, M.D., Ph.D., reported April 27 at the 56th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. Tuszynski says that a larger trial is being planned at a major medical center in Chicago.

30 Apr 2004

Transplanted bone-marrow cells could regenerate nerve cells in the brain

Findings of a preliminary study in this week's issue of THE LANCET suggest that transplanted adult bone-marrow cells could regenerate nerve cells in the brains of human stem-cell recipients. These early findings, if confirmed in future research, have implications for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.

29 Apr 2004