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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.

Safety and efficacy evaluation methods for medical devices

Medical devices are any medical items that are neither a drug nor a biological product. In light of their different mechanisms, actions and regulatory requirements, medical device trail evaluations are much more complicated than drug trails due to their unique clinical practices.

18 May 2013

Spontaneous brain activity in amygdala higher among combat veterans with PTSD

Chronic trauma can inflict lasting damage to brain regions associated with fear and anxiety. Previous imaging studies of people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, have shown that these brain regions can over-or under-react in response to stressful tasks, such as recalling a traumatic event or reacting to a photo of a threatening face.

18 May 2013

Transcranial random noise stimulation allows the brain to work more efficiently, say researchers

In the future, if you want to improve your ability to manipulate numbers in your head, you might just plug yourself in. So say researchers who report in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on May 16 on studies of a harmless form of brain stimulation applied to an area known to be important for math ability.

18 May 2013

Research findings could lead to new therapies for stroke and other brain diseases

Scientists investigating the interaction of a group of proteins in the brain responsible for protecting nerve cells from damage have identified a new target that could increase cell survival.

18 May 2013

UC Davis scientists detect novel molecular target for multiple sclerosis

Working with lab mice models of multiple sclerosis, UC Davis scientists have detected a novel molecular target for the design of drugs that could be safer and more effective than current FDA-approved medications against MS.

17 May 2013

Our brains wired to make music-color connections based on how melodies make us feel: Study

Whether we're listening to Bach or the blues, our brains are wired to make music-color connections depending on how the melodies make us feel, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley.

17 May 2013

Homeless heavy drinkers suffer many head injuries, new study finds

Men who are heavy drinkers and homeless for long periods of time have 400 times the number of head injuries as the general population, according to a new study by researchers who said they were shocked by their findings.

17 May 2013

Study shows strong correlation between brain dominance and the ear used for cell phone

If you're a left-brain thinker, chances are you use your right hand to hold your cell phone up to your right ear, according to a newly published study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

17 May 2013

Loss of Merlin protein leads to abnormal growth of tumours

A study led by researchers from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry has for the first time revealed how the loss of a particular tumour suppressing protein leads to the abnormal growth of tumours of the brain and nervous system.

17 May 2013

Protein processing breakdown in endoplasmic reticulum

With obesity reaching epidemic levels in some parts of the world, scientists have only begun to understand why it is such a persistent condition. A study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry adds substantially to the story by reporting the discovery of a molecular chain of events in the brains of obese rats that undermined their ability to suppress appetite and to increase calorie burning.

17 May 2013

Roundup: N.D. abortion clinic sues to stop new law; Health care savings close budget hole in Conn.; Calif. counties struggle to expand mental health care

The running battle over the regulation of abortions entered a North Dakota courtroom on Wednesday, as the state's sole abortion clinic sued to block a new law that it says could force it to shut down. The law, requiring doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, was promoted by anti-abortion legislators, who argued that it would mean better care for women who suffer medical emergencies (Eckholm, 5/15).

17 May 2013

Northwestern University scientists identify gene important to morning wake-up call

Northwestern University scientists have shown a gene involved in neurodegenerative disease also plays a critical role in the proper function of the circadian clock.

17 May 2013

Berlin scientists plan to research on neurodegenerative diseases

Now, both have signed a cooperation agreement to seal their close scientific collaboration. The objective is to combine existing expertise and to bring new outstanding researchers to Berlin.

17 May 2013

Research: People with skin cancer may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease

People who have skin cancer may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to new research published in the May 15, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The link does not apply to melanoma, a less common but more aggressive type of skin cancer.

17 May 2013

Research shows new neural circuits arise when hippocampus is disabled

When the brain's primary "learning center" is damaged, complex new neural circuits arise to compensate for the lost function, say life scientists from UCLA and Australia who have pinpointed the regions of the brain involved in creating those alternate pathways - often far from the damaged site.

17 May 2013

New research shows dysfunctional mitochondria in brain cells can lead to learning disabilities

Neuroscientist Patrik Verstreken of VIB (Flanders Institute for Biotechnology) and KU Leuven has shown for the first time that dysfunctional mitochondria in brain cells can lead to learning disabilities.

17 May 2013

UT Arlington physicist develops new tool to map, track interactions between neurons inside the brain

A new tool being developed by UT Arlington assistant professor of physics could help scientists map and track the interactions between neurons inside different areas of the brain.

17 May 2013

Study provides new evidence that genetic risk for schizophrenia associated with lower IQ

The relationship between the heritable risk for schizophrenia and low intelligence has not been clear. Schizophrenia is commonly associated with cognitive impairments that may cause functional disability. There are clues that reduced IQ may be linked to the risk for developing schizophrenia.

17 May 2013

RIKEN researchers visualize memory formation for first time in zebrafish

In our interaction with our environment we constantly refer to past experiences stored as memories to guide behavioral decisions. But how memories are formed, stored and then retrieved to assist decision-making remains a mystery.

17 May 2013

NW Bio starts Phase III clinical trial with DCVax-L for brain cancer at King's College Hospital in UK

Northwest Biotherapeutics, a biotechnology company developing DCVax-L personalized immune therapies for solid tumor cancers, today announced that its Phase III clinical trial with DCVax-L for brain cancer has been initiated at King's College Hospital in the UK.

17 May 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Safety and efficacy evaluation methods for medical devices

Spontaneous brain activity in amygdala higher among combat veterans with PTSD

Transcranial random noise stimulation allows the brain to work more efficiently, say researchers

Research findings could lead to new therapies for stroke and other brain diseases

UC Davis scientists detect novel molecular target for multiple sclerosis

Our brains wired to make music-color connections based on how melodies make us feel: Study

Homeless heavy drinkers suffer many head injuries, new study finds

Study shows strong correlation between brain dominance and the ear used for cell phone

Loss of Merlin protein leads to abnormal growth of tumours

Protein processing breakdown in endoplasmic reticulum

Roundup: N.D. abortion clinic sues to stop new law; Health care savings close budget hole in Conn.; Calif. counties struggle to expand mental health care

Northwestern University scientists identify gene important to morning wake-up call

Berlin scientists plan to research on neurodegenerative diseases

Research: People with skin cancer may be less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease

Research shows new neural circuits arise when hippocampus is disabled

New research shows dysfunctional mitochondria in brain cells can lead to learning disabilities

UT Arlington physicist develops new tool to map, track interactions between neurons inside the brain

Study provides new evidence that genetic risk for schizophrenia associated with lower IQ

RIKEN researchers visualize memory formation for first time in zebrafish

NW Bio starts Phase III clinical trial with DCVax-L for brain cancer at King's College Hospital in UK

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