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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.

Hypothalamus controls aging throughout the body, scientists report

While the search continues for the Fountain of Youth, researchers may have found the body's "fountain of aging": the brain region known as the hypothalamus.

2 May 2013

Wistar researchers find surprising role for RNA-editing protein in gene silencing

RNA, once considered a bit player in the grand scheme by which genes encode protein, is increasingly seen to have a major role in human genetics.

2 May 2013

Study reveals link between binge drinking and risk for developing alcoholic liver disease

Long after a hangover, a night of bad decisions might take a bigger toll on the body than previously understood. Described in the current issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, a study at the University of Missouri has revealed a unique connection between binge drinking and the risk for developing alcoholic liver disease and a variety of other health problems.

2 May 2013

PTSD study: Individuals with childhood abuse history have distinct changes in gene activity patterns

Abuse during childhood is different. A study of adult civilians with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) has shown that individuals with a history of childhood abuse have distinct, profound changes in gene activity patterns, compared to adults with PTSD but without a history of child abuse.

2 May 2013

Study suggests that biology plays role in eating disorders

Female rats are much more likely to binge eat than male rats, according to new research that provides some of the strongest evidence yet that biology plays a role in eating disorders.

2 May 2013

Researchers study how ketamine reduces side effects of ECT in people with severe depression

The largest trial into the use of Electroconvulsive Therapy in the UK in more than 30 years will look into how the use of the Class C drug ketamine might reduce the side effects of ECT for those being treated for severe depression.

2 May 2013

Receiving general anesthesia not associated with dementia in elderly patients, research finds

Elderly patients who receive anesthesia are no more likely to develop long-term dementia or Alzheimer's disease than other seniors, according to new Mayo Clinic research.

2 May 2013

New methods to evaluate how astrocytes contribute to brain function

A study in The Journal of General Physiology presents new methods to evaluate how astrocytes contribute to brain function, paving the way for future exploration of these important brain cells at unprecedented levels of detail.

30 Apr 2013

Gray matter atrophy underlies PD subtypes

Patients with the postural instability gait difficulty subtype of Parkinson’s disease have marked gray matter atrophy relative to those with the tremor dominant subtype, shows research.

30 Apr 2013

Experts call for medical leaders to establish guidelines, embed honesty in academic cultures

Unethical behavior among physicians-in-training threatens to erode public trust and confidence in the medical profession, say two academic physicians in the current issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

30 Apr 2013

UCLA study shows individuals with BDD have global bad wiring in their brains

Body dysmorphic disorder is a disabling but often misunderstood psychiatric condition in which people perceive themselves to be disfigured and ugly, even though they look normal to others. New research at UCLA shows that these individuals have abnormalities in the underlying connections in their brains.

30 Apr 2013

Researchers identify gene variations linked to male and female infertility

Identification of genetic variations in the genes coding for the hormone FSH may provide new treatments for male and female infertility, according to work presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology in Copenhagen.

30 Apr 2013

Neurons in the nose could be the key to early diagnosis of schizophrenia, says researcher

A debilitating mental illness, schizophrenia can be difficult to diagnose. Because physiological evidence confirming the disease can only be gathered from the brain during an autopsy, mental health professionals have had to rely on a battery of psychological evaluations to diagnose their patients.

30 Apr 2013

Neuroscientists identify cellular change in the brain that accompanies obesity

A team of American and Italian neuroscientists has identified a cellular change in the brain that accompanies obesity. The findings could explain the body's tendency to maintain undesirable weight levels, rather than an ideal weight, and identify possible targets for pharmacological efforts to address obesity.

30 Apr 2013

Researchers create novel way to enhance MRI

Researchers at New York University and NYU Langone Medical Center have created a novel way to enhance MRI by reducing interference from large macromolecules that can often obscure images generated by current chemical exchange saturation transfer methods.

30 Apr 2013

New research shows more than a third of stroke patients don't get to hospital by ambulance

More than a third of stroke patients don't get to the hospital by ambulance, even though that's the fastest way to get there, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, an American Heart Association journal.

30 Apr 2013

CVRx enrolls first patient in Barostim HOPE4HF clinical trial

CVRx, Inc., a private medical device company, announced the first patient enrolled in the Barostim HOPE4HF clinical trial. The study is evaluating the effectiveness and safety of CVRx's Barostim neo in heart failure patients.

29 Apr 2013

SLU study reveals that access to dermatologists limited for Medicaid-insured children with eczema

A recent Saint Louis University study revealed that Medicaid-insured children with eczema, an inflammatory skin condition that affects 20 percent children in the United States, do not have easy access to dermatologists.

29 Apr 2013

CHMP recommends approval of NUEDEXTA for treatment of pseudobulbar affect

Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion for NUEDEXTA (dextromethorphan hydrobromide and quinidine sulfate), recommending NUEDEXTA be approved for the treatment of pseudobulbar affect, irrespective of neurologic cause.

29 Apr 2013

Study gives insight into underlying causes of specific learning disabilities

Up to 10 per cent of the population is affected by specific learning disabilities (SLDs), such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and autism, translating to two or three pupils in every classroom, a new study has found.

29 Apr 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Hypothalamus controls aging throughout the body, scientists report

Wistar researchers find surprising role for RNA-editing protein in gene silencing

Study reveals link between binge drinking and risk for developing alcoholic liver disease

PTSD study: Individuals with childhood abuse history have distinct changes in gene activity patterns

Study suggests that biology plays role in eating disorders

Researchers study how ketamine reduces side effects of ECT in people with severe depression

Receiving general anesthesia not associated with dementia in elderly patients, research finds

New methods to evaluate how astrocytes contribute to brain function

Gray matter atrophy underlies PD subtypes

Experts call for medical leaders to establish guidelines, embed honesty in academic cultures

UCLA study shows individuals with BDD have global bad wiring in their brains

Researchers identify gene variations linked to male and female infertility

Neurons in the nose could be the key to early diagnosis of schizophrenia, says researcher

Neuroscientists identify cellular change in the brain that accompanies obesity

Researchers create novel way to enhance MRI

New research shows more than a third of stroke patients don't get to hospital by ambulance

CVRx enrolls first patient in Barostim HOPE4HF clinical trial

SLU study reveals that access to dermatologists limited for Medicaid-insured children with eczema

CHMP recommends approval of NUEDEXTA for treatment of pseudobulbar affect

Study gives insight into underlying causes of specific learning disabilities

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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