Brain News and Research

RSS

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.

The muscle supplement creatine is safe, but not effective, in pediatric neuromuscular disease

The muscle supplement creatine can be safely taken by children with neuromuscular diseases, but does not improve strength or muscle mass, according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 56th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., April 24 – May 1, 2004.

27 Apr 2004

A ten year study shows that surgery is not only effective, but the preferred treatment for select epilepsy patients

A study of ten years of patient outcomes shows that surgery is not only effective, but the preferred treatment for select epilepsy patients. In the most comprehensive study of long-term surgery success rates, Mayo Clinic physicians report that 73 percent of 491 Mayo Clinic patients were either seizure-free or experienced seizures only when medication was discontinued.

27 Apr 2004

A high rate of marriage among deaf individuals can explain the increased frequency of connexin deafness in the United States

A high rate of marriage among deaf individuals can explain the increased frequency of connexin deafness in the United States and may have led to a doubling of its occurrence during the past 200 years, according to a study by hereditary deafness experts at Virginia Commonwealth University.

27 Apr 2004

Women who have migraines with aura have a more than 50 percent increased risk of total stroke and 70 percent increase of ischemic stroke

Women who have migraines with aura have a more than 50 percent increased risk of total stroke and 70 percent increase of ischemic stroke compared to those without migraines, according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 56th Annual Meeting

27 Apr 2004

Parkinson’s disease drug Pergolide effective in treating restless legs syndrome

Pergolide, a drug commonly used to treat Parkinson’s disease symptoms, has recently been shown to be effective in treating restless legs syndrome. Researchers from seven countries collaborated on the study, published in the April 27 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

26 Apr 2004

Alzheimer’s drug has been shown to improve memory and cognition in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients

A drug widely used for treating dementia in Alzheimer’s patients has been shown to improve memory and cognition in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who are mild to moderately cognitively impaired.

26 Apr 2004

Clinical trial of enzyme replacement therapy for the treatment of Gaucher disease

Transkaryotic Therapies, Inc. today announced that it has initiated a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and clinical activity of GA-GCB, its enzyme replacement therapy for the treatment of Gaucher disease.

26 Apr 2004

New Saint Louis University research sheds light on how obesity occurs

Saint Louis University researchers believe they’ve won a major skirmish in the battle of the bulge, and their findings are published in the May issue of Diabetes.

26 Apr 2004

Third Annual Encephalitis Conference

International organizers are proud to announce the FACES to FACES Encephalitis Conference, to be held in Enfield Connecticut USA on August 6th to August 8th, 2004.

26 Apr 2004

Discovery shows how single genetic mutation can cause complex disorders

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), characterized by obesity, learning disabilities and eye and kidney problems, is caused by genetic mutations in the BBS family of genes. Now, researchers who've long studied the condition have discovered that genetic mutations in one of those genes, called BBS4, lead to cell death by disrupting the cells' internal "highway" system.

25 Apr 2004

Overview of West Nile virus before season starts

West Nile virus is a newly emergent virus of the family Flaviviridae, found in both tropical and temperate regions. It mainly infects birds, but is also the cause of a number of conditions in humans, horses, and some other mammals. It is transmitted by bites of infected mosquitoes.

24 Apr 2004

New use of Botox helps voice disorders

An injection that’s best known for smoothing wrinkles also helps restore the voices — and the confidence — of people with a voice disorder caused by spasms in their vocal cord muscles, a new University of Michigan study finds.

24 Apr 2004

Nitric oxide, a chemical messenger involved in bodily functions shuts down a protein involved in Parkinson's disease

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that nitric oxide, a chemical messenger involved in bodily functions from erection to nerves' communication, also shuts down a protein involved in Parkinson's disease.

23 Apr 2004

Potential new drug may slow the progression of the Parkinson's disease

An international team of Parkinson's disease researchers has shown that a potential new drug is effective at treating patients in the early stages of Parkinson's and may even slow the progression of the disease. The results from the Parkinson Study Group are in the April 19 issue of the Archives of Neurology.

22 Apr 2004

Alzheimer Society of Canada new Alzheimer fact sheet

Dementia is a syndrome consisting of a number of symptoms that include loss of memory, judgment and reasoning, and changes in mood, behaviour and communication abilities. Alzheimer Disease, the most common form of dementia, accounts for 64 per cent of all dementias in Canada.

22 Apr 2004

Expert calls for standard epinephrine doses when treating children in cardiac arrest

Medical personnel attempting to resuscitate a child in cardiac arrest should abide by epinephrine dosing levels outlined in the Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) guidelines rather than giving larger amounts of the drug, says a nationally recognized pediatrician from UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

22 Apr 2004

FDA recommends approval of stenting to prevent stroke

Cordis Endovascular today reported the Circulatory System Devices Panel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended approval of the company's new Cordis Carotid System. Cordis Endovascular is a division of Cordis Corporation, a Johnson & Johnson company.

21 Apr 2004

Scientist discovers why skin turns leathery

“The reason our skin becomes more leathery and thick as we age might be due to a loss of elasticity in the cells,” says Igor Sokolov of Clarkson University, who presented his latest research findings during a session on bio-imaging techniques at the Annual American Physical Society (APS) March meeting in Montreal.

21 Apr 2004

Dolly the sheeps creators harbour no desire to clone humans

The Scottish institute that cloned Dolly the sheep wants to clone human embryos to study motor neurone disease.

21 Apr 2004

The Alzheimer's Society receives lottery money for stem cell research

The Alzheimer's Society is to receive a grant of more than £200,000 from the Community Fund for stem cell research into potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.

21 Apr 2004

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

The muscle supplement creatine is safe, but not effective, in pediatric neuromuscular disease

A ten year study shows that surgery is not only effective, but the preferred treatment for select epilepsy patients

A high rate of marriage among deaf individuals can explain the increased frequency of connexin deafness in the United States

Women who have migraines with aura have a more than 50 percent increased risk of total stroke and 70 percent increase of ischemic stroke

Parkinson’s disease drug Pergolide effective in treating restless legs syndrome

Alzheimer’s drug has been shown to improve memory and cognition in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients

Clinical trial of enzyme replacement therapy for the treatment of Gaucher disease

New Saint Louis University research sheds light on how obesity occurs

Third Annual Encephalitis Conference

Discovery shows how single genetic mutation can cause complex disorders

Overview of West Nile virus before season starts

New use of Botox helps voice disorders

Nitric oxide, a chemical messenger involved in bodily functions shuts down a protein involved in Parkinson's disease

Potential new drug may slow the progression of the Parkinson's disease

Alzheimer Society of Canada new Alzheimer fact sheet

Expert calls for standard epinephrine doses when treating children in cardiac arrest

FDA recommends approval of stenting to prevent stroke

Scientist discovers why skin turns leathery

Dolly the sheeps creators harbour no desire to clone humans

The Alzheimer's Society receives lottery money for stem cell research

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

Latest News