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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.

Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have cardiovascular disease

Nearly half (48 percent, 121.5 million in 2016) of all adults in the United States have some type of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association's Heart and Stroke Statistics — 2019 Update, published in the Association's journal Circulation.

31 Jan 2019

Complex interplay of two growth factors key to fast-acting antidepressant actions

A study by researchers at Yale University reveals a complex interplay of two different growth factors in the rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects of ketamine.

31 Jan 2019

Scientists explore new treatment targets for retinal damage

Scientists at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University are looking at new treatment targets for the retinal damage that often accompanies diseases like diabetes, glaucoma and hypertension.

31 Jan 2019

Exercise-induced muscle changes could help boost mood in older adults, study suggests

New research suggests that exercise-induced muscle changes could help boost mood in older adults. The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology--Cell Physiology.

31 Jan 2019

Study reveals how glioblastomas resist the effects of antiangiogenic drugs

A study led by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the University of Cyprus reveals details of a way the dangerous brain tumors called glioblastomas resist the effects of antiangiogenic drugs designed to cut off their blood supply.

31 Jan 2019

WPI researchers use brain imaging to enhance personal learning environments

Could a computer detect a person's emotions? Could it tell when someone is frustrated over something like a tricky math problem on an online tutoring program? Could it detect deep reflection on a problem? A research team led by Worcester Polytechnic Institute computer science assistant professor Erin Solovey is working to develop a system that could extract that information by merging computer science with neuroscience.

31 Jan 2019

UAB researchers identify possible mechanism of cognition that underlies ASD

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have identified a possible mechanism of human cognition that underlies autism spectrum disorders, or ASD.

31 Jan 2019

Study reveals link between altered brain activity and social deficits in autism

One in 59 children are diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, a wide array of conditions affecting a child's social, emotional, and behavioral development.

31 Jan 2019

Mother’s milk important to protect infants with congenital heart disease from infection

With a lower risk of serious complications and improved feeding and growth outcomes, human milk is strongly preferred as the best diet for infants with congenital heart disease (CHD), according to a research review in Advances in Neonatal Care, official journal of the National Association of Neonatal Nurses. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

31 Jan 2019

New drug for sleeping sickness approved in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Marketing authorization of fexinidazole for the treatment of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), more commonly known as sleeping sickness, has been granted in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

31 Jan 2019

Study sheds light on the genetic causes of tumors in salivary glands

Acinic cell carcinoma is the third most common malignant form of salivary gland cancer. These tumors are similar to normal salivary gland tissue and occur most frequently in the parotid gland.

31 Jan 2019

New autism mouse model shows how epigenetic regulation impacts downstream gene

The causes of autism spectrum disorder are diverse and to some extent, unknown. But without doubt, they are complex, layered and deeply nuanced.

31 Jan 2019

African-Americans have very high blood pressure 5 times higher than national average

Extremely high blood pressure that leads to strokes, heart attacks and acute kidney damage, classified as hypertensive emergency, is five times higher in inner-city African-American patients than the national average, according to a recent study co-lead by a Rutgers researcher.

31 Jan 2019

UCLA-led scientists discover new clues to what goes wrong in the brains of people with autism

A team of UCLA-led scientists has discovered important clues to what goes wrong in the brains of people with autism -- a developmental disorder with no cure and for which scientists have no deep understanding of what causes it.

31 Jan 2019

Women find same-sex social interactions to be more rewarding than men

Females find same-sex social interactions to be more rewarding than males, and females are more sensitive to the rewarding actions of oxytocin (OT) than males, according to a research study led by Georgia State University on the brain mechanisms that determine the rewarding properties of social interactions.

30 Jan 2019

Monkey brain scans reveal new information about visual cortex

Monkey brain scans have revealed new information about the part of the brain that processes visual information.

30 Jan 2019

FSU study breaks new ground in the battle against malignant pediatric brain cancers

Scientists are making important progress in the battle against a class of devilishly complex human pediatric brain cancers thanks to a new study from a team of Florida State University students and faculty.

30 Jan 2019

PFAS chemicals pass through the placenta to fetal tissues throughout pregnancy

In a study published in Environment International researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden show how PFAS industrial chemicals, which are used in many consumer products, pass through the placenta throughout pregnancy to accumulate in fetal tissue.

30 Jan 2019

Mental health problems common after concussion

A new study reveals that approximately 1 in 5 individuals may experience mental health symptoms up to six months after mild traumatic brain injury, suggesting the importance of follow-up care for these patients.

30 Jan 2019

Babies exposed to bilingual environments develop advantages in attention

The advantages of growing up in a bilingual home can start as early as six months of age, according to new research led by York University's Faculty of Health.

30 Jan 2019