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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.

Survey: One in three American adults could have experienced sign of warning stroke

About one in three American adults experienced a symptom consistent with a warning or "mini" stroke, but almost none - 3 percent - took the recommended action, according to a new survey from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

2 May 2017

Computer-driven automated drill may play pivotal role in future surgeries

A computer-driven automated drill, similar to those used to machine auto parts, could play a pivotal role in future surgical procedures.

2 May 2017

New study shows that gene editing technology can shut down HIV-1 replication in animals

A permanent cure for HIV infection remains elusive due to the virus's ability to hide away in latent reservoirs. But now, in new research published in print May 3 in the journal Molecular Therapy, scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and the University of Pittsburgh show that they can excise HIV DNA from the genomes of living animals to eliminate further infection.

2 May 2017

Powerful pain medicine may help reduce vision damage of glaucoma

The tip of our optic nerve is typically the first place injured by glaucoma. Now researchers want to know if the powerful pain medicine (+)-pentazocine can help avoid the damage.

2 May 2017

Paternal age at conception may affect social skills of children, study suggests

The age of the father at the time his children are born may influence their social development, suggests a study published in the May 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

1 May 2017

Study describes new targets for precision treatment of meningiomas

Winner of the Integra Foundation Award, Mark W. Youngblood, presented his research, Clinical and Molecular Features of Genomic Subgroups in Meningioma, during the 2017 American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting.

29 Apr 2017

Testosterone reduces cognitive reflection, increases impulsive behavior in men

Hotheaded, impulsive men who shoot first and ask questions later are a staple of Westerns and 1970s cop films, but new research shows there might be truth to the trope.

28 Apr 2017

UM SOM expert diagnoses severe illness that destroyed hearing of Spanish artist

Francisco Goya is the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th century. He was famed for his sensitive portraits, and many historians argue that he was the first truly modern painter.

28 Apr 2017

Study sheds new light on evolutionary origin of the vertebrate brain

A study recently published in PLOS Biology provides information that substantially changes the prevailing idea about the brain formation process in vertebrates and sheds some light on how it might have evolved.

28 Apr 2017

Researchers explore link between gut microbiome and nutrition in autism spectrum disorder

Over the last decade, research has revealed more about the human gut microbiome—the environment within the gastrointestinal tract—where microbes, especially bacteria, reside. Recently, more has become known about the function of those microbes and the microbiome's connection with health and disease.

28 Apr 2017

Takeda announces accelerated approval from FDA for new lung cancer treatment

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE: 4502) today announced that ALUNBRIG (brigatinib) has received Accelerated Approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (ALK+) metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who have progressed on or are intolerant to crizotinib.

28 Apr 2017

Researchers find persistence of Zika virus in cerebrospinal fluid, lymph nodes of rhesus monkeys

Zika virus can persist in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), lymph nodes and colorectal tissue of infected rhesus monkeys for weeks after the virus has been cleared from blood, urine and mucosal secretions, according to a study published online in Cell.

28 Apr 2017

Newly discovered molecule plays central role in appetite control mechanisms

A newly discovered molecule increases appetite during fasting -- and decreases it during gorging. The neuron-exciting protein, named NPGL - apparently aims to maintain body mass at a constant, come feast or famine. An evolutionary masterstroke, but not great news for those looking to trim down -- or beef up for the summer.

28 Apr 2017

Arizona State University earns 14 NSF early career faculty awards

Arizona State University has earned 14 National Science Foundation early career faculty awards, ranking second among all university recipients of the prestigious awards for 2017 and setting a new ASU record. The awards total $7 million in funding for the ASU researchers over five years.

28 Apr 2017

Do brain training apps really work?

There are dozens of brain training apps on the market. Regrettably, very few have any studies showing efficacy. A recent systematic review from experts at five Alzheimer’s research centers looked at 32 brain training programs, and found only seven had any studies to review showing effects in the target population of aging adults.

28 Apr 2017

Scientists aim to build computer model of complex memory formation

Much of what scientists know about human memory comes from studies involving relatively simple acts of recollection--remembering lists of words or associations between names and faces.

28 Apr 2017

Stivarga receives expanded FDA approval for treatment of liver cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today expanded the approved use of Stivarga (regorafinib) to include treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC or liver cancer) who have been previously treated with the drug sorafenib.

28 Apr 2017

Slender faces linked to overbite and left-handedness

Individuals with a slender lower face are about 25 percent more likely to be left-handed. This unexpected finding (abstract) was identified in 13,536 individuals who participated in three national surveys conducted in the United States.

28 Apr 2017

New study receives $12.7 million PCORI funding to improve post-acute care for TBI patients

Researchers at Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation and Baylor Scott & White Research Institute will participate in a nationwide study to improve post-acute care for patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury.

27 Apr 2017

FDA approves first drug for treating rare form of Batten disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Brineura (cerliponase alfa) as a treatment for a specific form of Batten disease. Brineura is the first FDA-approved treatment to slow loss of walking ability in symptomatic pediatric patients 3 years of age and older with late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2), also known as tripeptidyl peptidase-1 (TPP1) deficiency.

27 Apr 2017