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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.

Hand-held EEG device can quickly assess brain bleeding in head injuries

In a clinical trial conducted among adults in 11 hospitals, researchers have shown that a hand-held EEG device approved in 2016 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that is commercially available can quickly and with 97 percent accuracy rule out whether a person with a head injury likely has brain bleeding and needs further evaluation and treatment.

5 Apr 2017

Zika-related birth defects reported by 1 in 10 US based pregnant women infected by the virus in 2016

The new Vital Signs report, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has reported that of 250 pregnant women confirmed with Zika infection in 2016, approximately 1 in 10 of them had a fetus or infant with virus-related birth defects. Thisreport is the first of its kind, to present an analysis from a sample of US women with a definite case of Zika infection during pregnancy.

5 Apr 2017

Scientists identify potential link between eating Marmite and brain function

Scientists at the University of York have discovered a potential link between eating Marmite and activity in the brain, through the apparent increase of a chemical messenger associated with healthy brain function.

5 Apr 2017

Hebrew University announces launch of new Center for conducting research on cannabinoids

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has announced the launch of a Multidisciplinary Center on Cannabinoid Research.

5 Apr 2017

Virtual reality may be new way to prevent cognitive decline in elderly people

Ping Jiang and her Helsinki Challenge semifinalist team Senior Cognitive Booster want to increase the cognitive abilities of elderly people with the help of virtual reality.

5 Apr 2017

Artificial touch with finger prosthesis reveals how neurons cooperate inside healthy brain

In a collaboration between Swedish and Italian researchers, the aim was to analyse how the brain interprets information from a virtual experience of touch, created by a finger prosthesis with artificial sensation. The result was - completely unexpectedly - a new method for measuring brain health.

5 Apr 2017

BioDirection's TBI detection system shows potential to reduce unnecessary CT scans

BioDirection, Inc., a privately held medical device company developing novel and rapid point-of-care products for the objective detection of concussion and other traumatic brain injury (TBI), announced today results from a pre-clinical study show that the company’s Tbit™ System for the detection of TBI is sensitive, provides actionable results in point-of-care settings, and has the potential to reduce the number of unnecessary computerized tomography (CT) scans.

5 Apr 2017

Study explores how to predict and prevent psychiatric morbidity in survivors of ARDS

After surviving acute respiratory distress syndrome, a disease in which fluid begins to leak into the lungs of critically ill patients and makes it difficult to breathe, many patients develop mental illness.

5 Apr 2017

Method based on genetic information predicts response to drugs in epileptic patients

Researchers affiliated with the University of Campinas in São Paulo State, Brazil, have shown that genetic information can be used to improve early prediction of the response to drugs in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), one of the most severe forms of epilepsy.

5 Apr 2017

New research takes closer look at the brain’s suspension system in TBIs

Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, can be devastating and debilitating. Despite intense interest and years of study, the exact mechanisms linking force and neurological injury remain unclear. Researchers know that the membranes separating the skull from the brain play a key role in absorbing shock and preventing damage caused during a head impact, but the details remain largely mysterious.

5 Apr 2017

Low-dose penicillin in early life changes behaviour and balance of gut microbes

In a landmark study, researchers at St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University have found that providing clinical (low) doses of penicillin to pregnant mice and their offspring results in long-term behavioural changes.

4 Apr 2017

Organoids in cell culture dish offer new insights into development of the brain

A new method could push research into developmental brain disorders an important step forward. This is shown by a recent study at the University of Bonn in which the researchers investigated the development of a rare congenital brain defect.

4 Apr 2017

MPA approves Renishaw study into chronic drug delivery system in Parkinson's patients

The Medicines Agency of Sweden, MPA, has authorised Herantis Pharma Plc and Renishaw plc’s randomised, placebo-controlled Phase 1-2 clinical study, for the investigation of Cerebral Dopamine Neurotrophic Factor (CDNF) and Renishaw’s chronic drug delivery system, in Parkinson’s patients.

4 Apr 2017

Paternal diet affects cognitive skills of offspring, mice study shows

The father's lifestyle affects the cognitive skills of his offspring -- at least in mice. Scientists at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases have now shown that if male rodents are fed a diet rich in folic acid, methionine and vitamin B12, their progeny do not perform well in memory tests.

4 Apr 2017

Study provides missing link for sex-dependent effects of mild brain blast injury

The brains of men and women are wired differently, and when it comes to traumatic brain injuries (TBI), women are more likely to develop subsequent neuropsychiatric disorders, like anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

4 Apr 2017

Tips and guidance for families to cope with child's diagnosis of autism

In recognition of Autism Awareness Month, Dr. Catherine Lord, director of the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain at NewYork-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell Medicine and Columbia University Medical Center in collaboration with New York Collaborates for Autism, a professor of psychology in psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and a national authority on autism spectrum disorders (ASD), offers families guidance and tips for coping with a child's diagnosis.

4 Apr 2017

Stress affects more than 70% of Americans, study finds

In recognition of April's National Stress Awareness Month, Youfit Health Clubs conducted a survey to reveal America's stress levels and stress-related habits. The study found that more than 70% of Americans suffer from stress, and of those, more than half deal with stress on a daily or weekly basis.

4 Apr 2017

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Hand-held EEG device can quickly assess brain bleeding in head injuries

Zika-related birth defects reported by 1 in 10 US based pregnant women infected by the virus in 2016

Scientists identify potential link between eating Marmite and brain function

Hebrew University announces launch of new Center for conducting research on cannabinoids

Virtual reality may be new way to prevent cognitive decline in elderly people

Artificial touch with finger prosthesis reveals how neurons cooperate inside healthy brain

BioDirection's TBI detection system shows potential to reduce unnecessary CT scans

Study explores how to predict and prevent psychiatric morbidity in survivors of ARDS

Method based on genetic information predicts response to drugs in epileptic patients

New research takes closer look at the brain’s suspension system in TBIs

Low-dose penicillin in early life changes behaviour and balance of gut microbes

Organoids in cell culture dish offer new insights into development of the brain

MPA approves Renishaw study into chronic drug delivery system in Parkinson's patients

Paternal diet affects cognitive skills of offspring, mice study shows

Study provides missing link for sex-dependent effects of mild brain blast injury

Tips and guidance for families to cope with child's diagnosis of autism

Stress affects more than 70% of Americans, study finds

Electrical stimulation on spinal cord and physical therapy help patient to move paralyzed legs

Noninvasive dTMS technique helps obese people lose weight by changing gut microbiota composition

Common antibiotic can disrupt formation of negative associations in the brain, research reveals

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