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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.

Dementia sufferers may begin to lose awareness of memory problems 2-3 years before onset

People who will develop dementia may begin to lose awareness of their memory problems two to three years before the actual onset of the disease, according to a new study published in the August 26, 2015, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Aug 2015

Childhood cancer survivors have high risk of suffering stroke at young age

Most people assume strokes only happen to octogenarians, but recent evidence suggests that survivors of childhood cancer have a high risk of suffering a stroke at a surprisingly young age.

27 Aug 2015

Common gene mutation may cause brain damage associated with ALS and FTD

Johns Hopkins researchers say they have discovered some of the first steps in how a very common gene mutation causes the brain damage associated with both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

27 Aug 2015

UCSF study reveals molecular timing mechanism of stem cells

UC San Francisco researchers have for the first time developed a method to precisely control embryonic stem cell differentiation with beams of light, enabling them to be transformed into neurons in response to a precise external cue.

27 Aug 2015

Promising research aims at finding cure for hydrocephalus

Scientists are focusing in on promising research aimed at finding a cure for hydrocephalus; and a new initiative funded by the Hydrocephalus Association, the largest private funder of hydrocephalus research in the United States, is uniting these researchers to accelerate their progress.

27 Aug 2015

Study provides insight into how the ability to inhibit an action affects attention and memory

You're driving on a busy road and you intend to switch lanes when you suddenly realize that there's a car in your blind spot. You have to put a stop to your lane change -- and quickly. A new study by Duke University researchers suggests that this type of scenario makes a person less likely to remember what halted the action -- for example, the make and model of the car in the blind spot.

27 Aug 2015

Scientists reveal how a common gene mutation in ALS and FTD disrupts normal cell function

Researchers have determined how the most common gene mutation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) disrupts normal cell function, providing insight likely to advance efforts to develop targeted therapies for these brain diseases.

27 Aug 2015

Commonly used heart attack blood test may identify people at risk for hypertension

Analysis of blood samples from more than 5,000 people suggests that a more sensitive version of a blood test long used to verify heart muscle damage from heart attacks could also identify people on their way to developing hypertension well before the so-called silent killer shows up on a blood pressure machine.

27 Aug 2015

Research reveals why older adults who undergo general anesthesia experience postoperative delirium

Newly published research from the Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine explains why up to half of older adults who undergo general anesthesia develop postoperative delirium - the sudden onset of confusion, aggression or agitated behavior that could progress to dementia. The findings indicate that older patients who are undergoing surgery may benefit from a less-potent, slower-acting anesthetic.

26 Aug 2015

New funding supports pilot study that aims to address national crisis in children's oral health

Researchers at Plymouth University Peninsula School of Dentistry have received funding of around £150,000 from the Medical Research Council to support a pilot study which aims to go some way towards addressing the national crisis in children's oral health, especially in communities of social deprivation.

26 Aug 2015

Omega-3 supplements fail to slow cognitive decline in older persons, NIH clinical study shows

While some research suggests that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids can protect brain health, a large clinical trial by researchers at the National Institutes of Health found that omega-3 supplements did not slow cognitive decline in older persons. With 4,000 patients followed over a five-year period, the study is one of the largest and longest of its kind.

26 Aug 2015

Mental visual imagery training may improve AM/EFT functioning in RR-MS patients

Patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RR-MS), the most common form of the disease, often have deficits in two neuropsychological functions, autobiographical memory (AM) and episodic future thinking (EFT), which impact quality of life.

26 Aug 2015

Tocagen's Toca 511 & Toca FC receives FDA orphan drug designation for treatment of glioblastoma

Tocagen Inc., a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designation to the company's lead immuno-oncology product candidate, Toca 511 & Toca FC, for the treatment of glioblastoma.

26 Aug 2015

Study reveals potential health risks associated with burning of incense in indoor environments

The burning of incense might need to come with a health warning. This follows the first study evaluating the health risks associated with its indoor use. The effects of incense and cigarette smoke were also compared, and made for some surprising results. The research was led by Rong Zhou of the South China University of Technology and the China Tobacco Guangdong Industrial Company in China, and is published in Springer's journal Environmental Chemistry Letters.

25 Aug 2015

Study looks at patterns of emotion regulation in the brains of abused children

Children who have been abused typically experience more intense emotions than their peers who have not been abused. This is often considered a byproduct of living in volatile, dangerous environments. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) set to find out what happens when these children are taught how to regulate their emotions.

25 Aug 2015

CHLA orthopaedic specialists provide concussion testing to youth athletes from Los Angeles Kings High School Hockey League

Sports medicine specialists from the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Children's Orthopaedic Center administered baseline concussion tests to 98 athletes from the Los Angeles Kings High School Hockey League on Saturday, August 22 at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Valencia Outpatient Center.

25 Aug 2015

BET inhibitors can cause molecular changes in neurons, lead to memory loss in mice

Cancer researchers are constantly in search of more-effective and less-toxic approaches to stopping the disease, and have recently launched clinical trials testing a new class of drugs called BET inhibitors. These therapies act on a group of proteins that help regulate the expression of many genes, some of which play a role in cancer.

25 Aug 2015

Some head impact sensors too slow and miss most serious, angular hits

With increasing concern about concussions from sports, some players have started wearing electronic sensors to measure head impacts.

25 Aug 2015

Gerard E. Francisco to be honored with AAPM&R Distinguished Member Award

Gerard E. Francisco, M.D., chairman of physical medicine and rehabilitation at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School and chief medical officer at TIRR Memorial Hermann, will be recognized at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Oct. 1 - 4 in Boston.

25 Aug 2015

Physical activity improves cognitive flexibility in older adults

One day soon, doctors may determine how physically active you are simply by imaging your brain. Physically fit people tend to have larger brain volumes and more intact white matter than their less-fit peers. Now a new study reveals that older adults who regularly engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity have more variable brain activity at rest than those who don't. This variability is associated with better cognitive performance, researchers say.

25 Aug 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Dementia sufferers may begin to lose awareness of memory problems 2-3 years before onset

Childhood cancer survivors have high risk of suffering stroke at young age

Common gene mutation may cause brain damage associated with ALS and FTD

UCSF study reveals molecular timing mechanism of stem cells

Promising research aims at finding cure for hydrocephalus

Study provides insight into how the ability to inhibit an action affects attention and memory

Scientists reveal how a common gene mutation in ALS and FTD disrupts normal cell function

Commonly used heart attack blood test may identify people at risk for hypertension

Research reveals why older adults who undergo general anesthesia experience postoperative delirium

New funding supports pilot study that aims to address national crisis in children's oral health

Omega-3 supplements fail to slow cognitive decline in older persons, NIH clinical study shows

Mental visual imagery training may improve AM/EFT functioning in RR-MS patients

Tocagen's Toca 511 & Toca FC receives FDA orphan drug designation for treatment of glioblastoma

Study reveals potential health risks associated with burning of incense in indoor environments

Study looks at patterns of emotion regulation in the brains of abused children

CHLA orthopaedic specialists provide concussion testing to youth athletes from Los Angeles Kings High School Hockey League

BET inhibitors can cause molecular changes in neurons, lead to memory loss in mice

Some head impact sensors too slow and miss most serious, angular hits

Gerard E. Francisco to be honored with AAPM&R Distinguished Member Award

Physical activity improves cognitive flexibility in older adults

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st Edition) eBook

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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