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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.

New stroke treatment guidelines recommend use of stent retrievers as first-line treatment for eligible patients

Today, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association published new stroke treatment guidelines that recommend the use of stent retriever technology – such as Medtronic plc’s SolitaireTM stent retriever device – in conjunction with the current standard of care, IV-tPA, as a first-line treatment for eligible patients.

30 Jun 2015

Indian hospital treats 10,000th patient using RapidArc radiotherapy technology

A three-year-old baby girl with a brain tumor has become the 10,000th patient at Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad, India to be treated using RapidArc radiotherapy technology from Varian Medical Systems.

30 Jun 2015

New technique that mines Twitter data can help identify potentially dangerous drug interactions

A team of scientists has invented a new technique for discovering potentially dangerous drug interactions and unknown side-effects — before they show up in medical databases, like PubMed, or even before doctors and researchers have heard of them at all.

30 Jun 2015

Imperial College London researchers discover new inherited form of obesity, type 2 diabetes

Scientists have discovered a new inherited form of obesity and type 2 diabetes in humans. A large number of genes are involved in regulating body weight, and there are now over 30 genes known in which people with harmful changes in DNA sequence become extremely overweight. Similarly, there are a number of genes that can, when altered, cause type 2 diabetes. These conditions are inherited through families in exactly the same way as disorders such as cystic fibrosis or Huntington's disease.

30 Jun 2015

Three National Laureates selected for 2015 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists

A chemist who has made important discoveries in both the human brain and sustainable energy, a neurosurgeon who has done pioneering work mapping the "blueprint" of how humans speak and hear, and a computer scientist who has changed our understanding of the capacity of wireless networks are the three winners of the 2015 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists.

30 Jun 2015

New study sheds light on the effects of marijuana on weight gain in young adults

While cannabis alters the functions of neurobiological circuits controlling appetite, its effect on weight gain is complex since several factors appear to be involved, says Didier Jutras-Aswad, University of Montreal professor and researcher at the CHUM Research Centre. "It is known - and often reported by users - that cannabis causes temporary increase in appetite.

30 Jun 2015

People with recurrent depression have significantly smaller hippocampus than healthy individuals

The brains of people with recurrent depression have a significantly smaller hippocampus - the part of the brain most associated with forming new memories - than healthy individuals, a new global study of nearly 9,000 people reveals.

30 Jun 2015

Retina contains microtubule "roadway" that provides energy required for visual processing

Researchers have discovered a thick band of microtubules in certain neurons in the retina that they believe acts as a transport road for mitochondria that help provide energy required for visual processing.

30 Jun 2015

Study may predict which glioblastoma patients may respond well to dasatinib drug treatment

Clinicians testing the drug dasatinib, approved for several blood cancers, had hoped it would slow the aggressive growth of the deadly brain cancer glioblastoma; however, clinical trials to date have not found any benefit. Researchers at Mayo Clinic, who conducted one of those clinical trials, believe they know why dasatinib failed — and what to do about it.

30 Jun 2015

SLU's Center for Vaccine Development receives $2.9 million to study new vaccine to combat TB

Saint Louis University's Center for Vaccine Development has received a $2.9 million award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to study a new tuberculosis vaccine.

30 Jun 2015

Patients have nothing to fear from having physicians-in-training to assist in brain and spine surgeries

An analysis of the results of more than 16,000 brain and spine surgeries suggests patients have nothing to fear from having residents — physicians-in-training — assist in those operations. The contributions of residents, who work under the supervision and alongside senior physicians, do nothing to increase patients' risks of postoperative complications or of dying within 30 days of the surgery, the analysis showed.

30 Jun 2015

Two antibodies show early promise in preventing and treating MERS

As the South Korean epidemic of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) continues unabated, researchers have raced to find treatments for the deadly virus, which has killed more than 400 people since it was first discovered three years ago in Saudi Arabia.

30 Jun 2015

Athletes need to drink when thirsty to avoid exercise-associated hyponatremia

For hikers, football players, endurance athletes, and a growing range of elite and recreational exercisers, the best approach to preventing potentially serious reductions in blood sodium level is to drink when thirsty, according to an updated consensus statement on exercise-associated hyponatremia (EAH).

30 Jun 2015

Residents’ participation does not increase patients’ risks of postoperative complications after brain and spine surgeries

An analysis of the results of more than 16,000 brain and spine surgeries suggests patients have nothing to fear from having residents — physicians-in-training — assist in those operations.

30 Jun 2015

Tiny aquatic flatworms could replace existing animal models used in neurotoxicity tests

Laboratories that test chemicals for neurological toxicity could reduce their use of laboratory mice and rats by replacing these animal models with tiny aquatic flatworms known as freshwater planarians.

29 Jun 2015

Fraser Communications wins another 3-year contract for First 5 California campaigns

Fraser Communications, which has designed award-winning campaigns the past six years for First 5 California, won another 3-year contract with the government organization to promote child brain development, early literacy, healthy nutrition, and other critical information for parents of young children.

29 Jun 2015

Global GBM therapeutics market to expand at CAGR of 10.9% to $623 million by 2020

According to analysis from business intelligence provider GBI Research - Glioblastoma Multiforme Therapeutics in Major Developed Markets to 2020 - the value of the global Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) treatment market will expand at a rapid Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.9%, from $301 million in 2013 to $623 million by 2020.

29 Jun 2015

People with specific gene variant at greater risk of developing depressions

People born with a particular gene variant have a greater risk of developing depressions, a recent study from the Department of Psychology at The University of Oslo shows.

29 Jun 2015

New survey sheds light on the way Americans think about their brain health, lifestyle habits

Is your brain important to you? Do you know how to keep it healthy? According to a recent survey conducted by Reader’s Digest in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, 91 percent of people believe they can reduce their risk of cognitive decline, but they have misconceptions about ways to keep their brains healthy.

29 Jun 2015

Study: Umbilical cord milking improves blood pressure, red blood cell levels in preterm infants

A technique to increase the flow of blood from the umbilical cord into the infant's circulatory system improves blood pressure and red blood cell levels in preterm infants delivered by Cesarean section, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

29 Jun 2015

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New stroke treatment guidelines recommend use of stent retrievers as first-line treatment for eligible patients

Indian hospital treats 10,000th patient using RapidArc radiotherapy technology

New technique that mines Twitter data can help identify potentially dangerous drug interactions

Imperial College London researchers discover new inherited form of obesity, type 2 diabetes

Three National Laureates selected for 2015 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists

New study sheds light on the effects of marijuana on weight gain in young adults

People with recurrent depression have significantly smaller hippocampus than healthy individuals

Retina contains microtubule "roadway" that provides energy required for visual processing

Study may predict which glioblastoma patients may respond well to dasatinib drug treatment

SLU's Center for Vaccine Development receives $2.9 million to study new vaccine to combat TB

Patients have nothing to fear from having physicians-in-training to assist in brain and spine surgeries

Two antibodies show early promise in preventing and treating MERS

Athletes need to drink when thirsty to avoid exercise-associated hyponatremia

Residents’ participation does not increase patients’ risks of postoperative complications after brain and spine surgeries

Tiny aquatic flatworms could replace existing animal models used in neurotoxicity tests

Fraser Communications wins another 3-year contract for First 5 California campaigns

Global GBM therapeutics market to expand at CAGR of 10.9% to $623 million by 2020

People with specific gene variant at greater risk of developing depressions

New survey sheds light on the way Americans think about their brain health, lifestyle habits

Study: Umbilical cord milking improves blood pressure, red blood cell levels in preterm infants

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd 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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