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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.

Klf4 protein an important regulator of inflammation: HNK study

Microglia are the first line defence of the brain and are constantly looking for infections to fight off. Overactive microglia can cause uncontrolled inflammation within the brain, which can in turn lead to neuronal damage. New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Journal of Neuroinflammation shows that, honokiol (HNK) is able to down-regulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory enzymes in activated microglia via Klf4, a protein known to regulate DNA.

19 Mar 2012

Sexually rejected male fruit flies binge on alcohol more than sexually satisfied peers: Study

Male fruit flies whose sexual advances are rejected by females, turn to alcohol finds a new study. Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco discovered that rejected male flies have a tiny molecule in their brain that pushes them to drink far more than their sexually satisfied counterparts. The levels of the molecule, neuropeptide F, were higher in sexually satisfied males than in those who got no sex, leading scientists to speculate that their work could shed light on brain mechanisms behind human addiction. A similar human molecule - neuropeptide Y - may also link social triggers to behaviors such as heavy drinking and drug abuse, according to the study published in Science journal.

18 Mar 2012

Mobile phone exposure in unborn mice raises risk of behavioral and memory disorders

A new study has shown that unborn mice exposed to mobile phone radiation became hyperactive adults with poor memory. But scientists have added that the findings cannot be translated to humans.

18 Mar 2012

Gamma Knife surgery stops growth of 'World's tallest living human'

Sultan Kosen won't be posting new world records for height anymore, but that's just fine with him. The Gamma Knife radiosurgery the 29-year-old Turkish man had in August 2010 has successfully stopped his growth at the height of 8 ft 3 in (251 cm). Mr. Kosen, who suffered the effects of acromegaly, has held the title of "World's Tallest Living Human" since September 2009, when his 8 ft plus stature edged 7 ft 9 in Xiu Xung from China.

From Elekta 17 Mar 2012

Clinicians to discuss best approaches for future cancer treatment at Brainlab's radiotherapy meeting

Today clinicians from around the world will gather at the 4th Brainlab European Radiotherapy User Meeting to share their best practice and experiences in treating difficult-to-treat cancers using advanced radiotherapy.

17 Mar 2012

SBMT announces 2012 recipients of Pioneers in Medicine, Technology and Healthcare Policy Awards

Today, the Society for Brain Mapping & Therapeutics announced the 2012 recipients of the organization's prestigious Pioneers in Medicine, Technology, and Healthcare Policy Awards.

17 Mar 2012

Researchers use standard inkjet printer to print live cells

Researchers from Clemson University have found a way to create temporary holes in the membranes of live cells using a standard inkjet printer. The method will be published in JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments, on March 16.

17 Mar 2012

Congressional Brain Injury Task Force brings representatives to Capitol Hill for BIA Day

On Wednesday, March 21, the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force brings representatives from the brain injury community to Capitol Hill for Brain Injury Awareness (BIA) Day. The day starts with the BIA Fair, where attendees share information on policy issues, research, diagnosis and screening and care and rehabilitation. The afternoon features a briefing on "The Impact of Brain Injury: Any Time, Any One, Any Age."

17 Mar 2012

PFO closure device no better than drugs alone in preventing recurrent strokes or TIAs

Loyola University Medical Center is one of the major enrollers in a landmark clinical trial that found that plugging a hole in the heart works no better than drugs in preventing strokes.

17 Mar 2012

ApoE4 gene could cause early loss of synapses in Alzheimer's disease

Today, researchers at the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute (BRNI) at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia reported a significant advance in understanding how different forms of the ApoE gene raise the risk for Alzheimer's disease.

17 Mar 2012

$Enrollment commences in MORE Registry for DBS in patients with refractory epilepsy$

Enrollment commences in MORE Registry for DBS in patients with refractory epilepsy

Medtronic, Inc. today announced that a patient from Kempenhaeghe-Heeze (The Netherlands) is the first patient to be enrolled into the MORE (MedtrOnic Registry for Epilepsy) Registry which is designed to look at the long-term efficacy, quality of life impact and safety of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with refractory epilepsy.

From Medtronic 17 Mar 2012

Einstein members celebrate 2012 Match Day

Members of Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University's graduating class celebrated another strong year for residency placements in competitive specialties and prestigious programs at this year's Match Day. Representing the culmination of their medical school education, Match Day marked the transition of Einstein's class of 2012 into the post-graduate phase of their training - when they will practice medicine in a clinical setting under the supervision of fully licensed physicians.

17 Mar 2012

Infants' faces evoke species-specific patterns of brain activity in adults

Distinct patterns of activity-which may indicate a predisposition to care for infants-- appear in the brains of adults who view an image of an infant face-even when the child is not theirs, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and in Germany, Italy, and Japan.

17 Mar 2012

Unconscious racial attitudes affect positive interactions leading to the detriment of patient health

Primary care physicians who hold unconscious racial biases tend to dominate conversations with African-American patients during routine visits, paying less attention to patients' social and emotional needs and making these patients feel less involved in decision making related to their health, Johns Hopkins researchers report.

16 Mar 2012

Older women with mild retinopathy more likely to have cognitive decline and related vascular changes

Women 65 or older who have even mild retinopathy, a disease of blood vessels in the retina, are more likely to have cognitive decline and related vascular changes in the brain, according to a multi-institutional study led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

16 Mar 2012

CCN1 protein orchestrates cellular antiviral response in the extracellular matrix

Brain-tumor cells that are infected with a cancer-killing virus release a protein "alarm bell" that warns other tumor cells of the impending infection and enables them to mount a defense against the virus, according to a study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.

16 Mar 2012

Eight European research institutes partner to provide training on systemic neuroscience

Eight European research institutes, including Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), and three commercial partners have joined forces in an EU project to provide young academics with an outstanding research environment in the field of systemic neuroscience.

16 Mar 2012

NEJM publishes results from Teva's laquinimod Phase III study on RRMS

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Active Biotech today announced the publication of results from the laquinimod Phase III ALLEGRO study in the March 15 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

16 Mar 2012

Introducing art into nursing care improves stroke survivors' QOL

Stroke survivors who like art have a significantly higher quality of life than those who do not, according to new research. Patients who appreciated music, painting and theatre recovered better from their stroke than patients who did not.

16 Mar 2012

Positive correlation between working memory and mind wandering

Odds are, you're not going to make it all the way through this article without thinking about something else. In fact, studies have found that our minds are wandering half the time, drifting off to thoughts unrelated to what we're doing - did I remember to turn off the light? What should I have for dinner? A new study investigating the mental processes underlying a wandering mind reports a role for working memory, a sort of a mental workspace that allows you to juggle multiple thoughts simultaneously.

16 Mar 2012

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Klf4 protein an important regulator of inflammation: HNK study

Sexually rejected male fruit flies binge on alcohol more than sexually satisfied peers: Study

Mobile phone exposure in unborn mice raises risk of behavioral and memory disorders

Gamma Knife surgery stops growth of 'World's tallest living human'

Clinicians to discuss best approaches for future cancer treatment at Brainlab's radiotherapy meeting

SBMT announces 2012 recipients of Pioneers in Medicine, Technology and Healthcare Policy Awards

Researchers use standard inkjet printer to print live cells

Congressional Brain Injury Task Force brings representatives to Capitol Hill for BIA Day

PFO closure device no better than drugs alone in preventing recurrent strokes or TIAs

ApoE4 gene could cause early loss of synapses in Alzheimer's disease

Enrollment commences in MORE Registry for DBS in patients with refractory epilepsy

Einstein members celebrate 2012 Match Day

Infants' faces evoke species-specific patterns of brain activity in adults

Unconscious racial attitudes affect positive interactions leading to the detriment of patient health

Older women with mild retinopathy more likely to have cognitive decline and related vascular changes

CCN1 protein orchestrates cellular antiviral response in the extracellular matrix

Eight European research institutes partner to provide training on systemic neuroscience

NEJM publishes results from Teva's laquinimod Phase III study on RRMS

Introducing art into nursing care improves stroke survivors' QOL

Positive correlation between working memory and mind wandering

Discover how SciY empowers scientists

Why use light scattering to analyze proteins and viral vectors?

Changing the landscape of R&D to build clinical success from the ground up

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