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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.

Parkinson's disease patients from lower socioeconomic status less likely to receive DBS

Among Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, female, black, Asian and patients are substantially less likely to receive proven deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery to improve tremors and motor symptoms, according to a new report by a Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania researcher who identified considerable disparities among Medicare recipients receiving DBS for Parkinson's disease.

5 Jan 2014

Researchers develop new tool that accurately predicts individual's risk of colorectal cancer

Researchers at Cleveland Clinic have developed a new tool called CRC-PRO that allows physicians to quickly and accurately predict an individual's risk of colorectal cancer, as published in the current edition of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.

5 Jan 2014

NPS Pharmaceuticals' Natpara gets orphan drug designation for treatment of hypoparathyroidism

NPS Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company pioneering and delivering therapies that transform the lives of patients with rare diseases, today announced that the European Commission has granted orphan drug designation to Natpara (recombinant human parathyroid hormone (rhPTH[1-84]) for the treatment of hypoparathyroidism.

3 Jan 2014

Study explains how brain training improves performance on a given task

Search for "brain training" on the Web. You'll find online exercises, games, software, even apps, all designed to prepare your brain to do better on any number of tasks. Do they work? University of Oregon psychologists say, yes, but "there's a catch."

3 Jan 2014

Novel technique helps people with word blindness to read again

In the journal Neurology, researchers report a novel technique that enables a patient with "word blindness" to read again.

3 Jan 2014

Numotion partners with The ALS Association to support individuals affected by Lou Gehrig's Disease

Numotion, the complex wheelchair company committed to serving the lifelong needs of people through individualized health and mobility solutions, has partnered with The ALS Association to offer support and enhance the quality of life for individuals affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

3 Jan 2014

'Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living' can help tackle New Year’s resolutions

Americans will start the New Year with resolutions that are doomed to fail if they don't deal with the underlying issue of stress before they join a gym, start a diet or throw the cigarettes away. Research shows that stress negatively impacts our ability to lose weight, quit smoking and stick with a new healthy lifestyle change.

3 Jan 2014

Study indicates that smoking disrupts circadian clock function in both lungs and brain

As if cancer, heart disease and other diseases were not enough motivation to make quitting smoking your New Year's resolution, here's another wake-up call: New research published in the January 2014 issue of The FASEB Journal suggests that smoking disrupts the circadian clock function in both the lungs and the brain.

3 Jan 2014

Kessler conducts research study to improve health and quality of life of military personnel with SCI

Kessler Foundation is conducting a 3-year research study to improve the health and quality of life of military personnel and civilians with spinal cord injury (SCI). The study, 'Systematic Assessment of Caregiving Skill Performance by Individuals with Tetraplegia and their Caregivers', is funded by a $590,540 grant from a special program in the Department of Defense (W81XWH-12-1-0553).

3 Jan 2014

Molecule produced by brain acts as natural defence mechanism against cannabis

Two INSERM research teams led by Pier Vincenzo Piazza and Giovanni Marsicano (INSERM Unit 862 "Neurocentre Magendie" in Bordeaux) recently discovered that pregnenolone, a molecule produced by the brain, acts as a natural defence mechanism against the harmful effects of cannabis in animals.

3 Jan 2014

Scientists discover new class of cells expressing olfactory receptors in human airways

Your nose is not the only organ in your body that can sense cigarette smoke wafting through the air. Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Iowa have showed that your lungs have odor receptors as well.

3 Jan 2014

Chinese herbal medicine effective at alleviating acute inflammatory and nerve pain

A compound derived from a traditional Chinese herbal medicine has been found effective at alleviating pain, pointing the way to a new nonaddictive analgesic for acute inflammatory and nerve pain, according to UC Irvine pharmacology researchers.

3 Jan 2014

Study finds extraordinary link between narcolepsy and specific gene variant

A new study conducted across Europe found an extraordinary association between narcolepsy and a specific gene variant related to the immune system.

2 Jan 2014

Medicare shapes what others pay for health care

Because of Medicare's huge scale, the prices it pays for procedures often shape what others pay for similar care, economist are finding. In the meantime, the program continues to look for ways to prevent inappropriate prescribing by its doctors.

2 Jan 2014

Shingles may increase risk of stroke in later life, study finds

Having shingles may increase the risk of having a stroke years later, according to research published in the January 2, 2014, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Jan 2014

Resting-state connectivity and metabolism dissociated in schizophrenia

A neuroimaging study suggests that patients with schizophrenia have difficulty deactivating the default mode network, rather than having increased absolute metabolic activity.

2 Jan 2014

China's Health Department of the People's Liberation Army orders clinical solutions from Elekta

To help manage the growing incidence of cancer, China's Health Department of the People's Liberation Army has ordered a comprehensive range of clinical solutions from Elekta. Fourteen hospitals around the country will receive in total 15 linear accelerators (linacs).

From Elekta 2 Jan 2014

First Edition: Jan. 2, 2014

The early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about what to expect of the health law in 2014.

2 Jan 2014

Study shows good night's sleep may be critical for maintaining brain health

A new study from Uppsala University, Sweden, shows that one night of sleep deprivation increases morning blood concentrations of NSE and S-100B in healthy young men. These molecules are typically found in the brain.

2 Jan 2014

Kessler Foundation to conduct pilot study on improving memory, function in MS patients

Kessler Foundation has been awarded a new grant by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for a pilot study of memory and learning difficulties in individuals with MS. Scientists will test the effectiveness of using of self-generated learning in a treatment intervention to improve memory and functional performance.

1 Jan 2014

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Parkinson's disease patients from lower socioeconomic status less likely to receive DBS

Researchers develop new tool that accurately predicts individual's risk of colorectal cancer

NPS Pharmaceuticals' Natpara gets orphan drug designation for treatment of hypoparathyroidism

Study explains how brain training improves performance on a given task

Novel technique helps people with word blindness to read again

Numotion partners with The ALS Association to support individuals affected by Lou Gehrig's Disease

'Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living' can help tackle New Year’s resolutions

Study indicates that smoking disrupts circadian clock function in both lungs and brain

Kessler conducts research study to improve health and quality of life of military personnel with SCI

Molecule produced by brain acts as natural defence mechanism against cannabis

Scientists discover new class of cells expressing olfactory receptors in human airways

Chinese herbal medicine effective at alleviating acute inflammatory and nerve pain

Study finds extraordinary link between narcolepsy and specific gene variant

Medicare shapes what others pay for health care

Shingles may increase risk of stroke in later life, study finds

Resting-state connectivity and metabolism dissociated in schizophrenia

China's Health Department of the People's Liberation Army orders clinical solutions from Elekta

First Edition: Jan. 2, 2014

Study shows good night's sleep may be critical for maintaining brain health

Kessler Foundation to conduct pilot study on improving memory, function in MS patients

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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