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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.

Doctors should consider underlying inflammatory conditions when selecting anti-epilepsy drugs, say researchers

Physicians at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have been investigating if established anti-epilepsy drugs have anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory properties - an effect for which these pharmaceutical agents are not usually tested.

20 Dec 2013

Coupling meditation-like practices with drug and behavior therapies more helpful in tackling addiction

Using a computational model of addiction, a literature review and an in silico experiment, theoretical computer scientist Yariv Levy and colleagues suggest in a new paper this week that rehabilitation strategies coupling meditation-like practices with drug and behavior therapies are more helpful than drug-plus-talk therapy alone when helping people overcome addiction.

20 Dec 2013

Parkinson's disease patients may find difficulties in recognizing emotions

Patients affected by Parkinson's disease may experience, in addition to the more obvious motor symptoms (such as tremors and stiffness), difficulties recognizing emotions in the facial expressions and speech prosody (intonation) of other people. A number of investigations have shown that even deep brain stimulation, a treatment that has become widely used in recent years, may cause similar disorders.

20 Dec 2013

Study supports mounting evidence that inflammation may be the cause of chronic rhinosinusitis

Saint Louis University researchers have analyzed the microbiomes of people with chronic rhinosinusitis and healthy volunteers and found evidence that some chronic sinus issues may be the result of inflammation triggered by an immune response to otherwise harmless microorganisms in the sinus membranes.

20 Dec 2013

UC Irvine scientists find that reprogramming of liver 'clock' may contribute to metabolic disorders

A high-fat diet affects the molecular mechanism controlling the internal body clock that regulates metabolic functions in the liver, UC Irvine scientists have found. Disruption of these circadian rhythms may contribute to metabolic distress ailments, such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.

20 Dec 2013

USC's Keck Medicine becomes world's first center to implant responsive brain device to treat epilepsy

On Dec. 18, Keck Medicine of USC became the world's first medical center to implant a responsive brain device newly approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat epilepsy, with potential to help millions of people worldwide.

20 Dec 2013

New MRI approach can be important tool for diagnosing, tracking MS progression

New imaging research from Western University (London, Canada) has demonstrated that a magnetic resonance imaging approach called quantitative susceptibility mapping can be an important tool for diagnosing and tracking the progression of Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological diseases.

20 Dec 2013

Neurocognitive abnormalities ‘fundamental’ to schizophrenia

Rare copy-number variants that confer a high risk for schizophrenia or autism are associated with impaired cognition in carriers without psychiatric disorders, researchers report in Nature.

19 Dec 2013

National Mentor Holdings revenue increases to $15.6 million in Q4 2013

National Mentor Holdings, Inc. today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended September 30, 2013.

19 Dec 2013

Study investigates about emotions that affects patients with Parkinson's disease

Is it the disease itself or the treatment that impairs the perception of emotions? A study conducted with the collaboration of the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) of Trieste investigates the origins of the difficulty recognizing certain emotions that affects patients with Parkinson's disease.

19 Dec 2013

Computer-controlled, rotating table could deliver high doses of radiotherapy to tumors, spare vulnerable organs

Swivelling patients around on a computer-controlled, rotating table could deliver high doses of radiotherapy to tumours more quickly than current methods, while sparing vulnerable organs such as the heart, brain, eyes and bowel.

19 Dec 2013

Poor people, minorities appear to suffer from sleep problems, chronic disease

Poor people and minorities appear to disproportionately suffer from problems with sleep and chronic disease, but the two do not appear to be directly linked, finds a new study in Ethnicity & Disease.

19 Dec 2013

Co-culture with mesenchymal stem cells results in improved viability, function of human hepatocytes

Hepatocyte transplantation is becoming an accepted therapy for acute liver failure, either for liver regeneration or as a bridge to liver transplantation. However, maintaining the viability and functional aspects of hepatocytes has been a concern even with successful freezing.

19 Dec 2013

Researchers investigate several non-invasive methods for measuring intracranial pressure

Do you ever turn your world upside down by standing on your head? After a few minutes you might feel some pressure in your face and around your skull. This is because headstands invert the body's blood flow, pushing more blood toward your head.

19 Dec 2013

Deep brain stimulation may have beneficial effect on driving ability for Parkinson's disease patients

Deep brain stimulation may have a beneficial effect on driving ability for people with Parkinson's disease, according to a new study published in the December 18, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Deep brain stimulation uses a surgical implant similar to a pacemaker to send electrical impulses to the brain.

19 Dec 2013

People with intermittent explosive disorder elevate levels of markers of systemic inflammation in blood

People with intermittent explosive disorder — a psychiatric illness characterized by impulsivity, hostility and recurrent aggressive outbursts — have elevated levels of two markers of systemic inflammation in their blood, according to a study involving nearly 200 subjects.

19 Dec 2013

TGen, Nemucore, and Barrow collaboration aims for new drugs to treat glioblastoma

The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation today announced a $3 million grant to the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), Nemucore Medical Innovations Inc., and Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center to help fund significant brain tumor research in Arizona.

18 Dec 2013

Research adds debate about how human bodies respond to artificial sweeteners

New research from the University of Adelaide has added to the debate about how our bodies respond to artificial sweeteners and whether they are good, bad or have no effect on us.

18 Dec 2013

MSCs isolated from MS patients have decreased suppressive function

Multiple sclerosis, an inflammatory autoimmune disease affecting more than one million people worldwide, is caused by an immune reaction to myelin proteins, the proteins that help form the myelin insulating substance around nerves. Demyelination and MS are a consequence of this immune reaction. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have been considered as an important source for cell therapy for autoimmune diseases such as MS because of their immunosuppressive properties.

18 Dec 2013

Researchers receive Special Challenge Award to investigate role of high protein levels in prostate tumors

Cleveland Clinic, along with the National Cancer Institute, the University of Chicago and Thomas Jefferson University, are the recipients of a $600,000 Special Challenge Award from the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) to investigate the role of abnormally high protein levels in prostate tumors.

18 Dec 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Doctors should consider underlying inflammatory conditions when selecting anti-epilepsy drugs, say researchers

Coupling meditation-like practices with drug and behavior therapies more helpful in tackling addiction

Parkinson's disease patients may find difficulties in recognizing emotions

Study supports mounting evidence that inflammation may be the cause of chronic rhinosinusitis

UC Irvine scientists find that reprogramming of liver 'clock' may contribute to metabolic disorders

USC's Keck Medicine becomes world's first center to implant responsive brain device to treat epilepsy

New MRI approach can be important tool for diagnosing, tracking MS progression

Neurocognitive abnormalities ‘fundamental’ to schizophrenia

National Mentor Holdings revenue increases to $15.6 million in Q4 2013

Study investigates about emotions that affects patients with Parkinson's disease

Computer-controlled, rotating table could deliver high doses of radiotherapy to tumors, spare vulnerable organs

Poor people, minorities appear to suffer from sleep problems, chronic disease

Co-culture with mesenchymal stem cells results in improved viability, function of human hepatocytes

Researchers investigate several non-invasive methods for measuring intracranial pressure

Deep brain stimulation may have beneficial effect on driving ability for Parkinson's disease patients

People with intermittent explosive disorder elevate levels of markers of systemic inflammation in blood

TGen, Nemucore, and Barrow collaboration aims for new drugs to treat glioblastoma

Research adds debate about how human bodies respond to artificial sweeteners

MSCs isolated from MS patients have decreased suppressive function

Researchers receive Special Challenge Award to investigate role of high protein levels in prostate tumors

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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