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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.

International researchers identify 11 new genes linked to Alzheimer's disease

An international group of researchers has identified 11 new genes that offer important new insights into the disease pathways involved in Alzheimer's disease. The highly collaborative effort involved scanning the DNA of over 74,000 volunteers-the largest genetic analysis yet conducted in Alzheimer's research-to discover new genetic risk factors linked to late-onset Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of the disorder.

28 Oct 2013

Rutgers scientists provide new information about rare genetic childhood disorder

Scientists at Rutgers University studying the cause of a rare childhood disease that leaves children unable to walk by adolescence say new findings may provide clues to understanding more common neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and developing better tools to treat them.

28 Oct 2013

Depression remains two times more likely in children with brain injury or concussion

Adults with head injuries are known to be at high risk for depression, and yet little research had been done on the topic related to children. In the abstract, "Depression in Children Diagnosed with Brain Injury or Concussion," presented Oct. 25 at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, researchers sought to identify the prevalence of depression in children with brain injuries, including concussions, in the U.S.

25 Oct 2013

Plant Sterols prove to be better cholesterol in Alzheimer`s disease

"Plant sterols are present in various combinations in nuts, seeds and plant oils. As plant sterols are the equivalents of animal cholesterol, they can in principal influence metabolic processes, where cholesterol is involved," explained Marcus Grimm, Head of the Experimental Neurology Laboratory at Saarland University. "Because they also lower cholesterol levels, they are extensively used in the food industry and as dietary supplements."

25 Oct 2013

Peds21 symposium discusses role of parents, caregivers and early childhood experiences in shaping future health

Recent research has found that a dramatic dance between genes and experience shape the architecture of the developing brain, most profoundly during the first 1,000 days of life.

25 Oct 2013

Research: Neurotoxin provides more relief from pain in dogs with bone cancer

By the time bone cancer is diagnosed in a pet dog, it is often too late to save the animal's life. Instead, the goal of treatment is to keep the dog as comfortable and free of pain as possible for as long as possible.

25 Oct 2013

Viewpoints: Republicans new-found interest in the workings of the health website; fixing the problem crucial to Obama's presidency

Republicans are apoplectic about Healthcare.gov, the official Web site for the Affordable Care Act. They are trying desperately to change the subject from their disastrous government shutdown by ranting about the failures of a government Web site that cost a tiny fraction of what was lost as a result of the shutdown. Republicans are pretending that they care about the problems encountered in signing up for a system that many of them are bent on destroying (Charles M. Blow, 10/23).

25 Oct 2013

Obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome are highly heritable

An international research consortium led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the University of Chicago has answered several questions about the genetic background of obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome, providing the first direct confirmation that both are highly heritable and also revealing major differences between the underlying genetic makeup of the disorders.

25 Oct 2013

Longer looks: Website problems 'could be worse;' why poor people take more health risks; preventing suicide

[President Barack Obama's] advisors shouldn't be surprised -- the success rate for large, multi-million dollar commercial and government IT projects is very low. The Standish Group, which has a database of some 50,000 development projects, looked at the outcomes of multimillion dollar development projects and ran the numbers for Computerworld. Of 3,555 projects from 2003 to 2012 that had labor costs of at least $10 million, only 6.4% were successful. The Standish data showed that 52% of the large projects were "challenged," meaning they were over budget, behind schedule or didn't meet user expectations. The remaining 41.4% were failures -- they were either abandoned or started anew from scratch (Patrick Thibodeau, 10/21).

25 Oct 2013

Just 13 days in space may cause changes in eye structure, gene expression

Just 13 days in space may be enough to cause profound changes in eye structure and gene expression, report researchers from Houston Methodist, NASA Johnson Space Center, and two other institutions in the October 2013 issue of Gravitational and Space Research.

25 Oct 2013

UMMS professor receives EUREKA grant to develop light activated nanoparticles for imaging brain tissue

University of Massachusetts Medical School Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology Gang Han, PhD, has received a $1.3 million EUREKA (Exceptional Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration) grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to develop light activated nanoparticles that can be used to image live brain tissue.

25 Oct 2013

Cancer imaging centers receive £35M grant to develop cutting edge imaging technologies

Cancer imaging is set to get a major boost from a -35 million nationwide initiative to develop cutting edge imaging technologies for basic and clinical cancer research.

25 Oct 2013

Whitehead Institute scientists identify novel Parkinson's disease drug target

Using a discovery platform whose components range from yeast cells to human stem cells, Whitehead Institute scientists have identified a novel Parkinson's disease drug target and a compound capable of repairing neurons derived from Parkinson's patients.

25 Oct 2013

Study: Investigational drug shows promise against pancreatic cancer

An investigational drug that disrupts tumor blood vessels shows promise against a rare type of pancreatic cancer, scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have found. Their results were presented October 20 during a poster session at an international cancer conference.

25 Oct 2013

Hands-free ultrasound device with clot-busting drug safe for ischemic stroke patients

A study led by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) showed that a hands-free ultrasound device combined with a clot-busting drug was safe for ischemic stroke patients.

25 Oct 2013

Bad news for women with sleep apnea: The body's autonomic responses more diminished in women

There's more bad news for women with sleep apnea. A new study from the UCLA School of Nursing shows that the body's autonomic responses - the controls that impact such functions as blood pressure, heart rate and sweating - are weaker in people with obstructive sleep apnea but are even more diminished in women.

25 Oct 2013

Researchers discover novel genetic cause of severe obesity

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have discovered a novel genetic cause of severe obesity which, although relatively rare, demonstrates for the first time that genes can reduce basal metabolic rate - how the body burns calories.

25 Oct 2013

Autoimmune link to schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia have an increased risk for developing autoimmune diseases, especially if they contract an infection, shows a registry-based study.

24 Oct 2013

Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, Heart and Stroke Foundation to improve health of Canadians

The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, are pleased to announce a $16 million investment in a first of its kind partnership between the cancer and cardiovascular research communities that will strengthen our understanding of chronic disease.

24 Oct 2013

HM Hospitales expects to treat first patients with Elekta's Versa HD system in 2015

HM Hospitales, a private hospital group in Spain, anticipates treating its first patients with Elekta's Versa HD™ system in 2015. Versa HD, to be sited in the group's sixth hospital, is an advanced radiation treatment system designed to enhance the management of cancer care and treat a broad spectrum of tumors throughout the body.

From Elekta 24 Oct 2013

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

International researchers identify 11 new genes linked to Alzheimer's disease

Rutgers scientists provide new information about rare genetic childhood disorder

Depression remains two times more likely in children with brain injury or concussion

Plant Sterols prove to be better cholesterol in Alzheimer`s disease

Peds21 symposium discusses role of parents, caregivers and early childhood experiences in shaping future health

Research: Neurotoxin provides more relief from pain in dogs with bone cancer

Viewpoints: Republicans new-found interest in the workings of the health website; fixing the problem crucial to Obama's presidency

Obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome are highly heritable

Longer looks: Website problems 'could be worse;' why poor people take more health risks; preventing suicide

Just 13 days in space may cause changes in eye structure, gene expression

UMMS professor receives EUREKA grant to develop light activated nanoparticles for imaging brain tissue

Cancer imaging centers receive £35M grant to develop cutting edge imaging technologies

Whitehead Institute scientists identify novel Parkinson's disease drug target

Study: Investigational drug shows promise against pancreatic cancer

Hands-free ultrasound device with clot-busting drug safe for ischemic stroke patients

Bad news for women with sleep apnea: The body's autonomic responses more diminished in women

Researchers discover novel genetic cause of severe obesity

Autoimmune link to schizophrenia

Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, Heart and Stroke Foundation to improve health of Canadians

HM Hospitales expects to treat first patients with Elekta's Versa HD system in 2015

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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