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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.

Cognitive decline incidence higher in southern ‘stroke belt’

New research shows that residents of the Stroke Belt—a southern portion of the U.S. with significantly elevated stroke morality rate—also have a greater incidence of cognitive decline than other regions of the country. Researchers believe shared risk factors among members of this population are to blame. Results of this study, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), are published in Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association.

26 May 2011

Gestational high-fat diet programs woman's baby for future diabetes

A high-fat diet during pregnancy may program a woman's baby for future diabetes, even if she herself is not obese or diabetic, says a new University of Illinois study published in the Journal of Physiology.

26 May 2011

Boehringer Ingelheim's new afatinib-cetuximab phase Ib data in NSCLC presented at ASCO 2011

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. will present new phase Ib data at the 2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago that indicates combining its investigational therapy afatinib with cetuximab at the maximum tested dose controlled disease in all (n=22) treated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutation positive patients with non-small cell lung cancer who developed acquired resistance to treatment with a reversible EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

26 May 2011

NWBT accelerates addition of clinical sites for new enrollment into ongoing GBM brain cancer trial

Northwest Biotherapeutics today announced that it has accelerated the addition of clinical trial sites, exceeding its projections for the doubling of such sites across the U.S. this calendar quarter, for enrollment of new patients into the Company's ongoing 240-patient randomized, double blind, placebo controlled clinical trial of DCVax immune therapy for Glioblastoma multiforme, the most lethal form of brain cancer.

26 May 2011

Investigators receive NIH grant to help move gene therapy for MPS IIIB toward clinical trials

Investigators at Nationwide Children's have received a grant from the National Institutes of Health to help move a therapy for MPS IIIB that has been shown effective in mice toward clinical trials in humans.

26 May 2011

Recycling protein molecules could lead to new therapies for Alzheimer's disease

The formation of abnormal strands of protein called amyloid fibrils - associated with two dozen diseases ranging from Alzheimer's to type-2 diabetes - may not be permanent and irreversible as previously thought, scientists are reporting in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

26 May 2011

New insight into how genes and proteins go awry in autism to alter the mind

For decades, autism researchers have faced a baffling riddle: how to unravel a disorder that leaves no known physical trace as it develops in the brain.

26 May 2011

Precision ophthalmic tint lenses reduce migraine, study shows

Precision tinted lenses have been used widely to reduce visual perceptual distortions in poor readers, and are increasingly used for migraine sufferers, but until now the science behind these effects has been unclear.

26 May 2011

Taking prenatal vitamins early during pregnancy can reduce risk of having children with autism

Women who reported not taking a daily prenatal vitamin immediately before and during the first month of pregnancy were nearly twice as likely to have a child with an autism spectrum disorder as women who did take the supplements - and the associated risk rose to seven times as great when combined with a high-risk genetic make-up, a study by researchers at the UC Davis MIND Institute has found.

26 May 2011

U.S. District Court grants temporary restraining order in Amylin's litigation against Lilly

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the United States District Court for the Southern District of California issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Eli Lilly and Company relating to its litigation with respect to the Amylin / Lilly diabetes collaboration agreement.

26 May 2011

Consistency and efficiency of FDA's medical device review process raises concern

Two-thirds of small medical device and diagnostic companies--the drivers of innovation in the sector--are obtaining clearance for new products in Europe first, suggesting delayed market entry in the U.S., according to a comprehensive industrywide survey about FDA's 510(k) product review process by researchers at Northwestern University.

26 May 2011

The Rockefeller University to honor pioneering memory researcher with Pearl Meister Greengard Prize

Brenda Milner, Ph.D., a pioneer in the field of cognitive neuroscience whose discoveries revolutionized the understanding of memory, will be awarded the 2011 Pearl Meister Greengard Prize from The Rockefeller University.

26 May 2011

Non-invasive trigeminal nerve stimulation shows promise in controlling seizures

Medications are the mainstay of treatment for epilepsy, but for a considerable number of patients - estimated to be as many as 1 million in the U.S. - drugs don't work. These patients suffer from a type of epilepsy known as refractory or drug-resistant epilepsy, in which drugs can't control their seizures.

26 May 2011

Study to examine whether red wine component could help reduce concussions in pro boxers

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers are engaging the help of professional boxers and trainers to study whether a component in red wine and grapes could help reduce the short- and long-term effects of concussions.

26 May 2011

Metyrapone reduces brain's ability to re-record negative emotions associated with recalling painful memories

Recalling painful memories while under the influence of the drug metyrapone reduces the brain's ability to re-record the negative emotions associated with them, according to University of Montreal researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress of Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital.

26 May 2011

New findings from STELARA psoriasis clinical trial to be presented at 22nd World Congress of Dermatology

New findings to be presented from pooled analyses of the STELARA psoriasis clinical development program showed that the safety profile of STELARA and rates of adverse events remained consistent and stable over time in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis receiving up to four years of treatment.

25 May 2011

Biogen Idec joins global multiple sclerosis community to celebrate third annual World MS Day

Today, Biogen Idec will join the global multiple sclerosis (MS) community in celebrating the third annual World MS Day. Biogen Idec continues to be the industry leader in researching and providing groundbreaking therapies for MS. So far in 2011, the company has brought more hope to MS patients through a number of significant milestones.

25 May 2011

Brain areas responsible for motor behavior might represent therapeutic targets for bipolar disorder

A new study by motor control and psychology researchers at Indiana University suggests that postural control problems may be a core feature of bipolar disorder, not just a random symptom, and can provide insights both into areas of the brain affected by the psychiatric disorder and new potential targets for treatment.

25 May 2011

Biogen Idec launches educational forum, 'Women in MS'

Biogen Idec today announced the launch of "Women in MS," an educational initiative to address both the advantages and challenges female clinicians experience in treating patients living with multiple sclerosis.

25 May 2011

Study provides insight into effective treatments for autism spectrum disorder, seizures

Roughly 25-35% of individuals with autism eventually develop seizures and many of the remainder have subclinical seizure-like brain activity. However, little is known about which traditional epilepsy treatments and commonly used non-traditional alternative treatments are effective for treating seizures or epilepsy in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder.

25 May 2011

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Cognitive decline incidence higher in southern ‘stroke belt’

Gestational high-fat diet programs woman's baby for future diabetes

Boehringer Ingelheim's new afatinib-cetuximab phase Ib data in NSCLC presented at ASCO 2011

NWBT accelerates addition of clinical sites for new enrollment into ongoing GBM brain cancer trial

Investigators receive NIH grant to help move gene therapy for MPS IIIB toward clinical trials

Recycling protein molecules could lead to new therapies for Alzheimer's disease

New insight into how genes and proteins go awry in autism to alter the mind

Precision ophthalmic tint lenses reduce migraine, study shows

Taking prenatal vitamins early during pregnancy can reduce risk of having children with autism

U.S. District Court grants temporary restraining order in Amylin's litigation against Lilly

Consistency and efficiency of FDA's medical device review process raises concern

The Rockefeller University to honor pioneering memory researcher with Pearl Meister Greengard Prize

Non-invasive trigeminal nerve stimulation shows promise in controlling seizures

Study to examine whether red wine component could help reduce concussions in pro boxers

Metyrapone reduces brain's ability to re-record negative emotions associated with recalling painful memories

New findings from STELARA psoriasis clinical trial to be presented at 22nd World Congress of Dermatology

Biogen Idec joins global multiple sclerosis community to celebrate third annual World MS Day

Brain areas responsible for motor behavior might represent therapeutic targets for bipolar disorder

Biogen Idec launches educational forum, 'Women in MS'

Study provides insight into effective treatments for autism spectrum disorder, seizures

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