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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.

New stem cell gene, enzyme replacement treatment for Tay-Sachs disease

StemCellRegenMed, Inc. announces that a new stem cell gene and enzyme replacement treatment has been performed on a fourteen month old child with Tay-Sachs disease on November 2, 2010. Tay-Sachs is a devastating disease that afflicts children primarily of parents of Jewish heritage and in very rare cases families of Eastern European background and the Cajun region in the U.S.A.

10 Nov 2010

Simple test and an MRI predicts future Alzheimer’s disease

Until now is has been believed that Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia could be diagnosed only when symptoms appear which almost always means when patients are in their 70s or 80s. Now the latest research shows that some brain lesions are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease and can be detected in the brains of healthy people in their 40s. Along with this a simple mental skills test may be able to detect the problem many years sooner than previously thought.

10 Nov 2010

Researchers identify molecular cascade that drives process of reconnection in adult brain after stroke

A stroke wreaks havoc in the brain, destroying its cells and the connections between them. Depending on its severity and location, a stroke can impact someone's life forever, affecting motor activity, speech, memories, and more.

10 Nov 2010

Article shows link between maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy, SIDS

The link between maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome may relate to the negative effects of nicotine on the development of brain centers that regulate breathing, according to an article in the recent issue of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

10 Nov 2010

Researchers study drug's ability to restore retinal health in eyes of diabetic patients

One drug's startling ability to restore retinal health in the eyes of diabetic mice has researchers wanting to learn more about how it works and whether it might do the same for people.

10 Nov 2010

Researchers to determine levels of stroke risk in patients with narrowed brain arteries

Neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center are part of a multicenter, National Institutes of Health (NIH) study to determine the levels of stroke risk and stroke recurrence in patients with narrowed brain arteries.

10 Nov 2010

18 partner consortium to develop lab-on-a-chip to detect brain diseases

A consortium of 18 partners embarks on the development of a lab-on-a-chip to detect Alzheimer´s disease and similar diseases in the brain. The project is funded by the EU´s 7th Framework programme for nanotechnology.

10 Nov 2010

Cognitive differences exist between modern humans, Neanderthals: Researchers

Whether cognitive differences exist between modern humans and Neanderthals is the subject of contentious disputes in anthropology and archaeology. Because the brain size range of modern humans and Neanderthals overlap, many researchers previously assumed that the cognitive capabilities of these two species were similar.

10 Nov 2010

Study sheds light on difficulty of controlling blood pressure in patients with high aldosterone levels

A hormone already responsible for increasing blood pressure by prompting the kidneys to retain salt appears to moonlight as a major stimulator of the brain centers that control the vascular system and blood pressure.

10 Nov 2010

ECRI Institute introduces CT Radiation Dose Safety Review service to reduce risk of excessive radiation

Keeping radiation dose in check is a top safety concern for today's hospitals, particularly in computed tomography, which has undergone some significant technological advances in the last ten years. The down side is that CT delivers some of the highest radiation doses in diagnostic radiology.

10 Nov 2010

Clot-busting drug remains the most beneficial emergency treatment for strokes

The clot-busting drug rt-PA remains the most beneficial proven emergency treatment for strokes caused by blood clots, according to an editorial in the November issue of Archives of Neurology by Dr. Jos- Biller.

10 Nov 2010

Grand Challenges Explorations projects receive new grants for tuberculosis research

Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that it was awarded two $100,000 grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the next phase of Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to encourage bold and unconventional ideas for global health.

10 Nov 2010

Education can help prevent preterm birth

Doctors and patients should discuss a pregnant woman's risk of preterm birth by the twelfth week of pregnancy, according to a commentary published in the November issue of Ob.Gyn. News.

10 Nov 2010

Enrollment complete in Nabi's second NicVAX Phase III clinical trial for nicotine addiction

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals announced today that it has completed enrollment in the second Phase III clinical trial of NicVAX® (Nicotine Conjugate Vaccine), the company's innovative and proprietary investigational candidate vaccine being developed to treat nicotine addiction and prevent smoking relapse.

10 Nov 2010

New study reveals finger length can indicate high testosterone levels

Potential investors might wish to examine the fingers of their financial advisor prior to signing over any savings. A new study from Concordia University has found the length between the second and fourth finger is an indicator of high levels of prenatal testosterone, risk-taking and potential financial success in men.

10 Nov 2010

Investigations examine Medicare’s dialysis system, CT scanners and drugs

ProPublica reports on the costs and risks associated with dialysis: "In 1972, after a month of deliberation, Congress launched the nation's most ambitious experiment in universal health care: a change to the Social Security Act that granted comprehensive coverage under Medicare to virtually anyone diagnosed with kidney failure, regardless of age or income.

10 Nov 2010

Study evaluates therapeutic hypothermia in children after cardiac arrest

When the heart is stopped and restarted, the patient's life may be saved but the brain is often permanently damaged. Therapeutic hypothermia, a treatment in which the patient's body temperature is lowered and maintained several degrees below normal for a period of time, has been shown to mitigate these harmful effects and improve survival in adults.

10 Nov 2010

Boston Scientific announces first implantation of Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation System in Parkinson's disease trial

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced the first implantation of its Vercise™ Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System as part of the VANTAGE clinical trial. VANTAGE is a multi-center, prospective trial designed to examine the improvement of motor function in approximately 40 European patients implanted with the Vercise DBS System for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

10 Nov 2010

NeuroDerm commences enrollment in ND0801 Phase 2a clinical study of ADD/ADHD in adults

NeuroDerm, Ltd. announced today that patient enrollment has begun in a Phase 2a clinical study of ND0801, a new product for the treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) in adults. ND0801, based on a new, proprietary combination with nicotinic actions, is being developed as a dermal patch and will be evaluated for the treatment of cognitive impairment in several disorders including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and advanced Parkinson's disease, among others.

9 Nov 2010

Human blood from adult human skin

In an important breakthrough, scientists at McMaster University have discovered how to make human blood from adult human skin.

9 Nov 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New stem cell gene, enzyme replacement treatment for Tay-Sachs disease

Simple test and an MRI predicts future Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers identify molecular cascade that drives process of reconnection in adult brain after stroke

Article shows link between maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy, SIDS

Researchers study drug's ability to restore retinal health in eyes of diabetic patients

Researchers to determine levels of stroke risk in patients with narrowed brain arteries

18 partner consortium to develop lab-on-a-chip to detect brain diseases

Cognitive differences exist between modern humans, Neanderthals: Researchers

Study sheds light on difficulty of controlling blood pressure in patients with high aldosterone levels

ECRI Institute introduces CT Radiation Dose Safety Review service to reduce risk of excessive radiation

Clot-busting drug remains the most beneficial emergency treatment for strokes

Grand Challenges Explorations projects receive new grants for tuberculosis research

Education can help prevent preterm birth

Enrollment complete in Nabi's second NicVAX Phase III clinical trial for nicotine addiction

New study reveals finger length can indicate high testosterone levels

Investigations examine Medicare’s dialysis system, CT scanners and drugs

Study evaluates therapeutic hypothermia in children after cardiac arrest

Boston Scientific announces first implantation of Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation System in Parkinson's disease trial

NeuroDerm commences enrollment in ND0801 Phase 2a clinical study of ADD/ADHD in adults

Human blood from adult human skin

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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