Brain News and Research

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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.

Preterm births fell for the fifth straight year in 2011

Preterm births fell for the fifth straight year in 2011, and the improvement was across the board -- every racial and ethnic group benefited, and there were fewer preterm babies born at all stages of pregnancy, according to preliminary birth data released today by the National Center for Health Statistics.

4 Oct 2012

More access to video-EEG may reduce treatment gap for epilepsy and PNES

Improvements to diagnosis and screening of sleep apnea are critical to stroke prevention

Improvements to the diagnosis and screening of sleep apnea are critical to stroke prevention, according to new stroke care guidelines released today at the Canadian Stroke Congress.

3 Oct 2012

New mouse model could foster ALS, Paget's and dementia breakthroughs

Efforts to treat disorders like Lou Gehrig's disease, Paget's disease, inclusion body myopathy and dementia will receive a considerable boost from a new research model created by UC Irvine scientists.

3 Oct 2012

Multiple sclerosis symptoms worse in those with low vitamin D levels

Low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased number of brain lesions and signs of a more active disease state in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study finds, suggesting a potential link between intake of the vitamin and the risk of longer-term disability from the autoimmune disorder.

3 Oct 2012

FDA panel recommends U.S. approval for Second Sight’s Argus II bionic eye

On Friday September 28th, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Ophthalmic Devices Advisory Panel unanimously voted 19-0 that the probable benefit of the Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System outweighs the risks to health, an important step toward the FDA market approval of this product manufactured by Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.

3 Oct 2012

Study examines newly proposed DSM-5 criteria for autism spectrum disorder

Parents should not worry that proposed changes to the medical criteria redefining a diagnosis of autism will leave their children excluded and deemed ineligible for psychiatric and medical care, says a team of researchers led by psychologists at Weill Cornell Medical College.

3 Oct 2012

Research emphasizes importance of smoking cessation for people with stroke or TIA

A study of stroke patients from Southern Ontario found those who smoke have more difficulty with problem-solving and decision-making than non-smokers.

3 Oct 2012

New positively-charged nanoparticles can be useful MRI agents to monitor transplanted islet cells

In a study to investigate the detection by MRI of six kinds of positively-charged magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles designed to help monitor transplanted islet cells, a team of Japanese researchers found that the charged nanoparticles they developed transduced into cells and could be visualized by MRI while three kinds of commercially available nanoparticles used for controls could not.

3 Oct 2012

Study investigates time-dependent efficacy of hUCB MNCs after experimental brain ischemia

A research team from Germany has found that optimal benefit and functional improvement for ischemic stroke results when human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (hUCB MNCs) are transplanted into rat stroke models within 72 hours of the stroke.

3 Oct 2012

Fluoxetine increases offensive aggression and alters brain development in adolescent hamsters

Fluoxetine was the first drug approved by the FDA for major depressive disorder (MDD) in children and adolescents, and to this date, it remains one of only two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) registered for treatment of MDD in children and adolescents, despite reports that indicate this class of drugs is associated with side effects, such as agitation, hostility and aggression.

3 Oct 2012

Obesity from high-energy diets may impair brain, fuel overeating

"Betcha can't eat just one!" For obese people trying to lose weight, the Lays potato chip advertising slogan hits a bit too close to home as it describes the daily battle to resist high calorie foods.

3 Oct 2012

State roundup: AP probes Va. hospital's actions in woman's death; Supreme Court won't hear Neb. abortion case; Kancare preps assessment for in-home Medicaid needs

An Associated Press examination of her care highlights the dizzying array of federal, state and private agencies charged with regulating hospital care, and the differing standards they use when investigating the most serious cases of possible neglect. In addition, an investigation report filed by Virginia regulators appears to have been altered to delete parts of the report that substantiated most of the family's complaints. That prompted a former top federal regulator to say the case warrants further investigation.

3 Oct 2012

Memory impairments linked to object perception among people with early stage Alzheimer's

A new study from Georgia Tech and the University of Toronto suggests that memory impairments for people diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer's disease may be due, in part, to problems in determining the differences between similar objects.

2 Oct 2012

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements could slow key biological process linked to aging

Taking enough omega-3 fatty acid supplements to change the balance of oils in the diet could slow a key biological process linked to aging, new research suggests.

2 Oct 2012

Statins may protect against glaucoma

People who take statins to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease are less likely to be diagnosed with the most common form of glaucoma, according to a nationwide study of more than 300,000 patients.

2 Oct 2012

Novel target identified for fragile X-linked autism

Researchers have elucidated a novel mechanism through which fragile X syndrome may contribute to behavioural symptoms of autism and identified a potential therapeutic target.

1 Oct 2012

Takeda, Seattle Genetics announce preliminary data from brentuximab vedotin phase I study on sALCL

Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, and Seattle Genetics, Inc., today announced preliminary data from one arm of a three arm phase I, open-label, multicenter study designed to determine the safety and activity of sequential and combination treatment approaches of brentuximab vedotin with CHOP or CH-P chemotherapy in newly diagnosed patients with CD30-positive mature T- and NK- cell lymphomas.

1 Oct 2012

Most people completely unaware of aphasia

Most people are completely unaware of one of stroke's most common, debilitating but invisible impairments, according to the first awareness survey of its kind in Canada released today at the Canadian Stroke Congress.

1 Oct 2012

Exercise can improve overall brain function following stroke

Just six months of exercise can improve memory, language, thinking and judgment problems by almost 50 per cent, says a study presented today at the Canadian Stroke Congress.

1 Oct 2012

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Preterm births fell for the fifth straight year in 2011

More access to video-EEG may reduce treatment gap for epilepsy and PNES

Improvements to diagnosis and screening of sleep apnea are critical to stroke prevention

New mouse model could foster ALS, Paget's and dementia breakthroughs

Multiple sclerosis symptoms worse in those with low vitamin D levels

FDA panel recommends U.S. approval for Second Sight’s Argus II bionic eye

Study examines newly proposed DSM-5 criteria for autism spectrum disorder

Research emphasizes importance of smoking cessation for people with stroke or TIA

New positively-charged nanoparticles can be useful MRI agents to monitor transplanted islet cells

Study investigates time-dependent efficacy of hUCB MNCs after experimental brain ischemia

Fluoxetine increases offensive aggression and alters brain development in adolescent hamsters

Obesity from high-energy diets may impair brain, fuel overeating

State roundup: AP probes Va. hospital's actions in woman's death; Supreme Court won't hear Neb. abortion case; Kancare preps assessment for in-home Medicaid needs

Memory impairments linked to object perception among people with early stage Alzheimer's

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements could slow key biological process linked to aging

Statins may protect against glaucoma

Novel target identified for fragile X-linked autism

Takeda, Seattle Genetics announce preliminary data from brentuximab vedotin phase I study on sALCL

Most people completely unaware of aphasia

Exercise can improve overall brain function following stroke

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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