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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.

Positive data from Nektar’s NKTR-192 Phase 1a study on acute pain

Nektar Therapeutics announced today that positive data from the first single-ascending dose Phase 1a clinical study of NKTR-192, the company's novel short-acting mu-opioid analgesic candidate, demonstrate that the drug candidate achieved its target pharmacokinetic profile.

19 Sep 2012

Delirium widespread among older people but often goes ignored and untreated

Delirium is widespread among older people but often goes ignored and untreated, according to new research by US and UK researchers including the University of East Anglia (UEA).

19 Sep 2012

Navidea commences enrollment in [18F]NAV4694 Phase 2 study for Alzheimer's

Navidea Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on precision diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals, today announced that enrollment has commenced at two sites participating in its Phase 2, open-label, safety and efficacy PET imaging study of [18F]NAV4694 for detection of cerebral β-amyloid plaque in subjects diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD).

19 Sep 2012

Minor stroke patients need urgent imaging

Mild stroke or transient ischemic attack results in a surprisingly high rate of disability, say researchers.

18 Sep 2012

Teen BD patients show specific gray matter deficits

Results from a US study show that adolescents with bipolar I disorder who have experienced their first episode of mania have gray matter deficits in the left subgenual cingulate cortex.

18 Sep 2012

Power of taxane-based chemotherapy drugs may be potentially underestimated

The power of taxane-based chemotherapy drugs are misunderstood and potentially underestimated, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in the September 15 issue of the journal Cancer Research.

18 Sep 2012

No link between low-level electromagnetic field exposure from mobile phones and health risks

There is no scientific evidence that low-level electromagnetic field exposure from mobile phones and other transmitting devices causes adverse health effects, according to a report presented by a Norwegian Expert Committee. In addition, the Committee provides advice to authorities about risk management and regulatory practice.

18 Sep 2012

BACE2 enzyme could represent powerful new tool against Alzheimer's

An enzyme that could represent a powerful new tool for combating Alzheimer's disease has been discovered by researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida. The enzyme - known as BACE2 - destroys beta-amyloid, a toxic protein fragment that litters the brains of patients who have the disease.

18 Sep 2012

New light-based technique demonstrates that toxic proteins build up gradually in blood cells

A new light-based technique for measuring levels of the toxic protein that causes Huntington's disease (HD) has been used to demonstrate that the protein builds up gradually in blood cells. Published today (17th) in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the findings shed light on how the protein causes damage in the brain, and could be useful for monitoring the progression of HD, or testing new drugs aimed at suppressing production of the harmful protein.

18 Sep 2012

Vitamin E may prevent cancer in patients with Cowden Syndrome

Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered that vitamin E may prevent cancer in patients with an under-recognized genetic disorder.

18 Sep 2012

Brain-healthy lifestyle may prevent symptoms of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., and that figure isn't going down. In fact, as America's older population grows, deaths from Alzheimer's continue to rise, and have increased 66 percent since 2000. If current population trends continue and no cure is found, the actual number of people living with the disease could double every 20 years.

18 Sep 2012

Cognitive basis proposed for fatigue after stroke

Research shows that poststroke fatigue in patients with nondisabling stroke is tied to a specific type of cognitive dysfunction.

17 Sep 2012

vasopharm's explorative phase IIa NOSTRA trial in TBI meets clinical endpoints for safety

vasopharm GmbH, a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of cerebro- and cardiovascular diseases, today announces that the explorative phase IIa NOSTRA trial in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients met all clinical endpoints for safety and in addition demonstrated strong evidence of clinical benefit in patients.

17 Sep 2012

NIH announces multiple awards to UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment

The National Institutes of Health, recognizing UCLA's preeminence in both research and clinical care of children with autism, has announced multiple awards to the university as part of its Autism Centers of Excellence (ACE) research program.

17 Sep 2012

Alzheimer's pathology might be increased in patients after surgery and anesthesia

A syndrome called "post-operative cognitive decline" has been coined to refer to the commonly reported loss of cognitive abilities, usually in older adults, in the days to weeks after surgery. In fact, some patients time the onset of their Alzheimer's disease symptoms from a surgical procedure.

15 Sep 2012

‘C’ variant disrupts brain connectivity in children with ASD

Over the past decade, researchers have made great strides in identifying genes that lead to an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which result in a continuum of social deficits, communication difficulties and cognitive delays. But it's still critical to determine how exactly these genetic risk factors impact the brain's structure and function so that better treatments and interventions can be developed.

15 Sep 2012

University of Warwick, NTU to launch joint global programme for neuroscience research

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has linked up with the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, to launch a joint global programme for neuroscience research.

15 Sep 2012

Brandeis University biology professor receives NIH Director's New Innovator award

Chances are you didn't spend much time this morning getting your shoes on or thinking about which route you would take to work. But for people suffering with debilitating diseases such as ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) or Alzheimer's, such simple functions -- and even activities like breathing and eating -- can be a struggle.

15 Sep 2012

People with genetic mutation for Huntington's disease learn faster: Study

People who bear the genetic mutation for Huntington's disease learn faster than healthy people. The more pronounced the mutation was, the more quickly they learned. This is reported by researchers from the Ruhr-Universität Bochum and from Dortmund in the journal Current Biology.

15 Sep 2012

CINJ experts available to discuss prevention and treatment of breast cancer

The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is making experts available to discuss the risks, and options for treatment and prevention surrounding breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society 227,000 women nationwide will be diagnosed with the disease this year, and while the disease affects mostly women, men also can be diagnosed with breast cancer.

15 Sep 2012