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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.

Blind and sighted individuals have similar smell perception

An ongoing study by Mathilde Beaulieu-Lefebvre, a graduate student from the Universit- de Montr-al Department of Psychology, has debunked the myth that the blind have a more acute sense of smell than the sighted.

29 Apr 2010

Ceregene continues enrollment in new Phase 1/2 clinical study of CERE-120 for Parkinson's disease

Ceregene, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, announced today that enrollment is proceeding in a new Phase 1/2 clinical study evaluating CERE-120, a gene therapy product which delivers the neurotrophic factor neurturin, to dying neurons in Parkinson's disease patients. This new clinical study follows a completed Phase 2 trial and builds on experience gained in that trial, by enhancing the dosing regimen and optimizing the duration of patient follow up.

29 Apr 2010

Research finding sheds more light on the workings of lateral PFC

Whether it's for money, marbles or chalk, the brains of reward-driven people keep their game faces on, helping them win at every step of the way. Surprisingly, they win most often when there is no reward.

28 Apr 2010

New study links psychopathy to frontal lobe dysfunction

Psychopaths are known to be characterized by callousness, diminished capacity for remorse, and lack of empathy. However, the exact cause of these personality traits is an area of scientific debate. The results of a new study, reported in the May 2010 issue of Elsevier's Cortex, show striking similarities between the mental impairments observed in psychopaths and those seen in patients with frontal lobe damage.

28 Apr 2010

SBRT shows promise in treatment of lung, liver and spinal tumors: Clinical experts

Radiosurgical approaches to cancer treatment are showing promise in the treatment of lung, liver, and spinal tumors, according to four leading clinical experts who presented at a symposium in New York earlier this month.

28 Apr 2010

Researchers find Alzheimer's pathology to originate from Amyloid-Beta oligomers in the brain

Using a new mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that Alzheimer's pathology originates in Amyloid-Beta (Abeta) oligomers in the brain, rather than the amyloid plaques previously thought by many researchers to cause the disease.

28 Apr 2010

Update on ICA-105665 clinical development plans for treatment of epilepsy and pain

Icagen, Inc. today provided an update on clinical development plans for ICA-105665, the Company's novel drug candidate for the treatment of epilepsy and pain.

28 Apr 2010

FIESTY acronym to improve cognitive function, reduce chances of developing dementia

As researchers learn more about how we age, they're finding that genetics are only half of the story when it comes to developing Alzheimer's disease.

28 Apr 2010

FDA issues warning over faulty components in external defibrillators

About 280,000 external defibrillators used worldwide in health care facilities, public places, or in the home may malfunction during attempts to rescue people in sudden cardiac arrest, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned today.

28 Apr 2010

Tel Aviv University researcher pioneers 3-D occupational therapy for children with disabilities

It was her love of ballet that led her to work with children who have motor disabilities. The retired dancer, now an occupational therapist, is pioneering a new "virtual" method to analyze movement patterns in children ― and more effectively treat those with debilitating motor disorders.

28 Apr 2010

Researchers link vitamin D deficiency to chronic fatigue in post-TBI sufferers

New evidence presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology has shown that vitamin D deficiency is closely associated with the chronic fatigue that often follows post traumatic brain injury.

28 Apr 2010

Priligy - new drug for premature ejaculation

For men suffering from premature ejaculation there may be a new savior in town. The new drug called Priligy is reported to triple the time a man can last in bed. It is currently not licensed in the UK, but is available and licensed for use in a number of other European countries.

28 Apr 2010

Natus Medical announces $50M revolving credit facility with Wells Fargo Bank

Natus Medical Incorporated today announced that it has entered into a $50 million revolving credit facility with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association. The credit facility, which matures on April 30, 2012, amends and restates the Company's existing $25 million credit facility that was scheduled to mature on April 30, 2010.

27 Apr 2010

New imaging protocol to visualize activity of brain's reward circuitry in individuals addicted to drugs

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed an imaging protocol that allows them to visualize the activity of the brain's reward circuitry in both normal individuals and those addicted to drugs. The technique could lead to better insight into why people take recreational drugs as well as help determine which treatment strategies might be most effective.

27 Apr 2010

Laughter increases production of antibodies and activates body's protective cells

Laughter is a highly complex process. Joyous or mirthful laughter is considered a positive stress (eustress) that involves complicated brain activities leading to a positive effect on health. Norman Cousins first suggested the idea that humor and the associated laughter can benefit a person's health in the 1970s. His ground-breaking work, as a layperson diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, documented his use of laughter in treating himself—with medical approval and oversight—into remission.

27 Apr 2010

Slitrk5 gene linked to development of OCD-like behaviors

Researchers at the Ansary Stem Cell Institute and the Department of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College discovered that mice missing a single gene developed repetitive obsessive-compulsive-like behaviors. The genetically altered mice, which behaved much like people with a certain type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), could help scientists design new therapies for this debilitating condition.

27 Apr 2010

Study links progression of lethal type of brain tumor with reduced expression of immune system genes

A new study links progression of a lethal type of brain tumor with reduced expression of more than 600 immune system genes, suggesting how complex the immune response is to the cancer and the resulting difficulty in targeting specific immune system proteins for treatment.

27 Apr 2010

CocE exhibits potential for clinical treatment of cocaine toxicity

Cocaine toxicity due to drug overdose results in more than half a million emergency room visits annually. Despite these alarming statistics, there is no Food and Drug Administration-approved pharmacotherapy specifically designed to treat cocaine toxicity. Emergency medical personnel are limited to treating only the immediate life-threatening symptoms of patients, while toxic levels of cocaine and its metabolic break-down products persist and continue to damage the cardiovascular system, liver and brain.

27 Apr 2010

Melanin-covered nanoparticles may protect bone marrow from harmful radiation therapy effects: Research

Tiny, melanin-covered nanoparticles may protect bone marrow from the harmful effects of radiation therapy, according to scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University who successfully tested the strategy in mouse models.

27 Apr 2010

New discovery links Slitrk5 gene to development of OCD-like behaviors

27 Apr 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Blind and sighted individuals have similar smell perception

Ceregene continues enrollment in new Phase 1/2 clinical study of CERE-120 for Parkinson's disease

Research finding sheds more light on the workings of lateral PFC

New study links psychopathy to frontal lobe dysfunction

SBRT shows promise in treatment of lung, liver and spinal tumors: Clinical experts

Researchers find Alzheimer's pathology to originate from Amyloid-Beta oligomers in the brain

Update on ICA-105665 clinical development plans for treatment of epilepsy and pain

FIESTY acronym to improve cognitive function, reduce chances of developing dementia

FDA issues warning over faulty components in external defibrillators

Tel Aviv University researcher pioneers 3-D occupational therapy for children with disabilities

Researchers link vitamin D deficiency to chronic fatigue in post-TBI sufferers

Priligy - new drug for premature ejaculation

Natus Medical announces $50M revolving credit facility with Wells Fargo Bank

New imaging protocol to visualize activity of brain's reward circuitry in individuals addicted to drugs

Laughter increases production of antibodies and activates body's protective cells

Slitrk5 gene linked to development of OCD-like behaviors

Study links progression of lethal type of brain tumor with reduced expression of immune system genes

CocE exhibits potential for clinical treatment of cocaine toxicity

Melanin-covered nanoparticles may protect bone marrow from harmful radiation therapy effects: Research

New discovery links Slitrk5 gene to development of OCD-like behaviors

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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