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.

New study to better understand role of the immune system in stroke

Stroke and other diseases and injuries to the brain are often followed by inflammation, caused by a reaction of the body's immune system. This reaction has been seen as something that must be combated, but perhaps the immune system could in fact help with recovery following a stroke. A major new EU project, led by Lund University in Sweden and the Weizmann Institute in Israel, is going to study this question.

14 Mar 2012

Scientists gain insight into why lithium salts are effective at treating bipolar disorder

Scientists have gained insight into why lithium salts are effective at treating bipolar disorder in what could lead to more targeted therapies with fewer side-effects.

14 Mar 2012

MRI perfusion imaging can help determine brain tumor progression

Gliomas, the most common malignant brain tumors in adults, can be difficult to treat because of their aggressive and invasive nature. In treating patients with gliomas, it is increasingly important that doctors be able to detect tumor changes early when there's a better chance for recovery.

14 Mar 2012

Yoga can improve cognitive functioning and reduce depression in dementia caregivers

For every individual who's a victim of Alzheimer's - some 5.4 million persons in the United States alone - there's a related victim: the caregiver. Spouse, son, daughter, other relative or friend, the loneliness, exhaustion, fear and most of all stress and depression takes a toll.

14 Mar 2012

Rats’ decision making as good as humans: Study

It is a known fact that rats are smart. But now US researchers have shown that they may be just as good as humans at juggling information in order to make the best decision. The discovery could help scientists better understand how the brain works in order to help people with autism who have difficulty processing various stimuli the way that others can, said the study authors.

14 Mar 2012

World's tallest living man stops growing at 8ft 3 inches

Sultan Kosen has been named the world's tallest living man by Guinness World Records for three consecutive years. In the last three months, the 29-year-old Turkish man has only recently stopped growing thanks to receiving treatment in the U.S.

14 Mar 2012

Modified Citrus Pectin binds and blocks harmful effects of Galectin-3

Galectin-3 sounds like a planet out of "Star Trek," but it can be much more ominous. Recently, distinguished integrative physician Isaac Eliaz, M.D., presented breakthrough research demonstrating that the protein Galectin-3 is an active biomarker for numerous life-threatening diseases. Even more importantly, Dr. Eliaz showed how Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP) binds and blocks Galectin-3 throughout the body.

14 Mar 2012

Uncovering the science behind generations of mental illness

Sometimes the most interesting way to digest scientific information is within the context of personal experiences. Likewise, the story of someone's personal journey or struggle can take on broader significance when melded with the insights of scientific knowledge.

14 Mar 2012

Study examines how symptoms presented online influence people's reactions to medical conditions

Maybe you've had a reoccurring sore throat or frequent headaches. Perhaps the pain in your leg won't go away. In the past, you might have gone to a doctor's office to diagnose symptoms.

13 Mar 2012

New York Times Magazine examines 'medical brain drain'

"[T]he United States, with its high salaries and technological innovation, is ... the world's most powerful magnet for doctors, attracting more every year than Britain, Canada and Australia -- the next most popular destinations for migrating doctors -- combined," the New York Times Magazine reports in a story on how the promise of a better salary and working conditions is drawing newly trained doctors away from their countries to the U.S.

13 Mar 2012

Binge drinking linked to brain damage in teens and young adults

Every year, thousands of teens and young adults celebrate Spring Break by drinking large amounts of alcohol — binge drinking — a dangerous right-of-passage for some and one linked to possible brain damage later as adults, says an expert.

13 Mar 2012

MRI reveals microgravity-induced intracranial hypertension in astronauts

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the eyes and brains of 27 astronauts who have spent prolonged periods of time in space revealed optical abnormalities similar to those that can occur in intracranial hypertension of unknown cause, a potentially serious condition in which pressure builds within the skull.

13 Mar 2012

World's tallest man appears to have stopped growing after treatment at UVA

The world's tallest man appears to have stopped growing following treatment at the University of Virginia Medical Center, earning the medical center a mention in the 2012 Guinness World Records.

13 Mar 2012

FTY720 improves locomotor recovery in mice with SCI

A new study suggests that administering FTY720, an oral drug that has shown promise in trials for human multiple sclerosis, significantly improves locomotor recovery in mice with spinal cord injury.

13 Mar 2012

Recent studies aim to find better treatment for children with speech problems

Recent studies by a UT Dallas researcher aim at finding better ways to diagnose young children with language impairments.

13 Mar 2012

JAK-STAT inhibitors reverse MS-like disease in mice

A new class of drugs completing clinical trials soon for rheumatoid arthritis should be examined as a treatment for multiple sclerosis, according to the authors of a University of Alabama at Birmingham study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

13 Mar 2012

Parental exposure to solvents may increase risk of ASD in children

Could parental exposure to solvents at work be linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their children? According to an exploratory study by Erin McCanlies, a research epidemiologist from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and colleagues, such exposures could play a role, but more research would be needed to confirm an association.

13 Mar 2012

DNDi commences Oxaborole SCYX-7158 Phase I clinical trial for sleeping sickness

The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) has commenced a Phase I clinical trial in healthy adults in Paris, France, to determine the safety and tolerability of a promising oral drug candidate Oxaborole SCYX-7158, to treat human African trypanosomiasis (HAT, or sleeping sickness) for stage 1 and stage 2 of the disease.

12 Mar 2012

Elsevier releases NeuroApps: MRI Atlas of Human White Matter

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the release of NeuroApps: MRI Atlas of Human White Matter, the first in a new series of apps created for the iPad.

12 Mar 2012

Human diseases with Drosophila counterparts discussed at annual conference

More than two-thirds of human genes have counterparts in the well-studied fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, so although it may seem that humans don't have much in common with flies, the correspondence of our genetic instructions is astonishing. In fact, there are hundreds of inherited diseases in humans that have Drosophila counterparts.

12 Mar 2012