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.

UCLA professor receives ASA's Feinberg Award for clinical stroke research

Dr. Jeffrey L. Saver, professor of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of the UCLA Stroke Center, received the William Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke at the American Stroke Association's 2012 International Stroke Conference in New Orleans on Feb. 2.

4 Feb 2012

CT-guided catheters carry t-PA to shrink clots in patients with ICH

Johns Hopkins neurologists report success with a new means of getting rid of potentially lethal blood clots in the brain safely without cutting through easily damaged brain tissue or removing large pieces of skull. The minimally invasive treatment, they report, increased the number of patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) who could function independently by 10 to 15 percent six months following the procedure.

4 Feb 2012

Scientists discover extremely long-lived proteins in aging rats

One of the big mysteries in biology is why cells age. Now scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies report that they have discovered a weakness in a component of brain cells that may explain how the aging process occurs in the brain.

4 Feb 2012

Aspirin plus clopidogrel unlikely to prevent recurrent strokes and may increase risk of death, bleeding

The anti-blood clot regimen that adds the drug clopidogrel (Plavix) to aspirin treatment is unlikely to prevent recurrent strokes and may increase the risk of bleeding and death in patients with subcortical stroke according to late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.

4 Feb 2012

Combination of Toca 511 and 5-FC may prolong survival in glioblastoma

Tocagen Inc. today announced the publication of data showing the company's investigational treatment for high grade glioma eradicates brain tumors and provides a dramatic survival benefit in mouse models of glioblastoma.

4 Feb 2012

Brain may replace sensory experiences to help understand common metaphors

When a friend tells you she had a rough day, do you feel sandpaper under your fingers? The brain may be replaying sensory experiences to help understand common metaphors, new research suggests.

4 Feb 2012

Whole exome sequencing provides clues about rare mutations in aneurysms

An innovative approach to genome screening has provided clues about rare mutations that may make people susceptible to brain aneurysms, predisposing them to brain bleeds, according to preliminary late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.

4 Feb 2012

Aspirin and warfarin similar in preventing deaths and strokes in heart failure patients

In the largest and longest head-to-head comparison of two anti-clotting medications, warfarin and aspirin were similar in preventing deaths and strokes in heart failure patients with normal heart rhythm, according to late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.

4 Feb 2012

G-CSF's AX200 does not improve stroke-related disability

A new drug that showed promise in animal studies and an early clinical trial didn't improve disability among stroke patients, according to late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.

4 Feb 2012

New experimental device effectively removes blood clots in stroke patients

An experimental device for removing blood clots in stroke patients dramatically outperformed the standard mechanical treatment, according to research presented by UCLA Stroke Center director Dr. Jeffrey L. Saver at the American Stroke Association's 2012 international conference in New Orleans on Feb. 3.

4 Feb 2012

UCSD Moores Cancer Center offers NovoTTF procedure for patients with GBM

Jim Black is fighting the meanest, most aggressive, most common kind of brain tumor in the United States: recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). In the United States, each year, approximately 10,000 patients are affected by GBM. Now, a novel investigational device - available only at clinical trial sites - is offering new hope to these patients.

4 Feb 2012

Electronic app may help schizophrenia patients to avoid hallucinations

When a patient afflicted with schizophrenia hears inner voices something is taking place inside the brain that prevents the individual from perceiving real voices. A simple electronic application may help the patient learn to shift focus.

3 Feb 2012

Aggrenox not affected by co-administration of omeprazole: Study

Boehringer Ingelheim presented results of a drug interaction study that found Aggrenox (aspirin/extended-release dipyridamole), an antiplatelet medication, is not affected by the co-administration of omeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), frequently used to treat several gastrointestinal conditions. These data were presented at the International Stroke Conference (ISC) in New Orleans.

3 Feb 2012

People with CD36 gene may like high-fat foods more than others

A preference for fatty foods has a genetic basis, according to researchers, who discovered that people with certain forms of the CD36 gene may like high-fat foods more than those who have other forms of this gene.

3 Feb 2012

Sleep disorders cost the economy billions

New figures reveal that sleep disorders are costing the Australian economy more than $5.1 billion each year. The staggering amount covers health costs and loss of productivity for the more than 1.5 million workers suffering from sleep disorders including sleep apnea and insomnia.

3 Feb 2012

Addiction could be a legacy from parents: Study

Researchers have found that like other inherited traits – addiction could be a legacy from parents. A child of drug-addicted parents is eight times more likely to become an addict than a child growing up in a drug-free home. However in families whose very brains seem primed for addiction, some children still go on to lead productive lives free of drugs, according to new research.

3 Feb 2012

General anesthesia in infancy linked to ADHD

New research suggests that infants who undergo surgical procedures requiring general anesthesia in their first two years of life may be at increased risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as they grow older.

3 Feb 2012

Is sugar as bad as alcohol and tobacco?

According to US health experts, sugar is as damaging and addictive as alcohol or tobacco and should be regulated. The University of California team suggests new policies such as taxes are needed to control soaring consumption of sugar and sweeteners. Prof Robert Lustig argues in the opinion piece called “The Toxic Truth About Sugar” in journal Nature for major shifts in public policy.

3 Feb 2012

Married men with stroke symptoms seek medical attention earlier than women

It's been said that marriage is good for your health - especially if you're a man. Research at Mayo Clinic in Arizona shows that's true when it comes to seeking care for stroke symptoms.

3 Feb 2012

Mental illness suspect genes are among the most environmentally responsive regulatory mechanisms

For the first time, scientists have tracked the activity, across the lifespan, of an environmentally responsive regulatory mechanism that turns genes on and off in the brain's executive hub.

3 Feb 2012