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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.

MDxHealth first half 2011 commercial revenues increase 19%

MDxHealth SA, a leading molecular diagnostics company in the field of personalized medicine, announced today its 2011 half-year results.

25 Aug 2011

CVRx introduces CE Mark approved Barostim neo for treatment of uncontrolled hypertension

CVRx, Inc., a private medical device company, introduced today its second-generation implantable device, the Barostim neo, for the treatment of uncontrolled hypertension. The Barostim neo features a new unilateral, 1mm electrode and a new smaller, more advanced stimulator to allow for more focused and efficient delivery of therapy. These improvements have led to shorter procedure times and extended longevity.

25 Aug 2011

Vanderbilt awarded $4.85 million grant for new research network on law and neuroscience

Vanderbilt University has been awarded a $4.85 million grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to manage the newly established MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Law and Neuroscience.

25 Aug 2011

Study reveals striking brain similarities in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia

Researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and Beaumont Hospital have conducted a study which has found striking brain similarities in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The research has also pinpointed for the first time that a process which controls how information is transmitted from neuron to neuron in the brain is altered in both conditions and may potentially contribute to the developments of improved treatments in the future.

25 Aug 2011

Hippocampus neurons encode every sequential moment in series of events

The hippocampus is a brain structure that plays a major role in the process of memory formation. It is not entirely clear how the hippocampus manages to string together events that are part of the same experience but are separated by "empty" periods of time. Now, new research published by Cell Press in the August 25 issue of the journal Neuron finds that there are neurons in the hippocampus that encode every sequential moment in a series of events that compose a discrete experience.

25 Aug 2011

NTNU Professors receive 2011 Anders Jahre's Award for Medical Research

NTNU Professors May-Britt and Edvard Moser have been selected for the 2011 Anders Jahre's Award for Medical Research. The award, which includes a NOK 1 million (€128,000) prize, is considered among the most prestigious of medical awards in the Nordic countries.

25 Aug 2011

MR spectroscopy reveals biochemical changes in brains of people at risk for Alzheimer's

A brain imaging scan identifies biochemical changes in the brains of normal people who might be at risk for Alzheimer's disease, according to research published in the August 24, 2011, online issue of Neurology-, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

25 Aug 2011

Scientists discover genetic switch to prevent neurodegenerative diseases

Scientists at Northwestern University report a surprising discovery that offers a possible new route for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. In a study of the transparent roundworm C. elegans, they found that a genetic switch in master neurons inhibits the proper functioning of protective cell stress responses, leading to the accumulation of misfolded and damaged proteins.

25 Aug 2011

Researchers discover how antipsychotic drugs manage symptoms of schizophrenia

The classic symptoms of schizophrenia - paranoia, hallucinations, the inability to function socially-can be managed with antipsychotic drugs. But exactly how these drugs work has long been a mystery.

25 Aug 2011

New mouse brain atlas provides insight into how genes work in cerebral cortex

A new atlas of gene expression in the mouse brain provides insight into how genes work in the outer part of the brain called the cerebral cortex. In humans, the cerebral cortex is the largest part of the brain, and the region responsible for memory, sensory perception and language.

25 Aug 2011

People with Down syndrome have diminished optokinetic, vestibular reflexes

A scientist investigating why those with Down syndrome often have poor balance and motor coordination has found that key eye reflexes are substantially altered.

25 Aug 2011

Repeated cocaine use can increase individual's risk of mood disorders

It is well established that a mood disorder can increase an individual's risk for substance abuse, but there is also evidence that the converse is true; substance abuse can increase a person's vulnerability to stress-related illnesses.

25 Aug 2011

Amniotic fluid-derived stem cells show promise against lung disease

Two papers published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation, highlight the rich source of stem cells in human amniotic fluid that can be isolated and transplanted for therapeutic purposes.

25 Aug 2011

USPTO issues Notice of Allowance for Cortex AMPAKINE molecules to treat respiratory depression

Cortex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a patent that protects the use of AMPAKINE molecules for the treatment or prevention of respiratory depression.

25 Aug 2011

Parkinson’s disease breakthrough with stem cell research

A new stem cell study has raised hopes for therapy in Parkinson's disease. Researchers said they have, for the first time, generated stem cells from one of the most rapidly-progressing forms of the disease. They said the development will boost research into the condition because it will allow scientists to model the disease in laboratories and help them shed light on why certain nerve cells die. The research was led by the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with University College London (UCL).

24 Aug 2011

Masimo SEDLine brain function monitor receives CE Mark

Masimo announced today that it has received CE Mark for its SEDLine brain function monitor — expanding access to and availability of SEDLine's advanced neuromonitoring technology to hospitals and clinicians across Europe. The

24 Aug 2011

KFDA approves IND for DP-b99 Phase III MACSI stroke study in Korea

D-Pharm Ltd., announced today that the Korean Food & Drug Administration (KFDA) approved the Investigational New Drug application for the Phase III MACSI study of DP-b99 in Korea. The IND has been submitted by D-Pharm's co-development partner in South Korea, Yungjin Pharmaceutical Company Ltd..

24 Aug 2011

Measles exposure in Philadelphia and Lancaster counties

The Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health are advising the public of exposure to a case of measles in Lancaster and Philadelphia counties.

24 Aug 2011

$New invasive procedures may help patients with chronic refractory headache$

New invasive procedures may help patients with chronic refractory headache

Cluster headache has a substantial detrimental effect on quality of life. New invasive procedures, such as hypothalamic deep brain stimulation and bilateral occipital nerve stimulation, may help patients with chronic refractory headache.

24 Aug 2011

New Pressurized Olfactory Device shows direct CNS effect of morphine

A simple new approach to nasal drug administration may allow morphine and other strong pain medications to be targeted directly to the central nervous system (CNS), reports an experimental study in the September issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

24 Aug 2011