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.

Akonni to develop closed amplicon RT-PCR microarray for virus detection in CSF

Akonni Biosystems, a molecular diagnostics company that develops novel nucleic acid extraction and microarray-based testing systems designed to rapidly and economically analyze biological samples, today announced receipt of a $300K grant from the National Institutes of Health.

5 Aug 2011

States seek Medicaid waivers, wrestle with funding cuts

Oregon and Utah have waiver requests pending. Meanwhile, in Tennessee, steep Medicaid cuts are leading to the sale of some hospitals. And, in Arizona, a judge will soon decide whether health coverage should be restored for some low-income state residents whose health insurance ceased as a result of budget cuts.

5 Aug 2011

U.S. physicians spend more time, money for interaction with health plans than Canadian doctors

Physicians in the United States spend nearly four times as much dealing with health insurers and payers compared with doctors in Canada. Most of the difference stems from the fact that Canadian physicians deal with a single payer, in contrast to the multiple payers in the United States.

5 Aug 2011

Scientists convert human skin cells into forebrain neurons

Columbia University Medical Center researchers have for the first time directly converted human skin cells into functional forebrain neurons, without the need for stem cells of any kind.

5 Aug 2011

Researchers study factors linked with concussion occurrence and recovery in athletes

With sports camps starting up again, many schools are putting measures in place to prevent concussions. But what if some people are just genetically predisposed to getting them? Ryan Tierney, a professor of kinesiology at Temple University, has been studying the genes of college athletes to figure out whether this is the case.

5 Aug 2011

Specific microRNA cluster could play a key role in retinoblastoma development

New research from a team including several Carnegie scientists demonstrates that a specific small segment of RNA could play a key role in the growth of a type of malignant childhood eye tumor called retinoblastoma.

5 Aug 2011

Roadmap to overcome obstacles for using induced pluripotent stem cells

The possibility of developing stem cells from a patient's own skin and using them to treat conditions as diverse as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and cancer has generated tremendous excitement in the stem cell research community in recent years. Such therapies would avoid the controversial need for using stem cells derived from human embryos, and in theory, also bypass immunological problems inherent in using cells from one person to treat another.

5 Aug 2011

Safe Kids USA to host Youth Sports Safety Clinics

With many young school athletes working hard this month to prepare for fall sports, Safe Kids USA is hosting Youth Sports Safety Clinics across the country to educate parents and coaches on how to keep children safe and prevent sports injuries, including heat-related illnesses. Nearly 3/4 of U.S. households have at least one child who plays organized sports.

4 Aug 2011

UH undergraduates seek solutions to many maladies like diabetes, Alzheimer's

Students from a variety of majors are devoting their summers to serious research at the University of Houston (UH), seeking eventual solutions to many serious maladies that include Alzheimer's, high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, alcoholism and anxiety.

4 Aug 2011

NIH-funded study to assess biomarkers in the blood of TBI patients

Biomarkers in the bloodstream could provide physicians with a quick and accurate method of assessing the severity of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and helping deliver and monitor the results of therapies, such as progesterone treatment.

4 Aug 2011

Tips to minimize risk of bug bites and related illnesses

While the image of a bug crawling on your arm or a creepy crawler snuggling up in your bed is enough to make you flinch, most bug bites are harmless and disappear on their own in a matter of days. Other insects, however, can spread disease and cause severe reactions that require medical attention.

4 Aug 2011

Metallofullerene-based nanoplatform shows promise against glioblastomas

Researchers from two universities have developed and tested a molecular platform that offers hope for treatment of aggressive brain tumors.

4 Aug 2011

Nacolepsy drugs may be effective in reversing illness-induced lethargy

A signaling system in the brain previously shown to regulate sleep is also responsible for inducing lethargy during illness, according to research conducted at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

4 Aug 2011

Special supplement features growth and diversity of VA women's health research

A new Supplement of the peer-reviewed journal, Women's Health Issues, a publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health at the GW School of Public Health and Health Services, shows the tremendous growth and diversity of VA women's health research in recent years.

4 Aug 2011

Study: Chronic mitral valve disease similar in humans and dogs

For more than 15 years, Kansas State University researcher Michele Borgarelli has studied heart diseases in man's best friend.

4 Aug 2011

Study confirms accuracy of developmental screening tests for children

BC Children's Hospital and University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers have found that two existing screening tests are accurate in diagnosing development delays in children and could be incorporated in a busy family practice setting with relative ease.

4 Aug 2011

NSF awards WSU researcher CAREER grant to develop neural implants

Neural implants have the potential to treat disorders and diseases that typically require long-term treatment, such as blindness, deafness, epilepsy, spinal cord injury, and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. However, implantable devices have been problematic in clinical applications because of bodily reactions that limit device functioning time.

4 Aug 2011

SWHR congressional briefing highlights health issues facing women veterans today

The physical and mental health problems affecting women veterans are a major issue within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense, and the catalyst for the Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) congressional briefing, Women Veteran's Health: Sexx Matters held on Tuesday, August 2.

4 Aug 2011

Researchers discover new tick-borne bacterium that causes ehrlichiosis in Wis., Minn.

A new tick-borne bacterium infecting humans with ehrlichiosis has been discovered in Wisconsin and Minnesota. It was identified as a new strain of bacteria through DNA testing conducted at Mayo Clinic.

4 Aug 2011

Stress management can improve chronic skin conditions

As anyone with a chronic, inflammatory skin condition, such as psoriasis, rosacea or acne, knows, dealing with unpredictable flares can cause considerable stress and have a negative impact on a person's overall well-being.

4 Aug 2011