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.

Non-invasive intervention can greatly improve patients' inhibitory control

Inhibitory control can be boosted with a mild form of brain stimulation, according to a study published in the June 2011 issue of Neuroimage, Elsevier's Journal of Brain Function.

16 Jun 2011

Train the brain to manage chronic pain

How do you function when chronic pain is a part of your daily life? The UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness (UCSD CFM) at UC San Diego Health System offers a novel program to help people who are dealing with chronic pain "train their brains" to lessen their experience of discomfort and, in some cases, eliminate it.

16 Jun 2011

Olive oil may help prevent stroke in older people

A new study suggests that consuming olive oil may help prevent a stroke in older people. The research is published in the June 15, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Jun 2011

Brain research funds crisis: Report

According to the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology there is a dramatic drop in private and public funding for research in brain diseases that has led to a “withdrawal of hope” for millions of sufferers and could delay the search for treatments and cures by 30 years.

16 Jun 2011

Conference to discuss new diagnostic and treatment options for cognitive impairments in MS

On June 21-23, 2011, the New York Academy of Sciences will bring together physicians, neurologists, clinical neuropsychologists, cellular and molecular biologists and patient advocates to discuss current challenges and potential solutions for improving diagnosis, treatment and management of the cognitive symptoms of MS.

15 Jun 2011

Bariatric surgery reduces incidence and severity of migraines

Bariatric surgery can lead to total or partial alleviation of migraines in nearly 90 percent of morbidly obese patients diagnosed with migraine headaches, according to a new study presented here at the 28th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

15 Jun 2011

High number of adverse patient safety events occur in doctors' offices

However, a high number of adverse events, including major injury and even death, occur in private physician offices and outpatient clinics as well. In a new study -- the first of its kind -- researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College found that the number and magnitude of events resulting from medical errors is surprisingly similar inside and outside hospital walls.

15 Jun 2011

Novartis Bexsero pivotal study data on meningococcal serogroup B presented at ESPID

New data from a pivotal study in more than 1,800 infants show that Novartis candidate vaccine Bexsero induces a robust immune response to meningococcal serogroup B when given alone or when co-administered with other routine vaccines.

15 Jun 2011

Researchers reveal how anti-arrhythmic drugs control irregular heartbeats

University of British Columbia researchers - using an innovative, atom-by-atom substitution method - have uncovered the mechanism by which a particular class of drugs controls irregular heartbeats.

15 Jun 2011

Study investigates effects of dopamine replacement therapy on cognition in patients with Parkinson's

Dopamine replacement therapy, which is used to manage motor symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease, can, at times, adversely affect cognition.

15 Jun 2011

Newborn neurons help create emotional context of memory

Fear burns memories into our brain, and new research by University of California, Berkeley, neuroscientists explains how.

15 Jun 2011

Study links cysteine with obesity-related diseases

People with high levels of the amino acid cysteine carry 6-10 kilograms more fat than other people. Norwegian researchers studying this phenomenon are generating knowledge which could help to prevent and treat life-threatening obesity.

15 Jun 2011

CerebralRx launches FitNeS vagus nerve stimulation system for treating epilepsy

CerebralRx, a newly formed spin-off of implantable neuromodulation systems developer BioControl Medical, has announced market entry with the launch of its FitNeS vagus nerve stimulation system.

14 Jun 2011

Scientists discover Sonic Hedgehog protein's mechanism of action

A scientific breakthrough by researchers at the Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal (IRCM) will be published tomorrow in Developmental Cell, a scientific journal of the Cell Press group. Led by Dr. Frédéric Charron, the team of scientists discovered a new requirement for the proper functioning of the Sonic Hedgehog protein.

14 Jun 2011

Untreated obstructive sleep apnea can reduce work productivity

Large corporations could save millions of dollars in lost productivity by screening and treating high-risk employees for obstructive sleep apnea, suggests a research abstract that will be presented Monday, June 13, in Minneapolis, Minn., at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.

14 Jun 2011

Scientists find novel form of brain plasticity

Scientists have known for years that neurogenesis takes place throughout adulthood in the hippocampus of the mammalian brain. Now Columbia researchers have found that under stressful conditions, neural stem cells in the adult hippocampus can produce not only neurons, but also new stem cells.

14 Jun 2011

New findings from Deplin clinical trial on major depressive disorder presented at NCDEU

New findings from a multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study of Deplin 15mg added to commonly prescribed antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors showed that all patients who achieved remission at 30 days using Deplin 15mg adjuvant therapy, and who chose to enter a 12 month maintenance phase, maintained their remission after a year of treatment.

14 Jun 2011

Sleep provides performance benefits in classroom

Sleep can help college students retain and integrate new information to solve problems on a classroom exam, suggests a research abstract that will be presented Tuesday, June 14, in Minneapolis, Minn., at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.

14 Jun 2011

FDA clears Mitsubishi's PATHFAST cardiac Troponin I diagnostic test

Mitsubishi Chemical Medience Corporation announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) premarketing notification clearance to the PATHFAST cTnI-II diagnostic test, clearing the way for its sale in the United States.

14 Jun 2011

Exposure to cigarettes fosters tween smoking: New study

Exposure to secondhand smoke can create symptoms of nicotine dependence in non-smoking preteens, according to a new study from Concordia University and the University of Montreal.

14 Jun 2011