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.

FDA approves Abbott's RX ACCULINK Carotid Stent System

Abbott today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the RX ACCULINK Carotid Stent System for the treatment of patients with carotid artery disease who are at standard risk of adverse events from carotid endarterectomy.

7 May 2011

VA and DoD produce new collaboration guidebook on clinical health research

Researchers from the Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense have produced a new 56-page guidebook to spur more collaboration between the agencies on clinical health research.

7 May 2011

Burning mouth syndrome affects menopausal women seven times more often than men

Most people can relate to the uncomfortable feeling that occurs after scalding their mouth on hot soup or coffee. It's a relief when that burnt feeling subsides after several days. But imagine experiencing that burning sensation all day, every day.

7 May 2011

Researchers find temperature-sensing protein in immune cells

Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have found a temperature-sensing protein within immune cells that, when tripped, allows calcium to pour in and activate an immune response.

7 May 2011

ImmunoCellular reports updated ICT-107 Phase I trial data in glioblastoma multiforme

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd., a biotechnology company focused on the development of novel immune-based cancer therapies, today announced updated long-term data from a Phase I clinical trial of ICT-107, the Company's lead cancer vaccine candidate for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer.

6 May 2011

Researchers use virtual computer model to understand schizophrenic brains

Computer networks that can't forget fast enough can show symptoms of a kind of virtual schizophrenia, giving researchers further clues to the inner workings of schizophrenic brains, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and Yale University have found.

6 May 2011

New study finds transmen have high autistic symptoms

A new study from Cambridge University has for the first time found that female-to-male transsexual people have a higher than average number of autistic traits.

6 May 2011

H. pylori DNA may help treat severe colitis

DNA from Helicobacter pylori, a common stomach bacteria, minimizes the effects of colitis in mice, according to a new study by University of Michigan Medical School scientists.

6 May 2011

Researchers identify eight main triggers that appear to increase risk of brain aneurysm

From drinking coffee to having sex to blowing your nose, you could temporarily raise your risk of rupturing a brain aneurysm — and suffering a stroke, according to a study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

6 May 2011

Survey: Only 12% of black stroke patients call 9-1-1 after experiencing symptoms

Most African-Americans say they'd call 9-1-1 if stroke symptoms occurred — but few do, according to research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

6 May 2011

Millennium presents three studies in relapsed multiple myeloma at IMW meeting

Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company today reported results from three studies in relapsed multiple myeloma. Two of the studies examined the use of VELCADE for Injection; the third study presents clinical data on MLN9708, the first investigational oral proteasome inhibitor.

6 May 2011

Novel neurotransmitter could fight against neurological diseases

A team of scientists has discovered that D-aspartic acid is a novel neurotransmitter that could potentially be used in the fight against neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and schizophrenia.

6 May 2011

Scientists use new technologies to identify genetic cause of Kufs disease

Scientists from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and the University of Melbourne have used innovative new technologies to identify the gene responsible for a rare but fatal hereditary brain disorder. The discovery will make it possible to diagnose the disease through a blood test rather than a brain biopsy.

6 May 2011

Research: Certain brain region may play a key role in gambling behavior

When a group of gamblers gather around a roulette table, individual players are likely to have different reasons for betting on certain numbers. Some may play a "lucky" number that has given them positive results in the past-a strategy called reinforcement learning.

6 May 2011

Targeting Aurora A gene could halt rhabdoid tumor growth in children

There are no effective treatments for rhabdoid tumors - aggressive childhood cancers that usually strike children under three years old and affect the brain or kidneys. The disease is extremely rare - fewer than 10 cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S. - but is particularly difficult to treat and almost always fatal.

6 May 2011

Study finds clear link between children conceived during winter and risk of autism

An examination of the birth records of the more than 7 million children born in the state of California during the 1990s and early 2000s has found a clear link between the month in which a child is conceived and the risk of that child later receiving a diagnosis of autism.

6 May 2011

Exercise, sex, coffee and even nose blowing may raise risk of stroke: Study

According to researchers in the Netherlands, coffee, sex and nose blowing could increase the risk of a type of stroke. The study on 250 patients identified eight risk factors linked to bleeding on the brain. These factors all increase blood pressure which could result in blood vessels bursting, according to research published in the journal Stroke.

5 May 2011

CanTeen launches groundbreaking cancer support system

For these young people, a parent’s cancer can cause great disruption to routines and relationships and can contribute to immense feelings of anxiety and isolation. CanTeen offers young people dealing with their parent's cancer a powerful dual support system in the form of an innovative Offspring Support Program (being launched in Melbourne on 11 May and Brisbane on 17 May, with plans to go national) and a practical FREE resource book Now What…? Dealing with your parent’s cancer, which may be the only help they receive during this difficult time.

5 May 2011

CytRx reports $6.3 million net loss for first quarter 2011

CytRx Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in oncology, today reported financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2011, and provided a business update.

5 May 2011