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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.

Vascular birthmarks can cause concern for parents: Dermatologists

Vascular birthmarks, which occur in nearly 10 percent of all infants at birth or within the first few weeks of life, can cause concern for parents particularly if they are large or in a cosmetically important area. The decision to treat a birthmark is one that parents should make with a dermatologist, who can determine the type of birthmark and whether or not it poses any potential risks in the future.

5 Feb 2011

VA announces first Ai2 awards under Industry Innovation Competition

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki officially announced today the first VA Innovation Initiative awards under the agency's Industry Innovation Competition, its third competition since it began in early 2010. These four projects will use innovative new technologies in VA facilities to improve the quality of patient care for Veterans. They represent the first of nearly two-dozen more awards to be made in the coming months.

5 Feb 2011

WINCS device can detect and measure serotonin levels in brain: Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic researchers have concluded that, through deep brain stimulation, a Wireless Instantaneous Neurotransmitter Concentration System can detect and measure serotonin levels in the brain. The findings suggest that in the future such measurements of serotonin may help establish a therapeutic mechanism of deep brain stimulation for psychiatric disease.

5 Feb 2011

Canisius College professor explains long-term benefits of leisure

According to leisure expert Dr. E. Christine Moll, "play" is as important to a person's health as keeping cholesterol levels in check and getting regular exercise. Moll, a professional counselor and professor of counseling and human services at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, explains that leisure is like medicine.

5 Feb 2011

NOCSAE warns athletes and parents not to rely solely on marketing, promotional materials

The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment issued a warning to athletes and parents of athletes to get the facts about football helmets and concussion protection – and not rely solely on marketing and promotional materials.

5 Feb 2011

Researchers trace scent signals from nose to higher centers of mouse brain

Mice know fear. And they know to fear the scent of a predator. But how do their brains quickly figure out with a sniff that a cat is nearby?

5 Feb 2011

Research provides new clues to understand link between deficits of AGPO-3, depression

The link between deficits of omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids and the onset of depressive disorders is not new in the medical field. However, what has not been known until now is the brain mechanism by which diet can condition mental health to a certain extent.

5 Feb 2011

Waismann Method examines link between chronic pain and Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia

Results from a recent study issued by the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration revealed that treatment admissions for prescription painkiller abuse rose 345 percent over a 10 year period extending from 1998 to 2008.

5 Feb 2011

North Shore-LIJ begins patient enrollment in epilepsy research study

In the United States, epilepsy affects nearly one million women of childbearing potential and whether there is increased infertility in women with epilepsy is presently unknown. People with epilepsy have been reported to have fewer children, however, the specific factors contributing to this lower birth rate are unknown.

5 Feb 2011

March of Dimes appreciates FDA for approving new drug to prevent preterm births

The first-ever drug known to prevent some preterm births, which won market approval today from the Food and Drug Administration, was welcomed by the March of Dimes.

5 Feb 2011

Salk Institute receives $2.3 million CIRM grant for translational research on Parkinson's disease

The Salk Institute has been awarded a $2.3 million grant by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine for translational research focusing on developing a novel stem cell based therapy for Parkinson's disease.

4 Feb 2011

Role of rehabilitation nurses in recovery

Brain Injury patients and their families spend the majority of their rehabilitation time with rehabilitation nurses and yet, not once has the role of the rehabilitation nurse been noted in all the recent media features about recovery.

4 Feb 2011

Merck reports GAAP net income of $861 million for 2010

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2010. The company reported non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per share (EPS) for the fourth quarter of $0.88, which excludes purchase accounting adjustments, restructuring costs and merger-related expenses.

4 Feb 2011

Pediatric neurosurgery patient named Grand Marshal of 2011 Go the Distance fundraising event

A quiet, peaceful evening last summer quickly turned into a nightmare for parents Amanda and Bryan Tormey when they were awoken by sounds of their three year-old son, Nathan, stirring in his bed. When they checked on him, the cause of Nathan's restlessness became frighteningly evident; Nathan was in the midst of massive seizure that would ultimately incapacitate him for several hours.

4 Feb 2011

GSA commends '2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans'

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) - the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging - commends the federal government's recent release of the "2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans" and particularly applauds its inclusion of specific advice for older adults.

4 Feb 2011

Benefits and underutilization of ITB therapy for multiple sclerosis

A new scientific article has been published demonstrating the profound impact of spasticity on patients with multiple sclerosis and the benefits and underutilization of intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy from Medtronic, Inc. as a treatment option for these patients.

4 Feb 2011

Maternal care makes baby's brain less vulnerable to stress

The quality and quantity of maternal milk and maternal-infant contact impact the stress response of the adult offspring, according to recent research published in Developmental Psychobiology.

4 Feb 2011

Researchers identify regulatory defect that drives lupus

Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Cambridge, Mass., in collaboration with Jackson Laboratory scientists, have identified a regulatory defect that drives lupus.

4 Feb 2011

UM researchers find genetic cause of retinitis pigmentosa

Researchers led by geneticists at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have identified a new gene that causes retinitis pigmentosa, a form of blindness, ending one South Florida family's nearly 20-year search for what caused three of their four children to lose their sight.

4 Feb 2011

CVT more common than previously thought, disproportionally affects pregnant women

A rare and often underreported form of stroke that involves veins instead of arteries is more common than previously thought, according to the American Heart Association's first scientific statement on diagnosing and managing cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT).

4 Feb 2011