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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.

New SMILEY tool helps assess QoL of children with lupus

A newly designed tool is helping researchers shed light on the quality of life (QoL) of children with lupus around the world, according to research presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) annual meeting, held Nov. 7-11, in Atlanta.

11 Nov 2010

High cholesterol in midlife does not increase risk for Alzheimer's disease among women

High cholesterol levels in middle age do not appear to increase women's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia later in life, new Johns Hopkins-led research finds, despite a body of scientific evidence long suggesting a link between the two.

11 Nov 2010

Researchers identify molecular cascade that drives sprouting in brain after stroke

A stroke wreaks havoc in the brain, destroying its cells and the connections between them. Depending on its severity and location, a stroke can impact someone's life forever, affecting motor activity, speech, memories, and more.

11 Nov 2010

Cortex applauds Servier for intent to move High Impact AMPAKINE compound into Phase I clinical studies

Cortex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it had been notified by Les Laboratoires Servier ("Servier"), France's largest privately held pharmaceutical company, of their intent to move forward into Phase I clinical studies with the jointly-discovered High Impact AMPAKINE® compound S47445 (CX1632).

11 Nov 2010

Media has misrepresented facts about Omega-3 DHA Alzheimer's study, says Ocean Nutrition Canada

Several media outlets published articles last week suggesting that Omega-3 fish oil supplements fail to show positive results for Alzheimer's patients. This reporting by media outlets came after the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published the study "Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation and Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer Disease: A Randomized Trial", where researchers reported that "Supplementation with DHA compared with placebo did not slow the rate of cognitive and functional decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease."

11 Nov 2010

Exhausted neurons die prematurely and trigger disease symptoms

We all know that living a stressful lifestyle can take its toll, making us age faster and making us more susceptible to the cold going around the office.

11 Nov 2010

Resolve Therapeutics enters license with University of Washington for autoimmune disease treatment

Resolve Therapeutics, LLC today announced that it has entered into an exclusive license with the University of Washington for certain biologic compounds and technology developed to treat autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

11 Nov 2010

Adolor receives U.S. Patent for beloxepin to treat pain

Adolor Corporation today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 7,829,576 covering the use of ADL6906 (beloxepin), a small molecule, for the treatment of pain. The issued patent will expire on February 19, 2029.

11 Nov 2010

Study suggests mid-life cholesterol level may not linked to later development of Alzheimer's disease

Contrary to earlier research, a new, long-term study suggests that cholesterol level in mid-life may not be linked to later development of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the November 10, 2010, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. However, the results suggest that large decreases in cholesterol levels in old age could be a better predictor of developing the memory-robbing disease.

11 Nov 2010

Study on zebrafish showcases neural basis of essential survival skill

A tiny, translucent juvenile zebrafish, on the hunt for even littler prey, has offered up a big insight into how a specific circuit of nerve cells functions in the brain. The technique used to illuminate this circuitry, and the fish model itself, provide one of the first insights into the way individual sets of neurons control a specific behavior.

11 Nov 2010

tDCS electric stimulation can improve motor function in stroke patients

A noninvasive electric stimulation technique administered to both sides of the brain can help stroke patients who have lost motor skills in their hands and arms, according to a new study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

10 Nov 2010

New stem cell gene, enzyme replacement treatment for Tay-Sachs disease

StemCellRegenMed, Inc. announces that a new stem cell gene and enzyme replacement treatment has been performed on a fourteen month old child with Tay-Sachs disease on November 2, 2010. Tay-Sachs is a devastating disease that afflicts children primarily of parents of Jewish heritage and in very rare cases families of Eastern European background and the Cajun region in the U.S.A.

10 Nov 2010

Simple test and an MRI predicts future Alzheimer’s disease

Until now is has been believed that Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia could be diagnosed only when symptoms appear which almost always means when patients are in their 70s or 80s. Now the latest research shows that some brain lesions are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease and can be detected in the brains of healthy people in their 40s. Along with this a simple mental skills test may be able to detect the problem many years sooner than previously thought.

10 Nov 2010

Researchers identify molecular cascade that drives process of reconnection in adult brain after stroke

10 Nov 2010

Article shows link between maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy, SIDS

The link between maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome may relate to the negative effects of nicotine on the development of brain centers that regulate breathing, according to an article in the recent issue of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

10 Nov 2010

Researchers study drug's ability to restore retinal health in eyes of diabetic patients

One drug's startling ability to restore retinal health in the eyes of diabetic mice has researchers wanting to learn more about how it works and whether it might do the same for people.

10 Nov 2010

Researchers to determine levels of stroke risk in patients with narrowed brain arteries

Neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center are part of a multicenter, National Institutes of Health (NIH) study to determine the levels of stroke risk and stroke recurrence in patients with narrowed brain arteries.

10 Nov 2010

18 partner consortium to develop lab-on-a-chip to detect brain diseases

A consortium of 18 partners embarks on the development of a lab-on-a-chip to detect Alzheimer´s disease and similar diseases in the brain. The project is funded by the EU´s 7th Framework programme for nanotechnology.

10 Nov 2010

Cognitive differences exist between modern humans, Neanderthals: Researchers

Whether cognitive differences exist between modern humans and Neanderthals is the subject of contentious disputes in anthropology and archaeology. Because the brain size range of modern humans and Neanderthals overlap, many researchers previously assumed that the cognitive capabilities of these two species were similar.

10 Nov 2010

Study sheds light on difficulty of controlling blood pressure in patients with high aldosterone levels

A hormone already responsible for increasing blood pressure by prompting the kidneys to retain salt appears to moonlight as a major stimulator of the brain centers that control the vascular system and blood pressure.

10 Nov 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

New SMILEY tool helps assess QoL of children with lupus

High cholesterol in midlife does not increase risk for Alzheimer's disease among women

Researchers identify molecular cascade that drives sprouting in brain after stroke

Cortex applauds Servier for intent to move High Impact AMPAKINE compound into Phase I clinical studies

Media has misrepresented facts about Omega-3 DHA Alzheimer's study, says Ocean Nutrition Canada

Exhausted neurons die prematurely and trigger disease symptoms

Resolve Therapeutics enters license with University of Washington for autoimmune disease treatment

Adolor receives U.S. Patent for beloxepin to treat pain

Study suggests mid-life cholesterol level may not linked to later development of Alzheimer's disease

Study on zebrafish showcases neural basis of essential survival skill

tDCS electric stimulation can improve motor function in stroke patients

New stem cell gene, enzyme replacement treatment for Tay-Sachs disease

Simple test and an MRI predicts future Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers identify molecular cascade that drives process of reconnection in adult brain after stroke

Article shows link between maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy, SIDS

Researchers study drug's ability to restore retinal health in eyes of diabetic patients

Researchers to determine levels of stroke risk in patients with narrowed brain arteries

18 partner consortium to develop lab-on-a-chip to detect brain diseases

Cognitive differences exist between modern humans, Neanderthals: Researchers

Study sheds light on difficulty of controlling blood pressure in patients with high aldosterone levels

Industry Focus eBook - Neurology/Neuroscience - 2nd edition eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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