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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.

ECRI Institute introduces CT Radiation Dose Safety Review service to reduce risk of excessive radiation

Keeping radiation dose in check is a top safety concern for today's hospitals, particularly in computed tomography, which has undergone some significant technological advances in the last ten years. The down side is that CT delivers some of the highest radiation doses in diagnostic radiology.

10 Nov 2010

Clot-busting drug remains the most beneficial emergency treatment for strokes

The clot-busting drug rt-PA remains the most beneficial proven emergency treatment for strokes caused by blood clots, according to an editorial in the November issue of Archives of Neurology by Dr. Jos- Biller.

10 Nov 2010

Grand Challenges Explorations projects receive new grants for tuberculosis research

Weill Cornell Medical College announced today that it was awarded two $100,000 grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the next phase of Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative to encourage bold and unconventional ideas for global health.

10 Nov 2010

Education can help prevent preterm birth

Doctors and patients should discuss a pregnant woman's risk of preterm birth by the twelfth week of pregnancy, according to a commentary published in the November issue of Ob.Gyn. News.

10 Nov 2010

Enrollment complete in Nabi's second NicVAX Phase III clinical trial for nicotine addiction

Nabi Biopharmaceuticals announced today that it has completed enrollment in the second Phase III clinical trial of NicVAX® (Nicotine Conjugate Vaccine), the company's innovative and proprietary investigational candidate vaccine being developed to treat nicotine addiction and prevent smoking relapse.

10 Nov 2010

New study reveals finger length can indicate high testosterone levels

Potential investors might wish to examine the fingers of their financial advisor prior to signing over any savings. A new study from Concordia University has found the length between the second and fourth finger is an indicator of high levels of prenatal testosterone, risk-taking and potential financial success in men.

10 Nov 2010

Investigations examine Medicare’s dialysis system, CT scanners and drugs

ProPublica reports on the costs and risks associated with dialysis: "In 1972, after a month of deliberation, Congress launched the nation's most ambitious experiment in universal health care: a change to the Social Security Act that granted comprehensive coverage under Medicare to virtually anyone diagnosed with kidney failure, regardless of age or income.

10 Nov 2010

Study evaluates therapeutic hypothermia in children after cardiac arrest

When the heart is stopped and restarted, the patient's life may be saved but the brain is often permanently damaged. Therapeutic hypothermia, a treatment in which the patient's body temperature is lowered and maintained several degrees below normal for a period of time, has been shown to mitigate these harmful effects and improve survival in adults.

10 Nov 2010

Boston Scientific announces first implantation of Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation System in Parkinson's disease trial

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced the first implantation of its Vercise™ Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System as part of the VANTAGE clinical trial. VANTAGE is a multi-center, prospective trial designed to examine the improvement of motor function in approximately 40 European patients implanted with the Vercise DBS System for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

10 Nov 2010

NeuroDerm commences enrollment in ND0801 Phase 2a clinical study of ADD/ADHD in adults

NeuroDerm, Ltd. announced today that patient enrollment has begun in a Phase 2a clinical study of ND0801, a new product for the treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) in adults. ND0801, based on a new, proprietary combination with nicotinic actions, is being developed as a dermal patch and will be evaluated for the treatment of cognitive impairment in several disorders including Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia and advanced Parkinson's disease, among others.

9 Nov 2010

Human blood from adult human skin

In an important breakthrough, scientists at McMaster University have discovered how to make human blood from adult human skin.

9 Nov 2010

Researchers use near-infrared spectroscopy to study facial expressions in infants

Japanese research group led by Prof. Ryusuke Kakigi and Dr. Emi Nakato (National Institute for Physiological Sciences: NIPS) and Prof. Masami K Yamaguchi (Chuo University) found that the hemispheric differences in the temporal area overlying superior temporal sulcus (STS) when processing positive (happy) and negative (angry) facial expressions in infants.

9 Nov 2010

DHA protects brain tissue and promotes recovery in acute ischemic stroke

Research led by Dr. Nicolas Bazan, Boyd Professor, Villere Chair, and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health Sciences Center, has shown that Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a component of fish oil, is a powerful therapeutic agent that can protect brain tissue and promote recovery in an experimental model of acute ischemic stroke, even when treatment is delayed by up to five hours.

9 Nov 2010

DHA improves memory function in older adults with mild cognitive impairments

A study published in the November edition of Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association suggests that taking docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may improve memory and learning in older adults with mild cognitive impairments. This is promising news for many aging Americans who are searching for options to maintain memory and support overall cognitive health.

9 Nov 2010

Arena and Eisai report positive results from lorcaserin BLOOM-DM trial in obese, overweight diabetics

Arena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Eisai Inc. reported today that top-line results from the one-year lorcaserin BLOOM-DM trial demonstrate statistically significant weight loss in obese and overweight patients with type 2 diabetes. In this trial, lorcaserin met all three co-primary efficacy endpoints. In addition, as described below, lorcaserin patients taking lorcaserin 10 mg twice daily (BID) achieved statistically significant improvements in multiple secondary endpoints, including HbA1c, as compared to patients randomized to placebo.

9 Nov 2010

Research reveals body’s defence mechanism against snail fever

Scientists have made a significant discovery about how the body defends itself against snail fever, a parasitic worm infection common in developing countries.

9 Nov 2010

Multidetector CT helps pinpoint causes of ischemic stroke

Multidetector computed tomography (CT) helps pinpoint the causes of ischemic strokes, the most common type of stroke, potentially speeding the delivery of life-saving treatments, according to a study published online and in the January issue of Radiology.

9 Nov 2010

UC Irvine study: Small amount of brain bleeding is common among older individuals

Neurologist Dr. Mark Fisher and neuropathologist Dr. Ronald Kim found that cerebral microbleeds are highly prevalent in the aging brain - and not primarily products of stroke-related injury, hypertension or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, as had been thought.

9 Nov 2010

Speaking two languages could delay onset of Alzheimer's disease

A Canadian science team has found more dramatic evidence that speaking two languages can help delay the onset of Alzheimer's symptoms by as much as five years.

9 Nov 2010

EVP-6124 receptor acts as co-agonist with ACh to enhance cognition

EnVivo Pharmaceuticals today announced it has discovered that EVP-6124, its alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist, possesses a novel mechanism not previously seen in the scientific community: it acts as a co-agonist with Acetylcholine (ACh) to enhance cognition.

9 Nov 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

ECRI Institute introduces CT Radiation Dose Safety Review service to reduce risk of excessive radiation

Clot-busting drug remains the most beneficial emergency treatment for strokes

Grand Challenges Explorations projects receive new grants for tuberculosis research

Education can help prevent preterm birth

Enrollment complete in Nabi's second NicVAX Phase III clinical trial for nicotine addiction

New study reveals finger length can indicate high testosterone levels

Investigations examine Medicare’s dialysis system, CT scanners and drugs

Study evaluates therapeutic hypothermia in children after cardiac arrest

Boston Scientific announces first implantation of Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation System in Parkinson's disease trial

NeuroDerm commences enrollment in ND0801 Phase 2a clinical study of ADD/ADHD in adults

Human blood from adult human skin

Researchers use near-infrared spectroscopy to study facial expressions in infants

DHA protects brain tissue and promotes recovery in acute ischemic stroke

DHA improves memory function in older adults with mild cognitive impairments

Arena and Eisai report positive results from lorcaserin BLOOM-DM trial in obese, overweight diabetics

Research reveals body’s defence mechanism against snail fever

Multidetector CT helps pinpoint causes of ischemic stroke

UC Irvine study: Small amount of brain bleeding is common among older individuals

Speaking two languages could delay onset of Alzheimer's disease

EVP-6124 receptor acts as co-agonist with ACh to enhance cognition

Industry Focus eBook - Cell & Gene Therapy (1st 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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