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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.

Study assesses children's exposure to anesthesia and risk for developmental, behavioral disorders

When children undergo anesthesia during surgery, the long-term effects that anesthetics have on the developing brain is relatively unknown. A study presented at this year's American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting assesses the association between exposure to anesthesia in children 3 years old and younger and their risk for developmental and behavioral disorders.

19 Oct 2010

New motion management software enables clear visualization of moving tumors in lung cancer

A 67-year-old female patient with lung cancer presented physicians with a difficult challenge: her tumor was small and it rode up and down with her breathing. During her treatment set up, all doctors saw on their therapy system's imaging equipment was a blur of motion. Fortunately, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust was able to utilize its Symmetry motion management software; new imaging technology from Elekta that enables clear visualization of moving targets.

From Elekta 19 Oct 2010

biOasis receives final report on Collaborative Research project from UBC

biOasis Technologies Inc. has received a final report detailing results achieved within the Collaborative Research project with The University of British Columbia (UBC) that was announced by the Company on June 2, 2009.

19 Oct 2010

Vitamin B12 may help protect against Alzheimer's disease

A new study shows that vitamin B12 may protect against Alzheimer's disease, adding more evidence to the scientific debate about whether the vitamin is effective in reducing the risk of memory loss. The research will be published in the October 19, 2010, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

19 Oct 2010

Obese have impaired autonomic function which may lead to overeating

Research on obesity examining the role of hormones and the autonomic functions of the digestive system was presented at the 75th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American CoIlege of Gastroenterology.

18 Oct 2010

Studies explore impact of upper GI conditions on sleep

The impact of upper GI conditions, like gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and functional dyspepsia, on sleep—and treatments aimed at providing relief to heartburn/acid reflux patients who suffer from disordered sleep—were explored in three new studies related to sleep dysfunction presented today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 75th Annual Scientific meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

18 Oct 2010

Hyperion's HPN-100 granted FDA Fast Track Designation for urea cycle disorders

Hyperion Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that its investigational compound glycerol phenylbutyrate (HPN-100) has been granted Fast Track Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as adjunctive therapy for the chronic management of urea cycle disorders. Hyperion recently completed its phase III trial which was conducted under a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement with the FDA. The Company plans to announce results from that trial later this year.

18 Oct 2010

New emergency care guidelines simplify CPR

New emergency care guidelines simplify performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and highlight the need for high quality CPR by addressing some of the barriers to performing CPR. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, co-author of the 2010 Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC), released the guidelines today.

18 Oct 2010

Integra launches CRW Precision Arc Stereotactic System for neurosurgery

Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation announced today the launch of the CRW Precision™ Arc Stereotactic System, a multi-purpose stereotactic system used for localizing intra-cranial targets and precisely directing instruments to the target in cases such as brain biopsy, tumor resection, and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgeries.

18 Oct 2010

Nektar presents data of NKTR-181 mu-opioid analgesic candidate at Pain 2010 Symposium

Nektar Therapeutics presented promising data today from preclinical studies of NKTR-181, a next-generation mu-opioid analgesic candidate with a novel molecular design. NKTR-181 is being developed to effectively treat pain while addressing the abuse liability and serious side effects associated with traditional opioid therapies.

18 Oct 2010

UCSF professor receives National Medal of Science

UCSF Nobel laureate Stanley B. Prusiner, MD, UCSF professor of neurology and director of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, today (Oct. 15, 2010) was named to receive the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest honor for science and technology.

18 Oct 2010

Abreu btt 700 System for continuous temperature monitoring launched at ASA Annual Meeting

Conquering the last frontier for monitoring vital signs, Brain Tunnelgenix Technologies Corp. is introducing the Abreu btt™ 700 System for continuous temperature monitoring at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today. The Abreu btt 700 System sensor is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for placement on the skin and to be used during surgical procedures, recovery room, intensive care and general patient monitoring.

18 Oct 2010

ABCs of cardiopulmonary resuscitation re-arranged

The American Heart Association is re-arranging the ABCs of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in its 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

18 Oct 2010

New tool could help researchers understand the neural basis of olfaction

Harvard University neurobiologists have created mice that can "smell" light, providing a potent new tool that could help researchers better understand the neural basis of olfaction.

18 Oct 2010

UT Dallas researcher receives NIH grant

For the second time this year, a postdoctoral fellow in UT Dallas' Center for Vital Longevity has earned a prestigious, highly competitive career-development grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

18 Oct 2010

Major advance in treatment of brain disorders with external genes

In the October 17 issue of Nature Methods, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University describe how they can transfer genes into brain neurons intravenously, using a viral gene delivery vehicle (vector) that causes no side effects.

18 Oct 2010

Researchers identify new paradigm for regulation of alternative splicing

How a T cell decides to make protein X, Y, or Z can have profound effects for fighting foreign invaders or staving off dire autoimmune reactions. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified the steps that control how different forms of an immune cell protein called CD45, which is critical for activating the immune system when faced with pathogens, are controlled in the arc of a body's immune response.

18 Oct 2010

Researchers discover gene that contributes to depression

Yale University researchers have found a gene that seems to be a key contributor to the onset of depression and is a promising target for a new class of antidepressants, they report Oct. 17 in the journal Nature Medicine.

18 Oct 2010

Biogen, Elan announce clinical utility data of two-step ELISA to detect anti-JCV antibodies

Biogen Idec and Elan Corporation, plc today announced data further supporting the potential clinical utility of an investigational assay that detects anti-JC virus (JCV) antibodies in human plasma or serum.

18 Oct 2010

Genetic link to depression: New avenues for therapy

Yale University scientists have found a gene that appears to play a key role in the onset of depression. This could mean new avenues of therapy for the disease. The gene in question is called MKP-1 and was identified after comparing the genetic codes of 21 deceased people who had been diagnosed with depression with those of 18 otherwise healthy individuals. The findings were published in the journal Nature Medicine on 17th of October.

18 Oct 2010