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.

Better understanding of membrane fusion

Cells constantly swap cargo bound in vesicles, miniscule membrane-enclosed packages of proteins and other chemicals. Before the swap can take place, the vesicle membrane must fuse with another membrane, creating channels packages can pass through.

18 Apr 2007

Clioquinol shows promise in fighting cancer

Researchers from the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, MI presented strong evidence today that an antibiotic typically prescribed for Alzheimer's patients could be effective in eventually treating certain types of cancers.

18 Apr 2007

Brain tumor vaccine shows promise

A vaccine for treating a recurrent cancer of the central nervous system that occurs primarily in the brain has shown promise in preliminary data from a clinical trial at the University of California, San Francisco.

17 Apr 2007

New hope for spinal cord injury sufferers

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most significant forms of neurotrauma with major economic and social impact.

17 Apr 2007

Single master gene crucial for nerve cell insulation

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have discovered how a defect in a single master gene disrupts the process by which several genes interact to create myelin, a fatty coating that covers nerve cells and increases the speed and reliability of their electrical signals.

17 Apr 2007

A candidate neural circuit for stress-induced analgesia

Recent statistics indicate that one in five people worldwide suffer from moderate to severe chronic pain and that one in three are unable or less able to maintain an independent lifestyle due to their pain.

17 Apr 2007

Study identifies trends in cerebral aneurysm treatment

Cerebrovascular disease is a leading cause of serious long-term disability, affecting as many as 700,000 people every year.

17 Apr 2007

Effective noninvasive treatment option for trigeminal neuralgia-related pain

Trigeminal neuralgia or tic douloureux is sometimes described as the most excruciating pain known to humanity.

17 Apr 2007

Predicting cancer risk in the long term

Every day, people make assumptions, educated and not, about their risk for developing cancer.

17 Apr 2007

Natalizumab (Tysabri) reduces vision loss in MS patients

According to a study that appears in the April 17 issue of Neurology, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that natalizumab (TYSABRI), a drug that slows disability and reduces relapse rates in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), also reduces vision loss in patients with relapsing MS.

17 Apr 2007

Natalizumab helps reduce vision loss

A drug that slows disability and reduces relapse rates in multiple sclerosis (MS) has been found to also reduce vision loss in patients with relapsing MS. Vision loss is one of the most common and debilitating symptoms of MS.

17 Apr 2007

Intrathecal Baclofen for spasticity-related pain in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

An estimated 5,600 people in the United States are diagnosed every year with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time.

17 Apr 2007

Innovative treatment option for excessive sweating

An estimated 3 percent of the world population, or about 197 million people suffer from some form of hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), many of whom do not receive proper diagnosis or treatment.

17 Apr 2007

Effect of alcohol and aspirin consumption in traumatic brain injury patients

An estimated 1.5 million people in the United States incur a traumatic brain injury (TBI) every year and 60,000 people die annually from these injuries.

17 Apr 2007

Deep brain stimulation helps improve memory in patients with psychiatric illness

Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic will present results of a study today that shows deep brain stimulation (DBS) is associated with improvements on formal memory tests in patients with severe psychiatric illness.

17 Apr 2007

Cortical mapping helps brain tumor removal

In 2006, it was estimated that 18,820 new cases were diagnosed and 12,820 deaths were associated with malignant tumors of the brain and other parts of the central nervous system.

17 Apr 2007

Brain structure changes years before dementia or Alzheimer's disease begins

People who develop dementia or Alzheimer's disease experience brain structure changes years before any signs of memory loss begin, according to a study published in the April 17, 2007, issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

17 Apr 2007