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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.

Researchers analyze spine surgery patients' existing comorbdities in relationship to hospital stay, costs

It is estimated that between 75 and 85 percent of all Americans will suffer from low back pain and/or neck pain at some point in their lives. An estimated 12 million Americans suffer from degenerative disc disease, with over one million patients undergoing surgery each year. The cost of treating back pain is currently estimated at more than $100 billion annually in the U.S. Many patients with back pain have comorbidities that impact spine surgery.

5 May 2010

Six abstracts featuring FORE-SIGHT system presented at Pediatric Academic Societies meeting

CAS Medical Systems, Inc. today announced that six abstracts featuring the use of the FORE-SIGHT Absolute Oximeter were presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting May 1-4 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. This meeting includes more than 7,500 leaders in academic pediatrics and is dedicated to the advancement of pediatric research and the advanced care of acutely ill children.

5 May 2010

NIH awards CSU biochemists $7.8M grant to study gene regulation within cells

A team of top biochemists at Colorado State University will investigate how chromosomes untangle to expose genes that dictate cell behavior - a unique project that could have a significant impact on understanding human health.

5 May 2010

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex involved in cognitive aspects of ToM, says study

The ability to infer what another person is thinking is an essential tool for social interaction and is known by neuroscientists as "Theory of Mind" (ToM), but how does the brain actually allow us to do this? We are able to rationally infer what someone knows, thinks, or intends, but we are also able to "slip into their shoes" and infer how they feel, and it seems that the brain processes these different types of information in different ways, as confirmed by a new report in the June 2010 issue of Elsevier's Cortex.

5 May 2010

Quark to present poster on predicting risk of DGF following machine perfusion of renal transplants at ATC 2010

Quark Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the world leader in clinical development of RNAi-based therapeutics, announced today the presentation of a poster at the 2010 American Transplant Congress titled, "A Nomogram for Predicting Risk of Delayed Graft Function Following Machine Perfusion of Renal Transplants."

5 May 2010

Abbott announces opening of Asia-Pacific Nutrition R&D Center

Abbott, the global health care company, today announced the opening of the Abbott Asia-Pacific Nutrition Research & Development Center at Singapore's Biopolis Research Park. The center is Abbott's largest nutrition R&D facility outside of the U.S., and Singapore's first nutrition R&D site creating science-based nutritional products for infants, children and adults.

5 May 2010

Protein PEA-15 stops T-cell proliferation

New research has identified that a key protein called PEA-15 stops T-cell proliferation by blocking the cell's ability to reproduce. The control of T-cell proliferation is essential in preventing certain blood cancers and autoimmune diseases, as well as the orchestration of the immune response to infection. Findings of the study are reported in a recent online issue of The FASEB Journal, a publication of The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

5 May 2010

Researchers analyze role of gender in treatment and outcome of patients with MMD

Moyamoya disease is an uncommon, progressive cerebrovascular disease in which the main arteries feeding the brain (the intracranial internal carotid arteries/ICA and Circle of Willis) are narrowed or occluded on both sides, reducing blood flow to the brain. This causes transient episodes of reversible stroke with loss of neurologic function in the form of weakness of a limb, sensory disturbances, epileptic seizures or headaches.

5 May 2010

Ventral striatum plays important role in circuitry of reward-oriented behavior: Researchers

An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older - about one in four adults - suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder every year, which equates to approximately 57.7 million adults. Severe psychiatric illness affects a much smaller number of people - about 6 percent, or 1 in 17. Worldwide, an estimated 340 million people suffer from an episode of major depression every year.

5 May 2010

Anesthesiologist identifies two changes to standard of care to protect developing brains

Doctors at Children's National Medical Center have found that carbon monoxide levels in the blood of young children increase during routine general anesthesia. Anesthesiologists have found for the first time that, under certain circumstances, infants and children may be exposed to carbon monoxide during routine anesthesia resulting in a rise in the carbon monoxide levels in the child's blood.

5 May 2010

StemCells first-quarter total revenue up 307%

StemCells, Inc., a leading stem cell technology company with the dual focus of novel therapeutics and innovative research products, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2010 and recent business highlights.

5 May 2010

Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery effective for patients with large acoustic neuromas: Study

A new Mayo Clinic study has found that Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery is a successful treatment for the majority of patients who have large acoustic neuromas (also known as vestibular schwannoma or neurolemmoma). Gamma Knife surgery already is an accepted treatment for small to medium-sized acoustic neuromas.

5 May 2010

Older adults with depression do not respond to emotional stimuli, says study

Scientists have found an important clue in the quest to understand why people who suffer from depression in later life are harder to treat and keep well in the long term.

5 May 2010

Study: Parvovirus therapy offers complete regression of malignant brain tumors

Particular parvoviruses normally infect rodents, but they are also infectious for human cells. However, they do not cause any disease symptoms in humans. Most importantly, these viruses have an astonishing property: They kill infected tumors cells without causing any damage to healthy tissue.

5 May 2010

Deloitte Survey: Consumers still profess to know very little about health care system in the U.S.

Following widespread media coverage of health care reform, political debates and legislative initiatives over the past year, consumers still profess to know very little about the health care system in the United States, according to the 3rd Annual Deloitte Center for Health Solutions Survey of Health Care Consumers.

5 May 2010

Calgary doctors research how to minimize complications from Cryptococcus disease

Cryptococcus disease is a rare but serious infection resulting from inhaling a toxic fungus often found in fir trees. Approximately 250 people have been infected with the disease in British Columbia since its emergence in 1999. The disease can cause meningitis, pneumonia and in 10 per cent of cases it can lead to death.

5 May 2010

Research analyzes clinical connection of NPH to AD

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus is a neurological condition which typically affects adults ages 55 and older. This condition was first described in the 1960s as a triad of gait disturbance, dementia, and bladder incontinence. The ventricles of the brain appear enlarged although the cerebrospinal fluid pressure remains normal.

5 May 2010

Additional pivotal Phase 3 trial data for MoxDuo IR released

QRxPharma announced today the release of additional pivotal Phase 3 trial data for MoxDuo IR, an immediate-release Dual-Opioid pain therapy. Required for New Drug Application submission with the United States Food and Drug Administration, this "combination rule" study compared the efficacy and safety profiles of MoxDuo IR against component doses of morphine and oxycodone alone for the management of moderate to severe post-operative pain following bunionectomy surgery.

5 May 2010

Mayo Clinic researchers identify genetic variants in serotonin genes that impact IBS

Most people associate serotonin with brain neurology, but over 95 percent of the body's serotonin occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, which has a complex neuronal circuit that has been called "the second brain" of the body.

5 May 2010

Understanding the biology of postpartum blues

Greater levels of a brain protein called monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) - may explain why postpartum blues and clinical depression are so common after childbirth according to an important study published today in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

5 May 2010

Brain News and Research

Further Reading

Researchers analyze spine surgery patients' existing comorbdities in relationship to hospital stay, costs

Six abstracts featuring FORE-SIGHT system presented at Pediatric Academic Societies meeting

NIH awards CSU biochemists $7.8M grant to study gene regulation within cells

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex involved in cognitive aspects of ToM, says study

Quark to present poster on predicting risk of DGF following machine perfusion of renal transplants at ATC 2010

Abbott announces opening of Asia-Pacific Nutrition R&D Center

Protein PEA-15 stops T-cell proliferation

Researchers analyze role of gender in treatment and outcome of patients with MMD

Ventral striatum plays important role in circuitry of reward-oriented behavior: Researchers

Anesthesiologist identifies two changes to standard of care to protect developing brains

StemCells first-quarter total revenue up 307%

Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery effective for patients with large acoustic neuromas: Study

Older adults with depression do not respond to emotional stimuli, says study

Study: Parvovirus therapy offers complete regression of malignant brain tumors

Deloitte Survey: Consumers still profess to know very little about health care system in the U.S.

Calgary doctors research how to minimize complications from Cryptococcus disease

Research analyzes clinical connection of NPH to AD

Additional pivotal Phase 3 trial data for MoxDuo IR released

Mayo Clinic researchers identify genetic variants in serotonin genes that impact IBS

Understanding the biology of postpartum blues

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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